By: Barbara Novak
My daughter was overjoyed when her orthodontist informed her that her teeth had straightened in a mere 12 months, rather than the estimated 24-36 months. So was I, until I learned that in addition to the $1050.00 I paid when treatment began and the 12 monthly payments of $179.55 each, I would have to pay an additional $179.55 monthly for the next 10 months even though my daughter would no longer be undergoing active treatment.
He explained that the fee was for a product - a perfect smile - not a service. My own smile vanished as he directed me to the Proposed Financial Agreement, which I had signed: "... the monthly payments are not based upon the amount of attention rendered during any given period of time, but rather as a means of budgeting the total fee over the total time required for treatment."
That he estimated the treatment would take more than twice as long as it did was irrelevant. In cases where he underestimates the length of the treatment, patients are not required to pay any additional fee. In other words, it all evens out.
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The smile the dentist took care of the best was his own |
"That's very nice," I said, "but I don't see why we should have to subsidize someone else's treatment."
He replied that the problem with charging patients according to the time they spend with the orthodontist is that some patients will simply stop treatment when they think the results are good enough. But what's good enough for them is not good enough for the orthodontist. A less than perfect job reflects badly on him. "Bad advertising," I said.
"Exactly! You know," he confided, "some orthodontists would have kept your daughter's braces on for the extra 12 months just to avoid this sort of conflict. But I didn't do that, because I don't think that's ethical."
He's bloody well right it's not ethical. But neither is charging a flat rate for a "product" that is also a "service." I am paying for his expertise and part of his expertise is his ability to determine how long the treatment will take and charge accordingly. I shouldn't be required to pay the same fee whether my daughter has 22 appointments or 12.
If his argument is sound, then the perfect smile ought to cost the same for every patient. But that's not the case. His estimate was far too high. Oh, legally he's covered, I have no doubt about that. But I'm disappointed in his level of integrity. The smile he took the best care of was his own.
Barbara Novak is an award-winning journalist, business writer and alert consumer who lives in London, Ontario.
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| The author's daughter, Hannah State, as she appeared with braces at her prom. Pass your cursor over the picture to remove Hannah's braces. The author wishes it had been this easy in real life. |
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Canadian Dental Association - www.cda-adc.ca
Ontario Dental Association - www.dental.oda.on.ca
Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario - www.rcdso.org
The Wisdom Tooth (a database of dental hygiene tips) - www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/wisdomtooth
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