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Teeth Bleaching: Patient Wants Refund?

posted in Cosmetic Dentistry, Hot Cosmetic Dentistry

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Dr. A. asks:
I had a very irate patient call me yesterday to complain that I charged her $700 for an in-office tooth bleaching when she could just have easily gone to the local drugstore and bought a bleaching kit for $40 and done the bleaching herself. She says that the hygienist and I never mentioned this option and therefore she was not given informed consent for the procedure. She says that I am completely at fault for not telling her about this and she wants me to refund $660. What do I do? What do I say to her? I have been using the Discus Dental line of bleaching products and I think they work great.

15 Responses to “ Teeth Bleaching: Patient Wants Refund? ”

• George November 11th, 2008

  
  

  Nothing you say will convince her that what you did was better. Sounds like you were set-up. Let it go with a good signed release and a check to her. You don’t need the hassle.

• Doctorberg November 11th, 2008

  
  

  charge her for the cost of the materials and dismiss her, never seeing her again, That would be the real payment. And YES you were setup, there is a lesson there too.

• Mike Stanley, asst. November 11th, 2008

  
  

  Yep. Just charge her full fee for the root canal therapy and crowns she’ll get later.
  I just had a guy call to say he’ll be purchasing his whitening refills via the internet. Says he’ll buy the 30% solution. I warned him….

• dr b November 11th, 2008

  
  

  are you kidding me. should ordered steak and tells you the drugstore sells hamburger cheaper…no refund

  returning a payment to her is an admission of fault, no matter how you spin it, and you have no fault here.

  next time you do a root canal for her, will she tell you after that it only costs $100 at the medicaid clinic up the street…let her go there, you don’t want her as patient

• Stan Chickey November 12th, 2008

  
  

  Set-up, maybe, but it may have been by the manufacturer who told you the in office bleaching techniques were better than the strips bought at the drugstore. I don’t know about you but I find the chairside bleaches are minimally effective at best. Don’t believe everything you are told

• Dr Derek Kushner November 12th, 2008

  
  

  What a beaut she is !
  If you refund her money she will then get quotations from your colleague ” Dr Honest Joe ” down the road for all the previous dentistry you have done for her.Then she will come knocking at your door for another refund.
  You did good dentistry in good faith.
  Dr Derek,
  South Africa

• fred November 12th, 2008

  
  

  I got tooth whitening for 100 dollars this summer in Hungary… by a technician - and I would suggest this.
  a) you feel really guilty for charging rediculous prices even for professional treatment. Just because the rest of you on this page are doing it too - doesn’t mean you need a golfcart.
  b) tell her - there is no comparison for the cool blue light and other science behind the professional jobs - it’t not really just bleach, is it?
  c) only give her 300 bucks back, keep 200 for living in the West, and give 300 for guilt level alone - save 100 for new materials.
  d) cut the baby in half - and don’t forget the release form…. she’ll believe it - those big bucks are for the insurance after all, right?

• Spencer Blooom November 12th, 2008

  
  

  There are a million ways to illustrate to this patient that she is wrong to suggest a refund based on the cost of a drugstore product, but all she hears are dollars.

  A dentist can request a Peer Review… ask the patient if she would abide by their findings and then go ahead. Let her know you feel confident that the service you provided and the fee charged are reasonable and you don’t feel guilty about it. (I personally don’t feel comfortable charging that much for chairside bleaching, but you aren’t me.)

  I would try all ethical means of not refunding any significant amount of money (eg. Ask if the fee paid was a hardship to her… I might “concede” the hardship and offer a courtesy adjustment of $100-200 of the fee as a credit toward future checkups, etc.) But I’d be darned if I would willingly give in to the argument as presented… she’s comparing apples to oranges.

  The only reason I’d modify my 2-cents here is if you feel the results of the chairside bleaching are not as good as you expected.

  Spence

• dutchy November 12th, 2008

  
  

  I think you have to do what gives you the least stress. Let your patient go to the drugstore and break the relationship whit this patient because sh doesn’t trust you. Let’s hope for her she won’t get rouble wit the drugstore stuff, because who’s going to help her then and give her the money for repair. I don’t think the drugstore can help and will refer to a dentist. That’s the same for the hungarian technician: he can’t fixed complications and help you. So you not only paying a dentist for the product but also for the care and after care

• R. Hughes November 12th, 2008

  
  

  Tell her it was her choice or tell her to pound sand. There is no reason for a refund.

• R. Hughes November 14th, 2008

  
  

  This woman is a bully. You have to have respect for yourself, your family and fees, also your staff. I bet she pulls this trick on a frequent basis! You give the money back for an honest service provided and your a chump–your a doctor/dental practice not a store!

• Dr SDJ. November 19th, 2008

  
  

  I know not a Thing about how things run in your country. But there is a universal law. NEVER EVER GIVE IN TO BULLIES. I can bet your patient planned all this thing well in advance.You have been framed my friend. I would rather pay a thousand dollars to my lawyer than 660 dollars as refund. believe me all lawyers aren’t bad ( like all dentists)

  Never loose your morale. Stand up for your rights.Bullies should be fought tooth and nail. No bully shall ever trouble you again.

  It seems you are new in practice.

• dr.rundo November 21st, 2008

  
  

  if u give her the mony ,thats meens that u were rong , and u were gelty ,
  i now this kind of pt . dont give her any thing

• Dr Lam November 24th, 2008

  
  

  I had a patient who wanted a refund on a professional bleaching kit with lab-made trays because she said it was a rip-off at $500. Notwithstanding the fact that she was quoted beforehand and the kit shown to her!!
  I never gave her a cent back because everthing was explained to her before the impressions were taken. If she had said that she could have got the same at the drugstore I wouldn’t even have taken her half seriously. At the end of the day - it’s your call - if she makes you lose sleep over it try and offer her some middle ground as has been suggested, if not kick her into touch!

• Cliff LEACHMAN November 25th, 2008

  
  

  Kick her to the curb, lesson learned. You don’t need or want patients like that, if you do your in big trouble. Lets face it bleaching is a rip-off and the only reason to have a dentist do it versus the pharmacy is the strength available and potential damage to the teeth that should be monitored by professionals. In our city skin care and beauty salons advertise bleaching at CHEAP rates we can’t compete with unless we explain the concentration we use is significantly stronger than they are able to get over the counter. We have lost control of bleaching and because of the money involved everyone and I mean everyone is doing it. I talked to a car dealer who set up bleaching centers in kiosks in the mall in San Jose and uses a useless cool blue light, which does nothing and has the CLIENTS put the trays in their mouths to do the bleaching. This is how all non-dentists get away with this in Canada and the USA. Good luck, the horse has left the stable.

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