Aggressive dental upselling leaves patients and employers wary

Public websites aimed at dentists offer them tips about how they should upsell patients on getting extra services. The experts on those sites emphasize the need to upsell patients on genuinely useful health-related services, such as extra cleanings, and cosmetic procedures that could have a noticeable impact on patients' appearance, such as whitening treatments.

Employer dental plan members are using online web forums to ask neighbors for recommendations for dentists who won't make them feel as if the dentist is trying to sell them the Brooklyn Bridge.

The dental plan experience: Diana Steinhoff, the chief executive officer of Renaissance — a company that sells ancillary benefits such as dental insurance, vision plans, life insurance, disability insurance and supplemental health insurance — said in an email that employers and benefits advisors can help ensure that patients have a good experience by offering a high-quality dental plan with a strong provider network.

Renaissance, for example, can back up the work the dentists in its network perform through a major services guarantee feature. The guarantee can cover the cost if specified procedures performed by an in-network dentist break or malfunction and need to be redone.

Patient education: Steinhoff said employers and advisors can also help by making sure that plan participants understand the difference between preventive, restorative and cosmetic work, and how to talk to their dentists.

"What many people experience as 'selling' is often a shift toward more comprehensive education and preventive care," Steinhoff said.

"Dentists are spending more time talking with patients about long-term oral health, explaining treatment options, and connecting what they see in the mouth to broader health concerns," she said. "That can sometimes feel like 'more' services, but the intent is typically to prevent more serious issues later on."

Efforts to address gum disease, for example, can help stabilize the mouth and make teeth and any restorations, such as fillings or crowns, last longer, Steinhoff said.

A dental plan's design can increase members' confidence in their dentists and patients' ability to communicate with their dentists by supporting regular use of preventive care, Steinhoff said.

She said cosmetic services, such as whitening treatments and application of veneers, "can be appropriate in certain situations," but she noted that patients need to understand whether procedures are or not necessary to keep their teeth and gums healthy and who will be responsible for paying for what.

"If a member ever has questions about whether a service is appropriate, we encourage an open conversation with their dentist, asking why the procedure is recommended, what alternatives exist, and how it supports their long-term oral health," she said.