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Aspen Dental Class Action Lawsuit
By Matt O’Donnell
UPDATE:
The Aspen Dental class action lawsuit was dismissed on March 27, 2015.
Aspen Dental, one of the nation’s largest corporate-dental chains, has been hit with a class action lawsuit accusing it of illegally owning and operating dental practices and of deceiving patients with aggressive sales pitches for expensive treatments after they’ve been lured in with promises of free exams and X-rays. Aspen Dental owns and controls 358 clinics across the country and markets to low-income patients that can’t afford dental care.
The Aspen Dental class action lawsuit was filed following a June 2012 report by PBS FRONTLINE and the Center for Public Integrity titled “Dollars and Dentists” that uncovered Aspen Dental’s practice of servicing patients who can’t afford a dentist and then allegedly locking them into debt. Some patients in the report also alleged they were overcharged and given unnecessary treatments.
The Aspen Dental class action lawsuit was filed October 18, 2012 by 11 patients across the country who accuse the company of violating laws in 22 states that require clinics to be owned by dentists actively performing procedures onsite. The laws are designed to prevent business interests from overshadowing those of patients.
Aspen Dental said Friday that the accusations in the class action lawsuit “are entirely without merit,” and that it provides support services to dental offices owned by local dentists.
“The dentists and staff at Aspen Dental offices around the U.S. provide access to high quality, affordable dental care for millions of patients,” the Syracuse-based company said. “Their singular commitment is to do what’s right for their patients.”
However, attorneys for the Plaintiffs say in the class action lawsuit that Aspen Dental trains the dentists and sets production goals for them, and accuse the company of illegally practicing medicine. They are seeking class-action status to cover potentially tens of thousands of current and former patients.
In 2010, Aspen Dental reached a $175,000 settlement with the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office over misleading information about discounts, consultations, financing and other promotions.
Plaintiffs in the Aspen Dental Class Action Lawsuit are represented by attorneys Brian Cohen and Jeffrey Norton.
Updated October 22nd, 2012
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375 thoughts onAspen Dental Class Action Lawsuit
I also need to be included in this lawsuit, and no one’s comments are being answered here….I also cannot find a phone number to get in contact with the attorneys that are working on this lawsuit. I trusted Aspen, and got nailed with $9,000.00 worth of debt because of dental work that was “necessary”. I have photos of my face being severely bruised and swollen due to the dentist not being competent enough to work on a patient with an extremely small mouth….every time I had dental work done, my lips would split open and bleed from her pulling and tugging to gain access to the tooth being worked on, and I would be bruised for days following every single visit. Why did I keep going back? My teeth were in tough shape, and I needed the work done….according to them, I still need another $2000.00 worth of work done, but I am done with them….SOMEONE PLEASE GET AHOLD OF ME REGARDING THIS LAWSUIT!!!! PLEASE!!!!
I had crowns put in on my front teeth one of them fell out in two months they told me that my tooth was to short for the tooth to hold on and suggest more dental work which would cost me more money The cost of the dental work was 3,000 now I don’t want to go or do anything because of how my mouth looks
They cost me 2500 and pull tooth that should have been pull was a good tooth push me into the sale pitch to do it and was best way to go but threw finance company that charges 22% interest. So count me in!!!!!!!!!!
count me in, too! still in pain after months of ugliness. please send me information on how to add my name to aspen’s very lengthy list of horror shows. thanks in advance
I am the POA and daughter for Kathlene McDanel and she is involved in the class action lawsuit. She has misplaced her paperwork, and also has a change of address. I need someone to contact me so that I can do a change of address for her so she can remain aprised of the lawsuit.
Thank you…..Danielle Salmon
How can I join this lawsuit? I had (questionable) work done which they said would be covered by my HMO. At the time of service, I paid the co-pay and got a receipt. FOUR MONTHS later, Aspen began billing me for the insurance’s responsibility. I called my insurance to ask why they hadn’t paid, and they said that Aspen has not submitted a claim. No claim has been submitted still, many months later, though I’ve called them repeated, my insurance has called them twice, and I wrote to Aspen’s head office twice.My insurance company says they will cover the cost, but a claim must be made. When I asked Aspen why they won’t submit a claim, I was told 1.They don’t submit claims for any HMOs, because that’s not how HMOs work. 2. The claims they submitted were rejected (and yes, that contradicts) and 3. I should just let their office do their job, because insurance is not something I can understand.
The head office says that they are so sorry for the experience I had at the Dale Mabry office in Tampa, FL–and then they do nothing. I have repeatedly demanded proof of a rejected insurance claim or something in writing that says I agreed to pay without insurance. They can provide neither, because they have neither. Now the unjust bill is in collections. Every time I talked with the people at the local Aspen, I pointed out that I’m trying to work it out and there is no need to send it to collections, because the bill is disputed. I was so sweet and patient, too. Honestly. I hoped it was just a mistake and I could keep going to their office. But now that it’s on my credit record– I’m not feeling so nice. This has cost me aggravation, credit rating, money, physical pain because I can’t transfer my dental records and go to another dentist for needed dental work, and it has affected my ability to do my job. If this suit is ended, please someone let me know how to start another or what to do. Thanks for letting me vent!
I LeAnna Meyers would like to join this class action law suit. I was misrepresented my Aspen Dental as they said I had 5 teeth that were damaged and needed to be part of a bridge. I had one tooth that needed a root canal. The bridge was placed on incorrectly I had to see a specialists to perform a root canal after aspen incorrectly finished my bridge. How do I join this lawsuit?
I too want to be included in the lawsuit. My dentures go not fit as promised. Can not eat much of anything with out hurting my gums, because they do not fit.
I too want to be included in the lawsuit. My dentures go not fit as promised. Can not eat much of anything with out hurting my gums, because they do not fit.
I want to join the lawsuit Who do I contact I was overcharged and they did procedures I didn’t want and cused me physical and mental anguish.. I am so afraid to go to a Dentist now I don’t know what to do…..