Thatcher & Boudreau Inc: Boudreau V Russell DDS

"First, if I go forward with this office and have a different experience then I will update my review. My initial impression is bad based on two things: 1) my wife took my son to the appointment and was given confusing information about the treatment plan and next steps. She was told we had to call our insurance to see what was covered, which was a first for us and seemed strange. They also did not explain the process well, between the orthodontic treatment and this treatment (my son needs braces but the orthodontist recommended this Oral Surgeon next door first). Before calling this office, I called and communicated the treatment plan to my insurance. The insurance representative put me on hold and called the office to be sure on the details. Upon returning to the phone, they said anesthesia would not be covered because it is extraction and surgical exposure not for an "impacted maxillary canine" or not more than one tooth, according to the lady she spoke with at this office. This doesn't make sense. The teeth in question are most definitely canines (H is the baby canine needing extracted and number 11 is the same but adult impacted maxillary canine underneath H that needs exposure). How is a new tooth growing out of the jaw not maxillary? That one word was the basis of the response from insurance that $600 worth of general anesthesia would not be covered. I need the Oral Surgeon's office to be utterly clear with insurance to receive proper coverage. This is not an area they can botch because I will pay for their inadequacies. Btw, extraction aside, how else would they do a surgical exposure of an impacted tooth on a 12 year old without general anesthesia? Time to call the office myself and get the details clear, which brings me to #2. 2) The receptionist at the office was very dismissive. I'm looking at $10,000 in total treatment and have very good insurance. Still, I need to understand what is covered and what is not. She did clarify that they also submitted the plan to the insurance and are waiting on a response. Ok. My wife was not told that. She also was clear to tell me that she just spoke to my insurance and they told her that the anesthesia would not be covered. She must not realize I was on the other line with my insurance. I tried to explain that it was based on the description they just received of it not being "maxillary," and I was asking her to clarify so I could understand what was it. In other words, I asked her if the new canine tooth was really not considered maxillary. Isn't it the one growing in the jaw? She then basically dismissed me and said "well we should have their response in the next two weeks and we scheduled him out anyways so there's no problem." Wait what? And she is basically hanging up the phone at this point. I still have a question btw. There is a matter of whether to do the eruption device before or after the braces, at least that is what my wife was told, and I need a little more explanation to understand what is expected to coordinate this. Oh well. She's gone. I guess I'll take him to the Oral Surgeon I just saw in November. The receptionists were great and the surgeon took his time considering what I had going on and explaining what he found."