A ClearChoice Center surgeon responds

As a surgeon at Clear Choice, I was surprised and curious about your website, and the suspicion you are seemingly trying to encourage. I was unaware of any legal response to your web-site, but I can understand it in the context of what it appears you are trying to do (not merely request information, but actually cause controversy). I can tell you that we perform (on a daily basis – in fact… today as a matter of fact) many cases that involve one, two or more single implants to replace teeth. Our treatment plans are catered to the best interest of each individual patient. We certainly do not have a “one shoe fits all” approach at all. Your vigor begs the question of why…… Asking for laypersons’ responses causes me to wonder about your intentions. I am sure that you would gain much more insight and professional knowledge from talking to one of the trained specialists at a Clear Choice Center. It might be interesting to read the resonses to a web page that requests complaints against you (or any doctor for that matter). However, you would be justified in objecting to me publishing those (possibly unfounded complaints) on a website. Finally, the most interesting note about your reponses was that only one HAD TREATMENT at a Clear Choice. That response was quite positive. The remaining “complaints” that I read were from people who never had any treatment.
– Clear Choice Doctor from Texas

Dear ClearChoice Doctor,
You didn’t submit your name, e-mail address or any contact information, so I will answer you here on the blog. Maybe you will pick it up later.

I appreciate your input. Your points are well taken and I am glad to hear that you present a variety of treatment plans.

As far as my motivations, I am very upfront about that. I guess we could be compared to any type of media outlet, such as a newspaper. Visitors generate advertising and sponsorship revenue. And I have learned from doing this website for about 15 years now, that my honest and forthright opinions stir up some animosity among some but are greatly appreciated by the bulk of visitors.

I have no financial interest in the success or failure of ClearChoice Dental Implants Centers. I have solicited comments because I have found that there are a lot of people who are wanting to comment. And I relay those and give my honest opinion about them. My underlying philosophy is that if I present honest and helpful information and try hard to be accurate and well-informed, that this is the formula for long-term success of this website.

And I think that, to be fair, you should admit that you have a definite financial interest in the success of ClearChoice. I don’t begrudge you that. But to insinuate that I have some hidden sinister motive that you can’t quite put your finger on, I don’t think that is fair.

You make a point that the negative comments have all come from people who have not had treatment done at ClearChoice. That is a helpful perspective. The complaints are about the treatment plans and the sales techniques, not about the quality of treatment, once it has begun. But there is some uniformity in the complaints, which tends to give them some credibility. And I believe that when people have complaints about the treatment they received at ClearChoice, that you make financial adjustments for them contingent on them not going public with their complaints. This was told to me by a patient who DID have a complaint about the treatment which was resolved for him AFTER his first correspondence with me, and so he begged me not to publish it, because of the settlement agreement.

I did have a nice phone call last week from Steve Boyd, the CEO of ClearChoice. He explained some of your corporate philosophy, and he invited me to take a tour of a ClearChoice facility. I took him up on that tour offer yesterday, and visited ClearChoice Phoenix. Dr. Daniel Galindo was very accommodating and professional. He told me, during that tour, that they do present a variety of treatment plans, and that, of those who come to them with no teeth, only about half receive the recommendation for the All-On-4 procedure. I’m not sure I believe that, for two reasons. First, I have heard from a number of patients who have had treatment plans at ClearChoice centers, and every one has said they were told they needed the All-on-4. Second, I had a private phone call from a former ClearChoice employee who asked to remain anonymous, saying that about 80% of the treatment plans they presented were for All-on-4 and that this is what drives their profitability. But Dr. Galindo did convince me that their treatment standards are high and treatments are performed with a great deal of expertise. My experience has definitely softened some of my complaints. Stay tuned for more.