Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/19/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Their dentist stabbed my face with a needle because he was too worried about flirting with his assistant then to care about his patient. I to pull the needle out of my face and ask him if he was OK to continue. I tightened a screw in my mouth too much With a spacer in it that they couldn’t unscrew it, and I had to sit there with my mouth open for an hour while they two people to try to come help them. I gave them a zero survey and they sent me an extra $400 bill because of it. I’ve paid them $2300 the $400 bill they sent me says I owe $2100 total but if I’ve paid 2400 I don’t see howI owe them more.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/19/2025

  Office of the Better Business Bureau Acknowledgment of Complaint Case No: ********Dear Sir or Madam, We are writing to acknowledge receipt of the complaint filed by ******** ******** regarding theirexperience at the Aspen Dental branded practice located in Christiansburg, VA, which is independentlyowned and operated by Salem Dental, PLLC.Upon receiving the complaint, the office that treated the patient will initiate an internal review of theissues raised. A team member from that office will then be reaching out directly to the patient to discussthe details of the complaint and work towards a mutually agreeable solution.We appreciate the Better Business Bureau's role in facilitating communication between consumers andbusinesses and take this matter seriously. Rest assured that we will make every effort to rectify thesituation and provide a positive outcome for the patient.If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your attention tothis matter.Sincerely,******* *****Regulatory Relations SpecialistOn behalf of Salem Dental, PLLC

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/10/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  UnresolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am writing to address several discrepancies I have identified in the billing and clinical notes related to my wisdom tooth extraction procedure performed on November 8, 2024. The codes used for billing and documented in the clinical notes do not accurately reflect the services I received. I contacted the dentist's office regarding this issue, but they refused to adjust the bill.
  
  I was charged for D7230 (Removal of Impacted Partially Bony) for tooth #17 and D7240 (Removal of Impacted Completely Bony) for tooth #32. Both clinical notes describe the same procedure: "sulcular incision from mid 2nd molar…702 bur used to create a buccal trough and section the tooth, then the tooth was elevated and extracted." However, I have photographic evidence showing the extracted teeth intact, with no signs of sectioning. This inconsistency raises concerns about the accuracy of the clinical documentation and the procedures performed.
  
  Additionally, I have X-ray evidence demonstrating that all wisdom teeth in question were fully erupted and visible above the gumline. This contradicts any claims of impaction and questions the necessity of the complex extraction procedures being billed. I believe the correct codes for both tooth #17 and #32 should be D7210, which would result in lower charges than what I am currently billed.
  
  I suspect that the services were upcoded to charge me more than they should have. Furthermore, the codes used for billing are not covered by my insurance, despite claims from the office that they are.
  
  I was also charged $345 for D9248 (Non-Intravenous Conscious Sedation). However, the clinical notes only indicate that local anesthesia was used, which is typically less expensive than D9248. The notes do not suggest that any form of conscious sedation was administered. I believe this service was also upcoded to charge me more than it should have, and the billing codes used are not covered by my insurance, contrary to the office's claims.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/11/2025

  I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  The merchant only responded by confirming the receipt of my complaint and initiating an internal review. However, this has not led to a resolution, and my billing has not been adjusted as a result.They have not confirmed whether their practices involved upcoding, which would explain the higher bills for more complicated procedures than what were actually performed on me. Additionally, they did not address how their operational practices misled me into believing that certain procedures were covered by my dental insurance when, in reality, they were not. The business manager assured me that I would be covered by my dental insurance and this is documented on the treatment plan, and this assurance was the sole reason I agreed to the treatment plan. Had I known these procedures would not be covered by my dental insurance, I would not have committed to them.
  Regards,
  *** ***

  Business Response

  Date: 03/17/2025

  The patient was spoken to and explained their balance to them. The patient was not satisfied, but there is nothing further to be done by the office.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/17/2025

  I have reviewed the response offer made by the business regarding complaint ID ******** and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. The business claims they reached out to me; however, I have not received any clear explanation from Aspen Dental. The only communication I received was from their employees shouting at me a few weeks after my procedure due to their failure to file claims properly with my insurance provider.I value the care I receive at your office and hope we can resolve these issues promptly and fairly. Please review these matters and provide a written response addressing my concerns within 15 business days. If any charges were made in error or if procedures were incorrectly documented, I request that they be removed, adjusted, or corrected accordingly.Thank you for your attention to this matter.Sincerely,  ***

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/21/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I visited Aspen Dental for an initial visit for tooth pain on 9/24/24. The dentist recommended a periodontal cleaning and an extraction. All of the costs were reviewed with me that day and I was informed about what my insurance would pay and what I would need to pay out if pocket, $552. I paid half of the balance that day. I returned on 9/30/24 & had the cleaning and extraction performed and paid the other half of my bill. When I came home, I took out the gauze and at least one of the stitches came out and it felt like I had sand in my mouth. I called the office and they asked me to come back first thing the next morning. I live an hour and a half away from the office, but I decided to go back, just to make sure there wasn't a problem. I left my house at 6:30 am. When I was ten minutes away from the office, a member of the Aspen staff called to cancel my appointment. I informed her that I had already traveled an hour and twenty minutes and I had an issue that needed to be addressed immediately. She told me to come in in and they would get me in, but I would have to wait. The dentist checked and cleaned the extraction site and said that everything seemed to be ok. A short time later, I received a bill from Aspen Dental in the amount of $647 for a bone graft, which I am assuming was the gritty substance in my mouth after the stitch(es) came out on the day of the extraction. I was surprised to receive this bill because all costs were discussed with me prior to the procedure and I was told that I would only owe $552 out of pocket. The bone graft procedure and cost was not discussed with me beforehand. I reviewed the claims submitted to my dental insurance. There are 3 separate claims totalling $5,160 for the cleaning and extraction. I have initiated a review with my dental insurance provider. In addition, I contacted Aspen Dental a few weeks ago because the extraction site still hasn't healed and I'm having pain. They refused to see me unless I pay $647.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/26/2024

  Dear Sir/Madam,We are writng to acknowledge receipt of the complaint filed by ***** ****** regarding their experienceat the Aspen Dental branded practice located at 2710 Market Street NE, Christiansburg, VA which is independently owned and operated by Salem Dental, PLLC.Upon receiving the complaint, the office that treated the patient will initiate an internal review of theissues raised. A team member from that office will then be reaching out directly to the patient to discussthe details of the complaint and work towards a mutually agreeable solution.We appreciate the Better Business Bureau's role in facilitating communication between consumers and businesses and take this matter seriously. Rest assured that we will make every effort to rectify thesituation and provide a positive outcome for the patient. Sincerely,***** ******Manager, Regulatory Relations Aspen DentalOn behalf of Salem Dental, PLLC 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/12/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Billing department is unavailable and unwilling to submit insurance claims. It has been 2 months and still has not submitted my insurance claims to my insurance company. I am left with a bill that is still being billed for and no updates on what I'm actually paying for . The office is a scam
  They are scamming people left and right the worst company I have ever dealt with. I pay all my bills that I indeed owe but these people don't care. Not late on anything my bills are up to date but I don't believe I owe as much money as they say I do and they still have not ( after repeatedly calling them including the insurance company calling) after 2 months submitted my insurance claim

  Business Response

  Date: 08/21/2024

   Office of the Better Business Bureau Acknowledgment of Complaint Case No: ********Dear Sir or Madam, We are writing to acknowledge receipt of the complaint filed by ******* ****** regarding theirexperience at the Aspen Dental branded practice located at Christiansburg, VA which is independentlyowned and operated by Salem Dental, PLLC. Upon receiving the complaint, the office that treated the patient will initiate an internal review of theissues raised. A team member from that office will then be reaching out directly to the patient to discussthe details of the complaint and work towards a mutually agreeable solution.We appreciate the Better Business Bureau's role in facilitating communication between consumers andbusinesses and take this matter seriously. Rest assured that we will make every effort to rectify thesituation and provide a positive outcome for the patient.If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your attention tothis matter.Sincerely,****** ******Regulatory Relations Specialist On behalf of Salem Dental, PLLC

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/26/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This "dental " office is practicing some concerning billing practices. My dental insurance advise this office of what they would pay and what they wouldn't pay. I then had to enter into an agreement with **** ****** which they charged $2911.80. Again my insurance advised them that since they didn't follow the proper protocol for them to approve the claim they wouldn't be paid. This was shortly after service date of 04/03/2023.
  
  Fast forward to April 2024. I get a bill for patient responsibility that was billed to **** ****** the previous year. Explanation from Aspen "we had a system outage so bill are now just going out". A outage for a whole year!? Then it changed to well we have a pending claim from the insurance. So you are billing me. My daughter then spoke to them and asked for an itemized bill. I took her two days upon receiving it to understand this so called book keeping. She then saw the same charges on the bill I got this year and the itemized charges that were charged to **** ******* At this point they can eat the $391.20 that they are doubling billing for. I paid it to **** ****** and I refuse to pay them a second time.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/30/2024

  Dear Sir or Madam,We are writing to acknowledge receipt of the complaint filed by ********* ***** regarding theirexperience at the Aspen Dental branded practice located at Christiansburg, VA which is independentlyowned and operated by Aspen Dental of Virginia PC.Upon receiving the complaint, the office that treated the patient will initiate an internal review of theissues raised. A team member from that office will then be reaching out directly to the patient withinthe next 5 business days to discuss the details of the complaint and work towards a mutually agreeablesolution.We appreciate the Better Business Bureau's role in facilitating communication between consumers andbusinesses and take this matter seriously. Rest assured that we will make every effort to rectify thesituation and provide a positive outcome for the patient.If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your attention tothis matter.Sincerely,****** ******Regulatory Relations SpecialistOn behalf of Aspen Dental of Virginia PC

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/22/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Was charged $3000.00 up front for work never done now no refund no temp dentures now $1700.00 dentures won't fit after swelling went down Dr was very cold didn't say ten words to me in three visits

  Business Response

  Date: 11/22/2023

  Dear Sir or Madam,We are writing to acknowledge receipt of the
  complaint filed by ***** ********* regarding their experience at the Aspen
  Dental branded practice located at **************, VA which is independently
  owned and operated by Aspen Dental of Virginia, PC. Upon receiving the complaint, the office that
  treated the patient will initiate an internal review of the issues raised. A
  team member from that office will then be reaching out directly to the patient
  within the next 5 business days to discuss the details of the complaint and
  work towards a mutually agreeable solution. We appreciate the Better Business Bureau's
  role in facilitating communication between consumers and businesses and take
  this matter seriously. Rest assured that we will make every effort to rectify
  the situation and provide a positive outcome for the patient.If you have additional questions, please do
  not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/16/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Went to Aspen Dental in ************** Virginia with teeth hurting. Dentist said they could only pull teeth and give me partials. During teeth extractions dentist kept numbing lower gums. He also kept pushing on my jaw. I had to yell at him to stop due to excruciating pain. 31 days later lower lip is still numb, jaw constantly burns and drooling from right side of mouth. Could not wear temporary partials due to pain and gagging. Feel nerves are damaged in lower lip. Painful to eat, sleep and talk. Planned on teaching before dental work. Pain, numbness and missing teeth will keep me from that .

  Business Response

  Date: 11/16/2023

  Dear Sir or Madam,We are writing to acknowledge receipt of the
  complaint filed by ***** ******* regarding their experience at the Aspen Dental
  branded practice located at **************, VA which is independently owned and
  operated by Salem Dental, PLLC. Upon receiving the complaint, the office that
  treated the patient will initiate an internal review of the issues raised. A
  team member from that office will then be reaching out directly to the patient
  within the next 5 business days to discuss the details of the complaint and
  work towards a mutually agreeable solution. We appreciate the Better Business Bureau's
  role in facilitating communication between consumers and businesses and take
  this matter seriously. Rest assured that we will make every effort to rectify
  the situation and provide a positive outcome for the patient.If you have additional questions, please do
  not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/15/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I went to Aspen Dental in the spring of 2022 very excited about getting a new smile at the age of 60. I had worked hard on getting my credit score up so I could apply for a Care Credit card to get this done. They said I needed a root canal, a filling a bridge on the right side and 5 crowns. This appointment, which I think was called a "fitting" for the bridge, lasted over 5 hours. I sat in the chair the full time with my mouth open being pretty much tortured. They ground down two teeth on either side of the missing tooth. They then tried to fit me for the mold for the temporary bridge and the permanent one. I don't know if this was their first bridge attempt but it definitely felt like it. 5 hours of pain, mouth open continuously. They made the temporary bridge but had trouble getting it to stay in. They finally stuck it in, called it complete and sent me home. About 10 minutes after leaving their office, still on my way home, it fell out. I had one of the worst nights I could remember. I've had stomach sepsis before and don't remember it hurting this bad. I stayed up all night crying. When the pain med they had given me wore off, I knew that my mouth was completely cut up. My cheek and tongue on that side were pretty much mangled. I called the next morning and they said to come back in that morning. The last thing I wanted to do was go back for more torture, but I did. 2 more hours of pain, they put the temp bridge back in and it fell out on the way home. I decided to leave it out until the permanent came in. When they said the perm was in, I very reluctantly went back. They put it in and I hoped everything was well. In the meantime, though, I had cancelled the Care Credit (after paying over $1,500) because I had no intention of ever going back. Within a month, the permanent bridge fell out and has been sitting on my table since then. I have been trying to come up with money to get it fixed elsewhere. They have turned me over to collections to complete paying for the bridge which isn't even in my mouth.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/15/2023

  I was seen at the Aspen Dental in **************, **.  I do not have any documentation because they have never provided me with any, except for letters demanding payment.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/22/2023

  I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  I’m not interested in hearing from this business unless they are planning to reimburse me for the bridge that I paid $1,500 for and which has not been in my mouth for several months.  I could use the money to take it to someone else that could do the job correctly.  I am sure they will want to fix the problem themselves but, after the pain and their inability to do it right, I don’t intend to ever go back.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *******

  Business Response

  Date: 04/05/2023

  This case is still under review.