I HAD the unfortunate experience to have visited what I would call a drill-happy dentist.

The general public should be aware not to fall into the trap of such unscrupulous people who, I hope, represent a minority .

I brought my daughter for a regular dental check-up and scaling treatment, and was told to come back in a week to have one cavity filled and some sealants applied. We came back the week after and were slapped with a bill for RM1,000 for six fillings and some other treatment.

We feel that we have been cheated, as I was not consulted about the five other cavities to be filled in addition to the one recommended the week before.

As a parent, I should have been told about the result of the dental examination and the treatments recommended, and it should be up to us to agree to any sort of treatment that the dentist recommended.

Even if the fillings were absolutely necessary, which I very much doubt, I challenge the need to have all the fillings done in one sitting. The dentist could have suggested treatment over several visits instead of just one.

In retrospect, we should not have gone to a clinic in an uptown shopping mall, which advertises itself as specialising in cosmetic dentistry, and judging by the faces in the waiting room, caters for mainly expatriate clients.

DR M,

Ampang, Selangor.

Source: The Star – January 13, 2008