I need to have my wisdom teeth out, and after a standard panoramic x-ray, my dentist referred me to an oral surgeon.
There were several issues with this oral surgeon's office, but my biggest concern is that they convinced me to get an unnecessary x-ray that was $400 out-of-pocket.
After looking at my panoramic x-ray for a moment, the surgeon told me that one of my wisdom teeth was very close to a nerve, and I needed to have a digital x-ray (I think it was a CT scan) so he could better see the placement of the nerve. Then he quickly left, and a nurse came in and basically told me, "The doctor wants you to have this x-ray. It's $400. Insurance won't cover it. Do you want it? ...Well?"
Even in the moment, I felt like I was being scammed, but I also felt extremely trapped. They rushed me into making this decision IMMEDIATELY. I opted for the x-ray, but I wish I had refused. I'm sure the extra radiation is something I didn't need. (While the $400 is something I definitely do need.) The x-ray machine was in the office's BREAK ROOM, where I was surrounded by purses and lunches--it was all very odd
Aside from a Yelp review warning other people that they might try to pressure potential patients into expensive extras, do I have any sort of recourse? Or is this type of x-ray and cost typical with a wisdom teeth removal consultation?