Free Second Opinions

Why we do this for free

The honest answer: because we would rather you felt certain than felt sold to.

A Jagdeo has practised dentistry since the 1950s — Dr. Augustine Jagdeo, then Dr. Anthony D. Jagdeo, and today his daughter Dr. Alida D. Jagdeo, who founded this practice in 2008. Three generations of the same family in the same community. That is not a marketing line; it is a constraint. A practice that intends to still be here in twenty years cannot afford a reputation for selling people work they did not need.

So a second opinion costs nothing. If we agree with your dentist, we will say so and you can proceed with confidence. If we do not, we will tell you why, and show you what we are looking at.

When a second opinion is worth getting

You do not need a reason to ask. But these are the situations where people most often should:

• You have been told a tooth must come out. Extraction is permanent. It is always worth a second look.
• A root canal has been recommended and you are not sure the symptoms justify it.
• The quote is large — several thousand dollars, or several teeth at once.
• You were not shown anything. If nobody put an x-ray in front of you and pointed at the problem, ask.
• You felt rushed, or pressured to decide the same day.
• The plan keeps growing. You went in for one thing and left with a list.
• Something simply feels off. That instinct is worth respecting.

What to bring

The more you bring, the more useful the opinion:

• The written treatment plan or quote, itemised if you have it
• Any x-rays taken. These are your records — you are entitled to request a copy from your current dentist, and you do not have to explain why
• What you were told, in your own words, and anything you were not sure about
• Your questions. Write them down; they are easy to forget in the chair

If you have none of that, come anyway. We will examine you ourselves and take our own images if they are needed.

What actually happens

1. You send us the plan. WhatsApp is easiest — photograph the quote and any x-rays and send them to 396-8447.
2. We look properly. That usually means an examination — a second opinion given without looking in your mouth is not worth much.
3. We show you what we see. On screen, on your own images, pointing at the actual tooth.
4. We tell you what we would do, what is urgent, what can wait, what is optional, and what we would leave alone entirely.
5. You decide. Including deciding to go back to your original dentist. That is a perfectly good outcome and it happens often.

Three answers you might get

A second opinion is not a promise that the first dentist was wrong. It is a promise of an independent look. In practice there are three outcomes:

• "We agree." The work is needed and the plan is sound. You proceed knowing that, wherever you have it done.
• "We would do it differently." Same problem, another route — often a more conservative one, sometimes a cheaper one, occasionally a more thorough one.
• "We would not do this yet." Some things genuinely are better watched than treated. Being told to wait is a real answer, and it is one people almost never expect to hear.

What it costs — plainly

We would rather set this out precisely than leave you guessing.

• The opinion is free, with no conditions. Not a discounted consultation. Not free-if-you-book. Free.
• It applies to a treatment plan from any dentist. We do not need to know who, and we will not ask you to justify why you are asking.
• There is no limit — on how often you come, or on how large the plan is.
• Tests are charged; the opinion is not. If we need to take new x-rays, or run a test such as sensitivity testing, those are charged — we will quote you first and you are free to decline. If you already have images we can work from, bring them and there may be nothing to pay at all. Investigations are the only part of a second opinion that ever costs money, and we would rather tell you here than at reception. Our prices are published.
• There is no obligation to have treatment with us. None at all.

If you do choose to go ahead with treatment here, you receive an itemised quotation for your overall dental management before anything begins. We have never believed a patient should learn the price after the work.

We are also a preferred provider for Guardian Life, Sagicor, Pan-American Life, Cardea and others, and have been for over fifteen years, so if you carry dental cover we will check what it covers before you commit. How we handle insurance, including the Guardian Life easiClaim card. TTARP members receive a discount on various procedures.