Dental patients in Alberta need to shop around and ask questions, says a health consumer advocate.

A CBC investigation has found the cost of basic dental work in Alberta varies greatly, partly because the dental association doesn't set or recommend fees.

Wendy Armstrong, who lives in Edmonton, has been studying health consumer rights for more than two decades.

"If we want to make things better, we need to create the pressure to make things better," she said.

"What we'll do is we will ensure that the good dentists, who are responsible and treat their patients fairly and with respect, are the ones that will get the business and not the ones who take advantage of people."

Wide range of prices for basic service

CBC surveyed 30 Alberta dentists and found that the price for a basic exam ranged from $50 to $109 while the price for cleaning ranged from $200 to $300.

Every other provincial dental association publishes suggested fees, which dentists in that province usually follow.

But dentists in Alberta set their own fees. The Alberta Dental Association and College surveys those fees each year, but the results are released only to dentists.

Calgary dentist Bob Huff, who is also a director with the Alberta Dental Association and College, said he association used to issue a fee guide but decided to stop about 10 years ago to encourage competitive pricing.

Get quotes, says advocate

Armstrong said she doesn't want to see a return to a fee schedule because the old one in Alberta was set by dentists and was used as a floor for prices, rather than a ceiling. Instead, she encourages patients to shop around and ask questions.

That is what Calgary resident Keith Korsgaard did when after he took his cracked front teeth to his dentist.

"It was awful. I had a quote to get these front teeth fixed. It was over $5,000," he said.

He held off and got two more opinions, finally patching up his teeth for only $100.

People who visit the dentist are vulnerable and are hesitant to question the professionals, said Armstrong. Or those with dental plans think the insurance company is paying for it, so it's free, when in fact, they are usually paying a fee for their dental plan, she said.

"Today, it seems one turns into a social pariah if you ask about price or practice, and yet at the end of the day, that's what makes a business respond to the needs of the public," said Armstrong.