This may be anecdotal, but it felt worth mentioning. I went to a popular chain for a $57 new patient exam, cleaning, and x-rays. They found multiple cavities and I spent $600 on getting them fixed. I could only afford to do half of them at once, and was going to come back to finish on another day.
In the mean time, I got a new job that offered dental insurance. So I went to a private dentist office instead to finish up the work. They said I had zero cavities or problem teeth. I went to a second office just to be safe, and they said the same thing.
It seems pretty scammy to me. Just be careful.
ref - https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/comments/cvqmp6/be_wary_of_dental_chains_that_offer_cheap_new/
origin - https://www.pipiscrew.com/2019/08/be-wary-of-dental-chains-that-offer-cheap-new-patient-examscleanings/ be-wary-of-dental-chains-that-offer-cheap-new-patient-examscleanings