an cial ▁consult ant ▁Tom ▁Cl imo ▁ca ution ed ▁that ▁private ▁equ ity ▁fir ms ▁boost ▁prof its ▁by ▁press uring ▁dent ists ▁to ▁work ▁longer , ▁which ▁could ▁lead ▁to ▁a ▁d eter ior ation ▁in ▁service . ▁ ▁After ▁compla ints ▁regarding ▁its ▁disc ount ▁services ▁and ▁fin ance ▁programs ▁emer ged ▁in ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁Asp en ▁entered ▁into ▁an ▁ass urance ▁of ▁volunt ary ▁comp liance ▁with ▁the ▁Pennsylvania ▁Att orney ▁General ' s ▁office ▁without ▁adm itting ▁wrong do ing . ▁It ▁agreed ▁to ▁pay ▁$ 1 2 5 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁re im bur se ▁customers ▁and ▁$ 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁for ▁consumer ▁protection ▁prob es . ▁Comp la ints ▁involved ▁services ▁provided ▁before ▁May ▁ 2 8 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁ ▁In ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁a ▁P BS ▁series ▁entitled ▁D oll ars ▁and ▁D ent ists ▁produced ▁by ▁Front line ▁in ▁partners hip ▁with ▁the ▁Center ▁for ▁Public ▁Integr ity ▁described ▁Asp en ▁D ental ' s ▁business ▁model ▁as ▁one ▁which ▁makes ▁dent al ▁work ▁immediately ▁accessible ▁to ▁low - in come ▁patients ▁by ▁providing ▁interest - free ▁credit . ▁The ▁investigation ▁revealed ▁patients ▁were ▁over charg ed ▁or ▁given ▁unnecessary ▁treat ments . ▁ ▁In ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁a ▁class - action ▁law suit ▁accused ▁the ▁company ▁of ▁il leg ally ▁ow ning ▁dent al ▁practices ▁and ▁dece iving ▁patients .