At her teeth cleaning, they did an X-ray. She paid for none of it. “They really go above and beyond,” she says.

No, they really don't. This should be normal. Then again, dental care is privatised in a lot of countries who otherwise have "free" healthcare, so in a way a lot of people are in the same boat as Americans. Ever since I moved to a country where I have to pay for every dental treatment I find myself distrusting the dentists opinion if that procedure really is necessary or not. They profit directly from it, why not add some stuff that's not needed? Considering how important your teeth are for your quality of life, I hate to be in that situation.