Please DO NOT give this office your business. I went into Dr. Nguyen's office looking for a new local dentist. Her staff was personable enough, but the work she did was so terrible I had to get it RE-DONE just weeks later. My new dentist was appalled that she would have allowed me to leave her office and arranged to have x-rays sent to my insurance company to explain why I had to have re-work done so quickly. The insurance company and my new dentist asked that she PAY ME BACK for the work she did.
I went in for regular dental work and needed two fillings. I warned her up front that since I was a pre-teen, I have had a very abnormal reaction to numbing agents. It takes A LOT to get my numb. This is because I have a central nerve that runs VERY close to the surface. I have had multiple doctors confirm this. She said okay, no problem.
When the work started she gave me one round of numbing and tried to start work. I told her, "I'm sorry this is very painful. I told you I am a little different." She said, "Oh you just need some more time for it to work." OK.
She tried again 15 mins later. Again, INTENSE pain. I said, "Please, I am telling you, this is still painful." She reluctantly gave me another round and waited another 20 mins. (Mind you I am now 45 mins in the chair and nothing has been done). She tried again and I said it was better, but still could feel things. She said, "You shouldn't be able to feel this." And I reminded her for a THIRD time that I have a different physiology than many.
She then leaned into me and asked, "Well I know you may not want to say this, but are you on drugs?"
EXCUSE ME?!!
"Well this would happen if you were a heavy recreational drug user. You should just tell me if you're an addict. That would make this easier."
I was STUNNED. I had warned her prior to doing ANY of this that I have had trouble with numbness and THIS was her reaction?! It sadly bears stating, that I am a black woman... I hope that is not why she made this ridiculous and offensive assumption, but .....
"NO." I told her. "I am NOT an addict or drug user. This is exactly what I told you about before we started nearly an hour ago."
"OK if you insist... but it really would make things easier."
I wanted to get up and walk out, but I am now mid-drilling (she did SOME before I couldn't take the pain anymore) and I didn't know how to leave with my mouth LITERALLY mid-procedure.
When she finally gave a final round of numbing agent and I could take it. But since we were so far behind she kept stopping the work and going to work on OTHER PATIENTS in the middle of my procedure. Finally 2 hours in on 2 fillings, she barely buffed my fillings and said...OK you'll have to come back another time for me to finish. The feeling in my mouth was UNBELEIVABLE. The filling was so rough I could feel my tongue was going to be rubbed raw. My jaw was ACHING (I have TMJ) from holding it open for 2 hours. And what I didn't know is that her work was so harsh that my gums would recede. They are STILL (a year later) not normal and I have to have my new dentist put a protective sheath around them every 6 months or so to prevent pain because my gums have never been normal again around those teeth.
My new dentist is lovely. She Immediately LISTENED when I told her about my issue with numbing and I have NEVER had a problem again. When she saw the work Dr. Nguyen had done, she was so disturbed she said she wanted to make sure she documented the HORRENDOUS work she did so that it could be corrected without me having to pay out of pocket. (Insurance companies will not pay for duplicative work in the same 6 month period without documentation.) The insurance company agreed to pay -- process that.
I asked my new dentist what I should do about this. I was traumatized, discriminated against and my teeth were REALLY messed up. She said the only thing I could do would be to ask for the portion of the work I paid for to be returned. When I called Dr. Nguyen's office to explain. Her staff was again, kind but all I received from her was a folded blank piece of paper in the mail from Advanced Dentistry, with a check for $248.
PLEASE DO NOT GIVE Dr. NGUYEN YOUR BUSINESS. DO NOT TRUST HER WITH YOUR DENTAL HEALTH. PLEASE don't be me. read more