During the Summer of '16, I visited Affinity Dentistry based on great reviews. Little did I know that Dr. Naguib Youssef would put me in a series of catch-22s and the worst dental nightmares of my life.
Dr.Y replaced two fillings and installed a crown on 3 of my big molars, all of which created problems. Every procedure had leftover irritating debris (cement & composite) which Dr.Y failed to see and clean, and my repeated complaints would be denied with "I don't know how you can feel these things." I had to visit another dentist to have my teeth properly cleaned. The Cerec is the only crown choice at this dentistry, designed by Dr.Y and milled in-house. My 3-hr procedure completed fine until a final x-ray revealed a small ditch and uneven ledges around the margin, of which the assistant acknowledged. Dr.Y said everything looked good and that if they took another x-ray from a different angle, I'd not see the ditch anymore. I felt intellectually insulted and left the office without resolve.
Over the course of 4 months, I exchanged several emails and calls with Affinity to address my concerns. Initially, Dr.Y was positive and reassuring to stand behind his work. Later on at a follow-up, I continued to emphasize how my tongue was very uncomfortable due the lower molars were shaped too sharp and the upper too dull, and I still had unaddressed bite pain/sensitivities. After Dr.Y quietly listened through my concerns, his first response was "I can't believe I'm hearing this; I have never had this conversation before you know?" I was uncertain what to make of his comment but was not satisfied with his ego's response when the appropriate offer should be evidence based. As a patient, I returned because the work was improperly performed. Eventually, I received a partial refund and a letter stating that Dr.Y would no longer serve me under any and all circumstances.
In order to fix the mess Dr.Y created, I spent a ridiculous amount of time & money seeking multiple opinions from 9 dentists. Why so many? Because many backed down and deferred me back to Dr.Y! In fact, during this painful period I learned the questionable referral system that plagues much of the health industry. My observation is some of these dentists knew each other either through schools/associations, and they'd approve/validate each other's work, competent or not. I've been played like a ping pong ball back and forth, facing dentists dodging responsibilities by turning the difficult cases away after explaining my previously existing complications, and charging patients for consultations without providing any resolve. Furthermore, I've had to fill out endless unnecessary paperworks (which no one read), took exams and x-rays that were basically useless in diagnosing my problems. I had to study in-depth in order to explain to dentists exactly what I wanted done, and even resorted to making a diagnostic cast AFTER my crown was installed! The overall consensus was complicated, so difficult that one prosthodontist said: "Your situation is not in any textbook, I don't have the confidence to help you."
Fast forward nine months, my problems were finally fixed by an excellent Seattle prosthodontist. He confirmed both fillings had air pockets with symptoms of bonding failure, and they were insufficiently built-up resulting in dangerously sharp edges that often sliced into my tongue. The Cerec crown was an economic solution and therefore reflected in its low quality, although Dr.Y charges on average $400 more than other Cerec dentists in the area.
Overall, my personal experience and opinion of Youssef's priorities are as follows: Maintain reputations/ratings above all else, provide selective treatments to maximize time & income, at signs of complication refund money and decline service, and lastly, caring for patient's true well-being. It's ironic Affinity emails monthly newsletters addressing psychological fears on dental visits, because every bite I take and every brushstroke of my teeth, I'm constantly reminded of their incompetent works.
The most important lesson is this: Do not naively trust any dentist based on what they tell you, especially when told to settle for any unsatisfactory treatment otherwise deemed clinically acceptable. The fact is today's progress in dentistry is far from being able to properly diagnose and provide guaranteed solutions. It's best said by my prosthodontist: "The tongue never lies" and "No dentistry is better than any dentistry." read more