I was a patient at Capitol Orthodontics at the DC location until recently, and I want to…read moreacknowledge the excellent care I received from Dr. Schwartz. He is patient, kind, professional, and truly cares about his patients. Nina and the other dental assistants are also outstanding. They are friendly, knowledgeable, and consistently provide excellent care.
Unfortunately, my experience with the front desk, specifically Tifani Lively, changed my overall impression of the practice. Over time, her professionalism declined, and she repeatedly blurred the line between personal and professional interactions. On one occasion, she used my personal phone number, which was provided for my patient records, to contact me about personal matters unrelated to my treatment. After that, she contacted me several more times about personal matters. I chose not to respond to those communications because I wanted to keep our interactions strictly professional and limited to my care as a patient. I found this repeated contact to be highly inappropriate and a serious violation of my privacy.
During another visit, while I was at the front desk scheduling my next appointment as instructed, she began discussing personal matters with me that had nothing to do with my care. This conversation took place during business hours and in front of other patients, making the interaction uncomfortable, unprofessional, and at times somewhat hostile in tone.
I was scheduled for a retainer checkup on 8/5/2026 and confirmed my appointment the week before. Then, on 8/3/2026, I received a text message stating that my appointment had been canceled. No explanation was provided, and there was no attempt to reschedule. Given the repeated inappropriate personal contact over the weekend and the hostile nature of our most recent interaction, I am concerned that my appointment may have been canceled for reasons unrelated to my care and without Dr. Schwartz's knowledge. While I cannot confirm that this is what happened, the timing raises legitimate concerns.
It is disappointing that the actions of one staff member overshadowed what was otherwise an excellent experience with Dr. Schwartz and the clinical team. I hope the practice takes these concerns seriously and reviews its policies regarding professionalism, patient privacy, and appropriate use of patient information so that no other patient has a similar experience.