This review is to inform you that Austin Oral Surgery in Cedar Park is a business that, in my opinion, is every bit as concerned with profit as it is the treatment of it's patients....perhaps more.
I was referred to Austin Oral by another Dentist, so I am not a regular patient, and I certainly didn't feel very welcome when I showed up 15 minutes early for my appointment. Granted, I was there for an extraction, and I wasn't particularly excited to be there, but I was friendly and cordial to the staff. Everyone I dealt with seemed short, and didn't particularly care about how I felt, or if there was anything they could do to make my visit better. I guess this is more common these days, but I prefer a place that at least tries to comfort you in some way. It wouldn't hurt for them to be a little bit superficially nice to someone who is probably sad about having a tooth pulled.
What really upset me, and the reason I took time out of my busy schedule to write this review, is that I felt they were trying to force me into paying $545 extra just to be sedated during the procedure. When I first came in, I asked the person at the counter how much an extraction would cost. She said it would START at $311. In addition to the cost of the extraction they gave me a $94 evaluation whether I wanted it or not, and they charged me an additional $82 for Nitrous, which I did not request. A "tool" they apparently use to make you feel like you're not getting screwed as much is they say they'll deduct the $122 for the x-ray (which they insist on taking), even though my personal Dentist already furnished them with a perfectly good one. Basically, the grand total for my experience was $487...for PULLING A TOOTH! I had quotes for $175 from somewhere else, but because the appointment was already made, and I was already there, I went ahead and paid for it. This, by the way, was the first time I've ever been required to pay for a visit PRIOR to the procedure.
After the procedure, and as I was coming down from the $82 Nitrous (which I asked that they go easy on), the Doctor said something that I didn't hear and bolted out of the room, presumably to the next patient that was waiting in the assembly line. He didn't ask how I felt, or if I needed anything. Nothing. I felt very rushed out of the place, and unfortunately I didn't even hear if I needed to come back to get the stitch removed or not. The Assistant that was working with the Doctor handed me some gauze and a script and showed me to the front door. It was about 90 seconds from the end of the procedure to the time the door hit me in the butt.
For much more than I feel this appointment should have cost, I would have expected to be treated much nicer, and I also would have expected some better pain medication. Obviously Hydrocodone is in the news these days, but one of the few things I thought I could look forward to after this experience would be that I could lay in bed for the rest of the day and be comfortable. Seriously, Ultracet is like taking aspirin, and I'm still hurting several days after my visit. I don't particularly think Hydrocodone makes the pain go away, but it makes me not really care that I have pain. Ultracet doesn't afford me that luxury.
So basically, for what probably should cost $200-300, Austin Oral Surgery in Cedar Park wants $1,000 for....and isn't even nice about it. I have a fairly good job, and I make a little money, but if I would have never asked any questions and just let these people corral me into the treatment they would have profited from the most, I would have been out $1,000.
I purposely did not mention the Doctor by name, because he is young, and is probably using this company to build his career with the hopes of eventually going into practice for himself. I expect that this company's emphasis on high profit comes from the top and he is just trying to make a living. As far at the Assistant that helped the Doctor, I assume she's just there for a paycheck, and is "going with the flow".
I always try to put myself in the other person's shoes when I deal with people. This company never did that. They obviously never learned the Golden Rule.
To their credit, the extraction was successful, and I got what I needed. I give them 1 star because that's how they made me feel. They made me feel like a sucker, and I was lucky I was aware enough to question them and push back when they tried to force me to be put to sleep during the procedure. I probably should have made a few more calls and found a place that had nicer staff, and was a little more affordable...but when you're in pain and you've been referred to this place, what are you going to do?
Thank you for reading my sincere review. read more