Dr. Pence was my dentist for quite a few years. I never needed anything major, until last summer when I needed a crown. He put on a temporary, which was nothing more than a small, round silver disc. It promptly came off. I had to go back two more times to get it to stay on, which it didn't. So I left it off and waited for the permanent crown to come in.
When the permanent crown was put on, it came off later that day after chewing a protein bar. When I went back in Dr. Pence deflected the poor job he did back at me, saying I should not be chewing things like that. The second time he put the permanent crown on, it also came off later that day. When I went back in he noticed the mold used for my crown was shabbily done. Of course he blamed the factory that made the crown - of course it couldn't be his fault!
He took another mold and again I waited with nothing protecting the nerves in my tooth until the replacement came in.
The upside with the second crown was, it hasn't come off. But since then the tooth has been sensitive to chewing (pretty much the only function of a tooth) and has been VERY sensitive to cold and room temperature liquids.
I've been back at least three times since then; he has ground the area down more each time. The sensitivity to chewing mostly subsided, but the sensitivity to liquids remained.
Each time I went back in, I suggested perhaps the crown was not sealed property, and that may be the reason for the sensitivity to liquid? He scoffed at that concept each time (but of COURSE it couldn't have been his fault) and even went so far as to say I was "more sensitive" that most patients, that my teeth were "really close together, and that caused complications" (so, in his whole career I guess I'm the only person he's treated that have teeth close together. Huh.) and other suggestions insinuating the pain and troubles were more my fault/doing than his.
Last week I saw another dentist who put some sort of solution on my tooth that stopped the sensitivity to liquids. For the first time in six months, I was able to drink fluids naturally instead of funneling everything down my tongue. He said the effect would last a couple months and by that time the sensitivity may subside.
My new dentist also noticed two large cracks in the molar next to my crown. They were pretty obvious. It would have been nice to have been alerted to that to discuss a plan of action.
I won't even go into detail about his misogynistic comments, which were endured by his female staff.
At one point I spoke with the office manager and asked for a refund for the approximately $350 I paid out of pocket since the work was obviously a failure. She suggested because the Dr. kept having to see me over and over, and paid for a replacement crown out of pocket, it was costing the Dr. money, too. REALLY??? I've wasted HOURS of vacation time going back to him to get the job done right. And the fact that he had to pay for a NEW crown that was still installed incorrectly?? That's my fault how??
It would have been wonderful PR to eat the money and refund me. Alas.
Suffice to say Dr. Pence did a phoned-in job from step 1 to step 9, and never owned up to it nor suggested he might.
He messed up and was more concerned with protecting his own idealized version of himself than actually doing the work that was needed.
The review gets one star because A) there is no lower rating and B) I did enjoy my cleanings by Sandi; who, by the way, has since retired. read more