Girlfriend and I were referred here by Britesmile to get our teeth whitened via their awesome process (Britesmile has become an annual ritual for this coffee drinker).
I recently moved here from the east coast and used to have it done by my excellent dentist back in Boston. So we contacted Britesmile to find a place in the area who does it. We were given Charlin's name, along with two others.
Girlfriend contacted Charlin's office to inquire as to whether there was an additional fee above and beyond the Britesmile fee, and was assured that no, there was not.
We decided to go with Charlin (more or less randomly.) The price, which we paid to Britesmile directly, was $300 each (wow, good deal, thought the naive Mister X - about half what I paid in Boston!)
When I arrived I was the only one in the place - a bit eerie. The "hygienist," who was also the receptionist, "checked" my teeth but it was clumsy and cursory, as if you were playing dentist-make-believe in middle school with a slow girl on the playground.
She tried to sell me a custom "mold" to take home, so I could do my own teeth whitening, unless "I had money to burn" on Britesmile. For many reasons I was not interested - not the least of which is that with Britesmile they barrier your gums so that you don't have any irritation from the gel, unlike the home kits. Also, it's a lot easier.
She also explained to me that my ultrasonic toothbrush was a useless toy, a waste of money, and I should just go back to a regular brush.
She was graceless and clumsy and could barely move things around without knocking them over. You could see her underwear through her stretch pants. At one point before she started, I actually considered leaving what was feeling more and more like a third world dental office, but I decided rather than go through the process of fighting to get my money back, I'd just go for it.
She started the bleaching process and was clearly inexperienced. In fact, she actually began the first bleaching session without putting any of the gel on my teeth and then had to stop and restart. She also screwed up the barrier in a couple places so my gums got burned a little bit by the gel. Nothing major, but nonetheless unpleasant.
After the bleaching was complete, the "dentist" came in and spent about 15 seconds looking at my teeth and then 15 seconds or so figuring out the improvement in shade. It was *not* a dental exam at all, and he wasn't much more graceful than his associate.
At that point my girlfriend had shown up and the "hygienist" took her in for her session. I was departing and then was told by the dentist there was a $35 examination fee for each of us, $70 total. I was unaware that they had told my GF there was no additional fee, so I paid him and left.
(Come to think of it, I'd never had a dentist follow me out of the exam room and ask for my credit card.)
The hygienist did the Britesmile treatment for my GF, and the dentist never looked at her teeth.
Later, my GF contacted the office about the payment issue. She was told the dentist would call her back. He never has.
What else do you need to know about this place? Ugh.
**Update 11/20/2013 based on Dr. Charlin's response: **
"We are unfamiliar with the circumstances described by the reviewer."
Well, it's been more than six years. Nice to know you're finally interested.
"The descriptions posted do not reflect our staff or office policy. Anyone familiar with our office and staff will attest to our practice environment and commitment to our patients."
The description I posted is a 100% accurate accounting of my experience, and I stand by it. My girlfriend had the same experience, and was terribly frustrated by your failures to return her calls, and I've encouraged her to post her own review.
"Our attempts to contact this reviewer have been unsuccessful."
Your attempts? What did you try, exactly? Yelling out a window? You didn't try very hard, if you did at all. read more
