I had an extremely disappointing experience with The Wilhelm Dental Group in La Plata, MD, and I…read morewould never recommend this practice. My son went in for a routine cleaning, during which the hygienist dislodged his permanent retainer. Instead of taking responsibility, she implied that it was already loose. My son, who has had this retainer for nearly twenty years without any issues, told her that it was securely in place before the appointment, but she completely disregarded him. When Dr. Eric Wilhelm came in for the exam, my son explained what had happened, yet Dr. Wilhelm also dismissed his concerns, implying that he was lying.
They initially scheduled a follow-up appointment two weeks later to address the issue, expecting him to endure the discomfort of a dangling wire in his mouth. I called the office immediately, stating that waiting that long was unacceptable, and only then did they offer an appointment that same afternoon.
Upon reviewing the bill, I noticed my son was charged ninety dollars for a periodic oral evaluation and one hundred fifty-five dollars for a comprehensive oral evaluation, essentially being billed twice for the same service. When I accompanied him back to the office, I raised this concern with their office manager, Ginger. She admitted the mistake but became defensive when I questioned whether this was a common occurrence for new patients.
Dr. Wilhelm then came into the waiting area to boast about his fifty-three years of experience and claim that he had never received a complaint. Instead of addressing the issue professionally, he acted arrogantly and dismissively. They ultimately refunded the ninety-dollar charge, but the lack of accountability, professionalism, and basic courtesy was astonishing.
To top it all off, when my son was back in the chair to have the issue fixed, I overheard Dr. Wilhelm pressuring him to admit that the retainer must have already been loose. My son, who avoids confrontation, was visibly uncomfortable. The fix for the dangling wire took less than two minutes, making the delay, stress, and dismissive treatment even more frustrating.
This practice lacks integrity, professionalism, and empathy for its patients. Neither Dr. Wilhelm nor Ginger apologized for their mistakes or showed any concern for the discomfort they caused. Instead, they were defensive, condescending, and unapologetic.
If you value honesty, professionalism, and competent dental care, I strongly urge you to avoid The Wilhelm Dental Group.
