INVISALIGN CLIENTS BEWARE!…read more
I am extremely disappointed with my experience at Riverview Dental Boutique, particularly with the customer service, communication, lack of follow-through, and the handling of my Invisalign treatment.
What should have been a straightforward Invisalign process has turned into an unnecessarily long and frustrating experience because of repeated delays, poor communication, and what I feel has been a significant lack of attentiveness from the dentist. This all resulting from multiple missed communications with Invisalign and poor management of the office.
Throughout my treatment, there have been excessive gaps between sets of Invisalign trays because I have repeatedly had to wait for the dentist or office to respond, review my case, submit information, or move the process forward. When you are paying a significant amount of money for Invisalign(I paid $3100 out of pocket and my insurance also covered a large portion), there is a reasonable expectation that your treatment will be monitored and handled in a timely manner. Unfortunately, that has not been my experience.
The most recent situation is particularly frustrating. I went into the office for my final visit, had my buttons removed and final scan of my teeth completed on September 1. I was under the impression that the scan would be submitted promptly so my final set of maintenance Invisalign trays could be ordered. I was told there was approximately a three-week turnaround time.
Today, I called the clinic since it has been 28 days since my appointment, only to be hung up the first time calling, then speaking to someone to take a message, that historically doesn't get returned. The clinic being 5 minutes from my home, I decided to stop in to see if they had my trays yet. There was confusion between the dental assistant and the manager as to whether the trays were in clinic or not. The office manager informed me despite my scan being completed on September 1, the Invisalign order was apparently not actually placed until September 24. That is more than three weeks after the scan was performed just to place the order. Now I am once again left waiting even longer for trays because of a delay that was completely outside of my control and never communicated.
This is not an isolated incident. There have been multiple periods throughout my treatment where I have experienced excessive waiting between trays because of delays in responses and follow-up from the dentist. These delays have significantly prolonged a treatment process that I have already paid for.
When my initial set of trays were done and revision trays needed to be started, Invisalign contacted the dentist for further instruction on the manufacturing of the trays. That email went unread, leaving me in the last set of trays and waiting for the revisions for 10 weeks! I only found out as I showed up to my revision appointment on April 7th and learned I had taken off of work for no reason because they didn't call me to inform me that the trays were not in. Then to learn from the manager that was previously over the clinic and is no longer there, that the dentist overlooked an email from Invisalign for further instructions. I then was seen for the revised trays on May 5th. I was in the same set of trays for 10 weeks!!!!
Communication with the office has also been extremely disappointing. Phone calls are frequently not returned, and it has often felt like I have had to repeatedly follow up just to get basic information about my own treatment. As a patient, I should not have to continuously chase an office for updates, especially regarding treatment that costs thousands of dollars.
The turnover in management and staff has made matters even more frustrating. During the initial issue with my Invisalign treatment, the former manager, Lawrence, acknowledged the problems and the delays I had experienced. He gave me a $20 visa gift card and asked if there was anything else he could do to make it right. I had already paid $2500 for the treatment and knew at the end I would have to come out of pocked another $600 for the night trays. So of course I inquired if they could take anything off of that. He said that he would give them to me for the lab cost, which is what they pay for the trays. He would make a note in my chart. That would have been 2 sets of night trays from Invisalign. At my last appointment they tried to send the scan out to an off brand company for 1 set of trays for $300. There was no discount as Invisalign provides 2 sets for $600. I ended up having to come out of pocket $600 anyway. The new manager tried to tell me that their cost was $600 for the 2 sets.
Lawrence specifically asked if I could take the negative review off of Google. That agreement was made in connection with me removing the previously posted negative Google review because I was assured the situation would be addressed. I made the assumption that this was just an oversight and other