Wow. I experienced some pretty terrible customer service at Folan Dental. These people either lack empathy or souls, I'm not sure, but as I write this I am clutching the side of my face in pain because of the wisdom tooth Dr. Kelley Dentino found, diagnosed as infected and in need of removal, and then promptly ignored.
I went to Folan Dental for an appointment I made after a week of pretty excruciating pain. I was looking forward to figuring out what was going on and establishing a new relationship with this practice as me and my son were new to the area and in need of a dentist.
I showed up on time, but watched as a few people scheduled after me were seen before I was. No worries. I would leave the office in significantly less pain, and for that I was grateful.
An x-ray determined all four of my wisdom teeth were slowly coming in, many years later than expected, but that my immediate pain was due to pericoronitis of my lower right wisdom tooth. I was given a referral to a dentist in Quincy to have all four wisdom teeth removed, and told to come back to Folan, if anything, as Dr. Dentino could always remove the one tooth herself if needed. She gave me a prescription for antibiotics ("these will eliminate the pain pretty quickly), medicated mouthwash, and a prescription for pain medicine that she folded into many pieces, snuck into my hand, and asked that I only fill when absolutely necessary. Because I hadn't eaten or slept in five days, I deemed it absolutely necessary, and headed to CVS to fill that slip with the other prescriptions. It was ibuprofen. Four hours later, shaking and crying in pain, I went to the local emergency room where I was given a single Percocet to hold me over until the morning, when I would call the referral dentist and book my surgery. Here is where this gets bizarre.
When I called the Quincy dentist the next morning, I learned he was booked out six weeks, and even then could only see me for a consultation. Not wanting to go six weeks without eating, I called Folan dental, asking to have a second appointment scheduled with Dr. Dentino so I could have the one, infected tooth removed in the meantime. I explained that I didn't have enough antibiotics or ibuprofen to last six weeks, and asked for the go-ahead to get the one tooth removed as she'd suggested. I was told she would be in soon and would call me back then. I never got a call back. I check in much later in the day to see if my message had been delivered, and was told Dr. Dentino was very busy and hadn't been seen yet. Rest assured, she would call me soon. But she didn't. I called a third time to see if I could go ahead and make an appointment with another dentist in the office, but I'm told I can't be helped by anyone else without Dr. Dentino's blessing, and no one has seen her to get that yet. Ok. I gently remind the receptionist that I haven't slept or ate for a week, and would really appreciate it if I could get some feedback on how soon the tooth could be removed.
Another day passes. No call back. I'm told many things from the staff- that Dr. Dentino is at training, that she ran to CVS for cold medicine (she is feeling under the weather, they say, for which perfectly-healthy me cannot sympathize), that she is with another patient, extracting an infected wisdom tooth ("so she does it for other people?" I ask, but no one laughs). I reiterate that I am really just looking for an "ok" to get seen by anyone, literally anyone who can remove this tooth, since the antibiotics have thus far been ineffective, my entire face is swollen, and I can't see straight. I am promised again that she will call me back as soon as possible.
I don't hear back. I call a few hours later. "What's your name again?", I'm asked. I give the receptionist my name. "Oh, I do have a note here for you! Hold on.....it says.......it says Dr. Dentino owes you a call back." No shit.
Can anyone guess where this is going? I never do get a call back from Dr. Dentino. The last time I speak with the receptionist, she tells me Dr. Dentino won't talk to me, but has asked her to relay me a message- "Just ride this one out."
Me: "Can I assume," I ask, "that maybe, like, she just doesn't want to see me? Like can we just safely say that for whatever reason, maybe I should find another dentist because my new dentist doesn't want to be my dentist? I just don't understand."
Receptionist: "I mean, I wouldn't assume anything....but.....I mean......"
So I'm going to assume Dr. Dentino doesn't want to treat me, and I'm going to go ahead find a dentist who doesn't ask their patients to "ride out" infected, impacted wisdom teeth, because WTF.
UPDATE* After posting my review, I finally get a call back from Folan Dental saying they can see me on 9/29. I don't pick up this phone call, because fuck this place, and I never accept the appointment. On 10/3, a letter in the mail. It's a bill. $50 for missing the appointment.
These people are the. absolute. worst. read more