Amateur and Unethical.
I am completely disappointed in the "service" I received. But before I get to the faults, I'll say what is good about the clinic. It's clean and well located. The digital x-ray technology is more modern than I've seen anywhere else. That's it; now for the bad stuff.
First, and least important: among the intake paperwork was a medical release document, as is normal. This document was filled with typos and grammatical errors that convince me it was composed by a non-native English speaker. I felt belittled and undervalued as a customer that they didn't care enough to provide a well-written document. The most glaring error, however, was one that puts the clinic itself at serious legal risk. In the statement probably meant to say that no guarantee of satisfaction is provided, they forgot to include the word "not", making the document a written guarantee that the customer will be completely satisfied with the results of their treatment. Concerned about this, I informed both the office manager and the dentist but neither seemed at all phased by the information. Apparently, they don't care that they have pretty much raised the white flag of surrender to any dissatisfied customer who wants to sue them for poor performance. This is the behavior of business amateurs and should alarm their lawyer.
Second (and this is the big one), the dentist did only a cursory inspection of my mouth, recommending several treatments which I told her I was eager to have done. I say cursory because, while she used a mirror and referred frequently to the x-rays, she never even picked up the dental explorer (that pointy, pick-like thing) to fully investigate the condition of my teeth. She asked when I had last had a cleaning and I informed her it had been about seven to eight months prior. Then she left the room never to return. Soon afterward, the office manager came in to inform me that I was done. I balked, asking about the cleaning that was standard and expected. She told me that a normal cleaning would not be adequate and that I would need a "deep cleaning" which would cost me about $350. Moreover, I would need to get this deep cleaning before any other dental work could be performed. I was shocked and asked for the justification for such a prescription. The office manager said it was because of significant plaque buildup. Plaque is not an unusual thing to find at a bi-annual cleaning, but I asked, "How could the dentist know how calcified or stuck-on the plaque was when she never even poked at it with the probe thing? How does she know that a regular cleaning won't do the job? How does she know how far it goes below the gums, if at all? How does she know the full condition of my gums?" The office manager disinterestedly shrugged her shoulders, so I informed her that I'd heard of "deep cleanings" before, but only and always in the context of scams that dentists pull on unsuspecting patients. What blew me away was that she was completely un-phased by the accusation. She didn't so much as flinch at my implication that she might be part of a dishonest, unethical practice. She simply said, in a bored kind of way, that the doctor would have to explain, and left. Soon after, the fellow who had taken my x-rays came in to talk to me. I also informed him of my concerns over the legitimacy of the un-substantiated, probably unfounded, prescription for a deep cleaning. He took my suggestion of unethical behavior without any apparent reaction whatsoever. Having spoken with him, I went out to the waiting room to await the DMD so I could get an explanation, but after waiting for several minutes, and my wife coming out to inform me that she had been given the same order for deep cleaning, I decided it wasn't worth my time to wait longer. How likely really is it that we, who brush and floss regularly, would BOTH need deep cleanings? The staff obviously didn't care that what they were doing appeared blatantly dishonest, and the dentist wasn't making any effort to come out and reassure me.
I accept that I can't keep my teeth 100% clean; nobody can. That's why we get periodic professional cleanings. But nobody can possibly know how stuck on something is without at least trying to pick at it a little. She never did. And how would she know for certain that a regular cleaning wouldn't be at least adequate to start addressing some other issues unless one was attempted. My insurance will pay for it!
I recommend that all persons steer well clear of Dr. Henide Arias. She, and her office, give all the appearance of shamelessly trying to scam and cheat their patients. Or...go there, get some work done, find something ever so minor that you are dissatisfied with, and sue them for all your money back, plus more if you can get a lawyer to justify it. After all, they guarantee that you'll be fully satisfied. read more
