So I've been coming to this dentist for a few years. Let me start by saying if you like continuity in care - DO NOT GO HERE. I've seen probably 4 different dentists in the last 3 years. And truthfully, I just found this office through my dental insurance and I had no real complaints until this year.
This office is definitely a business - they're not focused much on patient care in my opinion. I've been getting my teeth cleaned every 6 months to the tee until COVID. So I missed my last 6 month cleaning in June. They put the blame on me that I had 9 cavities needing fillings for not being to the office since 10 months ago?...
The new dentist was nice, she's personable and honestly compared to other dentists I've had she's fairly gentle. She even showed me the areas of cavities on my xrays because I asked her to. Since I've be getting my teeth cleaned here in 2017, I've never needed a cavity filled so I was shocked when she told me I needed 9 fillings and 2 crowns after missing one 6-month cleaning. I've now asked 3 times if I should be concerned that all these cavities were missed on my xrays and each time she's blown me off saying "she has to go back and look" but then never follows up with me. I asked the receptionist to send me all my dental radiographs on my file (again been going here since 2017) and I received all rads from my most recent visit and half of them from my visit in Dec 2019. The areas the dentist pointed out were present on my last set of dental radiographs - I'm no dentist but uh if these are truly cavities then that's a straight up malpractice/negligence lawsuit waiting to happen. Especially since they drew up an estimate for $2000 for me. Woof. So again. I asked would I need this much work if they had been caught sooner? "I'm not sure what was on your radiographs in December, so I'd have to back and look"....
So I basically said okay well I guess if I need to get the work done then just get it over it. They quoted me to split it up into the right-side fillings, the left side and then the 2 crowns (1 possible root canal) in 6 months. I went in yesterday for the first half of my fillings needed which probably took twice the amount of time it should've. Every time they tell me the dentist is running behind and then I can hear her bouncing around to different rooms. Remember when I said they're into business not patient care? Yeah, she's doing way too many things at once, which in my opinion and experience is a recipe for error.
When she told me she wanted to do 9 fillings and 2 crowns I told her I was about to start an Invisalign refinement period with a different office and she said that's fine - the fillings won't affect it but the crowns should wait until after my refinement. Well I guess this was all completely forgotten because after I did the first half of fillings yesterday I asked her again if the work done would affect my Invisalign refinement and her eyes got real big and she paused then said - "oh. Well. They can alter the fillings however they need to for your refinement trays to fit"....um. wat?...
Okay so let's talk about COVID now. The office has procedures in place to try their best to protect patients and themselves. As someone in healthcare - I think this is important and I highly value clinics that are doing this. WELL when I got my teeth cleaned a couple weeks ago I thought it was awful ballsy of them to just wear a surgical mask when working in patient's mouths - I'm talking the dentist, dental assistant, hygienist, everyone - but hey to each their own. EXCEPT that if they catch COVID and asymptomatically transmit it around then we have a problem. I understand I way more cautious since I'm on immunosuppressant medications for an autoimmune condition. Well thankfully, for my fillings the dentist wore an N95 and a surgical mask but the dental assistant only wore a surgical mask. I was actually about to have a panic attack when she was placing the matrix bands for my composite fillings because she was very obviously straining and open mouth breathing in my face with just a surgical mask. Look. I can have grace if you have a deviated septum or allergies that are causing nasal congestion but regardless please wear the proper PPE to protect yourself AND YOUR PATIENTS. That did me in.
I don't think I'll be completely the recommended work until I get a second opinion because graduating PA school during a pandemic means you negative money and I think we all have a little dentist anxiety as it is. I read some other recent reviews that looks like the newest dentist is pushing a lot of fillings and Invisalign which probably means she's working on some sort of commission. You've been forewarned. read more