I rarely leave negative reviews, especially because my first appointment with Dr. Ledger was…read moreexcellent. He was warm, friendly, and made me feel completely at ease. Going into my first filling, I actually felt confident because of how positive that initial experience had been.
Unfortunately, today's appointment was the complete opposite.
From the moment he walked into the room, he was cold and dismissive. I tried to joke that I wasn't ready yet, hoping to ease my nerves, but he didn't respond. I reminded him that I get very shaky from local anesthetic, and instead of offering reassurance, he said, "You've had a lot of dental work. This is all we've got. You'll be fine."
During the procedure, he placed and tightened the thin metal matrix band around my tooth. As soon as it was tightened, I could clearly feel it digging and stabbing into my gum line. This wasn't pressure--it was sharp, localized pain exactly where the band was pressing against my gum. I told him I was in pain, but he argued that it was "just pressure." No, it was pain. I tried to explain that it genuinely hurt, but he became irritated and told me there was nothing he could do about it. The pain continued the entire time the band was in place.
At that point, I stopped saying anything and just lay there with tears running down into my ears while he continued working. His incredibly kind assistant quietly wiped away my tears and showed me more compassion than the person performing the procedure. After the anesthetic wore off, my gum remained sore, and I now have a cut along my gum line.
After the procedure, instead of apologizing or acknowledging that I had a painful experience, Dr. Ledger asked if I had generalized anxiety. I told him no. It felt like he was trying to blame my reaction on anxiety instead of accepting that I had repeatedly told him I was in pain.
I told him I would never come back. His response was, "Really? Wow." He then walked out of the room repeating, "Wooow."
I want to be very clear that every other member of the office was wonderful. The front desk staff, hygienist, and assistant were all kind, compassionate, and professional. They deserve five stars. I genuinely feel bad that they have to work with what can only be described as a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality.
I know Dr. Ledger personally responds to his reviews, so I'll say this directly: Do better. Patients shouldn't have to argue with their dentist about whether they're feeling pain. If a patient tells you something hurts, listen. Even if there's no alternative, empathy costs nothing. No one should leave a routine filling appointment in tears, be left with an injured gum, and then have their experience dismissed as anxiety. I told you from the very beginning that I was uncomfortable and afraid of dental work. Instead of helping me through that, you made one of my biggest fears come true.
