This experience was so disappointing that I feel obligated to warn other parents. My daughter was…read morereferred to Chula Vista Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Center by our dentist for a wisdom tooth extraction. From the very first phone call, I felt like I was an inconvenience rather than a patient. As a single parent, I asked reasonable questions about pricing because I cannot afford surprise bills. The woman I spoke with was rude, dismissive, and unwilling to provide any estimate. Attitude was essentially, "Come in and we'll bill you later if insurance doesn't cover it." That's not helpful when you're trying to plan financially. During that same call, I was told the office would contact my dentist to verify whether my daughter had already had a panoramic X-ray done. This was important because I didn't want my daughter unnecessarily exposed to additional radiation, and I didn't want my insurance billed twice for an X-ray that had already been performed and cost my insurance $200. When we arrived for appointment, front desk staff were just as cold and unfriendly as they had been on the phone. Because appointment was for my daughter, I didn't bring ID with me. They nearly turned us away.
The situation became even more frustrating when I asked whether anyone had contacted my dentist regarding the X-ray. I was told it was my responsibility. I explained that your staff had specifically told me they would handle it, and instead of apologizing or trying to resolve the issue, they argued with me. I've honestly never experienced a medical office that argues with patients rather than helping them.
An assistant later came in and told me she didn't know what happened at the front desk and that it wasn't her fault. While I understand that, nobody seemed interested in fixing the problem or acknowledging that there had been a communication failure.
Then the doctor came in. I assume it was Dr. Tillman, although he looked nothing like the friendly, approachable person shown on the website. My daughter is a minor and was already nervous about oral surgery. The doctor spent only a few seconds looking in her mouth with a Q-tip, barely interacted with her, didn't sit down, didn't make eye contact, and did absolutely nothing to help her feel comfortable. The entire interaction felt rushed, cold, and disconnected.
What made it even worse is that the consultation wasn't free. We paid over $100 for what felt like a 10-second examination from someone who seemed completely uninterested in speaking to either me or my daughter.
The office manager, Cinthia, was also unfriendly throughout the visit. When she returned with pricing information, I had already explained that we only wanted one tooth removed at this time. Instead of being understanding, she came across as irritated and annoyed. Whether they thought I was being difficult, whether they thought I was rude, or whether they judged me because I couldn't afford to remove multiple teeth at once is irrelevant. Patients deserve to be treated with respect.
What bothers me most is that not one person apologized. Not one person said, "I'm sorry for the confusion," or "Let's see how we can help." Nobody tried to make my daughter feel comfortable. Nobody attempted to resolve the communication issues. We were met with arguments, cold attitudes, and complete indifference.
This office stands to receive thousands of dollars from insurance for these procedures, yet the level of customer service was some of the worst I have ever experienced. I have an amazing dentist and have been referred to many specialists over the years, and I know what good patient care looks like. This was not it. I left so disappointed that I immediately contacted my dentist and requested a referral elsewhere. Wisdom tooth removal is already stressful and scary, especially for a child. The last thing a family needs is to be treated like a burden. If you're looking for a practice that is warm, compassionate, patient-focused, and willing to communicate respectfully, don't come here. And if Tillman is the Dr I saw today.. how unfortunate.
