I interviewed Dr. Timmerman to make sure he was what I needed for a dentist - one who was fairly quick (my last dentist of 14 years was so nice but so slow that my jaw developed severe problems from several appointments in a row where I had to have my mouth open for so long due to a crown that repeatedly broke just as it was being seated....and I just couldn't hack it anymore.)
I also have MS and pain affects me differently than other patients. I wanted to make sure my dentist understood this and would be willing to prescribe pain medication when needed. Dr. Timmerman said he understood and would be glad to have me as a patient, and I saw him for several years.
But he soon reneged despite meetings I arranged to remind him of my needs, and he was suddenly very hard to talk to.I got the feeling as time went by that his own needs were far and away more important to him and he seemed to have no qualms expressing this - could hardly wait to get rid of me in fact.
A secondary but definitely highly annoying aspect of his practice is the amount of reminders of appointments via email, cell phone, text message, and land line constantly coming in absurd. When I requested they cut back on these I was told it would be too much trouble as the doc handled these himself. The messages contradicted each other as well.
I even started to get the feeling that something was bothering the doctor -- he seemed very unwilling to talk with me - only zipping in when the staff had me ready for him, doing his work (quickly, as I had requested , and this was good) -- but it was perhaps a bit too good as I felt he was unavailable to have any kind of talk except the type where he told me what his position was and did not appear to listen to my concerns about our previous agreements being cast aside.
What finally made me decide to find a better dentist was when I had an emergency which the oral surgeon he'd referred me to for dental implants told me to go right then down to Dr. Timmerman for emergency treatment. The surgeon's staff called ahead for me. I went to Dr. T.'s, waited an hour or so, then got to talk to the receptionist who told me they would not be able to help me no matter what the surgeon thought about the immediate care needed... When I said I was disappointed that he refused to see me for a few minutes or even talk to me about what the problem was, I was blown off with a "sorry we can't help you." Tears of pain and disappointment were met with indifference.
I went home and wrote an email to Dr. T. about the problems I was having with his treatment (basically all the above), and how sad I felt that he didn't seem to care about the emergency I was having.
What I got in return from Dr. T., who did not answer my specific questions, was a sentence fragment to the effect that I should seek treatment elsewhere. Was he having a bad day? Maybe, but I felt like poo on his shoe. I'd been polite and patient. I don't write negative reviews for the whole web to see, but I don't want others to go through what I did and end up spending a lot of time and money for pain and teeth nearly worse than when I started. For the latter read on.
After an exam with my lovely new dentist Dr. Minagawa I got the sickening news that new crowns from Dr. T. already need to be replaced due to a LOT of decay under them.
A few months before this I'd been to Dr. T. to tell him I had lots of insurance $ left to fix any remaining dental problems. He told me there was no work needed!! I think Dr. T. done me wrong, and I don't doubt others have felt the same.
He is capable of very good looking work, and he is fast. But nota bene my warnings about what may lurk under the work that looks so good....very nasty hidden decay may lurk there and you may not find out about it as quickly as I have.
Sorry, Dr. T., but every word is true and heart-felt, and I hope it helps not only potential patients,but also you helps you see how your chair-side manner affects those of us who depend(ed) on you for courteous and competent care.
Dr. Timmerman, my opinion that you care more about yourself than your patients has been proven by your rush to get your friends to quickly respond to try and negate my very valid concerns about the treatment I got.
It made me very sad that you further proved my critique by responding to my comments with a snarky and untrue snipe about me just wanting pain medicine from you. You know that isn't true. You certainly aren't more convenient than my MS docs, who I see once a month. You once again as I say in my critique - do not bother to address the patient's concerns --the decay under my new crowns being the most disturbing and worthy of being pointed out in a review about you. No concern about that at all, I guess. Just quick action to get fake reviewers to help you out, and some mud slung at me to further protect yourself. You have shown that you deserve my 1 star review. How about some truth?? read more