BEWARE OF EXAGGERATED DIAGNOSIS
I am new to Montreal and was looking for a new dentist. Lenny Slepchik seemed like a great fit, he had great reviews online and was close to my office so I decided to book an appointment. Upon arrival everything was fine-- friendly staff, quick check-in, etc. Where red flags started to pop up was when I sat down in the chair.
For background, I have never had issues with my teeth. I have my annual cleaning and almost always leave with a clean bill of health. With this history, I was caught by surprise when the dental hygienist immediately flagged that I had an extreme case of receding gums. Dr. Slepchik came in and confirmed her diagnosis and they both proceeded to explain the procedures that would be necessary to stop the recession (which they both confirmed was headed toward me losing my teeth, keep in mind I am in my early-mid 20s). They explained that I would need to come in for deep cleaning sessions every 3 months for them to monitor the progression of my gums and they also advised that it would be likely that I'd need a gum graft later in the year.
After leaving this appointment, skeptical of the new dentist's diagnosis, I decided to visit my family dentist when I was back home. I gave them the background on what Dr. Slepchik told me about my receding gums and asked for their opinion. It was concluded that only 2 of my teeth had about 1 mm worth of recession and my family dentist also explained that gum grafts are an extremely invasive procedure that they only recommend moving forward with if the majority of your teeth are at at least 4mm worth of recession.
Another thing for prospective patients to keep in mind, they do not bill your insurance provided directly. You have to pay out of pocket. Make sure you are 100% clear on what is covered in your plan and clear on what services they plan on providing you that day. I'm not sure what happened, but my insurance plan, which covers 100% of general checkups/cleaning, did not cover the visit I had with Lenny Slepchik.
Overall, my experience at this dental clinic was anxiety-inducing and left me with an extremely bad taste in my mouth. I was, and still am, disappointed to know that a medical professional would recommend an invasive procedure to a patient that is not absolutely needing it. read more