First, the staff have been wonderful. Everyone I've met has been kind, and Kelly is genuinely the…read morebest dental hygienist I've ever had. Good people deserve recognition, and I don't want my experience with one person to overshadow theirs.
Now, onto the nightguard.
Dr. Weitzman had recommended one for a while, and eventually I agreed. I'd mentioned that I sometimes snore and wondered about sleep apnea, though I've never been diagnosed. He suggested an appliance that might help with both grinding and my possible sleep issue. Sounded good to me.
What wasn't mentioned was the price. After the impressions were taken, I learned it would cost $711. Quite a surprise, but I trusted his recommendation and paid.
Within a week, it cracked.
They sent it out for repair, apparently reinforcing the broken area with acrylic. I wasn't confident it would hold, but I gave it another shot.
A few weeks later, it cracked again. In the exact same place.
That's when things took a turn.
Dr. Weitzman immediately blamed the way I was inserting it. Apparently, I'd occasionally been gently biting down to seat it rather than pushing it into place with my fingers. I wasn't forcing it or biting down hard in the slightest. This was the first time he'd explained that doing so could damage the appliance, and he seemed visibly frustrated with me for something I hadn't even realized was an issue.
Fair enough. I'm not a dentist. If there's a right and wrong way, I'm happy to learn. That's why we go to professionals.
But I had a question: Why would gently biting down to insert a nightguard cause it to crack when it's designed to withstand teeth grinding? And why would it break twice in exactly the same spot?
I genuinely wanted to understand.
Unfortunately, every time I tried to ask, he interrupted me, growing increasingly frustrated and insisting I should have used my fingers. I tried explaining that nobody had warned me biting down could damage the appliance, but I couldn't seem to finish a sentence. You'd think that warning would have been emphasized, especially after the first break.
Maybe I'd used it incorrectly. Maybe there was something wrong with the appliance. A calm conversation could have cleared that up.
Instead, he told me that if the lab charged him for another repair, I'd be responsible. It wasn't just what he said, but how he said it. His tone was accusatory, and I felt he'd already decided I was entirely to blame.
At that point, I felt I was being bullied rather than heard, so I finally stood up for myself. I calmly told him I didn't think it was fair to pay again for an appliance that had already broken twice and had been gently used.
His response?
"Then we're done here!"
He got up and walked away.
As he left, he called back, "I have a business to run here!"
His assistant appeared taken aback by the exchange and apologized profusely afterward. I don't want to speak for her, but I appreciated her kindness and professionalism, especially after such an unpleasant interaction.
I've thought about those words quite a bit. Because, of course, he does. But what kind of business are you running if a patient who trusted your recommendation, paid $711, and returned with a broken appliance twice can't even ask a few questions without being made to feel like an inconvenience?
I don't expect a business owner to absorb every expense or agree with every customer. But I do expect them to stand behind their work, treat people with dignity, and be willing to have a difficult conversation without making someone feel small.
To me, that's not just good business. That's integrity.
Maybe the nightguard was defective. Maybe my technique contributed. I was willing to have that conversation.
But when you recommend an expensive product to a patient, I believe you take on a responsibility. Not just to sell it, but to explain it, make sure the patient understands how to use it, and help when something goes wrong.
I didn't walk in looking for a fight or a refund. I came with a broken nightguard and some questions. I would have happily discussed a solution fair to both of us.
Instead, I walked away $711 poorer, with a broken nightguard and considerably less trust in the person who recommended it.
Being a good businessman and being good to people aren't competing priorities. At least, they shouldn't be.
I wish the staff nothing but the best, especially Kelly. But I'll be finding a new dentist.
My dad always said, "A handshake tells you how a man greets you. A disagreement tells you who he is."
I think I learned everything I needed to know that day.
