I don't even know where to start. I'm on Medicaid. This dentist was recommended by a neighbor, as she did him a solid by capping his front tooth for free, or so he said.
Understand that I didn't go there looking for a freebie, root canals are expensive. I went because I figured this woman would be sensitive to my situation and just simply treat me with compassion. Something sorely lacking in most other doctors and dentists when you're a low income patient.
So I go. I have a horrible toothache. I lost a crown ages ago and with no money, and no real insurance, I did what I always do and I waited until I needed it pulled. I called, told them I'm on Medicaid and I need a tooth pulled. No problem. Come on in.
I go in and she immediately tries to sell me a root canal. She was nice, offered to do it for under $400. I respectfully declined. I told her again how I have NO money, I told her that on the phone, and would she please just pull the tooth because I'm in a lot of pain. She kept saying "that's no good, that's no good," and offered to start the root canal and send it in to my insurance and see what they say. I thought she knew something I didn't. Also, I figured what professional would start something like this knowing they couldn't finish. So I agreed.
So, she drilled holes in my tooth, cleaned out the root pulp, and stuffed the holes with cotton, and not so much as a temporary crown. Then I went home to wait for a phone call. That was in December 2016. I waited patiently for weeks. Because of the holidays, I figured I wait a little longer than normal. Finally, I got back in touch with them toward the end of February, which is now as I'm writing this. I am in a tremendous amount of pain. I can't sleep. I can't eat. I yanked the cotton out, which had festered along with my tooth, but it did nothing to alleviate the pain.
I called her and she said my insurance doesn't cover root canals and crowns. I was dumbfounded. We knew that before I ever walked into her office. Then, she just kept trying to make an appointment to finish the root canal. And I kept telling her AGAIN and AGAIN that I canNOT pay for it. I need the damn tooth PULLED! I finally had to just hang up on her to avoid telling her what I really think of her.
This woman is unbelievable. When my son called shortly after me, she told him my insurance doesn't cover root canals and crowns, and she did me a favor to try to help, and why are we so angry.
Is she for real? What favor? Holy hell. I KNOW my insurance doesn't cover it. I came in to get my tooth pulled. This "doctor" led me to believe she would deal with it either way. If she didn't outright lie to me and my son, then she DELIBERATELY misled me.
I was hopeful that this would be a dentist who is compassionate and understanding toward those of us with no money and little or no insurance. I was wrong. She may offer discounts, but the woman still pushed a procedure on me that I couldn't pay for, all the while leading me to believe she was going to fix it either way, started it, and then left me in pain with an infected tooth. And there is no way that this can be the first time she's done this crap. It was way too easy for her.
So to recap, I told this woman AND her staff SEVERAL times that I could NOT pay for the root canal, and she should just pull the damn tooth. She ignored me, and she deliberately misled me. Then she sent me home to suffer for nearly three months, and treated me like an ungrateful stain because I'm angry at what she did to me.
My neighbor will tell you how awesome this woman is. However, my experience paints a whole different picture. My experience says that this woman has no idea what's it's like to be broke, and will lie and mislead you to get you to agree to procedures you don't have the money for. And I'm sure she started the procedure on me believing that ultimately I'd just go ahead and pay her to finish it. Well, you can't squeeze blood from a turnip.
If you have money, go for it, if you're game. If you don't, go somewhere else. This woman doesn't have a clue, is sorely lacking in compassion, and will likely push you to spend money you don't have. And if you're broke, do NOT let her start anything until you know it's covered under whatever insurance you may have.
I wish I could give zero stars. read more
