I have lived in 7 different countries over the last 40 years and had at least 2 dozen different dentists and dental specialists work on my teeth. For the past 3 years I was unfortunate to become patient at Mercato Dental clinic, the worst dental clinic I have ever encountered, no contest there. Sure, the staff is polite and courteous, and they have to be in order to distract you while dentists are robbing you blind.
During the time I was their "patient" (read cash cow) - Dr Samantha Chong did absolutely nothing to treat my dental problems, no fixing, no root canals, nothing that would qualify as a dental procedure, other than looking into my mouth and tapping on occasional tooth. What she did do was keep taking x rays of pretty much every tooth and corner of my mouth - few times over, and of course scheduling me up for cleaning not once or twice a year, but every 3 months!!! As my dental insurance covers these happy moments, I was amazed to see on each statement send from insurance provider charges for consultation, x rays, and other ridiculous and mysterious menu items, and not to mention astronomic figures next to each of them. I seriously wonder if she is qualified to perform any dental treatments or is just employed there as cashier.
She did also try to send me several times to another dentist, because apparently I needed to re-do my root canals, even though there was nothing wrong with them. First she said one would have to be done, by the time my scheduling with another dentist was arranged, the number went up to 3 root canals. Once I had my appointment scheduled with esteemed "specialist", I was told the amount of money it would cost and how my insurance would cover it and I would have nothing to pay upfront. My appointment was scheduled about 6 months in advance. Exactly one day prior to my scheduled root canal treatment I received call from Dr Hafezi's office on Broadway informing me that I will have to pay for the treatment out of my own pocket, and than ask insurance company to reimburse me but it might not be for the whole amount and that the price they quoted me earlier was not correct, and it's about 30% higher now. Needles to say at this point I was sure, if I ever had any doubt, that this was simply a well organized racket.
Both practices are owned by Iranian doctors, who seems to get kick backs for patients they send to each other, with good dental insurance, because they can siphon off their dental coverage for years and give them unnecessary treatments.
So if you have good dental plan but no real teeth issues, and don't care how much money your insurance company will fork out, you can nicely go to Mercato Dental while they rack up the bill, and they have to considering two dozen unnecessary staffers they have on payroll. However if you are in serious need of dental medical assistance, you should stay away from this place. Professionalism or ethics have no room in their vocabulary, because this isn't a dental clinic in its traditional sense, it's simply a well oiled business with one goal in mind, to make as much money as they can.
I never went back to Mercato Dental on Commercial Drive or Hafezi's on Broadway, for as far as I am concerned they are both nothing more than a record of successful con job.
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