As of this review, this office has a C- rating on the BBB website and…read more2.6/5 stars on Yelp. The reason they have such high ratings is because
they ask you three times for a 5-star review before they even diagnose
the problem with your teeth. I was asked before I was even seen,
during the appointment, and again at the checkout desk. Feeling
pressured, I gave them a 5-star rating while standing there.
They charge you $195 right off the bat for X-rays and a dental exam
before they even see you. The fee is non-negotiable, and they do not
accept insurance. They claim they will file insurance claims on your
behalf, but they only do so when they want to double-dip. They expect
full payment upfront and take advantage of people who have no other
options or are in excruciating pain when their regular dentist's
office is closed. They are open 7 days a week.
I went in for extreme dental pain after a failed root canal. I just
wanted the tooth pulled. It was during the weekend, and my regular
dentist wasn't open until Monday morning. I tried to make it through,
but after a sleepless Saturday night, I went to their location on
Sunday morning. They accept walk-ins and send the paperwork to your
phone to fill out ahead of time. After paying the $195 fee, you wait
to be seen. The exam room I was put in was dirty--the floor was dirty
and the chair legs weren't clean. While the dental equipment looked
sanitary, it was by far the dirtiest medical office exam room I've
ever been in.
After the X-ray, I was already being asked for a 5-star review based
on the experience so far. I waited, and eventually the dentist came
in, performed the oral exam, confirmed the tooth needed to be pulled,
and recommended a bone graft due to the severity of the infection. I
had expected this, so I agreed. The dentist then stepped out, and the
nurse handed me an iPad showing the total cost of the procedure. They
made it clear they do not accept insurance. The additional charge was
$2,130, and they required full payment upfront.
They offer CareCredit (a credit card) or Sunbit (a third-party payment
plan that charges 50% interest if you don't pay off the balance within
3 months). I chose Sunbit at 29.99% APR. The total payments, if I went
with $87.72 per month, would come to $3,157.69. I was stuck between a
rock and a hard place and desperately needed pain relief, so I agreed.
After the dental work was finished, I was asked yet again for a 5-star
Google review while waiting to go back up front. All the office staff
were nice but incredibly pushy about the 5-star review. At checkout,
they asked one more time. They have QR codes everywhere--on the walls,
stuck to counters--and they ask you multiple times to leave a 5-star
review.
This is how they maintain so many overwhelmingly positive reviews.
I wasn't planning to update my review until I filed a claim with my
insurance and discovered they had charged my insurance company
directly. I was shocked to learn they billed my insurance $345 for the
X-rays and exam that were supposed to be only $195. My insurance then
said I owed the practice an additional $27.
I contacted my insurance and explained that I had already paid the
entire amount out of pocket through Sunbit, so they may have been
overpaid. My insurance reached out to the dental office's claims
department, and they were told I would be refunded if the charges were
incorrect.
I doubt that will happen. If you have MetLife, note that this office
is out-of-network. I don't know if MetLife will reimburse me for
anything I paid. That said, if you have no other option for emergency
dental care, this place is a last resort.
If you can wait, do so and go to a dentist who will only bill your
copay or insurance company.
