Severe dental anxiety and a few years of no dental insurance left me needing work that could not be…read moreprocrastinated anymore. I choose this place because they had good reviews from other people with dental anxiety.
The first two visits, I saw a female doctor I couldn't catch her name. She and her assistant put me at relative ease. She did x-rays, a deep cleaning, a removal, and bone graft. I managed to sit through it without freaking out, largely due to the demeanor of the dentist. My hands were shaking but they gave me a stress ball to squeeze and I made it through.
Next I was scheduled to return and get the stitches removed and some fillings done. After the bone graft took, she planned to do an implant. The work order was written up and approved by me.
But on the day of my visit, I got a call saying the female dr was out on a family emergency. But I'd be seen by Dr Lim. Ok...
Well, Dr Lim came into the room. The dental assistant told me that he was quiet, but was a great dentist who specialized in root canals.
I was already nervous, and Dr Lim's bedside manner did not improve. First, he wasn't just quiet, he kept dropping and adjusting my chair without warning, jerking my body around. Without reviewing notes, he removed the stitches (I had to tell them where they were). Then looked at xrays, and growled, "I'm going to do a root canal." and left the room.
The front desk lady came in with a new work order and cost estimate. Dr Lim basically ignored everything that the other dentist did, and just wanted to do a root canal in a tooth that the other dentist didn't mention. When I asked about the other work, the desk lady fetched the paperwork. Together, with the root canal and cap, planned implant, and fillings, it was more than I could swing.
At this point, my anxiety was very high.
Dr Lim came back in the room to explain why I needed the root canal. He pointed to the x-rays, which I don't know how to read. He said, in a very hostile tone, that if I didn't get it fixed, the cavity would just get worst. He said he didn't see the point of the planned implant when I needed other work on teeth that were closer to the front of my mouth.
During our interaction, he demonstrated that he hadn't reviewed my prior treatment notes by saying he'd address a problem with my teeth that the other dentist had already fixed (but still showed up on the original x-rays).
I didn't give consent, so Dr Lim left the room. I decided to just leave with the stitches being removed, and not get any more dental work done that day. I wasn't prepared for a root canal, having gone in expecting a mild day of fillings.
Before I left, I expressed that my confidence was shaken by the fact that the two different dentists didn't agree on a single plan of action for what work was the highest priority. I have no doubt that I need a fair amount of work, but I wasn't happy with the first doctor's treatment plan being belittled by the second doctor.
The front desk lady said she'd bring the issue to the head dentist, Dr Sanna, and ask him to prioritize dental work with the two doctor's differing plans in mind. She said she'd get back to me Monday (it was Friday).
I left, and proceeded to have a full blown panic attack.
No one from the dentist office called me to follow up on the issue. Not that Monday, or in the weeks after.