After a series of bizarre encounters at this office, We decided to move to a University specialist at loma linda university of dentistry for myextractions after realizing this office simply isn't equipped to handle patients professionally
The red flags here start at the front desk. The staff is shockingly disorganized the receptionist I dealt with could barely get a single sentence out without stuttering, tripping over her words or having to restart her sentences entirely. It is impossible to have confidence in a surgical facility when the people running the office struggle with basic communication and seem completely overwhelmed by a simple phone call.
I had a very unprofessional experience with this office. The staff was disorganized and the dentist was incredibly dismissive. When I reported jaw stiffness and concerns about my condition (immense jaw preassure, jaw popping and clicking difficulty speaking/eating and opening my mouth wider then the width of 2 fingers) prior to my extractions elsewhere, I was told 'that's not the reason' rather than being listened to.
After I had explained to the general surgeon my conditions and how unbearable it a was they proceeded to make me wait a month and a half to see a traveling oral surgeon that comes by once a month instead of attempting to refer me to a emergency specialist or doing anything to help me furthermore, I couldn't physically wait a month for a resolve.
The surgeons demeanor is even worse. While she puts on a nice front initially, acting very sweet at the start, her mask slips the moment you ask informed questions or if your too "difficult" (by asking questions). She is dismissive and rude. when we raised genuine concerns about the logistics of my upcoming appointment she acted as if being asked for clarification was an insult. Between a front desk that struggles with basic communication and a dentist who is dismissive of actual physical symptoms, the environment feels incredibly disorganized.
The most unprofessional moment was when the surgeon herself, not a billing coordinator tried to ambush me. She waited until my father stepped out of the room for a moment before calling me (an 18-year-old) over about a $70 cancellation fee. This fee wasn't visibly in our signed paperwork and isn't visibly posted anywhere in the office.
Considering me AND my father were sitting in their lobby for roughly 20 minutes and they waited until he had walked out for a moment (for his own health concerns) to ask me, It seemed a shady attempt to intimidate a teenager while the adult responsible for the billing wasn't present.
It was incredibly uncomfortable and unprofessional. I was so livid that I had to walk out of the room mid-sentence to find my father. The appointment in question i wasn't able to attend because my father was hospitalized for 3 days, when they had called him the day of the appointment to ask about us he had told them what was going on and how im unable to get a ride, or drive myself (my hand is broken) and they told him it was 'fine' only to try and charge me for it later when I was alone.
They only backed down when my father walked back into the room and confronted them. It was a complete bluff and showed a total lack of empathy for a family dealing with a medical emergency. If she truly believed the fee was legal and justified, she would have stood her ground. Instead, she "waived" it to make herself look like the "nice guy" after getting caught trying to squeeze money out of a teenager.
when i had walked back in with my father i heard the staff laughing and mocking my request for a same day extraction (that's what I was asking for because i couldnt sleep nor function like a human being without the preassure in my jaw overwhelming me).
The whole incident just shows how uncoordinated/greedy this office is to handle genuine medical needs and shows how little they care for patients that have questions and concerns.
When we called to cut ties, the surgeon became defensive and difficult, she also tried to use insurance intimidation tactics to keep us from canceling, practically not allowing us, she then argued with my father and eventually hung up on my father when he wasnt budging to her guilt trips and micro aggressions, a level of immaturity you don't expect in a medical setting.
If you're looking for a serious, high-standard surgical experience, this isn't it. We are much happier going to Loma Linda where the staff is actually competent , this office is a group of tools, This office lacks the maturity and basic communication skills required to practice medicine.
If you want real specialists go to Loma Linda. I am now two weeks post-op from my extractions at Loma Linda. They addressed my jaw pressure and popping--the exact symptoms this office told me 'weren't the reason'--with total expertise. It's clear now that this office isn't just disorganized they are fundamentally incapable of handling complex cases or even basic concerns read more
