I met with Dr Pine about 6 weeks ago, he was actually very nice and understood my situation (Ive had have AIDS for 15 years and both the virus and meds destroy your teeth) anyways half of my teeth have already been removed. So with my insurance and finances im ready to get my new Hollywood teeth, dentures is what it has to be but at this point its my dream. My problem isnt with Dr Pine or his office staff.In fact if you need to see someone for just general dentistry he may be your man. The doctor I want to warn everyone about is Dr Pines in house oral surgeon Dr Joaquin Zaggara. That morning I was so excited to meet him and move forward to the next step. He looked at my x-rays and what Dr Pine had signed off on and most importantly my insurance approved the entire procedure. He looked at me and said I had 2 teeth that were in good condition. I said I was aware of that but its just a matter of time that they'll be bad too, but at this point with my disease and finances dentures were my only option and Ive basically have wore bottom dentures for the past 7 years.
Yelling at me on how un-ethical it would be to pull my healthy teeth I just layed there in shock. I wasnt asking to harvest my kidneys or have an abortion. When a non insured patient walks into a dentist and needs a root canal and crown and the dentist looks the patient in the eyes and says its going to be $5000.00 yes thats very ethical!!!!! Back to Doctor Zagarra and his ethics, clearly he didnt want to pull my teeth because he wanted to charge me $12,000 to rebuild them but told me that they wouldnt match my other teeth. Why would I do that I ask, he replies rudley "so you have teeth" Then he gave me a tongue lashing about me having AIDS (way out of line) this man almost got punched right in the mouth. He yelled at me about how I could get an infection. I explained to him that my infectious disease doctor is all for this and feels me getting rid of all my decaying teeth would make me healthier. I also explained that for 10 days I would be on pre anti-biotics both oral and injectable and of course after the procedure. Nothing mattered, he said it was un-ethical and that he wouldnt do it. And still ranted about me having AIDS, I mean to the point that it was on the verge of bashing.
So to all my brothers and sisters that may be in a similiar situation DO NOT GO TO THIS OFFICE.... They lure you in by telling you they will do the procedure and then try to rip you off with their ethical standards, clearly Dr Joaquin Zaggarra is homophobic and has no shame about it and he also has a sever problem with HIV/AIDS patients. I will do everything in my power from contacting the ADA and to every Gay organization to make this man does not practice oral surgery again. What a shame and I hope this review helps detour others from going to this office or I should say to Dr Joaquin Zagarra. I have never wrote a review online and im certainy even feeling guilty about possibly harming someones buisness. But people this was so bad and just way out of line I feel I must warn others. This man should be ashamed of himself. read more