My experience with this practice was fairly positive at first, but it ultimately became one of the…read moreworst dental experiences I've ever had.
I initially came in because I had chipped one of my implant crowns and wanted both front implant crowns remade. Dr. Robert Swanson was very casual about the chip and even suggested simply leaving it as it was. I wanted it repaired properly, and he assured me it would be "no problem." He also told me he worked with a great lab and even stated that the lab was "the most expensive in town."...
When it came time to remove my original cemented crowns, Dr. Swanson seemed unsure. I even asked how many times he had removed cemented implant crowns before, and he replied, "Not a lot." Despite that, the temporary crowns they placed were excellent. They fit comfortably, looked natural, and I almost forgot they were temporary.
The problems began with the lab visit.
Dr. Swanson told me I would work directly with the lab to customize the appearance of my new crowns. Instead, after waiting more than 30 minutes past my appointment despite being the only patient there, I was briefly color-matched and sent on my way with very little discussion.
When I returned to preview the finished crowns, they were missing the gum porcelain entirely and were much larger than expected. I questioned the lab because they had color matched my gums during my first visit. After stating it wasn't in the work order, they acknowledged the issue and told me to give them another week to correct it, this was Friday.
Surprisingly, by Monday morning, Premier Family Dental called to say the crowns were already finished and ready for placement. That timeline immediately seemed unusual.
When I saw the revised crowns, they were extremely bulky. They felt unnatural, interfered with my tongue and bite, and the tooth/gum colors did not match at all. I expressed my concerns before they were permanently placed, but I was told my jaw just needed time to adjust and that I was "hyper fixated" on them.
Unfortunately, things only became worse. Within days I developed severe jaw clicking, popping, and discomfort. Over the next two weeks, I returned FOUR separate times for adjustments. Each visit involved grinding the crowns down further until the undersides became uncomfortable yet the problems remained.
When I continued asking for the crowns to be remade, Dr. Swanson refused and even tried to tell me I needed a mouth guard for sleeping. During our final conversation, he told me he would not remake them and stated that no one in the practice had the ability or skill set to correct the issue. The practice ultimately refunded the ENTIRE procedure, acknowledging that the crowns would need to be redone elsewhere even though Swanson told me the only way I would get a refund is if I could prove to him I was going to get them re done, which was EXTREMELY unprofessional and unethical to assume I was dining and dashing when they failed me and did terrible work.
Since the new crowns were put in I have sought two independent second opinions from other dental providers. Both offices examined the crowns and independently concluded that they were poorly made and would need to be completely remade rather than simply adjusted. Hearing the same conclusion from two separate providers confirmed that the problems were not simply a matter of "getting used to them," but that the crowns themselves were not acceptable and required replacement.
As a result of this experience, I am now starting over with another provider and am receiving treatment for significant TMJ symptoms that developed after these crowns were placed. I also received a patient relationship termination letter after requesting that the work be corrected.
I would NEVER recommend this office or the work of Robert Swanson based on my experience. What should have been a straightforward replacement of two implant crowns resulted in repeated adjustments, a complete refund, ongoing jaw problems, a very trusting relationship tarnished and the need to have the entire treatment redone elsewhere.
