Warning: long review, ahead. A summary for those that don't want to read it all:
5 stars for the amazing staff and up-to-date technology was reduced to 1 star because Dr. Hoyt was completely dismissive of my pain after he replaced an old filing...pain that still exists several months later!
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I moved a couple years ago and neglected to see a dentist since then. I decided to see Dr. Hoyt based on the reviews here. When I called, I was told the next available appointment was in 4 months; however, Lori called back the same day and said that they were able to schedule me in in the next week, which I was very appreciative of.
After my cleaning and check-up, I was relieved to find out that my teeth were in good shape. Aside from a cavity that needed to be filled and an old filling that needed to be replaced, I was told that my teeth are healthy. I was even commended for my oral hygiene. I went in a few weeks later to get the fillings.
During both visits the staff was great. They are all very friendly and seemed to care about me, as their patient. I was also impressed with the cleanliness of the office and the high tech equipment. The only negative was that Dr. Hoyt seemed rushed both times because he had other patients waiting. At one point, as he was filling my cavities, he actually dropped an instrument on my face. He was also quite rough, in my opinion. Still, as long as my teeth were good, I didn't mind those things.
So, what happened to prompt the 1-star review?
A couple days after my fillings, the ENTIRE right side of my face was in pain (top and bottom teeth, and cheek...this is the side where the old filling was re-filled). I called the office and Rose scheduled a follow-up a few days later (to their credit, she offered me a next-day appointment, but I had to wait due to work commitments).
As soon as I got to my follow-up, the dental tech asked if I had seasonal allergies. I told her I did, but they were generally okay. Then as soon as Dr. Hoyt came in, he immediately blamed the pain on sinusitis. I told him that I don't have any sinus pressure (no congestion at all) so I didn't think that was it. He kept insisting though. He ended up taking an x-ray where the tooth was re-filled and said that he isn't concerned because the filling is nowhere near a nerve. He then adjusted my bite, put a varnish on the tooth, and said to call if my sinuses got worse. Considering my sinuses were NEVER an issue to begin with, they remained fine.
Unfortunately, the pain continued. It was terrible - it woke me up at night and forced me to take Tylenol around the clock. Just to put it in context, I have a pretty good tolerance with pain. When I got my wisdom teeth removed years ago, I never took a single pain med (not even Tylenol), and when I got my tonsils removed last year, I went off all pain medication within a week (again, I didn't even take Tylenol). Yet, this pain almost reduced me to tears and made me lose sleep.
Finally I had enough and went to another a dentist for a second opinion. He took it way more seriously than Dr. Hoyt. He was quick to point out that you can't always blame dentists for things like this...but, was also shocked to learn that all Dr. Hoyt did was an adjustment and varnish, given the pain I reported. He looked over my x-rays and said that the filling is actually closer to the nerve than Dr. Hoyt said. Based on that and a cold test, the new dentist said I may need a root canal and that when Dr. Hoyt was putting the new filling in, he probably for a little too close to the nerve. That dentist also did another adjustment.
As a result of the inconsistency of what Hoyt and the new dentist said, I sought an additional opinion from another dentist and also saw an Endodontist. They both said that I may need a root canal, but that it still looks okay for now (no signs of infection). They were both sure to let me know that I need to get it rechecked though.
So, here I am, 5 months later with PAIN! I saw yet another dentist today. He did a thorough exam and took another x-ray of the tooth. Good news: Still no of needing a root canal, but it may be too early to tell and that we need to keep an eye on it. Bad news: It turns out the filling that Dr. Hoyt gave me needs to be replaced because of a gap between the composite and my tooth. Not only will it (hopefully) reduce some pain, but it will also prevent a cavity from developing under the filling. Worse news: It is questionable whether that filling needed to even be replaced in the first place.
Here's the thing: I totally get that dentistry is not an exact science and sometimes things go wrong. What really bothered me is how dismissive Dr. Hoyt was with my pain and how quickly he tried to blame it on something else. I appear to be an anomaly give the positive reviews. But, I wanted to share my experiences for what it's worth. It's been a nightmare since he touched my teeth :-( read more
