Far from great. Completely baffling experience…read more
My appointment was scheduled for 8:00 AM. I walked out at 10:15 AM after ultimately being sent back to the waiting room to wait for a hygienist.
From the beginning, the experience was completely different from what I was told when I scheduled the appointment. The woman I spoke with at the call center, Ida, specifically told me that my first visit would include X rays, an exam, and a cleaning. I was pleased with that and arrived on time expecting exactly that.
I wasn't brought back until approximately 8:40 AM. The technician taking my x-rays then had me sit in the chair and wait for another ~30 minutes before even beginning x-ray process. During that time, she told me, while laughing, that this type of wait was very typical (mentioned twice in the course of our interaction) because they are always busy and that she had just gotten caught up with another patient. She then told me that I would not be receiving a cleaning that day and that the people in the call center "have no idea what they're talking about."
That was not particularly reassuring.
I also explained to her that I have a significant medical phobia and that my PCP had prescribed medication for me to take before medical appointments because I was nervous about coming in. Her response, while laughing, was that "next time I could come in DRUNK", if that would help more.
I responded that I didn't think that would be a good idea, because a drunk person's words are a sober person's thoughts, and at that point, the appointment had already gone completely sideways.
Eventually, the dentist came in, reviewed my x-rays and examined my mouth, and explained what the overall treatment plan would be. I was then sent BACK TO THE WAITING ROOM to wait for a hygienist to evaluate my gums. By this point, it was already 10:00 AM.
I asked the front desk to send me copies of my x-rays and requested to speak with the branch manager. During this process, both the front desk staff and the manager independently reiterated that the people in the call center "have no idea what they're talking about."
When I spoke with the branch manager in more detail, she politely acknowledged that my experience was, in fact, incredibly unprofessional. However, she also told me that the technician involved, specifically the person who made the comment about coming in drunk and laughed about the office's chronic wait times, had never received a complaint like this before.
From a management perspective, that response is deeply concerning. Whether or not a formal complaint had previously been made, the conduct I experienced should be recognized as inappropriate without needing a history of prior complaints to establish that.
The combination of inaccurate information from the call center, an hour plus wait for what was supposed to be an 8:00 AM appointment, staff openly acknowledging that the office routinely operates this way, an inappropriate comment about alcohol after I disclosed a medical phobia, and ultimately being sent back to the waiting room after already spending two hours there reflects what appears to be a serious operational and management problem.
I would not recommend trusting your dental care to Eastern Dental based on this experience.
I have now escalated the matter beyond the individual office and am awaiting a response from Eric Korsten and Ceon Francis, Partner and Managing Director, respectively, at Branford Castle, which acquired Eastern Dental in 2025. I believe this experience warrants review at the corporate level, not simply another conversation with the same office management that is overseeing these practices.
