"We'll do everything to make sure you're happy!" was the statement I received from Dr Patel in the beginning. Everything about the entire crown replacement process was the exact opposite of this statement. In fact, each step was frustrating, took WAY too long, and the end result is improperly installed snaggletooth front crowns.
From day 1, I never felt like anyone in the office actually cared. No one explained the process or what was happening unless I asked. Almost every appointment I scheduled I had to wait at least 2 weeks, in fact the first one I waited 4 weeks and walked around with a cracked crown during that time. There was no urgency on their end to make this process go any quicker (from initial appointment to final crown install, it was 3+ months). Every time I asked if there was any sooner appointments, the response was "Dr Patel has a lot of patients." After hearing this statement at least 6 times, I realized that Patel only cares about quantity of patients and not the quality of care for the individual.
Here is a synopsis of what happened, I will try to be as brief as possible.
Early Feburary, it was discovered that an existing front crown had cracked.
Called the next day to make appointment to fix, next available appointment was 4 weeks later.
Go in for appointment. Fitted for whitening trays, existing crowns removed and replaced with temporary crowns. Was told to call back in 2 weeks once my other teeth were the right color.
Called in 2 weeks, was told I need to go to dental lab for color matching. I go to lab within 2 days.
1 week later, Sparrow calls asking if I am happy with the color yet? (really? you didn't make a note that I called last week?) I told them that I already had gone to the lab for matching and that I wanted to make appointment for crown install. Next available appointment was 2 weeks.
Morning of my install appointment, Sparrow calls to cancel saying that the teeth received were not color matched. (seriously.) They say teeth will be ready in 3 days and Patel agrees to stay past normal hours to install crowns.
Go in at 7pm for install appointment. Crowns are not the correct shape or size, they molded the crowns based on the WRONG TEETH. Then I sit in chair for 2 hours while Patel tries to make the temporary crowns look better? Not sure why this was necessary for temporary crowns. And then 4 days later that temporary crown chips.
Another week or two later, the final teeth arrive and I go in for final appointment. At this point, I can sense that her office has decided that I am an unruly patient they cannot wait to get me out of the office. The final teeth are still not correct so Patel sends me directly to the lab to have them make the teeth.
That day, I go to lab downtown. And then I sit there like an idiot for 2-3 hours while they redo the teeth. At this point, I am beyond frustrated. Why am I here? Why couldn't Patel have told them how the teeth should look? (oh wait, the lack of communication). At the end, I told the lab guy that I wanted to leave and whatever the teeth were would be fine. He tells me to have Patel use temporary glue and that the teeth could be fixed in 2 days if I wasn't happy.
I go back to Patel's office the same day, by now it's about 5pm. I ask her to use temporary glue to install these crowns. She refuses. And then comments that she was surprised that these teeth were what I wanted? Oh, wait, they are NOT what I wanted.
By now, the frustration has turned into raw emotion mixed with anger. Frustration that I waited so long for teeth that I am not happy with (despite her claims that I would be) and anger that she permanently cemented them so they cannot be changed!!! The next day, I call their office to ask for my impressions and molds so that I can take them to another office so I can have the teeth redone.
Now, about 2 months later, I notice that the left crown seems to have shifted and there is a space along the gumline. There is a dull sensation in the tooth and when I brush my teeth over that area it bleeds.
I call Patel's office - since they installed it incorrectly they should fix it, right? The response I get (from the receptionist) is that the tooth shifted since I wasn't wearing a night guard. Um, no. Why didn't the previous crowns that I had for 10 years ever shift? And they also mentioned that since I told them that I was going to another dentist, they deleted my files. Because that's professional. I asked to have Patel call me back, which she did not, because apparently her response to an unhappy client is to ignore them and hope they go away. Which I won't.
Moral of the story - if you like to wait weeks or months for appointments and then get impersonal care, this is the office for you. Compassion is not one of the services provided. If you show any emotion or dissatisfaction at the way their office does business, you will be treated like a leper and written off in the most unprofessional way. read more
