Well...I have to say, I am COMPLETELY shocked by the negative reviews and so happy that I stuck to my own vibe and went ahead and got my surgery done here.
Let me start from the beginning, I needed to get a tooth extracted and since it was in a somewhat noticeable place, I also needed to get that tooth replaced. I was referred to two people by my Dentist, Dr. Wong. I called both places but decided to go to Dr. Needle. He called me back personally, which I was very happy about. He knew that I did not have insurance so he said he would work with me on pricing, as dental implants are EXTREMELY expensive. He waived his initial consultation fee and also said that he would see if my x-rays from my dentist would work so that I didn't need to get more done there, and the office called me back to let me know that they would work fine. I did not make it to my first initial appointment (my fault, I got the days mixed up) and when they called me to see if I was coming, I was so upset that I missed it and the receptionist was so lovely and said that it was no problem and immediately rescheduled me. Never once did I hear any type of attitude or negative response. I went in for my consultation, filled out paperwork, and was in with Dr. Needle pretty quickly. It was not a long consult, but he did take the time to show me a video of what a Dental Implant would be and answered any questions that I had, which I had very few. If I had more, I am sure he would have answered them in detail. I did research a few other places but for some reason, I had it stuck in my mind that I needed to go there. I forgot to mention that, since it is a pricey procedure, I decided to wait for the healing process to finish then get a crown as opposed to an immediate temporary crown (which would be an added fee from my Dentist). Since there would be a space there, Dr. Needle called me personally (even though I had spoke with the receptionist) to confirm that is what I wanted. He just wanted to be clear himself. I find that extremely hands on.
I just had my surgery 3 days ago, and after my experience I was so shocked by the negative reviews that I signed up on Yelp just to write my experience.
The surgery went SHOCKINGLY easy. I was so scared and definitely knew from the beginning that I wanted to be completely knocked out...when I came in for my surgery, I was told that I would not be knocked out, but put into a "twilight sleep". I was definitely a little more anxious after that but at that point, I just had to tell myself that I would be ok, and it would be over soon.
Boy, was I right!! Dr. Needle came in, in a UCLA surgeons cap which I was very happy about and I wore my UCLA shirt because my Dad went there, and was nothing but attentive and nice. He did tell me that I would be so amazed at how easy this would be, but I wasn't gonna believe it until it happened. And it definitely happened. I had breathed in the gas the whole time, and he gave me an IV sedation, which he said was the hardest part. That was the ONLY thing I felt. I did not even feel the shot to numb me.I could not even tell you when he extracted my tooth, I did not even feel pressure. The only reason I knew he was doing the implant was because of the drill, which he let me know that it was going to make a noise so that I was not alerted. He constantly asked me during the surgery how I was feeling and kept calling me "Kiddo" which for some reason made me feel really comfortable and safe. The surgery was over in a snap, literally. It was so quick. My mom was in the waiting area and also mentioned that the receptionist was so nice, and chatted with her on/off the whole time. After surgery, I stayed in the operating room while they cleaned up, and every single nurse asked me how I was feeling more than a couple times. They then took me to the pre-op room to ice me and let me get out of the sedation. The nurse gave me GREAT after-care instructions and also brought my mom in there so that she would be knowledgeable on what I needed to do as well. I really could go on and on about how great my experience was there. I know everyone's can be different but its really hard for me to believe the negative ones. Right when surgery was over the nurse and I were laughing because it was so easy that I told her Dr. Needle can do dental implants on all my teeth!!!
I was in a bit of discomfort the day of at home, which was to be expected. But I stayed up on my meds and antibiotics and now after a couple days, I am only in minimal discomfort. I have my follow up appointment next week and will absolutely be editing my review because I am sure I will have more great things to say.
I would refer EVERYONE I know to Dr. Needle if they are in need of Oral Surgery.
-Melissa Andrew read more