I'm sharing my personal experience at CDA to help others make informed decisions about their dental…read morecare. I'm using an alias to protect my privacy since I'll be discussing detailed health information in this post.
In January 2025, I began treatment at CDA and agreed to a full-mouth restoration from their recommendation, which cost me $40,520. I was told that this would provide a long-term solution to prevent grinding and give me a perfect smile. Although I had some initial reservations, the large number of 5-star reviews influenced my decision to go forward, hoping for the permanent solution to my grinding.
However, my experience did not meet the expectations I was led to believe. In January, Dr. Barras removed all of my natural enamel at the direction of the director/dental assistant and the non-practicing dentist/owner, who create the treatment plans. In February, I underwent four extensive procedures when it should have been only one because the same canted crowns were placed multiple times. The office attributed this to the lab sending the wrong crowns, but I had to endure the discomfort each time. After the crowns were initially cemented, I experienced constant and severe pain, especially while eating and drinking.
Over the course of several follow-up visits for pain, the director/dental assistant claimed that my pain was due to my bite even though my main symptom was temperature sensitivity, so she continued having the treating dentist do multiple bite adjustments with no resolution to my pain. Unsatisfied with the repetitious explanations yet unable to get resolutions to my pain, I sought second and third opinions from unaffiliated dental offices. The outside evaluations suggested that my ongoing pain was likely due to open margins from multiple crowns not being seated correctly, and that excess cement had been buried into my gums, which they said most likely contributed to the development of 8-10 cavities in a short period of time. CDA never disclosed these possible issues to me, even though X-rays had shown cracked crowns from my first permanent appointment in February.
Due to my teeth decaying quickly (possibly from the excess cement) and the extreme pain from open margins, I was told I needed to have the entire work redone. This has caused me significant emotional distress and financial burden, as it will cost me more than double what I initially paid. I was also told by other professionals that a full-mouth restoration isn't always a permanent solution, as CDA had stated, meaning more costly and painful dental work may be necessary in the future after I'm done with the current restoration redo.
Another challenge I faced with CDA was the difficulty in obtaining my full dental records. Despite several requests, the documents I received seemed incomplete and inconsistent with my recollection of my appointments. I noticed discrepancies in the records, such as additions that never occurred and exclusions of things that did, with many notes focusing on aesthetics, when most of my visits were related to pain management.
I requested a refund multiple times, and although one was eventually offered, it came with conditions, including signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), releasing them from liability, and agreeing not to report my experience to the dental board. Given the issues with the work I received, I did not feel comfortable signing these releases. As a result, they informed me I could not have the refund unless I signed. I received a cease-and-desist letter from their attorney last month too when a review was posted about my experience which was later reported by the business for deletion. For that reason, I am leaving out a lot of details about my experience.
Last week, the attorney verbally agreed to give me the refund if I signed an NDA without the liability release, which I said I would agree to, but then they sent another liability release which was never part of the verbal agreement.
Ultimately, I encourage anyone considering major dental work to get multiple opinions and ask detailed questions from independent dentists about the necessity and long-term viability of the proposed plan. If you have already received care from this office and are experiencing complications, I highly recommend seeking an outside evaluation from a dentist unaffiliated with CDA.
I hope my story encourages others to advocate for themselves. I did not have the luxury of reading reviews like this before choosing this business. I spent many sleepless nights in pain while reading the glowing reviews, wondering why my experience was so different. Now, after this long and painful road, I wonder if others have had similar experiences but were unable to speak out publicly.
My experience with NDAs, reported reviews and a cease-and-desist letter has led me to believe that transparency and honest feedback about dental care are critical, and I hope this helps others navigate their choices more confidently.
