Here is my lengthy and long overdue review. I want to preface this by saying I rarely write…read morenegative reviews, as I understand that these things can impact someone's business, and sometimes a company is just having a bad day or a client is just being a real pain. With that in mind, I had such a stressful experience here and feel the need to share on the off chance it helps others.
I first time came to this dentist after moving to LB from Van Nuys, where I'd been going to the same dentist for over a decade. I started grad school down here and was without insurance for the first time in many years. I'm pretty meticulous about my dental hygiene and have spent a chunk of change fixing my teeth after growing up in poverty. I was also being especially careful because of my lack of insurance.
I got a coupon for a cheap cleaning on Groupon for this dental office. The reviews were up and down, but given my history and the fact that all I needed was a basic cleaning, I figured it would be fine. I went, used the coupon, had a slightly longer wait than usual, but otherwise the experience was uneventful, and they told me I could use the coupon again. I scheduled my next appointment for 6 months and carried on.
It was my second appointment where things went wrong. This time, when I came in, I was told one of the hygienists was out sick and so they were understaffed and moving a little slowly. Fine, no biggie. I waited for a bit and then the front desk worker took me into the back. He showed me to a chair and said they'd be with me shortly. The chair was broken, so I had to lay back in it. Again, no biggie. I looked at my phone for a while. Twenty minutes passed, thirty, forty. He came back and said again they'd be with me shortly, apologizing for the delays. I waited over an hour, in a broken chair. Finally, it was time for my cleaning. They took me to a new space with a working chair and did the cleaning. It didn't take long. Then the dentist came in to review my charts.
This is when I was informed I had a "broken crown" and was told they could begin the repairs that day and could cut me a "deal" for under $900, if I signed the paperwork then. He also said I might want to consider braces down the line, which he claimed they could also finance me for. After being there for almost two hours just for a cleaning, I was feeling overwhelmed and told him I wasn't financially prepared for any of that. He said, with their financing, that the monthly payments for the crown might be as low as $50. He emphasized that waiting could be problematic and that my dental health was important. I again explained that I needed more time to consider everything and get my finances together, reminding him that I was a full-time student and this was a chunk of change for me. I paid for the cleaning and left, feeling incredibly stressed and anxious.
After saving up and worrying for months, I scheduled an appointment at a new dental office. Yesterday, I had the appointment and was informed that I have excellent teeth, no cavities, very little plaque, and most importantly, NO CRACKED CROWN. He repeated this multiple times, pointing out each tooth on my x-rays and showing me how my crowns are all in perfect condition. The tooth in question has an inlay on it, which he said is completely sealed and in excellent condition. And that is when everything clicked for me: I'd almost been scammed into an unnecessary, expensive, and painful procedure for NO REASON.
I have learned my lesson and will never return to this place again. I hope you avoid a similar situation and encourage a second opinion if you come here and they suggest a major procedure. Again, maybe just a bad day, but a day I do not care to repeat.
