It is not in my nature to write a negative review on a business, but when it comes to health and integrity, I think it's necessary. I would also hate for someone else to have the experience that I did and pay money for unwarranted dental work.
Although I had been going to my original dentist for 7 years, I was unable to get in for my regular cleaning for a couple months due to their busy practice, so I decided I would get my cleaning done at a new place this time, then return to my other dentist next time. I liked the holistic side of wholesome smiles that was stated on their website, so I thought I'd give it a try.
When I went in for my appt at 3, I thought the office was beautiful, yet found it odd it was completely empty. Nonetheless, they proceeded with X-rays with what felt like 50 images. Although Lia was sweet, I found it odd that she spent that time telling me all about the how amazing the dentist is, her credentials, and how they had the most state of the art technology in the inland empire. I felt like I was being sold on something. It was unlike any experience I had had before. After about 30 minutes, I thought my cleaning would start, but I never saw a hygienist. I just waited and waited and waited. I was told the dentist would be in to examine me and "review my findings". *side note, I have never had any cavities or dental work as an adult and just saw my other dentist in December 2023 with zero concerns.
Finally at 4pm, the dentist came in. Although I appreciated her being thorough, at this point, I had been there for an hour with no exam and no cleaning. After examining my teeth for about 15 minutes, I let her know that I had to be somewhere and would my cleaning be happening shortly. She said yes, but then proceeded to tell me that I had 3 cavities (one that could possibly need a root canal), and that I needed a gum graft. She also suggested I see someone for a sleep study for apnea. I was taken aback, to say the least. I'm a healthy 40 year old woman with no history of dental issues. At the point, anxiety set in and I was ready to leave, but still, waiting on my cleaning.
I continued to wait, til finally the dentist just came in and cleaned my teeth herself. Rushed, nonetheless, because I had a commitment at 5pm and never expected to spend over an hour and half at a dental office. I never ever saw an actual hygienist. By 4:40pm, I finally walked out the door, knowing I needed to go get my other dentists opinion.
The next morning, I called wholesome smiles first thing, requesting my X-rays. They said they would get them over to me shortly. After a few hours with no X-rays, I called again and finally got an email with a link to mychart. Once I created an account, I saw the excessive amount of images I would need to download one by one. So I called back and requested they be emailed to me. They refused, saying it was against HIPAA. After checking with multiple medical professionals in my life, requesting my own records to be sent to me is not against HIPPA. Again, I went back and asked if I could come pick up a disc of my own X-rays. They said I could come get a USB, but it would cost money. I ultimately decided to not engage with the back and forth anymore, and download each image individually.
Fast forward to this morning, I finally got that second opinion from my existing dentist after he reviewed the current X-rays and my teeth in person. He found absolutely NOTHING. No cavities, nothing. Although I knew in my gut something was off at wholesome smiles, this confirmed that I could have easily been taken advantage of. Hence why I write this post--the staff was kind to me, but something was very wrong with the entire process, diagnosis, release of records, and overall experience. When talking to my dentist this morning, he said he's seeing this run rampant in the dental community. I hope this will help others to seek out second or even third opinions and be wary when choosing this dental practice. read more