ComplaintsforLa Quinta Dental Group

• Initial Complaint

  03/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  October 13, 2022 - Beginning of process to replace implant and crown for front tooth number 9. After five visits dentist, Dr. ***** ****** presented a crown for implant that did not fit. Dr. ***** ****** deliver another crown on 02/22/2023 the was too long. Dr. ****** filed my lower teeth to make the crown fit. The crown was too long, still did not fit, and was out of alignment. Then Dr. ****** filed the crown on the lower edge, to try and force it to fit. This seem to have weakened the crown. The crown chipped on the end where the Dr. ****** filed the crown down. The crown chipped on 03/18/2023, I had Dr. ***** ****** to examine the crown on 03.20/2023. Dr. ***** ****** refused to take any responsibility for his work, would not work with me to fix the problem, becoming argumentative.

  Business response

  03/30/2023

  March 30, 2023

   

  Via Electronic Mail:   

  Better Business Bureau

  Attn: ******* ** ** *****

   

   

  RE:  ***** ********                                                                         Case id NO.:  ********

                                           

  Dear Ms. ** ** ******

   

  This letter is in response to your correspondence dated March 21, 2023, regarding ***** ********.

   

  We saw Mr. ******** on March 20, 2023, for his fractured implant crown. Upon evaluation we noted a fracture on the incisal edge. We reminded Mr. ******** that anterior restorations should be used with extreme caution. He stated that he felt some interference when he would bite edge to edge but chose not to come in to have that adjusted. We advised Mr. ******** that we could try to patch up the crown at no cost as a courtesy, but he stated that he wanted a new crown made. We Informed Mr. ******** that a new crown is possible, but since the fracture is due to improper usage, he would be financially responsible for the replacement. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any additional questions regarding this matter.

   

  Respectfully,

  La Quinta Dental Group

   

  Customer response

  04/01/2023

   I am rejecting this response because:

  
  

  I am a 70-year-old senior citizen feeling taken advantage of. I had an implant for my front tooth #9 about 14 years ago, the Doctor told me that the material was very strong and would last. I never had a problem with that crown or any of the other five crowns in my mouth chipping or breaking. According to **** R. *********, DDS (2015), porcelain dental implant crowns can be made of zirconia, felspathic, leucite, and alumina. Lithium disilicate or other types. I do not know what material the crown that Doctor ***** ****** used for my crown, but whatever it is the material is inferior that lasted less than three weeks.

  The Crown that Dr. ****** recently put in my mouth on Tooth #9 replaced the crown that was there for 14 years. The replaced crown was not damaged (chipped or broken), the implant however had become loose due to a device used for sleep apnea. I no longer use that device. I asked Dr. ****** if he could replace the crown, He assured me that he could.

  La Quinta Dental Group advertises “Same-Day Dental Crowns’ on their website,*****************************************************************************). I have had crowns made on the same day at other dental offices however I did not expect the same day with this one being for an implant. However, Dr. ****** started the process on October 13, 2022, and did not finish until February 22, 2023, more than three months. I supplied Dr. ****** with the implant hardware needed, however, he need additional hardware. He ordered the wrong hardware. When the crown came in from the lab I visited the office on December 28, 2022; the crown did not fit. The doctor sent the crown back to the lab to do it over again.

  I visited the office in February for the placement of the second crown, The crown was too long and did not fit again. Dr. ***** filled my lower teeth without my consultation, then filed the crown to try and make it fit. However, the crown was still too long. According to Vancouver Center for Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry “With most crowns, slight adjustments may be possible, but if it requires a lot of adjustments or changes it is often best to send it back to the laboratory to have the changes made.” Dr. ***** chose to file the end of the crown to try and make it fit in so doing the crown was weakened and chipped right where it was filed yet it is still too long and out of alignment with my lower teeth. When the Crown chipped I was eating cornflakes cereal, nothing hard, not biting upper to lower as he stated in his reply.

  I am a licensed insurance agent for over thirty years, bonded. In my industry telling the truth is highly regarded. Dr. ***** misrepresented me by stating that I bit something hard from upper to lower. I did not. Dr. ***** also stated that he offered to fix the crown with “patching as a courtesy”, but he did not. He did say that bonding would not work and I agree. What he also said was that the crown would have to be replaced and I would be charged the full amount again. He became very argumentative and rude in addition to insulting my intelligence.

  I am a reasonable person, however Dr. ***** was not willing to work with me at all on fixing the crown, not even offering to smooth the jagged edges off. I left the office. At this point, I am requesting a full refund in the amount of $1,173.38. I need to have the ill-fitting chipped crown replaced by a dentist that will do the procedure correctly and promptly to prevent further damage to my lower teeth and gums. The time I've invested alone is excessive.

  Dr. ***** ********

   

   

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