ComplaintsforJust for Kids Pediatric Dentistry

• Initial Complaint

  03/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My son ************** was seen and treated by this office over the course of several years. He was seen every 6 months for routine cleaning and as needed for additional treatment, generally a filling. As a younger child my son chipped his front tooth. This dental office had repaired the chip and "rebuilt" the tooth. After a while it chipped again and this office referred us out for cosmetic dentistry, i.e. veneers. Approximately 7/27/2023. There was no mention of any other dental concerns during this visit. The office they recommended was not in our network so I found another local dentist that was in-network and made an appointment for early October (10/12/23) At our consultation I was stunned to hear that the tooth we were told needed a veneer or other cosmetic attention was in fact filled with a large cavity and need urgent care. (Not to mentioned the other cavities that had gone undiagnosed by Just For Kids Pediatric Dentistry, totaling an estimated out of pocket expense of several thousand dollars.) On 11/1/23 we had the tooth filled and the large cavity removed. The dentist was concerned that it had gone undiagnosed by JFKPD and was worried it may have been caught to late and would need a root canal. Unfortunately our new dentist was correct and the cavity was found to late and a root canal was in fact needed. Due to the amount of pain my son was in we were forced to have the emergency root canal done out of network. To date I have paid approximately $1,949 dollars out of pocket to cover dental work that went undiagnosed and untreated by JFKPD . When I reached out to Just For Kids Pediatric Dentistry's office about this matter they responded that our new dentist was very aggressive in treatment. ****** never gave me an option of treatment, never told me there could be a possible cavity or concern in all of our years with them. Now JFKPD is sending me a bill for $27. I would like this charge waived and for JFKPD to stop contacting me.

  Business response

  04/04/2024

  From-Dr **** Nichols

  Regarding this complaint, her son had horrible oral hygiene and we did the best we could to motivate him to care for his teeth on a daily basis.  Once we determined that his dental needs exceeded our abilities and a pediatric dental provider, we referred him/them to a general dentist of their choice.  That dentist supplied mom with an expensive dental treatment plan, and mom was not happy.  Rather than hold her child accountable for his poor oral hygiene, she wants to blame us.  We had offered to retreat any workmanship issues (if there was any) at no charge to her, she declined.   She had requested that we pay for all the treatment at the new dental provider, and we declined.  

  She then files complaints with her insurance provider and the ***********************.  The insurance company agreed with our assessments of the situation.

  We are awaiting a decision from the dental board.

  The $27 charge was waived and we are no longer seeking payment.

  We have an outstanding reputation in this community and pride ourselves for caring very well for the child and young adults.  In our 30 years of practice, we have never had this issue prior....IMO our track record speaks for itself.

  Thank you for your consideration in this matter,

  Dr ********** Nichols, DDS
  Board Certified Pediatric Dentist

  Customer response

  04/08/2024

   I am rejecting this response because:
  While I appreciate the response and agreement to waive the $27 fee, there a few points that I need to clarify as they are either vague or incorrect.
  My son was referred out to a different dentist due to this office not being able to repair his chipped tooth in a permanent manner.  The time between the referral and us seeing a new dentist was less than 2 weeks.  This is the very tooth that went undiagnosed as having a cavity by Dr. ********************** and ended up requiring an emergency root canal.  The new dentist provided a care plan that was clear and supported with a variety of medical documentation.  What I was unhappy about was the fact that the dental treatment needed was clearly present when he was a patient with Dr.********************** and I was never told. 
  I have filed a complaint with the ************************** as I believe the lack of treatment and care my son received needed to be looked in to.  I also notified my dental insurance,again to make them aware.  ********************* did not agree or disagree with my notice to them, they simply clarified that they are only able to confirm that services were rendered and could not review or provide comment on the level or quality of said services.  
  
  

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