Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/05/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I experienced predatory & ridiculous charges. I had 2 appts: a cleaning 11/15/24 & scheduled a filling for 11/20/24, which they took a deposit for ($31).I got ill with a fever the day before my cleaning, so I rescheduled & was not notified I would lose my deposit & would be charged a missed appt fee.I had the filling completed 11/27/24 & paid $123 for it @ the visit. Then I received a bill for an additional $355. I was charged $63 for "oral hygiene instructions" & $192 for "oral cancer screening" despite being in network with insurance. ************** stated they didn't cover these charges because they consider them part of the exam. They didn't get my permission to perform additional services above the cleaning and exam. I was also charged $96 for a missed appt fee for rescheduling when I was sick. They list the missed appt fee as $65. The practice said I was charged $96 because of my deposit. So they were charging me the amount of the deposit I had already made yet again -- on top of the missed appointment fee and on top of the deposit I paid when scheduling the appointment. My original deposit was apparently forfeited when I had to reschedule (it was not shown on my bill at all), & for some unknown reason, which they couldn't explain to me, they were charging me the deposit amount a second time. They also overcharged me for my filling. The *** states that my patient responsibility was $78.84, but I was charged $123 (on top of the lost deposit). But of course there was no mention of this or reimbursement on my bill. When I talked to the front desk staff about these issues, they did write off half of the $355 owed, but I still had to pay $177.50. They were unable to explain why they took my deposit, the missed appt fee, AND charged me the deposit as an additional cost. They weren't able to explain why there was no billing adjustment for charging me more for the filling than my patient responsibility.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/21/2025

  Our dental practice provides oral and maxillofacial healthcare directly to patients and we have zero control over what the insurance industry sells in their risk management policies, such as a dental benefit or medical insurance policy. Our practice has no control over the level of coverage an individual decides to purchase from **** nor how **** decides to process their members claims.  **** is a separate business outside of our dental practice.  Our professional services are rendered directly to patients with the very high standards set by the *** and decades of scientific research.  Since this individual purchased an extremely low reimbursing dental benefit policy from **** this left her with greater out of pocket costs.  Please note, many of our patients have full dental benefits paid for the procedures listed above because they purchased the appropriate coverage in their risk management policy.  We encourage all patients to read their policy manual and call their dental benefit carrier directly to better understand the coverage, or severe lack thereof in this case, from the insurance industry.
  Our office policy for patients that break their reserved appointment in under 48 hours will involve a financial obligation. These financial obligations are clearly listed in the document this individual initialed next to and then signed. If she did not agree with these office policies, she should have never initialed next to them nor signed the document stating she did agree.  The financial obligation associated with a broken appointment covers a very small portion of the business overhead involved with staffing, supplies, facility fees, insurance, and many other associated healthcare costs. Broken appointments are one of the leading causes in the rise of healthcare costs.  We have already resolved this individuals concerns months ago by compromising with a 50% reduction the in the total amount she owed. We wish this individual the best in finding a new dental home.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/31/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My appointment was January 29th @ 2:00 as I arrived a few minutes early. As I got called up to the counter thinking I was going to get called in for my cleaning.The receptionist told me that todays visit was going to run around $291 unless I didnt want the fluoride then it would be $210 or something within those lines. I told her that I get two cleanings a year from my insurance so I shouldnt be required to pay anything. She had mentioned that my insurance would only cover every 6 months. So I asked her well when will it be 6 months so I can reschedule and come back. She mentioned April however we cant reschedule because if we do it would be considered a broken appointment and for that it will cost you $85. (Now before this company wants to call me out for anything. I do want to mentioned I got called into work the appointment before this one so I was unable to come in the first time for that reason.) I told the receptionist that I shouldnt be required to pay for a broken appointment since Im physically in their facility. At this moment I felt like I had my hands tied and that there was nothing I can do. I asked her that I wanted to speak to someone else. A few minutes go by and one of the hygienist comes over and tells me that if I dont pay the cost for todays visit I will be charged for a broken appointment. I told the lady that I wasnt going to pay a fee for a broken appointment since Im physically here and wanted them to give me an exception considering the situation about my insurance covering every 6 months. She told me well you signed for it on our policy agreement. She then prints it out and with a snarky comment ask if she would like to highlight it for me. I told her no as I know how to read. I look at the policy and I see it says $55 fee not $85 and then she brings up some BS about INFLATION! I told her I wasnt buying that! I ended up paying the $55 fee and told them to release my records. My wife and I will not be back. I would like a refund!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/21/2025

  Our office policy for patients that do not show up, walk out on reserved appointments or refuse to pay for the services will involve a financial obligation. These financial obligations and office policies are clearly listed in our patients signed paperwork and available on our website. Our practice follows the **** guidelines on broken appointments (CDT Code D9986). We encourage our patients to contact the *** to better understand these guidelines. The financial obligation associated with a broken appointment helps cover a very small portion of the business overhead involved by the patient who does not follow through with their verbal obligations. Breaking appointments are one of the leading causes in the rise of healthcare costs. As the healthcare office already invested in staffing, supplies, facility fees,insurance, and many other associated costs. Our broken appointment fees are very fair as many other healthcare facilities charge in ********* upwards of $200.00 or the total cost of the broken appointment. More importantly, breaking an appointment hinders other community members from receiving care in a timely manner due to their inability to access the healthcare facility because the appointment has already been reserved for the patient.
  At this time, the previous patient had two broken appointments on 2025.01.02 and 2025.01.29 totaling $170.00. We attempted to resolve their concerns by collecting $55.00 or 32% of the total cost the patient owed our practice. We feel this is an extremely fair offer as our practice invested much more in preparing for his two appointments, he was verbally abusive to our dental team, and he wasted two hours of clinical time when another community member could have sought care and prevented disease. We are very grateful for our patients that reserve time with our practice, follow through with their healthcare commitments and treat their providers with proper respect.  We wish this patient the best in finding a new dental home.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/21/2025

   
  I am rejecting this response because: Your response to my originally complaint is completely FALSE information. Go back and look at the policy that I signed and you will see it said $55 not $85! 2 hours? I wasnt there longer than 20 minutes! You really think I was going to waste 2 hours of my time with you incompetent idiots? I would also like to mention that I handled your unprofessional staff very well and was nowhere near in line of being verbally abusive. You guys think you can make yourself look good as a dental practice but in all reality you guys are pity and I will make sure I let everyone I know to never go to you guys. Your practice is a joke and so is your BS policys. Get your story straight before coming on here lying to people. 

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/03/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  1) I arrived for my first appointment and was told they did not take my insurance. This had not been communicated to me during my initial phone call when I scheduled my appointment or even when I had been in contact with the office manager by email before my appointment. As such, the cash pay would have been hundreds of dollars. I was not able to pay this so I rescheduled. I was charged a $55 "no show" fee while I was standing there in the office at the appointment. 2) I then had two separate appointments after I obtained accepted insurance. I paid my estimated deductible. The insurance company paid their portion as well. I am now due a refund. I cannot get the office manager to respond and confirm the refund will be paid. 3) I was charged another $55 "no show" fee for not arriving at an appointment that I did not schedule.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/23/2024

  A doctors professional healthcare services and associated costs are rendered directly to a patient, not to their medical insurance carrier or dental benefit carrier.  A medical insurance or dental benefit policy is a form of payment for professional healthcare services rendered.  It is the sole responsibly of the patient to contact their medical insurance or dental benefit carrier to determine if our doctor is considered a participating or non-participating doctor with their policy.  As our private dental practice has no control on how a third-party financial company will process a claim based upon the policy the patient decided to purchase from them.  We will file all medical and dental claims as a courtesy for the patient to maximize any benefit they may have associated with their policy, whether participating or non-participating.  However, all professional healthcare services and associated costs are the sole responsibly of the patient.  Please review #** and #** of our Office Policy Consent Form where the patient initialed signed stated they understood our office policy.
  
  Our office policy states that if the patient does not fulfill their reserved appointment time and leaves the facility fees will apply.  Walking out on an appointment that a patient has reserved due to not wanting to pay for the services they have requested will result in a broken appointment fee. Please review #4 and #5 of our Office Policy Consent Form where the patient initialed and signed stated they understood our office policy.  Our records indicated this previous patient walked out of an appointment on 2023.02.01 and did not show up to a second reserved appointment on 2023.10.20.  A refund cannot be issued for this individual as they currently have an outstanding balance with our private dental practice.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/06/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 03/08/2024, I scheduled an appointment for 03/25/2024. I asked that a quote be provided for my estimated costs, as I was just laid off and it would be a tight financial decision, which the front desk representative confirmed she understood and I would receive an estimate before my appointment. After never receiving a call, I followed up on or around Monday 03/18/2024, and asked again for the cost estimate. She called back with a quote, but since I had been misquoted for prior appointments, I reiterated the importance of my knowing the true potential cost prior, as it would decide if I was able to keep the appointment or not. She promised to call me back with a confirmed estimate from my insurance. Then on Friday 03/22/2024, I received a text asking me to confirm my appointment. I called the office and re-explained my situation and that I was waiting to hear from the front desk rep who promised to call me with my cost estimate. She apologized and said she would call me back asap. She called and left a voicemail around 2pm with an estimate I decided I couldnt afford. I text that I couldnt keep/confirm the appointment due to the estimated cost and she replied ok, we understand. Weeks later I received a bill in the mail for a cancellation fee. I called the office and explained the situation, and was told they spoke to the office supervisor and dr and it was decided the cancellation fee wouldnt be waived. I was not informed the cancellation fee would apply, and the delay in my cancellation was due to the office not following thru with the promised follow up. If the agent had told me I would incur a cancellation fee at that point, I would have kept the appointment because I would have weighed in that cost into my decision making. Open communication from the office would have prevented this nastiness .

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/27/2024

  We have reviewed all of the recorded phone calls and digital text messages sent by this individual to our practice.  We found that this individual contacted our office on 2024.03.08 to review her ESTIMATED investment in care for a 2024.03.25 appointment.  She was clearly informed that she needed to directly contact her dental benefit company by calling the customer service number on the back of her card.  No dental practice can provide an exact share of cost for any procedure(s), only ESTIMATES.  When attempting to have a dental benefit carrier pay for our services rendered directly to a patient a guarantee of payment can never be provided.  A dental benefit policy is a financial agreement between the individual and the company the individual purchased the risk management policy from *********** Policy #**, #**, and #**).
  
  The information the individual was looking for could easily have been found by reviewing her last two Explanation of Benefits, her last two payments made to our practice, reviewing her dental policy manual and calling her dental benefit carrier as we informed her to do.  Our office policy is that when a confirmed appointment is broken in under 48 business hours fees will apply.  *********** Policy #4).  This is due to the extreme difficulty in filling that appointment with another patient in such a short time frame, our practice has already invested in the staff, invested in the supplies and the facility for that patient.  The individual broke her appointment in under 7 business hours.
  
  To remedy this individuals concerns, we will offer a one-time professional courtesy of the broken appointment fee.  In return, she must fill out a release of records and seek can in another office due to not wanting to comply with our office policy that she previously agreed to in writing.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/08/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I went to this practice because they sent out a mailer claiming that they go out of their way to maximize your insurance benefits. I thought it would be cost-effective.In actuality, they provided services at my initial appointment that are not typically done. I have never had to pay anything for a new patient appointment before as my insurance covers all regular services. The dr. also recommended numerous procedures that two other dentists said did not need to be done. Upon receiving my bill I repeatedly reached out to the office both by phone and email for an explanation of charges, but my questions were never answered. I was told that everything was on the bill but it wasn't, and no one would provide any more information.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/22/2024

  We are sorry to hear this individual has misdirected her frustration towards our practice instead of the dental befit carrier that sold her a policy with poor coverage.  Our professional services are provided directly to patients and not to a dental benefit policy nor medical insurance policy *********** Policy #**, #** + #**).  A dental benefit policy or medical insurance policy is a form of payment for the professional services rendered (See #**).  If a dental benefit policy or medical insurance policy does not cover the required procedures for a patient, then the patient is liable for all fees associated with professional services (See #**).  A dental benefit policy is never intended to cover 100% of the 650 separate and identifiable ADA *** procedural codes.  Most dental benefit policies only cover the top 40 most commonly utilized ADA *** codes. She should review her *** and call her dental benefit carrier to understand the coverage she has purchased, or severe lack thereof in this case.The current outstanding balance of $390.00 includes all non-covered services as seen as Remark Code Description 8004 on the *** and broken appointment fees.  The *** code description is the exact same description as listed on the practices billing statement for easy reference.

  
  All procedures performed have been conducted by the standards set forth by our profession and they are done so for every new patient in our practice.  Proper documentation, screening and diagnosis of the disease state a patient presents with must be completed with 100% accuracy.  The doctor must report every procedure performed and has done so as listed on the ***.  It is important to understand that many of our patients have coverage for the procedures performed.  If she is unhappy with her poor dental benefit coverage, we advise her to contact her dental benefit carrier and increase her coverage on the risk management policy.  Otherwise, she will always have higher than average out-of-pocket costs.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/22/2024

   
  I am rejecting this response because:

  My bill includes a charge of $250 for a prior appointment. I was only seen by this practice once. There was no prior appointment.

  I emailed your receptionist three times for an explanation and received no reply.

  I recommend that the BBB and this practice look at all of the poor ****** reviews which claim the same.thing, false charges and recommendations for work that is not necessary.

  
  

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/29/2024

  The Balance Forward listed on her statement is based upon how the electronic medical record software engineers wrote the computer code to send statements.  Since she had a broken appointment before her initial appointment evaluation the software groups all of these fees together.  It is a software artifact from when the dental practice opened and cannot be changed.  All she has to do is read her EOB and utilize very basic math to add up all the covered services ($300.60) plus the non-covered services ($335.00) plus the broken appointment fee ($55.00) and then subtracted out her dental benefit carriers payment ($300.60) to come up with the balance due of $390.00 (Broken Appointment Fee + Non-Covered Services).  All of these facts are clearly listed on the Dental Benefit EOB under Allowed Amount and Ineligible. 
  
  If she has questions about her policy manual, covered and non-covered benefits and / or the policy she decided to purchase we recommend she contact the dental benefit carrier she purchased the policy from, not our practice.  Our practice has no control over the risk management policy a third-party business has sold her.  At this time, we can place no more effort into explaining the basics of her coverage as her concerns originate from the company, namely ********** and Blue Sheild, the dental benefit policy originated from, not our practice.  We are considering this matter closed.  She may pay her balance online at: <************************************************************* avoid a collection agency being responsible for the account.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/17/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My son called and rescheduled an appt for a cleaning for a later date. He is in medical school, drove from ******** for the scheduled appt. Upon arrival he was informed that he would need to renew his payment plan which I believe was 385.00before being seen. He cancelled the appt as he was not told this when the appt was rescheduled nor can he pay this amount as he is a full time student. No other options of payment plans were offered to him by the staff for merely a cleaning. Then I receive a bill for $55.00 in the mail by the practice for being a no show. I called the office to clarify as he wasnt a no show - he simply couldnt pay $385.00 for a dental appt . I left 2 voice messages with no response. 3rd call I spoke with a staff member and of her on account stated that the office failed to inform my son of the *** that would need to be paid. She assured me she would speak to the office manager and or the doctor on Friday as this was their administrative day and would call me the following Monday. Mid afternoon on Tuesday after not receiving a call back I left another message . I called again on Wednesday and got the same staff member that I had talked with the week prior. She stated that I would need to pay the $55.00. I requested to speak with the office manager and was denied that opportunity. I asked why she didnt call me back as promised, she said the office was too busy. I paid the $55.00 as I absolutely had no other choice. At the offices on admission they failed to communicate to my son that he would need to pay $385.00 for services/cleaning and no other option was offered to him to have the appt so after driving a hour and a half to be seen he had to cancel.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/04/2024

  The named individual has not filed a complaint on their own behalf, nor have they given written consent to release protected health information. Therefore, we cannot divulge specific detail(s) that *** or *** not have occurred during these reported events. However, we can discuss our office policies.  Payment for copay, co-insurance, deductible and / or all out of pocket costs are due at the time of a patients reserved appointment.  This is transparent on our office policy documents. All patients initial next to and then sign these policy documents for consent to be treated. Payment policies are also displayed in two separate areas of our practice when a patient checks in and checks out. We are a private healthcare practice, our services are provided directly to patients, and patients will always incur an associated fee.

  
  If a patient desires to not fulfill their financial obligations for their reserved appointment, then a broken appointment fee is charged to cover a very small portion of the financial costs our practice invested in being ready to provide care for the patient (i.e. setting up the operatory, treatment supplies,staffing, computer technology, facility fees, reviewing the patients history and imaging needs). Walking out on an appointment that a patient has reserved due to not wanting to pay for the services they have requested will result in a broken appointment fee.  When patients do not wish to pay their broken appointment fee, we can offer to provide a release of records so that they *** choose to seek care with another providers office.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/05/2024

   
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I had already spoke with a representative in this office regarding a no-show appt fee my child received on 1-11-24. As suggested in response from business today 

  My son faxed a written consent for me to enquire about his financial situation with the dental office today 2-5-24. I called the office to confirm that they had received the fax. I spoke with ***** and she stated that it was not needed as they dug a little deeper and found the consent . I stand by my original complaint. A huge communication break down with this office on so many levels outside of the financial aspect. I am learning you may get a different answer depending on who you speak with. **** cancelled the appt as he was unable to pay the $385.00 that was asked of him because he knew nothing about it and secondly unfortunately we (his parents) cant carry him on our dental insurance although he isnt employed. Yes , the appt was cancelled and he left the office. No other options were offered . 

  
  

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/15/2024

  Our office policy is that payment for copay, ***insurance,deductible and / or all out of pocket costs are due at the time of a patients reserved appointment.  These business practices are very typical for every healthcare facility in our area.  These polices are transparent on our office policy documents.  Please see where this patient initialed and signed next to #**.  Walking out on an appointment that a patient has reserved due to not wanting to pay for the services they have requested will result in a broken appointment fee.  Please see where this patient initialed and signed next to #4, #5 and #6.
  
  We feel that a 27-year-old adult male in medical school understood these office policies when he consented to them in writing. If he desires other family members to make healthcare decisions for him than we recommend that he discuss a healthcare providers office polices with his parents before they decided where he can seek care.
  
  We can offer to provide a release of records so that they may choose to seek care with another providers office, of which his parents will then decide to consent to the new offices policies.  We will forward the patients medical records free of charge.  Please see attached.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/15/2024

   
  I am rejecting this response because: 

  I have stated multiple times and Im uncertain as to how to make it any clearer- **** did  not want the appt . He couldnt afford what he was offered which was to pay $385.00 for the visit. He was told he had to pay this before being seen - so yes he left the office. It has not been acknowledged on the office managers part the failed communication between ****, nor myself. Regardless how old , what they do as far as college , work ect.. does not replace the fact he wasnt informed of the fee he would need to pay when he rescheduled the appt. Otherwise , if he had been he would have not wasted his time driving to the office and what now has turned into an absolute nightmare - the appt would have been cancelled. Open communication from the office would have prevented this nastiness . 

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/12/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 11/21/23 I went to the dentist for a chipped tooth repair for $216. During the procedure ************ made the comment lets see how fast I can do this with the hygienist saying it took 7 minutes. The same day I called stating the tooth felt rough & had chipped again. On 12/1/23 ************ observed that the filling had popped out recommending a nightguard so I put a deposit down for it. ************ didnt want to fix my tooth until I paid for the nightguard. Due to upcoming headshots later that day waiting was not an option. ************ finally agreed. Additionally I paid $111.50 with the front desk questioning my insurance coverage status on 11/21/23. I was first told I was paying for another filling but I kept questioning it. I was told it was the difference for the first filling since I didnt have insurance. On 12/8/23 I arrived for the nightguard appointment questioning the need for a second payment on the filling again. Conflicting explanations were given leading to the cancellation of all of my appointments & a possible $55 cancellation fee. I requested a $650.50 refund for the nightguard but was told it would take until 12/11/23. During multiple calls the dental office provided inconsistent information about the refund status initially citing insurance & later waiting for ************. Frustrated I visited the office for an explanation leading to vague responses & varying balance amounts ranging from $32.00-$1077.75. I requested an itemized list & was denied. Mind you I was told the cancellation fee was $55 but was handed a paper that stated $32. I was told the nightguard deposit was forfeited due to the appointment cancellation while the front desk lady only mentioned the cancelation fee getting smart saying I should know their cancelation policy. I asked why wasnt this mentioned with the fee the admin lady said I dont know what to tell you but youre not getting your money back. Also no matter how many times I asked to speak with ************ he refused to talk to me.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/12/2023

  See attached response.
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/15/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have used this dentist once to have a cleaning done. After the initial cleaning, I scheduled my next cleaning for June 2nd, 2023 which was 6 months out. On 5/29/23 I received a call to confirm my appointment and was told there would be a $150 fee for the cleaning. I asked why this cleaning had a cost and was told that the dentist wanted to do a deep clean. I explained that I didnt want the additional deep cleaning and that I did not want to keep the appointment if I had to pay the $150. The rep told me that I could inform them the day of the appointment that I didnt want the additional deep cleaning. On 6/2/23 I arrived for my appointment and the same rep told me that I had no choice and that I would have to pay the $150 fee. I then explained that I did not want to go through with the appointment. She then said that I would be charged a cancellation fee. I reminded her that she told me on the phone that I could tell the dentist that I did not want the additional deep cleaning the day of my appointment. She agreed that she did say that and acknowledged that she would not charge me the cancellation fee. On 6/14/23 I received notification that I had an overdue charge for a $55 cancellation fee.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/11/2023

  Our office policy dictates that if a patient does not show up to their confirm appointment or breaks the appointment in under 48 hours fees will apply.  The former patient agreed to this office policy in writing on 2022.10.12. Please see attached documentation with associated signatures and initials.  Since the former patient refused to have the procedures conducted that were prescribed by the doctor and walked out of his reserved appointment time our office policy of a broken appointment was enforced.
  
  There are decades of scientific research and ethical standards set by our profession that all doctors must follow so as to not compromise the health of the patient.  This former patient was attempting to dictate a lower standard of care by demanding certain procedures other than what was prescribed by the doctor be performed.  This course of action was not in his best interest and would ultimately compromise his health.  Our doctor has an ethical and legal standard that must be upheld in all patient encounters.
  
  To resolve this issue we will offer a one time professional courtesy of $55.00 to fulfill his outstanding balance for a broken appointment.  In return we will no longer be responsible for this former patients care since he had changed his mind in agreeing with our office policy.  We will be happy to forward his records to *********** of his choosing.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/15/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my complaint, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Thank you. 
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/16/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I scheduled my appointment with Laurelwood Family Dentistry September 24th for crown prep, x ***************** procedure. My appointment was paid in advance at check-in. I was not pleased at all with the shape of the crown, it was too big for my mouth and the anatomy structure of the tooth was missing. I was not shown the crown before it was seated, and had told them during the fit that I did not like it. But, they fit it in anyway. On October 20th, I had reached out about adjusting my crown for a better fit because it still did not feel right. I received a text message back that they could schedule me back in for a " Post-op evaluation of the crown, and unfortunately could not guarantee same day treatment due to their schedule. "I did not reply back to this message, as I was frustrated with them at this point not being able to care for my needs and concerns as a patient. Nothing was ever confirmed for this appointment, but I received a bill in the mail for a balance due, and contacted them for an explanation. On December 28th, I received a message from them- "Sorry we missed your call please text us and we will return your call as soon as possible." I left a message and did not receive a return call. The same thing occurred on January 3rd, and still no response. On January 10th, I texted the office, "Don't understand why you couldn't return my call?"Their charge of $98.60 reflects no explanation of charges and I have reviewed my insurance statements, and all filed charges from Laurelwood Family Dentistry have been paid in full. Additionally, I made clear in my previous text messages that all further appointments were to be canceled. They continue to send a bill for $98.60 with no explanation of charges and are now making threats to turn this over to a collections agency/IRS. We have made repeated attempts to contact Laurelwood Dentistry for an explanation of these charges and have received no response other than bill statements with no description.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/22/2022

  Her balance stems from professional services rendered on the dates of service of 2021.09.24, 2021.09.27, and her broken appointment fee on 2022.04.04 for not showing up to her reserved appointment with our Registered Dental Hygienist.

  
  In reviewing our patient communication software, we found that she received our automated text messages after her attempted phone calls because she tried to reach us while our office was closed for patient care during the Holiday season. We have also attempted to communicate with the patient over text messages, email, and voicemails, but her voicemail then filled so we were unable to leave any future messages. We never received a reply in Oct. 2021 or January 2022.  We could have spoken with her had she called during normal office hours, but she has since not responded to multiple mediums of communication.

  
  To resolve this patients concerns, we will give her a professional courtesy for her charges. In return we will mail her a medical release of records and she may choose to seek care in any other office of her choosing.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/24/2022

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************