Tayler
1/5
Please do not go here unless you want to be billed for horrible customer service & unnecessary treatment months after you've paid your bill at every visit
Where to begin, I actually CRIED in the chair from frustration at the poor communication and customer service I received at this office.
I originally went here for an emergency abscessed tooth, and had a root canal done. I was grateful to be squeezed in, and since the office is much closer than my usual dentist, I figured I'd stay on.
For the prior year at minimum with my usual dentist, I had been told I had no cavities, clean teeth, and just needed to use fluoride. Suddenly, Dr Raffi at Holden dental was finding many things wrong with my teeth when I never had issues before. I thought maybe my prior dentist had not been thorough.
Dr Raffi said I needed a filling on one of my front teeth. That day, while 'waiting for me to get numb' I listened as the doctor literally went and completed another appointment from start to finish, over a half hour. He said they were understaffed when he came in and I was visibly anxious. I also noted that I could still feel sensitivity during the filling and he told me he was almost done and kept working. It doesn't matter how much longer, I am in pain!
Later I noticed it was painful brushing on that tooth. I called the office and spoke with Barbara and said I had sensitivity on the tooth. She replied with "Okay?". I said I wasn't sure if I needed to come in. To which she said "Well yeah" in a very condescending tone. I am not the expert, you are. Dr. Raffi said I needed a root canal on that tooth. I had it done by the root canal specialist who said this would be done in one visit and I wouldn't need a crown. Dr. Raffi told me I'd be coming back for a filling the following day. The front office told me this next visit would cost me $26 and I repeat.$26 dollars.
I come back that next day and it turns out I had been confused, this appointment was for the second half of the root canal that I was told would be one appointment. Not only that, but what I was quoted would be $26 would now cost me TWELVE HUNDRED DOLLARS because my insurance maxed out and I need a crown now. From $26 to $1200. But if I wanted to wait until January it would be "only" $700. This is where I broke down and cried.
After speaking with the manager they said I could come back the next day and do a filling instead of a crown at no charge and I have always paid my bills upfront at each visit.
Cue December, I get a bill from the office for $300!! And then Barbara calls me on a Saturday to threaten me that if I don't pay I will be sent to collections or this gets reported to the IRS as a 1099? (Not sure what that even means) I asked how could a practice not run the insurance to make sure they will get paid. She said that running my insurance before doing the service is fraud and that they check coverage as a courtesy to patients. They must be running something if they knew I maxed out. And she referred to a document I signed that I'd cover what insurance does not. I have no problem doing this when I am INFORMED at the time of service. If I knew the costs of these services I would not have done them.
I'm not a big conspiracy theorist , but when I went back to my regular dentist they were surprised Dr Raffi found so much wrong, and again found no cavities and said I have very clean teeth. They also said that crowns are NOT necessary on the front teeth, something Holden dental was pushing on me. So I can't help but feel scammed all around.
Avoid at all costs
