Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  07/12/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  MARINA SMILES DENTAL GROUP RENDERED SERVICES I DID NOT AUTHORIZE. I WAS NOT TOLD THAT THEY WERE GIVING ME A DNA TEST NOR WAS I TOLD THAT THEY WERE ADMINISTERING A LASER TREATMENT. I WAS ****ED $65 FOR A LASER TREATMENT I DID NOT AUTHORIZE OR CONSENT TO. I WAS ****ED $139 FOR A DNA TEST THAT I DID NOT AUTHORIZE AND I WAS NOT TOLD THEY DID IT. WHEN I QUESTIONED THE RECEPTIONIST ABOUT THE **** AND WHEN I TOLD THEM I DID NOT AUTHORIZE THIS TREATMENT, I WAS TOLD THEY HAD ALREADY ADMINISTERED THEM AND I HAD TO PAY A TOTAL OF $204. THEY WERE CONSTANTLY TRYING UPSELL UNNECESSARY TREATMENTS. If you Read the pages of terrible Yelp reviews over the last years. Most have the same issues in common. I went in for a simple exam with a concern about my bleeding gums (I was there for 4 hours). Everyone seemed nice enough at first. I had a deep cleaning completed and was quoted for several other procedures that needed to done urgently. I was told I needed to take out a line of credit for over ****** dollars to cover these unnecessary procedures. I refused to give them my SS # to run the credit authorization and that is when they, unbeknownst to me ran the dna test and gave me a laser treatment without telling me, after having my teeth cleaned. the teeth cleaning and xrays were covered by insurance - no out of pocket expense for me, but they still managed to up charge me in a deceitful way and refused to refund my money when I questioned the charges and told them I did not authorize the dna test or laser treatment.

  Business response

  07/12/2023

  Hello Better Business Bureau,

  This is in response to your correspondence dated July 12, 2023 addressed to Marina Smiles Dentistry.  
  
  We do not have a HIPAA authorization authorizing anyone to speak to you regarding **************************  Pursuant to the **************** Portability and Accountability Act of ****, no specifics regarding ************** may be provided to you at this time.  However, if you will have ************** sign and return an appropriately executed HIPAA authorization, Marina Smiles Dentistry and its affiliated practitioners would be happy to engage with you regarding this matter.
  
  Thank you,

• Initial Complaint

  12/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I made an appointment for an EXTRACTION only. Prior to the appointment I made it clear to the office manager **** that I DID NOT WANT DENTAL IMPLANTS. When I made an appointment I made it clear again that I only wanted an extraction and NO implants. I have a witness. I was in my friend's apartment when I made the appointment because I needed to consult with her on the days she was available to watch my puppy while I was having my tooth removed. This office requires 48 hour confirmation to avoid a $100 fee. I confirmed 48 hours in advance for an Extraction ONLY. More than 24 hours before the procedure I called asking for price estimate so I could transfer cash from savings to checking. I was expecting the price to be around $500 and was shocked to hear estimate was approx $1300. I asked why and they said the price covered extraction and none graft. I told **** the office manager and owner of practice that I had explicitly refused implants on at least 2 occasions and refuse to pay cancellation fee. I told them they should have told me they had scheduled me for implants when they called for 48 hour confirmation since I had multiple times told them I only wanted extraction. Since refusing to pay $100 cancellation fee I have received one letter and one email notification that I owed them $100. In response, I have told them I owe them nothing and they should never have scheduled me for something that I DID NOT WANT. As background they said my tooth was so infected, I needed to have bone graft immediately after extraction. I went to another office to get the extraction for $350. The reputable dentist told me he WOULD NOT HAVE DONE ANYTHING immediately after extraction because area was so inflamed it needed to heal before any other procedure could be done. Not only did they want to charge me for something I explicitly refused, they also wanted to commit dental malpractice. I can send the 2 emails I sent to this office explaining why I REFUSE to pay $100.

  Business response

  01/25/2023

  Consumer Response /* (-5, 5, 2022/12/21) */ I went to my new dentist today for a check up and was told I needed a deep cleaning. I explained to them I already had a deep cleaning with Marina Smiles in September and paid $480 out of pocket. New dentist said I definitely still had plaque and calcification and still needed deep cleaning. With new insurance, I paid $120 out of pocket today. This is just another instance of this Marina Smiles and their questionable practices. I have filed a complaint with Citibank. Consumer Response /* (-5, 6, 2022/12/21) */ One last thing... the owner of Marina Smiles said I had a cavity that needed addressing and she would be careful with it so as to avoid another procedure. New dentist said I had no cavity- only thinning of a wall of a tooth that could be addressed later. No surprise Marina Smiles Dental was trying to charge me for something where there was no problem. I would be happy to submit records of new practice to substantiate my assertions. Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2023/01/06) */ December 23, 2022 VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL: ************************** BBB ********************************************************** RE: ********* CASE NO: ******* Dear Ms. ******* When a patient is scheduled with a specialist at Marina Smiles Dentistry it is our policy to charge patients a $100.00 cancellation fee if the patient cancels their appointment within 48 hours of that appointment. ******* canceled her appointment for October 25, 2022, on October 24, 2022, within the 48-hour cancelation window. Accordingly, ******* was charged a cancelation fee. That said, we have written off this fee for ******* and there will be no further communication with her about the issue. Respectfully, Marina Smiles Dentistry Consumer Response /* (3000, 12, 2023/01/12) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) When I filed this complaint with BBB, my grievance was for the $100 cancellation fee for TREATMENT THAT I DID NOT WANT. Since filing this dispute, I learned that I paid $480 out of pocket for deep cleaning at Marina Smiles. Because I was so mistrustful of this dental practice, I went elsewhere and was told my mouth showed no evidence that a deep cleaning had been done and I was charged an additional $120 at the new office for an actual deep cleaning. I would like to keep this case open pending the complaint I filed with MetLife and Citibank. The bill from the new dental office will be updated shortly. Consumer Response /* (-5, 13, 2023/01/12) */ Marina Smiles was NOT magnanimous about cancelling their pursuit of $100 fee. They Should NOT have scheduled me for procedures that I REFUSED and they should have told me they scheduled me for the UNWANTED bone graft procedure when they called me to confirm. Business Response /* (4000, 15, 2023/01/23) */ January 23, 2023 VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL: ************************** BBB ********************************************************** RE: ********* CASE NO: ******* Dear Ms. ******* As previously stated in our response on December 23, 2022, we have written off this fee for ******* and there will be no further communication with her about the issue. Respectfully, Marina Smiles Dentistry

• Initial Complaint

  10/26/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 10/26/2022 I went to a dental appointment at Marina Smiles Dentistry. I have had routine cleaning done here before. Today, they decided that they would price gouge me for unnecessary "deep cleaning" procedures which would cost me well over $400 out of pocket. When I refused the expensive treatments, they outright refused to give me a basic cleaning as covered under my insurance. I explained to the dentist that I was there for a regular cleaning, however they were firm in ONLY offering a cleaning if I would pay their fees out of pocket (not covered by insurance). This is a disgusting business practice that left me without any dental care whatsoever.

  Business response

  12/13/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 13, 2022/12/01) */ I would be happy to assist you. May I please have the name and address of the treating office as well as the patient name and a copy of the original request? Thank you

*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. ↩