Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  09/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Started with this business Feb. 9, 2023. Requested upper Denture with the six front teeth porcelain As that is what i've had all my life and i'm used to. Paid three hundred dollars cash extra for those. My insurance would cover the other. It was verified and approved before I even started. The insurance paid $1001. For the denture and a filling in a molar was a hundred dollars. $896 for the denture and $300 cash out of my pocket for the 6 front teeth. At the impression I believe the tray was too big. I have a small mouth. I was not fitted properly By the technician that did it. The dentist took two wax try-ins. The first when the teeth were falling out on the floor and I picked them up and handed them back to him. He states we will do a second try. In the second try and the molars were falling out on the floor he stated later that those were all the porcelain teeth that were actually in my denture now. I could not be a 100% accurate of the fit. Because of this, the left side felt off from the very beginning. I tried to explain that, but he was in a big hurry and didn't seem to listen. He states, we'll go ahead and fabricate them, and we can tell more about it. At the next appointment, the denture waa put in my mouth. They were extremely big and hard to get in and. He states, they made them all porcelain. I asked why he states sometimes the lab people just do that. That is not what I requested. I asked if that was going to be damaging to my natural teeth on the bottom, and he said no. They left occulsal slant was off. He agreed with that, he said. He did an adjustment on the base itself. Later at next appointment he asked how it qas and I state not right yet.He made more adjustmwnts on this throughout my sessions to no avail. He stated he cannot adjust the Portland teeth. We'll have to adjust your natural teeth to make it fit. They took me into another office away from the main one where other people were at. And he and his assistant *** were in there, and they shaved my natural teeth off. To make the denture fit right, and it still did not fit right. The midline was off. I brought that to his attention. A millimeter at least he disagreed. The teeth on the left all slanted to the middle. And it's plain to see by looking at me that the midline is off. It needs to go to the right. I'd have 2nd opinions from dentist. And they agreed its off and they state that that is true and the left side is not correct. He states he shaved the underside of the denture teeth on the left to compensate For my maxillary bone dropping down further on this side. He states he shortened the teeth from the inside on left. I've never in my entire life been informed of that issue by a dentist. When he shaved off my natural teeth now my old denture that I wore there will not fit. I can put it in my mouth. It falls down and the bite is completely distorted and dysfunctional. So I have no other denture to fall back on. He destroyed my personal property. This went on till Aug. 2, 2023. At that point, he told me he could not remake my denture. After I requested it be corrected. I contacted the management midway on this about the porcelain and she states that Yes, I only requested the 6 front teeth porcelain a d is documented And that's what the payment was for. He told me in no uncertain terms twice That no I did not request just the front 6 I requested all of them. That's a false statement. He said he would take the denture if I dropped it off. He would pop out the porcelain mollars and replace them with a acrylic. But it still not would align the front teeth. And he could not remake them or fixed them as the front teeth would probably break if they tried to remove fhem. I was skeptical at that point about having any further work done with him. I had requested the 3 teeth on the bottom to be fixed. And he was going to do crowns. They requested a pre approval from the Insurance Company. And it never came through (untill the day before he was to do the work and I was afraid if he did not get the bite and teeth right on the denture the bottom crowns would not fit correctly.) because of an ID number that was supposedly wrong When they issued a new card at the first of the year, I did not know that- I was not aware of that id number changed So I couldn't correct that until later. One insurance lady ***** claimed a pre treatment authorization was not needed and I called my Insurance Company and they state Yes, a pre-authorization is needed. And they called and left a message for her. She called back and stated on a phone message to me that it was all taken care of she redid the preauthorizations after stating before they were not necessary Which was not true. I requested to ******* ******* several times to remake denture and he never acknowledged that there was a mistake made and he had never acknowledged that he would correct it. So the only thing he did was offer refund but I requested my records and they had been falsified when I received and examined claiming that I had adjusted he suspected my denture myself 3 days after I got it home from his office April the 26th. And that is not true. And also stated he would have to inspect the denture before he would issue a refund to the insurance company And for my money that I had paid cash up front. I'm a senior adult living on social security disability. This has used my benefit for my denture. I cannot return this denture because I have no other denture to wear. Now since he destroyed my old denture. I try to use these to be able to eat. I'm very ashamed of the way they look but I have to have something to eat with and I bite my tongue and lip when i'm trying to chew because the bite is off. I don't wish to continue with that dentist. I was told by ***** (another insurance clerk) before I set up the request of service that if he needed help there were other dentists there that would assist him. That was never offered. A service was paid for but there was not a satisfactory goal reached.

  Business response

  10/18/2023

  We have received a copy of the complaint that **** ******** has placed against our office. Ms. ******** has reported that we falsified her records, this is not true, she merely disagrees with the doctors assessment in the notes. Ms. ******** has been offered several times to have a refund for the denture that was made in our office, if she returns the denture. She has refused to do this. She refused to accept a certified letter, that explained all of this in detail.

  At this time, we would just prefer for her to seek treatment at a different office that may be able to help her achieve the look she is wanting. Again, we have several offers to refund her portion and to refund the insurance company their portion, so that she can go to a different dentist and have her insurance pay that office and dentist. 

  Customer response

  10/23/2023

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** ********

  Customer response

  10/23/2023

  Fact #1 filed my natural teeth down where my personal denture I came into their office wearing does not fit now. Not in my records!

   Fact#2 The bite is not correct.

  Fact #3 The look I am wanting achieved is the look that is natural and in porpotion to my face- & midline being off throws everything out of balance.

   Refund will not recoup the 7 months I spent doing as I was instructed to comply with this dentist. I will gladly give this denture back when I can afford to have a correct one made. Meantime i am not going without a denture even thou it doesnt fit and is dysfunctional due to no control of my own. 

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