It took a lot for me to share this, but I need to. Dr. Arpit Patel at Delaware Smiles Design made an already painful experience worse. I had composite bonding on my peg laterals done years ago at another office. After moving back to Delaware, I felt pressure from my #7 tooth and booked with Dr. Patel. He suggested removing the bonding, which I agreed to, hoping for relief.
Over multiple appointments, I had a cleaning, X-rays, and an Invisalign scan, even though he said I didn't need braces. I tried to communicate where I felt the jamming under the gum line and asked him to feel the area with a gloved hand. Though he agreed something was there, I could tell my attempts to advocate for myself made them uncomfortable. I apologized, even cried, just trying to be heard. When he brought out a model set of teeth, I thought I could show him, but he said, "Yeah, because I wasn't about to keep putting my fingers in your mouth," and the hygienist laughed. I felt humiliated. I stayed respectful, overly kind, because I know how Black women are often perceived. I had no reason to apologize for being in pain, but I did, just to be taken seriously.
Once we agreed to remove the bonding, I thought it would be done that day. Instead, I was told we were out of time and to reschedule. Another visit, another co-pay. At the front desk, the receptionist ignored me while making calls. I left feeling humiliated. When I followed up to schedule, they acted like I was a bother. Once the bonding was finally removed, the issue remained.
I tried to follow up with Dr. Patel again, but they kept brushing me off. The discomfort started affecting my sinuses, causing a fizzing feeling and headaches. I decided to see a periodontist. I called Delaware Smiles Design to request my X-rays and let them know I was moving forward with a new provider. Tia said Dr. Patel had noted that I should be referred to a periodontist if issues continued.
When I arrived at the new office, the Office Manager told me Dr. Patel didn't just send X-rays, he sent a separate document with a personal paragraph about me. In it, Dr. Patel wrote that I was difficult, rude to staff, and even considered dismissing me from his practice, though he never did. He never expressed any of this to me directly. I was overly kind and patient, yet this is what he chose to do behind the scenes. I was reduced to a stereotype just for asking questions and expressing pain.
It was a slap in the face. I remember the hygienist falling asleep during my visit, the receptionist ignoring me, and the phone going unanswered unless I called from my work number. They wrote me off from the start. Apparently, me not silently going with the flow was too much. I stopped calling and found help on my own.
For Dr. Patel to take the time to send such a harmful message to my new provider was cruel. Even the new Office Manager said this wasn't the first time he's done that. I'll never understand. I feed the homeless, uplift my community, and was simply trying to get relief. I gave grace and patience, yet I was mistreated and further slandered. As a dark-skinned Black woman, I know what it's like to be dismissed for advocating for myself.
You would be shocked what some providers say about you in your records. I'm glad I know now. He would have smiled in my face this week thinking I never saw what he said about me. This whole experience was deeply dehumanizing. I requested a copy of what was sent to my new provider, and Tia only sent the X-rays, not the paragraph from Dr. Patel. Interesting.
Dr. Patel's smile doesn't match his handshake. I still wish him well in life. I am thankful to have found a new dentist who cares. I've let Delaware Smiles Design know I've decided to leave their practice and won't be attending any cleaning this week. This review is not to slander him, but to share my experience, yours may be different and I truly hope it is. God bless. Choose kindness. read more
