Not My Cup of Tee(th)
I went to this office because of the numerous good reviews and because they were in my insurance network - always a plus to use as much of your benefits as possible. Unfortunately, after two visits, I returned to my out-of-network dentist for two reasons: #1 I felt "pressured" at this office to do more (aka spend more) than I desired and #2 The approach used here did not fit with my desire for efficiency.
On my first visit, I was told that I needed to consider a panoramic X-ray, but that, because insurance limited this to once every five years and I was within that timeframe, that I would be on the hook for a chunk of the cost. I asked if I could "think about it" and the response was "of course ... totally up to you." But less than 10 minutes later I was asked "OK ... what's your decision on the panoramic X-ray. I can't treat you without it." So, while I was told it was "up to me," I wasn't going to receive treatment if I didn't do it. Thus, the feeling of being pressured.
In addition, he proceeded to photograph each tooth and then go through them one, by one, by one, by one, by one - you get the picture. While some might like this approach, I don't really want to spend 120 minutes (yes - they told me to schedule a two-hour appointment for the initial visit) to be told about each tooth. For me, I would prefer a more efficient process of depending on the dentist's expertise to point out where there are issues, taking far less time from my day.
To be fair, I did not feel Dr. Patel was not capable (from what I could tell) - but I did feel pressured and did not care for their approach ... enough to go back to an out-of-network provider. read more
