New to Norwalk, I set up an appointment with Dr. Felder for a dental cleaning. I was excited to…read moresupport a local dentist with a small practice. In the end, unfortunately, I felt misled and taken advantage of. I think it's important others understand my experience as part of making an educated decision.
I care a lot about oral health. I am a committed brusher and flosser; I wear my post-braces retainer every night; I clean my tongue and attend to plaque. I've seldom had a cavity. I've never needed a significant dental procedure. I've received consistently high praise and clean bills of oral health from my home dentist, whom I had been visiting [fairly] consistently for over 20 years.
When I first saw Dr. Felder, the story quickly changed. She told me that in the eight months since my prior cleaning, I had developed dangerously inflamed "gum pockets" that needed a "deep clean" -- to the tune of $1200! She warned me using scary words like "bone loss" and "bacterial infection." I will reiterate: I've seldom needed more than a standard dental cleaning, in my whole life. So this all came as a huge, upsetting surprise.
Speaking of which, she SHOWED me with her fancy dental camera [I was impressed with the technology and cleanliness of the practice] an area behind my top front teeth that I know to be stained, most likely due to the chemical composition of my saliva and my tea drinking. I had been talking to my home dentist about this for years. Dr. Felder claimed, however that it was evidence of an infection. When I told her I knew it to be a stain and started listing some of the factors that may have led to it, she hedged, changing the subject. This was my first clue that we were not building trust. An expert should not leverage a patient's lack of knowledge to misrepresent a dental scan or image that requires years of training to correctly interpret, anyway.
Dr. Felder also told me that I have a cavity on one of my wisdom teeth that needed a composite ($250). My home dentist had described this as a possible area of concern in "10-20 years," not as a current cavity. So, all in all, I was a bit surprised and wanted a second opinion.
Dr. Felder's dental technicians took xrays and did not proceed with a cleaning, as I had expected. (And paid for, as I understood.) I was charged $200 for the visit anyway.
Then began the period of time that solidified my feelings about the practice. After leaving, I decided to get a second opinion and so I called the office staff person, Gabrielle/Gabriela (sorry, I cannot remember specifically her name). I asked for a copy of my xrays, which are legally my property. She told me I could fill out a form and receive them in four or five business days. I immediately completed the paperwork
It took three weeks for them to issue my scans.
Needless to say, that is completely inappropriate. I cannot comment on whether it is illegal or criminal to withhold medical records for a patient seeking treatment/ a second opinion, but it is certainly unethical. That's when they instantly lost me as a patient. I am still considering reporting Dr. Felder to the Connecticut Dental Commission.
Dr. Felder's office is actually closed more often than it is open (!), which may explain the delay in part. But it cannot justify three weeks to send an email.
Mom said it long ago: if a doctor doesn't want you to get a second opinion, it's not a good sign.
To be thorough, I did receive that second opinion from a trusted local dentist who is a member of my congregation. After taking a lot of time to examine and discuss my situation thoroughly, confirmed that my oral health is sound, and sent me out with a cleaning and an electric toothbrush. Total cost: $130.
I also consulted with a friend who is also a dentist to confirm I was going down the right path. All three of these other dentists: my new congregational dentist, my home dentist, and my friend, all confirmed that I had been treated poorly and that my dental health essentially sound.
Now, to be fair, there is some ambiguity here. The 'cavity' diagnosis could have been merely a conservative one. My other dentist referred to it instead as an 'incipient' area -- that is, one that is likely to one day become a cavity, but not yet a cavity. I can understand professionals might reasonably disagree. But when combined with the unnecessary $1200 "deep clean" Dr. Felder recommended, it made the medical advice feel profit-driven, not needs-driven.
Perhaps others have had positive experiences with Dr. Felder. I wish I had, too.
