I have been to numerous dental offices in Sacramento, and this was the worst experience I have ever…read morehad! It was a pleasant experience in the beginning.
I have a very hectic schedule, and this was the only office that could get me in on the day after New Year's Day in which I had off. I told them I was a cash patient, and Courtney informed me I would receive 20% off for paying cash. After the discount I paid $300 for 1 filling. I figured Carl Herrera has had a practice for a while; I will take the chance with him and pay the $300 for my filling. I was never instructed on how to care for the filling, bizarre right. I was told if the sensitivity did not get better in 3-4 weeks to give them a call, and if I felt throbbing that I would need a root canal which was $1100. My teeth fit together like gears and once he was done with my filling and the numbness went away I could feel that my tooth was flat... None of my teeth are flat, but I am not a dental hygienist I figured they knew something I did not know. I give the office a call about 3 weeks later, no answer, no call back. I call again a few days later leave another message, and Carl Herrera calls me back. He makes the situation seem urgent and gets me in right away, that made me feel as if he cared. Due to the fact he works at another dental office, this office is closed Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. So he said he would open the office for me on Tuesday to see what is going on. When I get there he takes an x-ray, and explains that if there is any darkness above the tooth that will indicate a bigger issue. X-ray is done and there is no darkness, the tooth is good. He proceeds to make me bite down on a piece of paper, looks at the tooth and says "oh yeah, that is hitting funky". So he gets a machine and begins to file down the filling. After all of that he explains to me that the discomfort I have been filling is because I have been biting down on this "incorrectly filled" tooth, pushing it back up into my jaw which was damaging and bruising all of the nerves in there. It would take about 4 days for that to heal and after 4 days if the discomfort was still there to give them a call. 4 days later I receiver a bill in the mail for $90, and I didn't understand how I could be being charged for the filling being installed incorrectly. Even though the discomfort had gotten way better it was still there. I gave the office a call, and they were able to get me in that day if I could leave work early and get there by 5. When I get there they asking me am I feeling throbbing which will indicate you need a root canal, once again I say no it is just not hitting right. I tell him exactly where it is hitting he makes me bite the paper again and begins shaving the exact spot I told him. This time he also shaves some off of my bottom teeth... those teeth had nothing to do with the incorrect filling you filled. Once that was done I sat up and asked Carl Herrera and his assistant was there something I was doing to make this keep happening, and they both said NO absolutely not at the same time. That confirmed that they knew what they did to my tooth from the beginning was incorrect. As we walked to the front I pulled out the bill I received and asked Carl Herrera what the $90 was for and he looked at it confused then go on the receptionist computer looking for records... I don't know. Then says to me "oh, this is a mistake I will have Courtney fix it when she returns." Clearly he thought he would get an extra $90 out of me for his lack of skill. When I let my tooth almost normal, but I could still feel a slight touch. I thought I could feel that because it was bruised and need to heal again... During the day my tooth was and is fine it is only at night when I sleep on my right side do I feel the same discomfort
I have been feeling. Today finally get ahold of someone in the office after calling 5 times over the past 2 weeks, and I get the assistant and the receptionist. I tell them I'd much rather discuss the issue with Carl Herrera so he can help me figure out when he could do the remainder of the adjustment on this feeling. He calls me back and says that I need to go see a root canal specialist to get a second opinion. I expressed to him that I am not having root canal symptoms, and continues to talk over me. I finally say I am the patient and I am telling YOU what is wrong with MY tooth. He says not my problem! I have enough time on my hands to fight for what is right, so I will proceed with taking legal action against Carl Herreras practice. If you provide a service for people, and you mess up you should correct your mistakes at any cost. Since you did not, I will receive a refund of my money spent the legal way.
