great orthodontist, and dental work. everyone here is so kind and the office is very clean and…read morewelcoming! especially love the front desk women, she's a sweetheart.

"Another update?" you ask. I believe that past experiences- good and bad- bear reporting…read more We had an appointment at GB last spring of 2019. We checked in. Other patients began to quickly arrive after us, as the schoolday was over. I noticed that kids that had arrived after us were being called in before us. After forty minutes had passed, I asked at the front desk what had happened. I was told that a child- that had arrived after us- was a very nervous patient and had to have an exam room all by herself. (And here I was thinking that maybe they had not called us in yet because they tried to keep my autistic daughter in a separate, quiet room.) After another twenty minutes, they finally called us in. OK...so why wasn't that nervous child set up for the last appointment of the day? And why were all the other kids that arrived after us given the go ahead, some even after the nervous child entered her exam room? Because according to Placement-Around-Nervous-Child Law, no patient should have been called after a nervous one enters an exam room. My autistic child has trouble with waiting rooms. After a long wait, she lays on the couch, attracting stares. No admonishments budge her. I should have announced that she was nervous, and asked for a waiting room all for herself. One good thing came out of our dis. Later that early evening, we arrived at an intersection where a man had just overdosed. We were able to help save him. I will never forget our Great Beginnings balloon lifting softly into the perfect sky, free and innocent. It all left me breathless. This past fall, the new dentist that checked out my daughter's teeth asked if she had had braces. My daughter replied that she had. The dentist stated that her retainer had to be worn all the time.* If only she knew! When my younger daughter was in elementary school, she participated in "Girls on the Run" during her last three years there. GOTR is a running program that empowers girls and enriches their lives. I had noticed that Great Beginnings had a team. Last spring of 2019, GB sponsored the race. That is fantastic, but I was a bit taken aback by the title of the race: "The Great Beginnings & Great Smiles Girls on the Run of WNC 5K". It used to be titled: "Girls on the Run of WNC (Spring/Winter) 5K". I guess people get over it when they get the free coffee before the race. Curious about whether or not GB has a current GOTR team, I went to the GB website. I noticed that GB offers scholarships to seniors in high school. Part of the application process requires the student to "...provide a list of your involvement in community and church activities...". Translation: Christians only. On another dark note, GB supports Eblen Charities. The director of Eblen, Bill Murdock, retired last spring due to him being "charged with a felony sex crime in 1988."** The current Eblen board stated: "We continue to stand in support of Bill Murdock." Translation: "We do not care that a minor was impacted negatively by a criminal. We do not care about the young women in our own lives who may one day be hurt in the same way." Look, I have no hard feelings towards GB. But all this stuff is too much. *My daughter wore her retainer daily for mostly a full year. Sometimes she skipped a day. She sometimes wears her retainer at night now. Even with wearing her retainer during the day for that past time, her teeth have moved at an alarming rate. They sometimes appear almost as they did pre-braces. I cannot imagine what other kids' teeth look like if they did not wear their retainer during the day. (See my previous update.) **CNN article, Fantz and Kestin.

Beware!!! After paying over $2000 for braces (which is my…read morepart in full) Great Smiles failed to file insurance correctly and is now billing me an extra $600. This is wrong on too many levels. There are other Orthodontics with better billing practices. I will be filing a complaint with the Insurance Commissioner.

Sorta chronological update:…read more We assumed that our dental insurance did not cover braces. We later found out that it partially did. We had to remind GS twice to submit info so that we could be reimbursed. When my husband called to cancel an appointment due to school exams, the receptionist was rude. He told her that appointments should be made after the exams, as most of GS' patients are students. I had called GS and left a message cancelling that appointment, but no one called back. GS has certain orthos on site during certain days, which limits availability. I called GS because my daughter could not wear her retainer because it was causing her pain. The nearest appointment was a week and a half away. That is a long time to be retainer-free. I was switched to Dr. Stephanie when Dr. Irvine retired. I was not given a choice. She was a new ortho and needed patients. My daughter's treatment was then delayed. I think that they were trying to stagger the patients. I believe that we were overcharged by at least $1,516.00. We paid $6,430.00 without insurance. We live in a rural area. My teen wore her metal braces for two years. We did not inquire about insurance until the very end. The average cost of braces is $5,000.00 to $6,000.00.* GS does not give discounts. However, some orthodontists do so as a courtesy. If your child has autism, I would mention to the financing planner that the condition of autism burdens caretakers with increased medical expenses.** Late fees are twenty bucks. We paid bigger sums at times; we figured that we could pay cash when we were at the office. Ten is fair. But twenty? When I finally noticed that fee, my husband lost it. They whipped out the contract. He got reimbursed for all of the late fees when he paid for the remainder of the bill right there. I know that GS has to pay their people. Situational stress affected much of our lives and tasks got pushed aside for us to survive mentally. Close to the time of her braces removal, my daughter was not wearing her bands. Autism and braces are an awkward fit. I told the receptionist; she told me to come in anyway. Dr. Steph wanted to take my daughter's braces off early. She said that the space between my daughter's teeth was the width of the depth of a piece of paper. Via phone, I refused the removal of the braces. I wanted my money's worth. Dr. Steph was very frustrated. Oddly, we did not meet Dr. Steph until the day the braces were removed. My husband met her on the immediately above mentioned day, and then I met her on the day the braces were removed- and that was only because I had questions. I would not have even met her if I did not have to confer with her. I asked my daughter after every visit if she saw a doctor, and not just an assistant. The second the braces came off, my daughter noted that Dr. Irvine had noted a possible future frenectomy. I had forgotten that fact, and so had GS. I asked to speak with Dr. Steph. Both she and her assistant said that a frenectomy is done before braces; my kid would be monitored and assessed for one a couple months later. I researched, and it seemed like the opposite was true- that a frenectomy is done after braces. When we returned in August 2018, I had to ask about the frenectomy, and the assistant got aggressive. She said that her notes said that my kid's mouth would be monitored. I was under the impression that Dr. Steph would see us at that visit and address the problem further. We left, with me wondering why I had to ask so many questions. A frenectomy is $300.00. I am wondering if it was included in the braces fee we paid, as the retired Dr. Irvine included it is his treatment outline notes that were mailed to us. The frenectomy was never further addressed. My kid was expecting a "braces off" gift. When she was getting her braces on, a boy getting his braces off got a Dick's gift card. Girls could get a Sephora one. You know what she got? A hammock that they were handing out to anyone that stopped by GS. We had to pay thousands for that hammock, but potential patients got it for free. At the front desk, you can win a gift card by filling out a survey. Let me know if you win my daughter's gift card. The worst part is that an assistant told my daughter to wear her retainer for only a month during the day after the braces came off. This seemed weird to me, as I had to wear my retainer for a year and a half during the day. A Refinery29 article states that you should wear a retainer for at least a year during the day. I emailed GS about that. No one responded. The new GB dentist has no idea about GS' retainer policy. Last spring, she told my kid to wear hers. GS is doing so well that the hours have shortened. I felt like a number with a dollar sign there. *ValuePenguin, Fall 2018. **National and state Medicaid sites.

What a great group!!! We were in the area from out of town and had an issue with a bracket hurting…read moremy daughter. The entire staff was fantastic...from the front desk staff, the assistants, to Dr. McInnis!!! Thank you so much for getting us in on short notice, fixing my daughters bracket, and checking everything over!! Everyone was so nice and helpful!!! We really appreciated your help!!

Dr. McGinnis and his wonderful staff provided me with the very best possible care throughout my…read moreorthodontic treatment. It's very helpful that he has both a Clemson and Seneca office and I spent most of my time in the Seneca office, closer to my home. My treatment was top-notch and I am thrilled with my results! Their amazing staff is what makes this office deserve 10 stars!

The doctor is so very sweet and patient! She seems to care about every patient. The staff is just…read morethe same and they do all they can to help you have a great experience!!

Dr. Albea is absolutely fantastic. She really pays attention to what you say to her. My first…read moreconsultation was conducted very professionally and caringly. Dr. Albea told me what my options were and explained them to me. She took her time. The rest of my care has been wonderful. Dr. Albea does everything she can to make you feel at home. Her office is immaculate. Her staff are friendly and professional. I feel like I am sort of like a member of the family. Dr. Albea worked with me in getting the insurance filed and setting up payments. I would wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Albea and her whole staff to anyone. If you want someone who will talk you through each step and do her best to make sure everything is going well, this is the place for you.

Wow!!! Found my dentist up here in our beautiful mountains. If you are looking for a great dentist,…read moreDr. Jason Shook is your guy. He and his staff are absolutely the best! My back tooth broke from the only tooth that had a crown above it. That crown created so many problems for me. (Reset by another dental office in murphy and they left it high) Dr. Shook and his staff helped me right away. Made a temporary for my broken tooth and 3 weeks later my new crown feels like it's been there forever. Thank you so very much for your awesome care and work on my teeth. Blessings ~ Maralyn Coscia

I visited Dr. Shook's office today for the first time. They took a complete set of x-rays,…read moreassessed my teeth and gum conditions and looked for evidence of mouth cancer, as well as cleaning my teeth. I can say that this was the most thorough cleaning I have ever had and I also spent more time with Dr. Shook during my visit than I have ever experienced with my previous dentists. He was so thorough in my examination. I am SO impressed. The only negative is that you have to book general appointments 6+ months in advance. It was worth the wait. I highly recommend his practice.

TS Orthodonics is the best! Always great patient care, friendly, and welcoming. They make things…read moresimple and calm. If you go with TS Ortho, Dr. Scanlan and his team are committed to your results and experience the entire journey. 11/10 reccomend!

We live in CA and had just started a two week vacation in NC when our son had a piece of his…read moreorthodontia come off. Our friend's kids see Dr. Scanlan, so she called to see if he could help us out. He gladly did so, the next day, and we were able to enjoy the remainder of our vacation. We are really grateful to have found such a generous and helpful orthodontist away from home!

I am so impressed by this amazing group of people my daughter has braces and they put them on and…read moreshe's only 11 and I thought for sure she would be so mad but she wasn't they kept her calm and got them on her and talked to her and just took such great care of her she loves going to see them and they do so good job and they look great they got her interested in the coolers they put on them she loves going to get new colors as crazy as it sounds she's in no hurry to get them took off you guys rock thank you

From the owner: Blue Ridge Orthodontics provides specialty orthodontic care to children and adults.read more