My hygienist Shannon is very knowledgeable. Happy with the cleanliness of practice and the very modern equipment. Dr. Joel was a life-saver to my husband who had a cracked tooth, was misdiagnosed by Dr. Haley and suffered for 3 months from several cleanings for "deep pockets". Dr. Joel squeezed my husband in, removed tooth, and prescribed meds for infection. I also had x-rays from Dr. Haley who missed a large cavity that necessitated Dr. Joel putting in a crown. I have no problems with Dr. Joel and his staff are very good. read more

My hygienist, Angie, is excellent. She is knowledgeable and very efficient. The receptionist acknowledges you by name and they accept my insurance, which is a big plus. Dr. Rutledge is very personable and has does some minor surgeries for me that have been excellent! read more

Dr. Rutledge put temporary crowns on my 2 front upper teeth today. These teeth are almost 1/8" longer than the rest of my upper teeth. Obviously, it is not very attractive. I plan on going back to the office tomorrow so that the permanent crowns can be modified. Needless to say, this was not a case of "one and done". I will provide an update as to what happens. read more

I am posting this review because I care about members of our community. If you were a patient of Dr. James Flynn, you are probably aware that he recently sold his practice to Joel Rutledge. I have been Dr. Flynn's patient for many years and have always felt confident in his professional ability as well as his concern for my well being. However, I am unable to say the same for Joel Rutledge, new owner of Dr. Flynn's former practice. Mid July, I went in for my first appointment for a cleaning and exam at Rutledge Dental. Red Flag 1. My cleaning went well, with the hygienist wearing a mask and shield. Dr. Rutledge came in to my area with his blue mask in his hand with no gloves on, and spoke to me. I still had my mask on because of the time between cleaning and exam. Hey, things happen and I understand a wait. He put the mask on to examine then took it off to speak to me. I put mine back on because he was within 3 feet of me. I know, what was I thinking to allow this to happen. Red Flag 2. He proposed a treatment plan that would have been in excess of 20K, removing every crown on my upper teeth and form a new bridge. I have implants in 7 of my upper teeth. He diagnosed surgery to remove my most recent implant - about to fail, pus, blood. Though, twice a day, I use a sonic care electric tooth brush and water pick without pain or bleeding. To be fair, I have another bridge that needs to be replaced which will be done, though not by Dr. Rutledge. Red Flag 3. I said, I want to see the Periodontist who placed all implants, Graig Brown, one of the most respected dental professionals in Pima County. Rutledge said to wait to see Dr. Brown until after I came back in two weeks for an x ray. You guessed it, I called Dr. Brown and saw him the next day. Dr. Brown x-rayed, examined, that implant as well as my others and found them sound, no bone loss, no infection, no pockets. BTW, Dr. Brown and his assistant both wore M95's and a blue mask over it, with the blue mask changed between patients. He washed his hands in my presence and put on a new pair of gloves. Red Flag 4. I returned to the "x ray" appointment to discuss the conflicting diagnoses. Again, he came in with small blue mask in hand, without much distance. I was wearing my mask. He did put it on when I requested he wear it. I expected him to suggest I was confused and I was not disappointed. He refunded my prior visit to him, as well as my visit to Dr.Brown. If you are not in favor of masks, that's fine. However, for my safety, I will not deal with a medical or dental professional without that precaution. Rutledge's website says M95's coming soon, so is Christmas. In the meantime? If you have friends or loved ones who were Dr. Flynn's patients, you may wish to pass along my experience. Wishing you health and well being, read more

I was hoping to give Rutledge Dental a five-star review. It is a stretch to give Joel Rutledge a one-star review. I have been a loyal dental subscriber since the early 1950's. My teeth have contributed to many of my dentists' dream homes. Text books have been written on the many procedures I have had. However, I consider myself odd...I love going to the dentist. Many times, I have had the hygienist wake me during a cleaning. Over 20 years ago my dental hygiene improved to the point where I have had very few procedures other than my regular six-month cleanings and old dental work failing due to old age. I started going to Flynn Dental a number of years ago. Becky, office manager, Shannon, my hygienist, Laura, dental assistant, and Dr. Flynn were excellent always providing professional service. I continued at this practice as it became Rutledge Dental. On November 18, 2020 I had a normal cleaning. Shannon noticed a swelling on the gum in front of tooth number 10, lateral incisor. After reviewing the x-rays, Dr. Rutledge determined that the tooth must be removed and an implant was required. A full written outline was handed to me outlining pricing. I asked specifically how long the procedure would take. I was told that each step, including healing time, was to be three months such that the implant would be in place by July 2021. Calendar of events that took place at Rutledge Dental: · 11/18/20 teeth cleaning o Set next cleaning appointment for 5/13/21 at 7 AM. o diagnosis and evaluation if the implant would fit · 12/3/20 tooth removed o At this appointment I was told implant would fit · 12/22/20 evaluation of gum healing correctly · 1/28/21 evaluation of gum healing correctly and full surround head x-ray to determine readiness for next step in the procedure, implanting the post for the implant. Dr. Rutledge promised to call me after reviewing the full surround head x-ray. · On 4/28/21 I received an email telling me, "It is time for you to schedule an appointment. If you no longer want to receive these emails please unsubscribe." To summarize, it had been three months since Dr. Rutledge promised to call me, nearly six months since I had made my appointment for my next cleaning, and now I get an email asking me to schedule an appointment or unsubscribe. Immediately on 4/28/21, I called and spoke to Stephanie, front desk clerk. She pulled my chart as I explained what happened above. To resolve this situation, I told Stephanie that I required an apology from Dr. Rutledge for not calling me as he promised. I also asked her to confirm my cleaning appointment for 5/13/21 at 7 AM. The appointment I made on 11/18/20 was not on the schedule. She looked into my records promising call me back ASAP. After discussing my chart with other office staff, as Dr. Rutledge was away, I received her return call that same day. Without Dr. Rutledge's apology Stephanie tried to schedule me for the next step in the implant procedure. I again told her that to move forward with the procedure I needed an apology from the doctor. On Monday morning, 5/3/21 I called Rutledge Dental to schedule my cleaning. I spoke to Stephanie who was understanding. On November 18, 2020 I purchased a package from Rutledge Dental that included two cleanings at a discount. We scheduled my cleaning for 5/6/21 at 8 AM with Shannon. On 5/6/21, as I was getting settled in her chair, I was explaining to her the events since I last saw her on 11/18/2020. Dr. Rutledge walked in and interrupted me mid-sentence. After an unpleasant interaction with the doctor I reiterated the time line for completing the procedure, "six-months" and his promise to call me. He then asked me, "Do you have a recording?" He never apologized. As the doctor instructed, I strongly suggest you get any scheduled procedures with the doctor in writing or at least record your conversation. read more

Been going here a few years now and the service, efficiency is excellent. The staff is awesome and I like the fact it has a small office. Keep up the good work! The transition from Dr. Flynn to Dr. Rutledge I found to be flawless. read more

I recently saw Dr. Rutledge and had three implants installed. I found Dr. Rutledge and his staff to be extremely gentle and informative which helped to calm my nerves. The entire staff was very conscious of our ongoing covid issues and I felt safe at all times. I would like to thank Dr. Rutledge and his staff for making something I was not looking forward to go as smoothly as possible. read more

Last week was my first appointment at Rutledge Dental and it was an extremely positive experience. This was a typical 6-month cleaning appointment, however, I would not say it was a "typical" experience. My hygienist was extremely thorough and knowledgeable and took her time to explain all that she was doing. Dr. Rutledge was absolutely superb. His knowledge of dentistry was very evident during my exam. I look forward to seeing everyone at Rutledge Dental in 6 months. read more

Please avoid Dr. Joel Rutledge. He was our dentist in Memphis. Two of the crowns that he installed in me have come loose, one within a year, the other in 3 years. Worse, an implant that he installed in my wife came loose within a year. The dentist that bought his practice, Dr. Higgenbotham, apparently did not assume Rutledge's liabilities. read more