Although I had a good experience at my consultation during the summer of 2018, I've since had a LOT of trouble communicating with the office. It's been a 1.5-year process trying to reach them for a simple thing:
1) Get Dr. Ulloa's (the UDC Dental orthodontist's) notes from my consultation sent to my regular dentist.
2) Get a conversation going between Dr. Ulloa & my dentist to decide how to best proceed forward with my crossbite issue.
July 2018:
My 1st free orthodontist consultation at UDC Dental with Dr. Ulloa. She recommends I get a Nite Guard as I am grinding my teeth.
July 2018 - July 2019:
Over several appointments back with my regular dentist, I get a Nite Guard made. However, the first night I wore it, it causes my crossbite to get worse, & my dentist recommends I immediate stop wearing it. She asks for the notes from Dr. Ulloa.
July 2019:
- I call UDC Dental & request the notes from my consultation the year prior.
- UDC sends me my x-rays by email, no notes.
- I reply to ask if there was other information such as notes from the consultation.
- UDC responds by saying "After reviewing your chart. She suggested orthodontic Treatment."
- This is *contradictory* to what Dr. Ulloa said to me at the consultation. I confirmed this by looking at personal notes I wrote after the appointment. I email back to say this, no response.
November 2019:
- I reply to this email chain again. No response.
- I send a new email in a couple weeks. No response.
December 2019:
Tue 12/3 - I call UDC Dentail. They apparently did not receive my last 2 emails. If this is true, then there is something wrong with their email account, as they are in my Sent box & I confirm the email address with them. The woman I speak to takes notes & says I'll get a call back.
Thu & Fri 12/5-12/6 - I have not received a call back. I call the office repeatedly over these two days (six times, in fact, as my phone records show). On my 7th call I finally leave a voicemail explaining my request.
Mon 12/9 - I call & a different man answers. It turns out the notes from my consultation are confusing & that's why I've gotten contradictory information about Dr. Ulloa's recommendation. Finally! Someone has given me real information that no one has bothered to tell me before. Dr. Ulloa only comes in Thursdays & wants to see me in person that week (I cannot due to work). I ask if a phone call would work. He says he will find out & call me back.
Fri 12/27 - I STILL have not received a call back. I understand it is the holidays, but that seems barely an excuse for a 3-week delay (really, a 5-month delay) on this matter.
January 2020:
I FINALLY reach someone in the office on the phone. Apparently, they had moved offices since my consultation & had lost notes, which is why I was getting such conflicting information. A little contradictory to the explanation the past month. Oh well, at least they offer a makeup orthodontist consultation with Dr. Ulloa (free of charge again) that month, at which she gives the same diagnosis (I need a Nite Guard). We agree that she will email the notes to my dentist, my regular dentist will respond, & they will have a conversation via email about how to proceed with my teeth.
February 2020:
Dr. Ulloa sends the notes to my regular dentist. On February 19, my dentist replies with her own notes as agreed.
March 2020:
[Note from here on out my contact with UDC Dental is all via text, as they use text to remind me of my appointments & respond via text when I have questions.]
UDC Dental has not replied to my regular dentist's notes. When I contact them, they cannot find the email. Note this is a VERY similar issue to when they did not receive my email replies in Nov 2019. I ask if there is an alternate email address, & they say they will check.
May 2020:
UDC Dental still has not responded to me. However, this was the start of COVID so I figured their office may have closed. They confirm this over text.
August 2020:
I text UDC Dental again & find out they are gradually opening. They ask for my dentist to send the response again. My dentist does this, & this time UDC Dental checks Spam, & they find the response. On August 31, UDC Dental says Dr. Ulloa will "review the email this coming thursday."
September 2020:
My regular dentist has not gotten a response from Dr. Ulloa. I text UDC Dental, no response.
October 2020:
Wed 10/7 - I text UDC Dental again, they say "Hi, Dr Ulloa will sent an e-mail to your dentist, this coming friday."
Mon Oct 12 - Oct 19 - I text UDC Dental several times, as my dentist has not gotten a response. No reply from UDC Dental.
Mon Oct 19 - The last reply I got from UDC Dental, saying "hello, let me ask Dr. Ulloa, I wasn't here.
Nov-Dec 2020:
I've texted UDC Dental several times, still no reply! See my screenshot of this text exchange for the last few months. I'm extremely frustrated about this very difficult year and a half of communication! read more