1 /5 Kimmie Shanks: I wish I could give this dental office a better review because the dentist and hygienists we encountered were professional, thorough, and kind. However, the front office staff has completely ruined any trust or confidence I had in this practice.
The billing process has been a complete nightmare. At first, I was informed of a balance over $435, but later, it was adjusted to $215. The purpose of my phone call to their office was to request my records be transferred to my new dentist. However, I was informed by my new dentist that this office refused to send my records, claiming I had a “very high balance.” Not only is this an inaccurate excuse, but their refusal to release my records is illegal in Florida. To make matters worse, the staff I spoke to about this were incredibly rude and dismissive throughout the conversation.
When I called to clarify the situation, I was met with condescending attitudes from the office staff. One staff member argued that they had called me multiple times from 1-800 numbers or numbers from out of state to notify me about my bill. She even gave me specific dates when they supposedly called and left messages. I went through all my phone records—including missed calls, messages, deleted messages, and my entire call history—and there was absolutely nothing from their office, no 1-800 numbers, and no out-of-state calls. When I pointed this out, she became hostile. I do t understand why they have no other means of communication? How about a email? Text message, as they use that to communicate for appointments, questions, insurance information? Later, the office manager contradicted her completely, stating that their office calls only come from their official number—not from 1-800 numbers or other states. This level of inconsistency and miscommunication is unacceptable.
When I asked to speak to the manager, I experienced more of the same unprofessional behavior. The manager interrupted me repeatedly, shifted blame onto me for their mistakes (e.g., inputting incorrect insurance information, even though I provided my card and they copied it), and got increasingly rude. To add insult to injury, my dentist’s new office informed me that they were being difficult about transferring my records. The excuse? They claimed I had a “very high balance,” which is not only inaccurate but irrelevant. It is also illegal in Florida to withhold patient records, regardless of any outstanding balance.
The lack of transparency around their procedures is another major issue. I came in for a broken front tooth and was told I needed a cleaning first—which was very expensive. After the cleaning, I discovered they don’t even offer gas sedation, which I need for dental work. Why wasn’t this disclosed upfront?
My daughter had an equally bad experience. She came in with a painful broken tooth that needed to be pulled. Instead of addressing her urgent issue, they made her get an expensive cleaning first. Afterward, they decided to “fix” the tooth rather than pull it as she requested, despite her history of crowns failing and needing to be pulled later anyway. They prioritized unnecessary treatments over her immediate pain and concerns.
The lack of accountability, rude office staff, and misleading practices have made it impossible for me to trust this practice. While the dentist and hygienists are great, the toxic environment created by the office staff has completely ruined the experience. I can’t recommend this office to anyone.
All this animosity to just have my records transferred over $215 which actually is covered if they do the claims correctly as I have a primary plan and a secondary plan.
