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I feel I was totally ripped off by Western Dental. My son had 2 wisdom teeth coming in and was in a great deal of pain. I am unemployed and uninsured so was calling around to see who had the best pricing. I could only get estimates, and Western Dental gave me a low end estimate of $159 for a simple extraction and $286 at the high end (if a surgical extraction was needed). I also mentioned that my son was working part time and we'd like to have the teeth removed on his day off. I was told - no problem so I scheduled an appointment for the x-rays, under the impression I could set the appt for the extraction on the next day (his day off).
After having the x-rays, I am told the price would be $191 for the simple extraction (not $159) and $386 for the surgical extraction (not the $286). I was also told that the oral surgeon is only there 2x a month - and this was his day. Having spent $99 for the exam, and facing having to wait 2+ weeks for the surgeon to return, I felt I had no other option other than to agree to their greatly inflated price.
I have called no less than 5 different phone numbers, only to be hung up on several times, left multiple voice messages that never get returned, and endured repeated statements that Western Dental does not make adjustments; I have repeatedly been told that I am at fault for accepting the pricing and having the work done; that I had the option to not accept the quote (and walk away with only a $99 loss).
I understand an estimate is an estimate, but common sense dictates that the estimate be somewhat in the ballpark of the actual cost. The estimate I was given was more than 40% lower than the actual quote. I feel I was backed into a corner and had no choice - make my son suffer or pay their extorted rates.
I will never go back to this place and will advise everyone I know to never do business with this institution.
Too late, slynn1. Already had the work done. Sorry to hear about your pains. The work went well with my son, but I am upset about being charged $162 more than I was lead to believe the procedure would cost.
Don't have your son get his wisdom teeth extracted from Western Dental! Find a reputable dentist in your area to have it done. I have had some bad experiences with Western Dental also. It seems most Western Dental Offices are horrible.
These are a few of my complaints: fraudulent billing. I had a credit of two hundred and eighty dollars, that the office I went to in Bellflower, CA claimed that I had the procedures done, and no longer had the credit. I never had the work done on my teeth, and was told by their own offices clerks, (I used the term loosely.) that I had the credit balance, and was given the billing number to have it credited to my balance. AFTER SIX MONTHS OF TALKING TO SO CALLED CUSTOMER REPRESENTATIVES I WAS TOLD THAT THEY USED THE MONEY ON PROCEDURES I NEVER HAD DONE.
Long waits- IT doesn't matter if your on time or late, if you are lucky you will have to wait an hour to two hours in the waiting room, and another hour waiting in a dental chair.
Rude employees- When I was pregnant with my third son, my tooth was bothering me. After I had to my obgyns and back to Western Dental about three or four times, the dentist told me there was nothing wrong with the tooth, and obviously I was a drug addict. After my son was born, I went to anther dentist, by that time my tooth was so infected they had to do a root canal on it. She said it must have been badly infected while I was pregnant. And asked why I didn't see a dentist than. I told her I had and they told me nothing was wrong with the tooth.
Employees are completely ghetto. Nobody seems to know what they are doing. Your lucky if you get a dentist that speaks English. Half the time you cannot understand what your saying. Employees are rude, ignore you, or talk about there sex life in the process of dental work.
Refuse to give pain medication, or give pain medication that I cannot use. After I had my tooth drilled on, the root was exposed, and the doctor couldn't finish it that day. After the Novocaine wore off I was in horrible pain. Called Western Dental because of pain, the dentist refused to give me pain medication, and forced me not to get any sleep because of throbbing pain. I recently got a root canal done, and the dentist gave me Motrin. The stupid dentist, (use the term loosely) never asked if I as allergic to it, or if I could take it. I cannot because of stomach issues. SO, the pain meds was completely useless to me.
The billing process has been a nightmare, and the lack of compassion, humanity, or even trying to get some pain relief, was all ignored by this company. I have been to the two Western Dentals in Huntington Beach, CA and also Bellflower CA. They are all horrible, and some are down right mean. I think that Dental-Cal should discontinue use of this Dental place. Because I also think they over charge!
I am glad that your son's procedure went well. MY advice is never go there again. If you shop around at other dental offices, you will find a better price. I wish I would have done that on my root canal. I found out I could have had it done for eight hundred dollars, instead of nine hundred and fifty... Hope things go well for your son... Make sure the dentist gave him antibiotic, especially if he got all four pulled. Hope all goes well for you.. Try to pay off that bill as soon as possible, keep receipts or bank records, so they cannot scam you out of more money...
Oh yes this place has always been bad. when i was about 7 i had to go there with my grandma and they did x-rays [after hours of waiting, and being switched to three different chairs] they said i had no cavities, no problems. no more than 6 months later my mom took me to a different dentist because she got health care through work and they said i had four cavities, and they had been there for a while...my mom told them where we went and the dentist rolled his eyes and apologized.
About 5 years ago my grandma went there again for a pair of dentures and after hours of wait, 2 different chairs and 2 different nurses they did the moldings. well they called and said they needed to redo the moldings of the teeth because they had misplaced them...and she had to pay the COPAY for the appt. when THEY were at fault! thats ridiculous! long story short she had to go back and get them fitted/filed down so many times we lost count, they didn't fit and were uncomfortable for her. they are by far, not my choice of dental places...
I went to Western Dental in Lancaster Ca. In 2018. I was told I needed root canal and crown on my top front tooth. (#8). They told me my medi-cal (Denti-cal) was not going to cover it. Western Dental said they resent for approval from medi-cal 3 times. Finally medi-cal approved the procedure.
So recently I western dental did the root canal. They told me my next visit would be for crown prep, impressions. When I returned on the date they gave me the appointment on, DR. Byat told me the crown was not covered, and probably won't be covered. He said it was denied! So now I've had a root canal on my front tooth and NO CROWN will be put on it! Now I'm going to lose the tooth anyway due to it becoming brittle. I had no pain ever in that tooth before I had the root canal. If I would have not had it done it would have been years before I lost the tooth. Also they charged my insurance for xrays on my last visit-but they did not take ANY xrays that day!