Kool Smiles review: children treated badly-child abuse! 29

I had my wisdom teeth removed YEARS ago and I STILL have pockets that are covered by flaps where they were.. they REFUSED to for what they messed up! I'm still having problems today with it ! Never ever go to Kool smiles, they aren't really professional or I would've gotten imediate care for what happened.

Also I have been getting gum infections and sores on the inside of the flaps and pocket. I have to clean them out with a toothpick every day or it will result in gum infections! And trust me gum infections are. Really really painful.

Came in because a filling they did fell out and the new dentist refused to redo the filling, stating that I needed a crown and walked out. Office manager came in speaking in a very condescending tone. Very rude, will never return. Called corporate to make a complaint and they never returned the call. Horrible

I was seen and embarrassed by There's a and others. She told me I have lice when I don't. I have bad scalp condition [protected] Kimberley.mullins1977@gmail.com

Horrible experience on my fillings and pain. Then didn't care to help or treat me with respect. They are unprofessional at the front desk. Only place I have ever been that didn't try to help a patient in pain.

Today 11/08/16 I spent 3 hours in the office for just a service that took only 20 minutes. Personal is very unprofessional, they had cancel my previous appointmentso 3 times at last minute. This is the last time I visit this office. Very unsatisfied with this office.

My son left your office with affected teeth which causedva abses which caused two teeth to be pulled. I didn't like the unprofessionalism at your offices when it can to my son!

Called regarding rescheduling appointment. Orthodontics Manager said Monica said she will look into rescheduling on more a convienant date still havent recieved a call back. This happened previously then I was blamed for not bringing my child for follow up on braces. I have left messages and voicemail no response.

I took my boys to Indianapolis Kool smiles for a cleaning a month ago. My oldest is 10 and has mental disorders that cause mood changes and aggression to come out of no were and being in a dentist office is very dangerous if he goes into a rage a lot of people could end up hurt with all the tools they use laying right by him so I let them know of his condition n told them to stop the apt as soon as he starts to complain. He started to get frustrated with them Just doing xrays I would not allow them to continue unless I was allowed to go back with him they let me back they was able to finish the cleaning on both boys with no problem but when I was checking out I was told that my 10 year old needed to come back in 1 week to have 6 filling and coating put on his molers. My youngest was worse they wanted to do 2 root canals on him and fill 8 baby teeth and he is 5! I told them no I will take them to our family dentist for the dental work they both just had their apt there today and the oldest needs no work done he has no cavities! My youngest only needs 1 filling! I was in shock by how much unnessisary work they wanted to do on my kids and how much have they already been doing on other kids! This is crazy it needs to stop our family dentist also let us know that they advertise to specialize in kids but in fact that they are not safe for kids! I can't imagine what would have been done had I not insisted to be in back with them! We will never visit another Kool smiles office again and I hope other parents do research before taking their kids there.

I agree that no child should go back alone. I left my 11 year old daughter why i went back to have x rays and when i was done went to her room and she said mommy i was crying so bad and i thought maybe she is just scared and she went to school after her appointment nothing major was done just a simple filling. She came home from school in tears saying her mouth has been hurting so bad, i looked at her, and her jaw was twice the size it should be. I couldn't understand what is going on this girl has had a few teeth extracted, a root canal, and she has never been in pain like this. So i gave her motrin for the swelling and pain. She kept saying how he grabbed her mouth and squeezed it real hard but I was just thinking she was being over dramatic. The next day she had a small bruise about a dime size about three days later she has a bruise the size of a golf ball and it has been two weeks and and she still has the bruise from the dentist squeezing her jaw so hard and jamming the shot in here mouth as hard as he could. Never in my life heard of a child being treated this way by a supposedly trained dentist working with children. I am so upset I dont even know what to do. Everytime I look at my daughters face I just want to go up to that office and pull that dentist out by his jaw and put a big bruise across his face. But really what is that going to solve. My main concern is to keep other kids away from this dentist. He should be suspended. If anybody knows how to get to the bottom of this Please i need advice before he hurts another child like he did mine.

PROFIT MODEL is SHAMELESS. I am lucky to have good employer insurance and because it was so close to my house, I decided to take my 5 year old daughter there for regular cleanings and annual checkups...procedures paid at 100% by my insurance. They give out A LOT of balloons and freebies, and I thought that all this free fun stuff was nice UNTIL I GOT THE BILL. They gave my daughter top-shelf treatment my insurance didn't pay for (but didnt let me know they were doing it), like extra polishing and some kind of fluoride treatment. $8 bucks here, $17 here, $22 here all added up to $150 total, which I didnt even see this itemized bill until it came on one shot almost a year after the first service. I don't know what they are doing with the Medicaid, but I do know they are BILKING Cigna for all its worth! I hope they take down this profiteering franchise for fraud...

Oh My Goodness!
These poor kids...some of which are so young.
Is there a way to notify the State or Dental Board of this type abuse/tactics?

I have a 8 year old autistic son. He started going when he was around 3 and never had any problems. Maybe a year or two ago I took him and they said they could not handle him and the closest dentist that could handle him was outside the city limits. Very discouraging! ( for so many reasons)
This morning around 4am he began forcing his teeth out his mouth and bleeding everywhere. He doesn't talk so I'm unsure of what's bothering him. I contacted the emergency line and explained what was going on. After explaining she asked several times what was the emergency and suggested I call back after 9am when there open.
I'm confused what is considered an emergency when it comes to dentistry? I feel like their not very helpful especially with children with any disability.
So now I have to figure out how to distract my very determined autistic son from not pulling out another Moler that is not loose until the office open at 9am which at that time I'm sure they want get us right in.
Frustrating!

we just left the Bryan, TX location and it was Absolutely -ing terrible. If you dont want to take 30 seconds to make a child feel at ease then DONT see children. Both the staff and the dentist could not bother to say one word to my 2 year old except to scold her when she flinched away. Really! My kid is not a scaredy-cat and with a minute or less of explaining what the x-ray or light was she would have just opened right up. Instead you tell me to "hold her down". No wonder I could hear other kids screaming like a damned horror movie when we were in the waiting room. Then when I ask you calmly to slow down and give her a second this is her first dentist appointment and I don't want it to be a bad one you look at me like I'm nuts. I will NEVER go back and will recommend any place but here. Oh, and the smell was so strong when we walked into the back treatment area, my stomach did flips. Just a tiny thing in comparison with how the staff was toward my 2 year old.

I accompanied my three year old granddaughter to her dental appointment today and we both basically left traumatized. She was to have a crown put on a cavity that was found on a prior visit at the same facility, only by the insistence of her mother was I allowed to accompany her into the procedure room (red flag #1). I however was informed several times that at no point was I to interfere with the procedure and that the dentist who was doing the dental work was very, VERY adamant about this rule (red flag #2) I will say that the dental assistants did take the time in showing her the different dental tools and explaining and showing her the different sounds they made. Enter the dentist, went right to work without an introduction of himself or even an acknowledgement that anyone else was in the room(red flag #3 rudeness) he numbed her mouth then exited the room. He returned went right to work and after about three to five minutes with my granddaughter sobbing and squirming and ejecting the obviously oversized cushion for her mouth several times, he told the assistants that it was far to dangerous to continue without her being strapped down, I however did not prepare myself for what I was to witness next. It was a full body restraint with extra restraints around the knees and socks put over her hands and a towel placed around her head and pulled tightly under the headrest. I felt helpless on what to do with half of the procedure being completed, my granddaughter laid there gagging, sobbing, choking crying for them to be done she just kept crying done, done It took the dentist three times to get the right size crown for her tooth finally he said done and went on to inform a three year old that they would of been done fifteen minutes earlier if she would of cooperated and done what she was asked to do and that by being disobedient she would not be receiving any toys he then exited the room and when the assistants released her from the restraints her little face was red and swollen around her eyes still sobbing uncontrollably she came to me soaked in sweat and urine from her being in the restraints. The activities I witnessed today that were preformed by a supposedly professional dental team were nothing short of torture and child abuse and they received compensation for it. 12 hours later my granddaughters eyes are still swollen and red from the pressure build up that was placed on her from being restrained. PARENTS PLEASE BEWARE OF ANY FACILITY THAT WILL NOT ALLOW A PARENT TO ACCOMPANY A CHILD INTO ANOTHER ROOM WHEN HAVING ANY PROCEEDURE DONE. JUST LEAVE, IF I COULD TAKE THIS DAY BACK BELIEVE ME IT WOULD BE DONE. I WOULD RATHER HAVE A TOOTH ROT AND FALL OUT THAN TO HAVE HER GO THROUGH ANYTHING LIKE THIS AGAIN. THIS MESSAGE COMES FROM A VERY CONCERNED GRANDMOTHER IN FORT WAYNE IN.

About a year ago my daughter went there for a dental exam for school and they told ? me she had cavities so they needed to cap them.. well im no expert on teeth and i was like well ur the dentist do what you need to do. So we set the appointment and they refused to let me back there.. well when my daughter was finished she came out to me and on the car ride home she told me they strapped her to the table bc she was scared! Who in there right mind would STRAP a 4 yr old to a table? Needless to say, she went to a new dentist today and she's completely traumatized.. she got a cavity filled and when she realized what they were doing she was screaming "No please dont strap me to the table i wont move"... im not sure where to go with this.. im a lil furious!

I just left kool smiles in Tupelo Ms because of their rudeness and hurting another one of my kids. My son went to have some filling a couple weeks ago and they didn't let his mouth get numb and he was crying. They said he was just scared. I know the differance between scared and pain. And then today I took them back and they were working on my daughter and I was down the hall with my son when I heard her yelling and I heard the dental assistant tell her to shut up and move her hand. I went in there and told them they were not going to hurt another one of my kids. And the Dr. was also rude and said what ever. Now was that professional or what. Mine will never go there again. As soon as I find out who all they can be reported to I will report to anyone who will listen. RUDE PEOPLE...VERY RUDE is all I can say!

Today my father and I took my 2 year old daughter to a Kool Smiles clinic in McAllen Texas ( our first visit and my daughter was to become a new patient). While we were there children were playing in a miniature jungle gym that consisted if some steps to ascend on and two plastic slides for the infants and toddlers to slide down. My father brought to the attention of some of the staff that were working behind the reception desk that there were three boys horseplaying and that they were too big to be playing so ruff in the presence of the infants and toddlers. Then as my father began assisting me in filling out some of the prerequisite forms a woman who addressed herself as the manager approached my father and asked him if there was anything wrong? My father then proceeded to inform the woman that the majority of the children in the play area were between 15 to 35 pounds and were too small and frail being that the bigger boys were around 50 to 65 pounds in weight and were actually stepping in the toddles fingers and legs while playing tag in a frenzy. To this observation she stated that there were many signs on the walls which clearly noted that the establishment was not responsible for any injuries. At hearing such a response from the woman my father told her that ... those signs would mean absoulutely nothing in a court of law should a parent bring a law suit againt them for gross negligence if an infant were to receive seriouse bodily injury or God forbid something worse were to happen. Well to make a long story short ... at this point she became irrate and said that she didnt like my fathers attitude and that he needed to get out right now! My father then said...very well and indicated that we needed to leave immediately. To which the manager said " no she doesnt have to leave" I then went to get my belongings and my daughter and as we were leaving another woman apparantly the mother of one of the larger boys who had been horseplying in the play area began verbally assaulting my father to which my father told her that he didnt wish to get into a confrontation with her . Ignoring my fathers words and speaking loudly over his voice she continued a barrage of rude commentaries and accused him of being a suer! As my father went to get the vehicle the manager began yelling very rudly at me in front of my 2 year daughter and screamed for me to get out too and that she was calling the police. This is the worst reatment we have ever received and the most unprofessional conduct from a dentistry establishment. After all this we have decided to check Kool Smiles references and any complaints and we have found plenty. Adding our own here and hoping to alert anyone who may be considering using their services...do so at your ouwn childrens risk! My father and I were astounded at the lack of disregard for the safety of the infants and toddlers! These people need to be inspected to say least!

On 9/21/2011 my daughter that is 3 years old went to have her 2 front teeth capped after discovering that she has cavities. So on this appt, needless to say I cried when the procedure was done. My daughter went from having a beautiful perfect smile to having cartoon character teeth. They stick out, are leaning towards the side and now she has spaces on both sides of her teeth, including in the middle of the 2 front teeth. All I can do is cry and never thought that this would happen to my baby's teeth. I contacted the office manager at the Hampton, Virginia location and she called the Jr. CEO and he contacted me the same day so now I am waiting to see what they are going to do. After all of this mess I WILL NOT GO BACK THERE FOR ANY REASON! Also, to include on our visit prior to 9/21 the dental assistant never showed me the models of what the teeth would look like or what all would be done during the procedure. But I promise you this the doctor that messed up my babies teeth will pay for his poor work!

My 2 children ages 11 and 16 had a 5:15pm apt and by 6pm they were still not seen. So I when to the receptionist and ask if they were running behind, She stated yes they were which, I don't thing so, I feel the problem was that they were over book. The had well over 20 children there and only 4 dentist. I told here that they shouldn't book that way. By 6:15pm they were still not call in, so I went back to the receptionist and told her to cancel the apt. Once I said that the dental assistant came from the back and said that she was calling my children right now. My children went back at 7:20pm my daughter came out and dental assistant came out and ask me to make another appointment, so that she can get sailing place on her teeth. I told them that I will never bring my children back there. My son was still back in the office, the told me that he would be out in 5min. So at 7:50pm I went to a dental assistant that came from the back and ask if she could check to see what was taking so long with my son. Then another dental assistant came out and said that my son still has not been seen . I told them that they were very unprofessional and to go and get my son we were leaving. I would never take my children there again!

I have to say that kool smiles has harassed me, they have called me everyday, even when I ask them to stop calling( I take my kids every 6 months) they set up appointment I never set up.. I found out today that they have been calling my 911 contacts about appointments! I am livid! They need a new system! Also, my daughters said that the girls cleaning their teeth were racing to see who could get done the fastest! So I called todAy and said we would never be back! Not professional!

My son has medicaid because his father lost their insurance from his work and because of that we had to find a dentist that took medicaid. Cool Smiles in Fort Wayne was the only one we knew of that accepted medicaid. Our appointment was at 5pm and my son did not get seen until 6pm because they were so over booked. The waiting area was extreamly dirty. And when my son was taken into the back he was scared to death. The dentist and the hygentist did not help any because they raised their voices at him and refused to show us the x-rays. They said my son needed a crown on a bottom tooth because it had a cavity and they would have to drill through the top of the tooth to get to it. With that being said when we left my son was still crying and did not want to go back. So we found a new dentist. My son went to the new dentist today and we found out that Cool Smiles refused to send over the x-rays for my son. And the tooth that supposedly needed a crown does NOT need one. It isnt even a cavity. It is a discoloration in his tooth. With that being said I would not reccomend cool smiles to anyone. They are horrible with children and treat them badly as well as the parents. I will NEVER go back there. What is sad is that Cool Smiles like to tie children down to papouse boards. My child will not be held down againt his will. He is not a animal! And he will not be treated as one. My sons new dentist said that any other dentist who offers the usage of a papouse board should not be a dentist and the parents need to find a new dentist. They need to be closed down.

I tried to schedule two appointments for my children, and spent 15 minutes with their so-called patient billing team to pre-enter all my insurance information. Well - who knows where that information went, because when my husband showed up for the appointments, they couldn't find the info, and made him wait an hour and a half before telling him they couldn't see my kids anyway that day. Poor, poor service and I won't be going back.

I work at Kool Smiles for 2 years and I have to tell you I would not let my dog get treated there. This a money making scam.. The make millions of dollars billing Medicaid. I seen it first hand how the dentist make there sales goals. Sales you say, yes sales thats what it is. They put crowns on these poor kids because crowns pay more then fillings... They will do whatever work pays the most thats why they use the blankets ( papoose Boards) to tie your kids down it pays more then Gas. Most of the patients are poor they target the poor. They have a guide line for Patient treatment plans, Things like if the kid comes in dirty or many kids in the family if they all have different fathers if they fit the profile they get the most aggressive work done because they figure moms to lazy to care.

As for the second oppinion the doctor at koolsmiles was wrong.

they were super rude to me I think because I demanded to go back with my 2 kids. I also got treated like a dummy for asking what they were doing and why.
I do remember a time where you could go to the dentist unafraid of how you'd be treated...
and the dentist himself wasn't just in it for the money...

they made me hold the top of my 23 month old sons head so the nurse could put her fist hard under his chin for an xray. Couldn't access his xrays told me to let them drill into his front two teeth while he would be wrapped in a 'blanket' and when i told them he was not going to be a patient there anymore the nurse told me 'fine if you want your sons teeth to rot out.'
bigger yet i asked them to send new doctor x rays they said yes, not at doctors office, they called koolsmiles to request koolsmiles replied no...

I recently took my kids for a dental exam! The staff completely contradicted them self they told me that the only one getting a x-ray would be my older son and my two daughters wouldn't because they were two young. What do you know they ended up giving them to all? I have no idea what type of crew that they have you can just notice how aggravated they were becoming because my kids were scared! Next think you know they got done cleaning there teeth and they tell me that I have to come back with my 6 year old, and 4 year old for some work it turns out that the need 5-6 crowns and the oldest one needs a extraction! I'm doubting the work the so call need so ever since they told me and seeking a second opinion because I don't think that is possible I'm not a dentist but I'm no fool either. Now I went in to search their practices and I see all this terrifying reviews about their other offices! I'll post again once I see what the second opinion was to say if that work they say is needed is really true!

I completely agree with this complaint. I just returned from the Evansville, In location with both of my kids, one 10 and the other is 7. They both had to have several teeth pulled and my 10 year old daughter was nervous, as to be expected. She came out bawling and said it hurt and went on to tell me that the nurse told her to act like a 10 year old because they told her that she would scare the other kids, and when she tried to let them know they were hurting her, the nurse told her "That will be enough of that". My husband and myself were so upset, that when they called us back for the consult, we questioned the dentist, she went on to say that our daughter had been whining the whole time. We let them know we didn't appreciate how the nurse handled the situation and the only thing the dentist could say was if we weren't comfortable bringing our kids there, then don't bring them back. Unfortuantely, if I can't find another dentist more affordable, I have no choice but to take them back to get the rest of the work done that they are needing. I wouldn't recommend anyone going to this place, they have no compassion or patience with kids. Anyone being in the medical field has to have both of these to be successful in this kind of environment.