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3.1 31 Reviews

SmileCare Dental Complaints Summary

16 Resolved
15 Unresolved
Our verdict: While SmileCare Dental has an above-average resolution rate, there’s room for improvement. Investigate common issues reported by customers and understand how they were resolved. Be prepared to follow up on your queries if needed, and keep detailed records of all interactions.
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SmileCare Dental reviews & complaints 31

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2:03 pm EDT
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SmileCare Dental Service of Smilecare on 3701 Bernard St.

I arrived 20 minutes before my appointment at 10am and was not see until 11:30. Other patients of other races were allowed to enter to treatment upon arrival to appointment without having not one minute of wait time. I waited 1 hour and 50 minutes. If the wait is this long the appointment should be made at a different time not the time given. I understand there is other patients that need treatment but that is not my problem. The office should be organized enough to where patients are scheduled given the time they are going to be seen, not so that they can allow other patients to be seen of whom is preferred through selectivity.

Desired outcome: Resolve scheduling department to train and learn how to give appropriate time to wait and not discriminate.

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5:29 pm EDT
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SmileCare Dental dirty very dirty carpets, walls, broken and old equipment.

They blame corporate?
For filthy office, walls, carpets, old broken equipment.. I complained over a year ago then changed to another office, I only came back to Lancaster office because of a emergency and it was worse if that is possible.

Seniors and poor families don't need to put up with unsanitary conditions.

I tried to find phone number for Delta care customer care to complain but that is a loosing battle.

sept. 13 2017

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1:13 pm EDT

SmileCare Dental rude/incompetent/insensitive/ghetto company

First bad experience was with the Orthodontist she was rude. My dentist referred me to her because I needed to know my options for the gaps in my teeth. She would not tell me any of them and just said well you need braces... I told her my dentist said I have options like bridges or both. She said well do you want braces or not? I said not really I want the fastest/cheapest way possibly. She said well if you don't want braces I cant help you. I cant believe she would say that!

So fast forward I decided to get braces since it felt like that was my only option. I schedule the appointment and get all the things I need. So 3 weeks before my appointment I have been calling to verify they have submitted the claim to my insurance and that I have done all the necessary things prior to the day. So far every single time I have called CATHY at the front desk has been extremely rude and told me she cant help me but she can let the supervisor know for the Ortho. She has taken my number 3 times and I still have not received a call back and it has been 3 weeks. Places like this should be banned from doing business. I am going to spend 4K on my teeth to these people and they are extremely rude and insensitive!

I forgot to mention they tried to charge me on the wrong insurance for a filling a few weeks ahead! this place is ridiculous and I cant believe they are in business.

*SIDE NOTE* my coworker has braces and is seen by the same ortho. Her last visit she asked her how many months she has left for the braces. Her reply was " well I charged you for 1 and a half years so you do the math"... Are you kidding me!?

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12:00 am EDT

SmileCare Dental 5 months waiting for full set of dentures!!!

my dad had a severe tooth infection and needed to be extracted. He is retired and lives in a fixed income. He went there desperate for help they extracted the tooth, and he also inquired about a full set of dentures which he did need, but with just bring cash pay he really wasn't ready. He was approached and cohearsed I think into having him apply for there credit card, getting fitted and picked out the items for the dentures all before he left the office on the same visit. That was in March 2015. We are in August 2015. He still has no teeth! I have called and spoken to the office manager and the dentist herself. These people are shameless and should not be in business. I had another conversation with the dentist today and I asked her if the was Citicard treatment for her patients. And I also asked if she would accept her family being treated like this..

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12:16 pm EST

SmileCare Dental completely ignorant

Ive been trying to get my refund I am owed going on 3 years!ridiculous!

EVERY SINGLE PERSON I have dealt with has dropped the ball. Ive called 10 times in the last 3 days leaving messages. Corporate does not answer phone or return phone calls. They are all useless.

Nobody can give me a good explanation as to why they feel I am not owed a refund. Nobody knows what they are doing.

My blood boils just driving by the place on Sepulveda Blvd.Dont EVER EVER EVER sign up your family at SMILE CARE DENTAL, you will regret it!

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kawabunga
, US
Dec 15, 2011 10:15 pm EST

Smile Care is the worst dental office for children. All the office cares about is making money. We were in the office for two hours just for an x-ray. The office kept pushing me to get the orthopedic treatment for my son who still has more than half of his baby teeth. They want my son to get braces. I had to rescheduled for my son to get his filling for his cavity and to have his teeth clean. They staff has no customer service

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Beth@CoastDental
Tampa, US
Dec 19, 2011 9:09 pm EST
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SmileCare strives to provide excellent customer service and patient care. We're sorry that you feel we did not meet your expectations. We understand your frustration that you couldn't have your son's teeth cleaned and cavity filled immediately. Was this a first visit? Typically, a first visit includes x-rays and a comprehensive oral exam, and then an appointment is set up for treatment. Also, you didn't mention your son's age. The American Academy of Orthodontists recommends children see an orthodontist at the age of 7 for Phase I treatment. so that may be why the office recommended that course of action.

Please contact the office directly or call our Patient Relations team at [protected] if you have further concerns. We would be happy to assist you.

Thank you.

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11:55 am EDT
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SmileCare Dental improper billing / collections

Over year after visiting the dentist I started getting calls from a collection agency claiming that I had past due charges. I was never notified of the charges by Smilecare and when I contected my insurance carrier they said they were improperly billed. I addressed this by contacting SmileCare and filing a complaint with the BBB. I was told the situation had been resolved, but now over a year later this is showing on my credit report.

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11:28 pm EDT
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SmileCare Dental substandard care

Dr ? Bakar put braces on my daughter 2yrs ago. He said she was finished and that I should sign a paper saying I was happy with his work. I declined and stipulated on the paper I did not know how well he did. He put in her retainers and said good-bye. I had to take my daughter to Loma Linda University Dental to diagnose her jaw. After examining my daughter I was advised that Dr. ? Bakar's work was substandard and she would need braces to correct his work. They referred me to USC Dental to correct the work. At University of Southern California Dental. They confirmed his lackluster substandard work. A conman who doesn't abide by the christian ethics of normal people. A law suit is in the works. He can screw up a lot of children in the meantime. BEWARE!

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Beth@CoastDental
Tampa, US
Apr 15, 2014 8:34 am EDT
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SmileCare has attempted to resolve these allegations directly with the patient's father. As this is a clinical matter, details cannot be disclosed without violating the patient's PHI.

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6:48 pm EDT
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SmileCare Dental billing practices

Run away from them, like from a plague!

They just mean business, money, billing procedures with no coverage and plain disrespect in broad daylight. They make you wait and be seen by several "specialists" just to get the most out of you. You never know what they are really billing you about.

After a few appointments I couldn't stand it anymore, so I didn't come back. Well, they sent my bills for collection, without I even knowing my insurance didn't pay what they asked for! Smile Care supposedly sent me statements, but when I started receiving these harassing calls from the collectors I inquired only to learn that my address was wrong in the Smile Care system, what a convenience! Now the collection agency (AWA in Los Angeles) very offensively tells us that we only can pay, that we have to ask questions to Smile Care. Needless to say, Smile Care doesn't care and send us back to AWA. I have no doubt these two businesses have played this game out many times before.

I have submitted several complaints to the Federal Trade Commission. They are not going to get away with it again!

Stay away and spread the word: Smile Care doesn't care!

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chanth
Elk grove, US
Nov 20, 2012 12:26 pm EST
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I had problems wiht Smile care and AWA I called channel 3 news station and got the problem solved
in 3 weeks, but without channel 3, I would still be playing phone tag with both parties.

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chanth1958
Elk grove, US
Oct 15, 2012 10:35 pm EDT
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its like playing ping pong with them, they would not let me do a 3 way phone with them and the office manager to get my account clear, I owe nothing but I have to deal with them sending me back a forth between smile care and the office manager and then send a letter to me saying I need to take care and give them a call.. Iike I never ever talked to them at all this is going on for months, where the office manager tells me I own nothing and he took care of it, but after he did this 3 times to me I now will record him tell me to just disregard AWA cause it just take time to clear it up. well its been 6months now and just today I got another letter telling me I owe them.

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5:04 pm EDT
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SmileCare Dental billing issues

SmileCare is charging me for the full amount of a treatment I had from a contracted dentist they used that was not a provider within my network even though I chose their office to begin with because they are a participating provider within my network. No notification was provider at the time I had treatment that their contracted dentist was not within my network otherwise I would have rescheduled. I am not going to pay because of their staff's negligence to provide this information at the time services were rendered. It wasn't an emergency, it was a follow-up appointment and because of their lack of common sense, I am not paying for their staff's mistakes. The Lake Forest office is also responsible for resubmitting a claim to my insurance company for a treatment I had, that's covered under my insurance. The insurance company requested that they provide additional information. The office is coming to me for the money because they're staff is incompetent at filling out paperwork. I have insurance to cover my services, I think I need insurance to cover idiots who don't know how to do their jobs.

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Erikela
, US
Nov 24, 2011 4:52 pm EST

#1 Issue-the wait is ridiculous! The quickest I’ve ever seen a dentist or orthodontist is an hour after my scheduled appointment. I understand you need to show up early for an appointment (which I do) but at least someone could let you know the status of the dentist and an estimated wait time instead of leaving you in the lobby for half an hour and then leaving you in a room facing a wall by yourself for another half an hour.

#2 Issue- dental procedures are not explained at all! I went in for a dental check up and found out I had some cavities. (I’ve never had any cavities) The dentist did not explain any of the procedures of what she would be doing to fix the cavities. I told her I had never had a cavity before and what is the process for fixing the cavity? Her response was the financial advisor will explain that all to you. I had the same issue with getting my braces taken off. When the tech started to take the brackets/wire/rubber band off all at once it startled me, it felt like she was cracking my tooth. Had she explained what she was going to do prior I would have been prepared for the odd sounds and feeling on my teeth and not almost jumped out of the chair. Same issue with the orthodontist, had she explained that she would be grinding cement off my teeth with a cold needle I would have been a little bit more prepared for the uncomfortable feeling on my teeth. This leads me to my third issue.

#3 Issue- can you please at least pretend like you give a crap about your patients? When the orthodontist was removing cement from my teeth it was uncomfortable but I tried to just bear down and get it over with. She was able to remove the cement on my top teeth fairly quickly. When she started on my bottom teeth she started on my front teeth. I informed her bottom teeth are SUPER sensitive. She barely started to grind on my teeth for a couple of seconds and I couldn’t stand the cold needle on my teeth. I couldn’t help but pretty much cry. It HURT! The orthodontist then got pissed and left. The tech tried to put some topical on my teeth to numb it but that didn’t work so she said we wouldn’t numb it with the needle and that she had to get the other doctor to do but she was with another patient at the moment. So they just left me in a room upset, turned the light out and left. They didn’t let me know how long they would be or when the orthodontist would be back. I was left in this room for 30 min. I finally told the tech that I was leaving. She had me check and see if my retainer would fit, the top did, the bottom didn’t (of course I still had cement on my teeth) so the tech calls the orthodontist back in and she tries to grind the retainer down to fit over my teeth and it wouldn’t fit, finally she gets all pissed and makes a comment about the retainer not fitting because of the cement and leaves. She was incredibly rude. At that point I walked out in tears from the pain and frustration.

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Beth@CoastDental
Tampa, US
Apr 10, 2012 6:32 am EDT
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Thank you for letting us know about your concern. SmileCare was recently acquired by Coast Dental. I have asked the District Manager to review your case and contact you. Should you have any further questions, please contact our patient relations team directly at [protected]. Thank you. Regards, Beth@CoastDental.com.

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5:38 pm EST
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SmileCare Dental billing after 2 years

I received a bill 11/2010 from Smilecare dating back to 8/2008. Their response was “We got audited and it was found that you needed to pay because your insurance carrier didn’t cover this procedure. The statute of limitation is four years for us to collect. Next time check the list of services your provider covers.” Two years ago is when I needed to know, before they offered my family the service. If you walk into a dental office and you're told that a procedure is required for your health, you tend not to argue. Turns out that the procedure was not required and it was not covered by the family insurance. So two years down the road we're paying Smilecare for services that we really didn't need. This is BAD BUSINESS.

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seashelly81
Santa Rosa, US
Aug 20, 2011 11:12 pm EDT

yes! omg! im going through the same thing! i had health insurance with blueshield. i lost it due to being fired from my job while i was in the middle of my dental treatment with smilecare. after i lost my insurance with blueshield, i was getting statments from smilecare saying that the insurance company was to pay $956.67. i told smilecare in the beginning that i lost my insurance after my hours were cut back in '09. and everytime i got a statment in that same price, i told smilecare i have no insurance, and they said "the insurance company has to pay this no matter what and you have nuthing to worry about". well just recently i got a call from the orthodontic department and said that they filed a claim for that money, and it was denied because i no longer have that insurance. I TOLD THEM THAT 2 YEARS AGO! and all they said is that they been sending claims to blueshield for 2 years with no responce until now! and now i have to pay that $956.67! i cant believe they told me not to worry and that the insurance company was to pay that money, and now they are telling me the reason i shouldnt worry about the money because they havent heard back from the insurance company. all they told me was that i need to call their corprate office to get some information for blueshield from payments made by them to any written agreement to pay that money no matter what. well the worst part is that i cant get ahold of the corprate office. when i call them, it rings once and then an auto voice comes on and says "mailbox...please enter the mail box number following the number sign..." and then if you dont, you get disconnected. i called smilecare about that, and they said that that was the number to the corprate office. so now im hella mad and i feel decieved and cheated, cause i was garenteed that the insurance company was to pay this money and not me. and now they want that money from me!

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10:46 pm EST
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SmileCare Dental incorrect diagnose and improper charges

Horrible place for services on dental care and verification on billing. I went in to have services done, wait time is unbelievable. I had to cancel my eye appt because of their unstructered wait time. After almost three hours from the time I get there and to the time I left, I walked out of there in more pain than with I began with. I was informed I needed on onlay, after going back in forth, it was determined that the onlay was not fitting right and they needed to do it over. After being so frustrated, during my open enrollment i selected a new dentist (which I am totally happy with). It was determined that the onlay was too close to the nerve and that was why so much pain. My new dentist suggested a crown. Which now I have no pain. Sensitive to cold and heat at times, but that is to be expected. My advise - stay away from Smilecare. They offer you stuff that I have never been offered EVER in all my years of going to the dentist. They are trying to collect for services not done properly. And I will complain until justice is satisfied. Stay FAR away!

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SmileCare Dental
, US
Sep 18, 2014 2:04 pm EDT

SmileCare Lake Forest IS CLOSED

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7:37 pm EDT
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SmileCare Dental over charged

I have paid SmileCare completely yet they still insist that I owe money. I was on a payment plan that was complete 3 months ago but they still take out the money. I have contacted the bank and they adjust the charges but I have to do it each month. Each time, I have to submit my insurance documents and correspondence from my insurance company.
When I tried to explain the error, they did not even know what they were talking about. They made a comment that my insurance only paid 70% of the bill when in actually, the insurance paid 90% of the bill.
This is not the only problem. They once "misplaced" my file and then tried to tell me I did not receive services from the office. This is not a good place for treatment. I have a great place now. They are in Pasadena and their prices or so reasonable that I am starting to wonder what exactly was I paying for at SmileCare. ?

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11:56 am EDT
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SmileCare Dental fraudulent practice

We went to SmileCare for a consultation for my son's braces. The first thing they did was to coat his teeth with a protective finish which they said they already had approval from our insurance company. I didn't like the way they handled their business so we went to another orthodontist. 6 months later we started getting bills from smile care for over $300 for unpaid bills (teeth coatings) which the insurance company had not authorized. We are now getting calls from a collection agency for this. As there are multiple complaints for the exact same reason on this website alone, it looks like it's time for a class action lawsuit.
STAY AWAY FROM SMILECARE

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3:11 pm EDT

SmileCare Dental refuse to find my refund

Smile care dental corp refunded $800 to a closed account that they caused by debiting my account after i told to stop!they claim bank of america accepted the refund and placed in holding account!

the bank return deposit back to smile care dental.smile care said they do not have it ! they use another company that handle their refunds first data.so.now i have to sue these *** to get my money! i will never again go to smilecare dental and taking my business to a far better place. bad businss they don't know what there doing.

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10:47 pm EDT
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SmileCare Dental unnecessary procedures

I went to SmileCare in 18 months ago to have some discomfort checked out from a root canal done by a prior dentist. They found nothing wrong but told me that I had 3 other teeth that were cracked & needed crowns. They told that I hurried and had 2 done in the current year all I had to pay was $864 & my insurance would pay the rest and it would max out my benefits for the year, then at the beginning of the next year I can get the 3rd done. Thinking they were professionals and knew what they were doing, I agreed to have the 2 done. I stopped at the 3rd because the insurance company said it wasn't necessary. Know 18 months later and 4 denials from my insurance company because the procedures were unnecessary, they are having their collection agency harass me at work. They don't answer the letters you send them, their Better Business Bureau rating is an F

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SmileCare Dental caring family dentist

SmileCare takes pride in providing access and affordability to dentistry for families throughout California, Nevada, and Texas. We understand that patients can choose to go any where and value their choice in us.

We are a held to a higher standard than other private offices and group practices. We have our own dental insurance plan which means we are regulated by the state and must meet and exceed all standards of safety and patient finance.

This board is designed solely to warehouse complaints and not share the stories of healthy happy patients who come through our doors everyday. We welcome you to visit SmileCares in your neighborhood and let us give you a tour of our locations. We have the lastest technology, all dental specialties, and finance programs to fit any family budget.

Please feel free to visit www.smilecare.com to learn more about us and the pride we take in every patient visit.

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Cheryl Cugno
Palmdale, US
Aug 28, 2014 1:45 pm EDT

I went for an emergency extraction. I was swollen, infected, and in such pain I couldn't think straight. I did not know what was going on except to please get me out of pain. I had no sleep, was sobbing all night, and waited for an hour outside just sobbing in pain. They finally opened, and after some time started the extraction. A month later I found out that during that visit, they had fitted me for upper and lower partials to the tune of 4000.00 which they asked for a credit increase from Care Credit. I do remember them telling me Care Credit wanted to talk to me. I do remember getting up and on the phone and saying yes it's me. BUT I would never have agreed to 4000.00 partials. They had already asked me if I wanted them in Sept, I said no I can't afford them, In Dec I once again said no I can't afford them, and then in JULY they took advantage of the fact that I was not in my right frame of mind And DID THE PROCEDURE. Now they say well you can deny them but you need to pay us 80 percent. So for there up sell which was in an emergency visit to a person who had no idea what was going on except to get out of pain. I have to pay them either 4000.00 for the partials or (And this is quite cleaver on their behalf. 3150.00 for no partials. Thats was They SMILE cause there pockets are lined with money the rob from you. I will NOT LET THIS GO. I will work day and night to expose them

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alc1851
lakewood, US
Jul 19, 2012 6:00 am EDT

My treatment was done 6 months ago, and I faithfully called them to ask if my account is in good standing. With no balance.

Surprise...I got A COLLECTION LETTTER from A COLLECTION AGENCY telling me I owe a 1k for UNPAID benefit. I called my insurance company and asked them if the benefit was denied. They said, smile care did not provide enough infomation (they change 5 doctors on during my ortho treatment of 3 years)

RIght now I am trying to dispute the billing but it is such a headache.

BAD company.

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John_from_Palmdale
, US
Jul 17, 2012 9:38 am EDT
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I absolutely agree that SmileCare is the worst dental provider in the history of United States. We were patients at their Palmdale CA office. My daughter had DHMO insurance and her cleanings were free as per contract between the dentist and the DHMO. They made up charge called "debit adjustment" in 2006 and even though we explained to them that the charge is bogus, 6 years later they sent request to the collection agency to collect the money. This office was so crazy that they would send payment requests for my daughter's and my wife's procedures to another insurance company that none of them was associated with in any way. The insurance company then would send us the bills and tell us they can't pay because we are not insured by them. It was so embarassing that we had to find another dentist. They also will drill your teeth for money, they will ruin your mouth just because they have to make a buck. They will also schedule appointments but you need to plan the entire day off to get the necessary work done as they are very disorganized and they will keep you waiting for many hours, or they will take break for lunch and tell you to come back later. So please, if you don't want problems and keep your good teeth intact, do not go there. Avoid them like the devil, as I guarantee you, once you set your foot there they will screw you.

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Dental Hygienist
Reno, US
Dec 02, 2010 6:11 am EST

You (and many/most all others) are being systematically treated with "Vanish Varnish" a product by 3M Inc which is simply another fluoride treatment which might be useful for kids with an excessive cavity rate (who should focus on home brushing for 2 minutes 2 times per day and rinsing with ACT Fluoride Rinse but no water rinse afterwards for 30 min morning and bedtime ) .
The "coating" (a form of Fluoride exposure) which is short-term in benefit and can be equivocated or done with toothpaste and just weekly over-the-counter Fluoride rinses, is indiscrimanently "diagnosed" as "necessary" since all dental professionals are under Smilecare's Corporate instruction to treatment plan and have patient treatment acceptance goals for their 'extra money makers" which includes corporate pressure on "Specialists" such as Orthdontists who are pressured to "sell" such add-ons to increase "out-of- pocket" expenses for each patient, otherwise called ARPV= Average Revenue per Patient or basically how much patients actually wind uo paying directly to Smilecare "Out-of-Pocket" at the time of their visit that insurance absolutely won't cover.
Although parents are made to feel that they would not be making a sound/good decision to decline such a "necessary" and "preventative" treatment for their child's future dental health, once "agreed" to (whether patient's parents are fully aware or not) becomes Smilecare's "opportunity" to fully bill/try to hold fully financially responsible the parents once their insurance declines all such since almost ALL insurances provide little to ZERO coverage for "Varnish Coating" types of fluoride treatment (which billing can take months or even a year before you're "hit" with the unpaid bill of which you should dispute with Smilecare, the dentist or other corporate dental provider vehemently) .
These are all huge for-profit companies, from the corporations that market their "coatings" (3M) to the dental care corporations (Smilecare ) that push their professionals to "sell their souls" to "make an extra buck" which benefits the corporations well beyond and dental provider or dental patient.
If it were up to the (ethical) dental providers in the situation of having to be employed by "corporate" dental "care", most would advise the willing and able patients to use the homecare products that are at least if not more effective if used consisently and are affordably available at Walmart, Target, Walgreens, Safeway, Luckys, etc.
Look for ACT Fluoride Rinse, Listerene "Smart Rinse" although read the label, it HAS to say it's a "Fluoride" Rinse and watch out for generics with "high sacchrin" content.

-Registered Dental Hygienist (since 1990)

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upsetDude
, US
May 19, 2010 10:16 pm EDT
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You neglect to tell about the way your dentist pressure patients into agreeing to unnecessary procedures that they tell you your insurance will pay and then turn them over to collections when the insurance denies the claim becaues the procedures were unnecessary.

You neglect to tell how your billing dept ignores any correspondance and will not return phones unless pressed on a daily basis.

You neglect to tell about the "F" rating you have with the Better Business Bureau.
http://www.la.bbb.org/Business-Report/SmileCare-Family-Dentistry-13097742

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SmileCare Dental fraud

I changed dental provders because my insurance changed. I selected Smilecare because they are close to where I live.

It was the worst healthcare experience I have had to experience.

I was in the office for over 2 hours and had xrays (FMX and Pano) and an exam. I never met a more incompetent and disorganized bunch of people in my life. I had to re-do some of the FMX films because they did not take.

When I finally saw the dentist she only check 4 of my teeth with her instruments after looking at the FMX films. (The Pano was not present) She said I had a leaking posterior composite on tooth # 4 and that was it. When the exam was over, I was escorted back to the lobby to wait, again. The receptionist called me up and I asked if I was going to get a prophy. Mind you, the receptionist is not a trained nor experienced dentist had the audacitiy to tell me that I have "unhealthy gums" and they could not do a prophy but could do a deep cleaning and scaling know as a "SRP" and then proceeded to present me with a $700 out of pocket treatment plan. Needless to day, I declined. I asked for a copy of the proposed treatment plan. The following week, I called to have my xrays and pano sent to my new dentist and they had me on hold for over 10 minutes. I humg up and called back and demanded my xrays and pano be sent to the new dentist and I am in the process of filing a complaint with every dental association and my insurance.

They are completely fraudulent and try to coerce a patient into accepting treatement that is completely not dentally necessary. I cannot believe with all the complaints that I have seen posted from several website for this provider, that they still remain in business. I am determined to bring this provider down.

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GECapitalCares
Tempe, US
Jan 13, 2014 11:48 am EST
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**To expedite a response, please provide Reference code DM 011314_cb_ChristyGaney**

I’m sorry you have experienced issues with your GE Capital Retail Bank account. We would like to try and resolve your concerns. Please email me at gecapitalcares@ge.com with your name and phone number. A member of our consumer advocacy team will call you to assist.

For your security, please do not include your account number in your email.

Regards,
Nicole
GE Capital

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Christy Ganey
Fresno, US
Jan 10, 2014 12:20 pm EST
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This is the worst dental provider EVER! This provider billed my insurance for work they did not perform and charged me a copay on my Care Credit! I have filed a grievence against them with Delta Dental. This place also opened a Care Credit account without my knowldege. I have tried to get them to refund my money for work they did not do and to reverse the claim to my insurance but they will not return my phone calls. They will tell you you need dental work that is not necessary ESPECIALLY if you have good insurance.

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SmileCare Dental illegally billed me $500

This company illegally tried to bill me $500 nearly a year after they took out my wisdom teeth!‎

Here's the story:

I went to this SmileCare on Mira Mesa Blvd for surgery last year to get my wisdom teeth out. Even with my insurance, the cost of the surgery was more than $600 which I paid in cash. I decided to undergo general anesthesia because they let me know that my insurance covered it for free. I had my surgery done, which actually went pretty well and I forgot about it.

Almost a year passes and a week ago I get a bill out of no where for an additional $500 related to my surgery. I call SmileCare to see why and they tell me it's because my insurance denied the claim for the anesthesia. They let me know that my insurance plan actually doesn't cover the cost of general anesthesia and I have to pay them the difference. I called my insurance company and they told me that it's actually ILLEGAL for a company to bill someone after they perform the surgery just because they didn't check with my insurance first. By agreeing to take the insurance when they performed surgery, SmileCare agreed to go by the costs of the insurance plan and they can't bill me afterwards just because they were too lazy to call my insurance company and ask about the basic benefits of my plan.

So now I'm in the process of getting this all cleared up so that SmileCare can't mess up my credit.

I went on Google Reviews to put in a bad review about this place, and I saw that there were several other people with similar complaints about this particular office over the last couple of years. Then I found out that all Smile Cares are run by a corporation, apparently with policies to scam people out of their money. I checked and saw even more bad reviews for other Smile Care Dentals across the state. Almost all the complaints have to do with horrible service, ineptitude, and other issues that somehow end up with people paying more money. If anyone is interested in starting a class-action lawsuit against them, I'd definitely be interested.

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hate smilecare
Pomona, US
Aug 31, 2011 7:13 am EDT

yeah. they are doing the same sort of thing with me. they said i should of read my contract. my son didn't need a specialist but i was referred to smile care for his treatment, because his dentist said he had bad cavities. so they sent me a bill after almost 1 year, because insurance denies him because he doesn't need a specialist because he is not under 5. my insurance said that smilecare never call for authorization before work was done. i didn't think much about it because i thought i was referred there with authorization.

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SmileCare Dental rip off

The office in North Highlands should be ashamed of themselves. The doctor is amazing, but her staff sells her short. Promises of discounts that are not applied. I waiting 1 month for 3 gold/porcelain crowns because they were the "wrong color" the first time. Whose fault is that? I had to contact them to schedule the appt.-they didn't have the decency to call me! They took $1300 of my money and treated me like they were doing me a favor. Again, the dentist is great, but I will NEVER recommend this office to anyone! Not even an enemy!

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SmileCare Dental bad service

I have never had worst treatment in any health care situation then I had this last week when I decided to go to SmileCare in my area ( see Title ). I never received consultation like I was told before or after my x rays were taken which cost $80. Since they were busy I felt I was pushed out of the door while telling me they would call the next day. After 4-5 days of not hearing back from them I finally decided to walk in to find out why they didn't call and get consultation. They then told me that it would cost $65 more for a consultation from a specialist while no one has still explained what SmileCare plan options there were or which ones would benefit me. I felt like this was a cattle call! I made a decision due to the service I had received up to that point to ask for my x rays and go elsewhere. At that point two employees one the office manager ( Carla ) lied and said they didn't have my x rays and I would have to pay $45 in advance and wait for two weeks because the x rays were at their corporate office. Since then I have found the office workers had lied. My X Rays were their the whole time and it would cost $15 plus I wouldn't have to wait two weeks. Why would they put any patient through this while I was dealing with so much pain for reasons I went to SmileCare in the first place. When I went into their office a second time to pick up my x rays and I was thrown out of the office by the office manager ( Carla ) in most degrading and humiliating manner that I have ever experienced before. I have since then contacted the corporate office hoping that my situation is resolved and that this will never happen again to another patient in my situation.

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