Anonymous

Poor Communication of Services/Insurance Coverage

I received a recommendation of treatment that I couldn't afford, so an alternative was suggested at the time, but the exact procedure wasn't clearly explained to me. I repeatedly requested only a regular cleaning.

There was a charge for what I thought was basic cleaning, and thought my insurance just didn't cover it, so I paid the lower amount prior to the procedure. The services were performed, but again against my request of that deeper cleaning they wanted to and did perform. BUYER BEWARE!!.....Make sure you stay consistent with your request of the type of service, no matter what dental practice you visit. They chose to ignore my repeated request of a basic cleaning which was actually a "No Charge" through my insurance.

I should have stopped once things were taken too far, but I was relying on the professionalism of the Town Center Dental staff in Santee, California, to heed my repeated request of just a basic cleaning. I felt a great deal of pressure to continue with their description of treatment, but again not realizing this treatment they were about to perform wasn't what I requested or thought I would receive. The treatment began with a numbing gel and then a numbing injection, I believe was lidocaine. They completed the procedure and I then left.

Later, talking with family and friends, I realized I was unjustifiably pressured into a procedure I strongly disagreed to. Going back to the office I asked for a refund, but they stated, "I'm sorry we don't give refunds". A family member has had negative experiences at this office in the past, but taken as things will get better. They didn't and I now have been a victim of their unprofessional attitude towards their clients.

I am part of many social groups and have already warned people to stay away from this particular office. Lessons learned: Check my insurance for services and be more aggressive in my request for services.

Stay away from this office!!! They are cheats!!!!!!

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Reason of review:
Return, Exchange or Cancellation Policy
Anonymous

Short Review on January&nbs-05:00;13,&nbs-05:00;2017

stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full

Office in Sahuarita is horrible on their employees. The doctor is a *** and makes the dental assts.

do all his work as he pulls in $60K per week and only pays his his assistants $13.50 per hour with no raises after a year of work.

Also appointments are scheduled through lunchs so hardly enough₩ time to eat and take break. Out of control!

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Reason of review:
Bad quality
Resolved
Amias Qsj
map-marker Houston, Texas

Resolved: Shocked and Disappointed in Copperfield Modern Dentistry (a Pacific Dental Services LLC dentist office)

Updated by user Aug 17, 2016

Wow! It took 3 months and several complaints and my insurance questioning their billing practices and I finally have a refund.

The letter I received from my insurance company though explains that they tried to get out of it by saying I owed them money from a previous visit. Although they never told me this or sent me a bill.

Updated by user Aug 12, 2016

Surprise! Still no refund.

I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau of Greater Houston on August 4th. Copperfield Modern Dentistry has 20 days to reply. On August 11th the office manager responded that they would "reissue" my refund and I should receive it in 10 to 14 days.

The saga continues.... Another update at the end of the 14 day waiting period.

Original review Jul 26, 2016

Future patients beware. Take the time to read the many reviews you can find regarding Pacific Dental Services LLC (the corporation that owns all these dentist offices under various names - do your research.) I have been a patient of Copperfield Modern Dentistry for a few years. I have no complaints about the dentist. It is the front office staff. An overzealous front desk person who thought my insurance rates (fee schedule) were out of date took it upon herself to apply some bogus insurance rate/fee schedule to my account. Didn't even bother to call the insurance company to get a predetermination of benefits or to find out what the correct rates or fee schedule was to determine my out-of-pocket expenses. And this was not the estimate of costs they had given me before the work. It was a surprise at the end of the treatment. Not surprising, the charges I paid for the dental work was almost double what I should have paid out-of-pocket. This was two months ago. They know they over charged me! They have already been by the insurance company two months ago and now won't refund the portion of my out-of-pocket expenses that is rightfully owed to me. I've gone to their office in person. My insurance company has even called them on my behalf. They were told I would receive the money I am owed in two weeks. We are going on four weeks now. No refund and no calls from the dentist office. The office manager has said "we will take care of you". Not sure what he means by that. But doing the right thing would be nice. Refund the credit I have on my account since I have no further visits scheduled.

I am filing complaints with as many regulatory agencies as possible regarding their way of doing business. It is a shame too because I liked the dentist and her dental assistants that take X-rays and such. But unfortunately you have to deal with the front office staff to get to her for an appointment.

This is not the professional way to deal with loyal patients and I am really disappointed in Copperfield Modern Dentistry.

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Loss:
$75
Cons:
  • Dishonesty
Reason of review:
Problems with payment

Preferred solution: Full refund

3 comments
Guest

corporate dentistry is truly becoming a cancer on society, they take the trust that the public has in the dental profession and obliterate it buy trying to milk consumers for every last dime. What's worse is now companies like Pacific and Heartland are trying to trick the public into believing these are privately owned dental offices, by giving them all different names!!! I guess they figured out no one wants to go to a walmart dentist!

Guest

Pacific Dental owns hundreds of Dental Offices but they don't put their name on them, and it's hard to find out if they are affiliated but a dead give away is the $59 cleaning xray special -and their webpages all look identical. I went to one and they tried to sell me $4,000 in services that I didn't need, including a bottle of $78 mouthwash you can get at any pharmacy for $4.

A lot of these offices have 'modern' in their name, at least the one I went to did. If you go to an office and you have to meet with an office manager, ask them straight out if they are affiliated with Pacific Dental and if they are run as fast as you can or you will walk out with a mouth full of dental work you probably didn't need and a bill of at least 4k

Guest

Advertised new patient exam, xrays and cleaning for $59 but billed my insurance for $886. This included services -oral hygiene instructions and photographs that were not done.

Said my former dental office did not have my full mouth xrays which was not true. Dental offices have to keep xrays and records. I checked myself and saw them. The dentist and office assistant were arrogant and condescending.

Place was being picketed for "Unfair Labor Practices " when I was there. !!!

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Anonymous
map-marker Saint Louis Park, Minnesota

Pacific Dental Services - Dental Service Review from Saint Louis Park, Minnesota

Affordable dentistry? My first visit was charged over $800 to insurance vs the advertised $59.

I was told my previous dental clinic did not have my xrays. Dental offices don't just discard xrays; I called and they had them and I went over and saw them myself. I was charged $59 for

"Oral hygiene instructions which I definitely never had. They claim to have a dental hygienist but both times I had the dentist and an inexperienced assistant.

The cleaning took only a few minutes.

I was told a crown was 'leaking' and to come back that afternoon for a new one.

As I was leaving I saw 2 people with signs "Pacific Dental Services Unfair Labor Practices. I am never returning and sorry I ever went there.

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Reason of review:
Pricing issue
Anonymous
map-marker Las Vegas, Nevada

PDS is the devil of sin city

Seems nothing has changed from this company. They fired me just last month due to the fact they placed me in a failing office with no dental background and promise of training. I was placed into the office after being at another office for one month that all I really learned was basic checking patients in and entering patient information into the system. I read all the negative reviews prior and only wish I believed them, I was set up to fail from day one with PDS. There is no proper training as they state in your employee contract, you are truly left to figure it out. Other front office staff are in the same boat because it seems they do not give proper training to anyone.

Its really sad they over work employees and make patients feel they HAVE to do treatments that are not really needed. I am shocked they have not gotten investigated because there is so much they are doing that is not on the up and up. Big example holding on too patients credits for over 2 years.

Also if you have a family member working in your office to any of the Upper Management and they are not doing their job you will be blamed for them not doing their jobs. I was told I was NOT to write someone up in the office period. Also if your Regional Manager screws up your production numbers they will end up writing you up to cover up their mess. Its a mess of a company and I regret it every day I took the job and missed out on another position I was offered at the same time.

So many fake people in this company, they will smile at your face but stab you very hard. So sad because the nice people that are few are scared to say anything because they know they will be fired.

This company preaches about GOD and values, do not be fooled they are the DEVIL and nothing but money hungry and do not care how many hours you work once you placed on salary so you will never see your family, and most of all they pressure patients to do treatments that they dont really need.

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Reason of review:
Poor customer service
Gerald Icq
map-marker Phoenix, Arizona

PDS or $39 deal is a Walmart of Dentistry don

Having worked a year at a PDS mill, they go by different names ( logo is a sun made up of teeth)but all offer $39 dollar for exam cleaning and x-rays. That is the teaser to get you in, they tell the hygienist to try to make them periodontally involved, push laser and fluoride plus look for as many teeth to find crowns or implants to do.

So by the time you leave your appt it went from $39 to $5000 plus. On top of it they refer to their network of specialists for other treatment. If you can't afford tx they will push you into their SmilesPlan run by GE credit with no interest for a year. Basically they screw the patient every which way.

They ask the dental assistant to work off the clock to save them money for their budget they don't want them going into overtime. Everyone is underpaid and overworked a very Hostile environment.The corporate big wigs from Irvine California come in and interrogate employees to produce more with an underlying threat that they may need to look elsewhere for a job if they don't increase their production amount (meaning *** out of every dime they can get)....I feel sorry for the patients and employees . By the way on my observance when I used to work there is that the Cerec crowns are horribly made with rough serrated edges causing more perio and decay, very poor fitting and break easily ..get your work done at a professional lab , artist skilled at what they do. Also no known value with laser decontamination , people were not buying arestin so now they are pushing this.

They love to pull teeth to put implants in...way more money made. I went into the health field to help people not be a car salesman somehow dentistry and medical professions have forgotten the Hippocratic law which is DO NO HARM

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Loss:
$10000
22 comments
Guest

Welcome to the dental world all! How do you think dentists get paid?

Even local private practices try to sell Dentistry and have to in order to keep their practice. Anything other than a regular (prophylaxis) cleaning is going to cost an arm and a leg.

Anything in healthcare is expensive. Good luck at trying to bring down this giant as with all the other "money hungry " ones ......

Guest

Totally agree. This is corporation whose only motive is to make their sales goal. Shame on them for disguising themselves as do gooders for the community.

Guest

this company is scam beyond belief. All they do is sell.

I work for the company is one of the strangest place I ever worked for.

They push the workers beyond belief. they have a dentist that does a horrible job as long as they produce they keep them.

be aware

Guest

Seems nothing has changed from this company. They fired me just last month due to the fact they placed me in a failing office with no dental background and promise of training.

I was placed into the office after being at another office for one month that all I really learned was basic checking patients in and entering patient information into the system. I read all the negative reviews prior and only wish I believed them, I was set up to fail from day one with PDS. There is no proper training as they state in your employee contract, you are truly left to figure it out. Other front office staff are in the same boat because it seems they do not give proper training to anyone.

Its really sad they over work employees and make patients feel they HAVE to do treatments that are not really needed. I am shocked they have not gotten investigated because there is so much they are doing that is not on the up and up. Big example holding on too patients credits for over 2 years.

Also if you have a family member working in your office to any of the Upper Management and they are not doing their job you will be blamed for them not doing their jobs.

I was told I was NOT to write someone up in the office period. Also if your Regional Manager screws up your production numbers they will end up writing you up to cover up their mess.

Its a mess of a company and I regret it every day I took the job and missed out on another position I was offered at the same time.

So many fake people in this company, they will smile at your face but stab you very hard. So sad because the nice people that are few are scared to say anything because they know they will be fired.

This company preaches about GOD and values, do not be fooled they are the DEVIL and nothing but money hungry and do not care how many hours you work once you placed on salary so you will never see your family, and most of all they pressure patients to do treatments that they dont really need.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-942857

$2.1M Unpaid Overtime Class Action Settlement Approved

Don't believe their BS of overtime policies!

Guest

I have worked for PDS for over 7 years. PDS uses Christian beliefs as a front to screw both employees and patients.

Patients are ALL diagnosed with periodontal disease: no candidate for the "$59" cleaning, irrigation and lazer are just money makers, and no discount for cash patients unless they pay $100+ to a PDS owned discount plan. If you can't afford it, you can go through PDS owned financing, and If you need a crown you'll get a piece of *** CEREC crown which you'll be lucky to get 5 years out of. As a DDS, you'll be coached by people who aren't dentists until you pump out $3000+ / a day on people who don't need the dental work.

If you are the manager, you'll be over worked and under paid. This place sucks and I feel bad for not only their patients, but their employees.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-863894

Hi my name is Leeza, I was a consumer at one of the PDS in Ca. After my experience, I went and started researching this group.

I started a Facebook to start trying to expose what these guy's are doing. Unfortunately these guys will take down the Yelp post and any other postings so it is making it very difficult to make contact with any former employees or consumers.

I was wondering if you would be okay with contacting me? My Facebook is Leeza Shah and my email is stopdentalscams@***.com

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1170682

Sorry, auto correct. "Leeza Otay" Email stopdentalscams@***.com Thank you so much

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1170684

I will point out that I'm noticing the employee's are clearly being victimized just like the patients. I'm not an attorney, my background is healthcare.

However, for any employee's who were forced to work and not get paid or were asked to sign something stating you would expect a lower wage. CALL A CLASS ACTION LABOR LAW ATTORNEY!!! ALSO LOOK UP THE "WHISTLEBLOWER CASE"! Coming from the MD side of health care I had no clue what was going on in the dentistry area, but after reading the hundreds of review's about consumers, seniors, chopped work and by far the most horrifying, hurting children!

This group needs to be shut down.

I'm thankful for anyone willing to help me. Facebook Leeza Oshay or you can email me at stopdentalscams@***.com

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-863894

wow, they are all the same! I went to one in Northern California and the office manager tried to sell me $4,000 in services including a replacement bridge based on nothing other than the dentist thinking a shadow in the x-ray might indicate decay under the bridge, he didn't even probe the margins, and also included was $1,000 in periodontal work which I know I didn't need.

What a racket!

I almost fell for it until they tried to sell me a bottle of chlorhexidine for $78 and I knew you could get it at Walmart for $4.

And they hide the fact that they are part of Pacific Dental, the only reason I found out is when I got copies of my records Pacific Dental logo was on the cover sheet.

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