Complaint Review: Dr. Stephen R. Hertzberg

Orthodontic treatment ordeal!

The purpose of this letter is to inform anyone who wants orthodontic treatment using Invisalign Aligners and with Dr. Stephen R. Hertzberg of Naperville, IL. 29 South Webster St Naperville IL 60540

Please read on................

Terminology:
What is Invisalign?
Introduced in 1999 by Align Technologies, Invisalign incorporates a series of invisible (clear) plastic aligners that fit comfortably over your teeth and are designed to move your teeth gradually into the desired position.

What is ClinCheck?
Invisalign Clinicians?
Invisalign Clinicians use a computer program to plan tooth movement. Invisalign designates where the buttons go. Dentists or ortho can fiddle with the system and add rubber bands, or extra cement between teeth, and can order new aligners when these changes are made. Final decision of the treatment plan has to be approved by the dentists or Ortho.


Dr. Stephen R. Hertzberg of Naperville, IL. is listed on Align Technologies' website. According to the website, Dr. Stephen R. Hertzberg is premium provider. At the initial consultation, he told me that he has eight-plus years Invisalign treatment experiences. Once I was approved for this treatment, I was told by Dr. Stephen R. Hertzberg that the treatment time would be eighteen months and the number of aligners would be 31 upper aligners and 15 lower aligners; wearing each set for two weeks.

Two or three months before the treatment started, He asked me to have one tooth extracted (number 5). I asked him that was he sure about extraction? He told me that he'd never been sue, then I asked him would my number 7 and 8 teeth centered? He said yes.

On November 13 2007, I showed up in his office for doing my teeth impression. The moment I walked in, his assistant Tony asked to pay the down payment $1500 dollars before doing my impression, so I paid. Two minutes later, she showed me two papers and asked me to sign; one of the papers was the Agreement with Dr. Hertzberg and the other one was Align Technologies' paper. At that moment I had a really bad feeling, she tricked me, she should've showed me the papers before I paid the down payment. The content of both papers was defindly protecting Dr. Stephen R. Hertzberg and Align Technologies. Dr. Stephen R. Hertzberg had never mentioned the papers to me. I had tooth extraction done and had no choices but signed the papers.


I received first two sets of aligners on Dec 11, 2007 and I would see Dr. Stephen R. Hertzberg every four weeks for two sets of new aligners. The problem was that those aligners did not fit properly from the very beginning of the first set (the aligner are so visible on my front to teeth, the aligners only cover about 2/3 of my front teeth), after four months wearing those unfit aligners, I was like literally begging Dr. Stephen R. Hertzberg to make new aligners for me, he refused. It got to the point I could not take it anymore after wearing 14 sets of those unfit aligners, I left a message on his office's voice mail in the middle of the night, threatening to drop the treatment if he refuse to give replacement aligners. Two days later I got a call from Tony, and I made an appointment to make a new impression. I had talk to one of Invisalign Clinicians over the phone; the reason that those aligners didn't fit was because the original impression was poorly made. The replacement aligners (19 upper and 8 lower) fit perfectly.

The first time I watch Clincheck video, I was shock that I would have a big gap after the treatment completed. Dr. Stephen R. Hertzberg's daughter Stacy told that I just had to put a fake tooth to fill the gap, and she said it like that it is not a big deal. I was so upset; I insisted that Dr. Stephen R. Hertzberg to tell me how wide is that gap. Dr. Stephen R. Hertzberg told me he had no idea.

On the first of November 2008, I stopped by his office; wanted to ask a question that am I finished the treatment on the lower teeth? I was wearing the last two of those replacement aligners. Dr. Stephen R. Hertzberg's daughter Stacy basically told me three things with a bitter voice; whenever I want them to stop treating me, they are loosing money, and Dr. Stephen R. Hertzberg only baby-sits me.

On the 2nd December 2008. Dr. Stephen R. Hertzberg checked my teeth and told me that my lower front teeth are too small that's why aligners wouldn't work. He gave me two options; he would order new aligners for me or he wants to charge me extra money for getting regular metal brace. I asked him how much he wanted to charge me? He wouldn't tell me, he said he wanted me to think about it for two weeks. He also said if I wanted regular metal brace for my upper teeth also, it would cost me big money. At that moment I knew I was done with him. Obviously the agreement paper I'd signed meant nothing to him.

In conclusion, I've worn 23 sets of aligners so far, spent almost a year of my life, and I see so little improvement. I've just finished wearing lower aligners (22 aligners), and my lower front teeth are not straight, as matter of fact, I don't see any changes on my lower teeth. All the time on this treatment Dr. Stephen R. Hertzberg kept telling me that I am not able to see the changes until I finished the treatment. The funny thing is I just finished wearing those lower aligners twice.

This orthodontist; Dr. Stephen R. Hertzberg, a so-called premium provider, who self-claim has eight-plus years of Invisalign treatment experience told me that my lower front teeth are too small, that's why Invisalign wouldn't work. If that's the reason, I wonder when did he find out that my lower front teeth are too small? Unbelievable! There is no way the treatment would complete in 18 months, and he knew it. How did I know that he knew that aligners weren't working? He told one of Clinician Gary. Remember I had worn 14 sets of the original aligners (31 upper and 15 lower), that was about to finish wearing the lower aligners, my lower teeth didn't even move a bit, he didn't even bother to mention to me that my lower teeth weren't moving. Every time I came in for appointment, thinking that he was going to mention to me that it was not working, but he just did not care to tell me. Everything he'd said turned out untrue. He lied to me through his teeth. He asked me to extract my number 5 teeth and didn't tell me about the gap I would have. If he had told me about the gap, I would not had have accepted the treatment. I had a terrible experience with Dr. Stephen R. Hertzberg, and two of his staff talks harshly towards me. I feel trapped, since I've already paid most of the money and couldn't get out of this ordeal.

The truth is, after talk to several orthodontists, Invisalign Aligners only works if patients have miner issue. Invisalign won't work on deep bite or complex issues. Illinois should ban Align Technologies doing business here. People, think about it, any general dentist can provides Orthodontic treatment using Invisalign. And another thing is that premium providers of Align Technologies really mean that orthodontists or general dentists bring in lots of business for the company, as matter of fact, Dr. Stephen R. Hertzberg had once mentioned to me that the company loved him. Stupid me!

People, after you've learned about my ordeal, if you still decide to have Invisalign treatment and with Dr. Stephen R. Hertzberg, then keep in mind, read the agreement paper carefully before you sign, work on the agreement that is fair to both parties, ask him what is the detail plan, do not let him dogging your questions, this is very important; Dr. Stephen R. Hertzberg dodged my questions all the time, and ever never sign Align Technologies' paper. Once you paid, it would be too late to back out unless you're rich. Do not make the same mistake as I had made. At the initial consultation, Dr. Stephen R. Hertzberg was a good salesman to me. I would not be surprised he shows you some nice photoshoped pictures, quote you competteive price in order to get you onboard, given you comfortable treatment time. People! No matter what he said, ask him to put whatever he said on paper.

I regret that I trusted Dr. Stephen R. Hertzberg. He did lots of harm to me emotionally, finatially and the time I wasted.


Good Luck 12/27/2008


Ycformosa
naperville, Illinois
U.S.A.