Complaint Review: Dr. Carlos Santiago Dr. Santiago - Jacksonville Florida

If you are considering seeing Dr. Santiago, please read all of this, and take it from me, don't waste your time and money.

Dr Carlos Santiago is the most shady person I have ever come across in the Health Care industry. Everything was wonderful when I called in for an appointment. I was told by Elizabeth that Dr. Santiago just opened this office in Orange Park on Old Saint Augustine Rd. and that as a new patient I could get an appointment quickly because he did not have many patients. Even though his staff claimed that this was not his first office, that he has been practicing for over 10 years. I thought it was strange that he wouldn't have any patients from his other office "carrying over", but I really needed a filling taken care of and thought I'd give it a shot. I was told over the phone that I could get my cavity filled at the first appointment. I thought that was odd b/c normally as a new patient your first visit is just a check up or cleaning, and then you are scheduled to have work done later. But again, I really needed the filling and so I went.

When I arrived, again the girl there was pleasant and assured me that getting my filling that day wouldn't be a problem and that I'd be in and out in an hour. She did the X-rays which went great b/c of their new digital X-ray technology. Then I waited, and waited, and waited. I was absolutely the only patient in the entire office and still waited for quite some time. Finally Dr. Santiago shows up and introduces himself. He was very pleasant as well. I felt okay. Until he started the oral exam. He/it was very awkward. I don't know if a better word could explain it than that. Just awkward, like he didn't know what he was doing.

He looked at my teeth (literally, just looked), then he began calling codes and numbers out to his assistant Elizabeth. He told me not to worry about those codes b/c they are for "our benefit". I wasn't worried, I just wanted my filling. When he was done (doing nothing to my mouth at this point) he wanted to show me my X-rays. He pointed out the 1 cavity that I was coming in to have filled. Then 1 that was inside of another tooth but had no external opening yet so it wasn't as obvious as the other. Than he showed me just 1 more that had some "surface" erosion and said that most people would just want to keep an eye on it in future visits, but that he suggested I have it taken care of now as well. I agreed and was ready to have the 3 cavities fixed that we just discussed. He then began stalling, or so it seemed to me, and I couldn't understand why we weren't beginning.

Then he started talking about getting a Financial Summary of Costs from the assistant Elizabeth first before we begin. I agreed, taking the hint that this was going to be expensive, and we both left the dental chair to walk back up to the front.

After waiting for another 20 minutes to get the statement of cost I was given a sheet of paper with a list of over 10!!!! supposed cavities! With all of the original prices that printed out onto the paper whited out, and new prices written in. I couldn't make heads or tails of it. I asked the assistant Elizabeth which number on the sheet was the cavity I came in to have filled, she couldn't figure that out, I asked her which number was the front 1 he showed me on the X-ray, and which was the surface 1. She started talking about all of these cavities that I had, that he never even discussed with me or showed me on the X-ray. She calls Dr. Santiago back to the front to figure out which code is which tooth.

After telling me what they "thought" was the right ones (neither of them seeming very sure), the cost for all of these fillings, was over $950 out of pocket (after insurance paid their portion). Including a special "Debridement Cleaning". I was amazed to say the least. At first I believed that I could possibly have all of these cavities, after all this man is an expert, right? So I started making arrangements for when I could have them filled, still wanting to get the original 1 done that day that I came in for.

Now I was being told that I couldn't have that one filled that day, that I would have to have all of the ones done on that side at the same time. I knew I couldn't afford all of those on that day. I said that I didn't want the special Debridement cleaning, that I would just like a regular cleaning. I was told by the assistant Elizabeth that since the Doctor (he should be ashamed to call himself that) prescribed the Debridement cleaning, that I couldn't have the basic cleaning. Then she started telling me about this special tool that he uses to get below the gum line. That seemed very funny to me, since they all have "special tools" and a basic cleaning always is to get below the gum line. So I basically left, with nothing to show of my visit but this outrageous statement of costs.

Dr. Santiago and his assistant Elizabeth both seemed aggravated that I even questioned the statement. I couldn't understand why, wouldn't anyone? Especially when they were only told of 3 while they were in the Examining Chair, but given a list of over 10 later.

The next day I was trying to figure out how I was going to afford to have all of these cavities filled, when, and which ones to do first.

A couple of days later, after I decided I could afford up to $500, I called the office to set an appointment and spoke to Sandra. She again tried to tell me which cavities I could have filled in 1 visit and which I couldn't. That made no sense to me. It's my mouth, I'm going to be numbed up anyway, why couldn't I get the ones I wanted filled. I told her that if they have to be on the same side then I'll have just these 2 done first. Everything was set, we had a date, we knew which cavities were getting filled (just 2 for now). Then Sandra mentioned that she is at home, that the office calls are being forwarded to her home. Hmmm, ok, that's odd for a dental office, but ok. It's in the middle of the afternoon, but then again they just opened and he doesn't have many patients. I convinced myself that that was normal too.

A few hours later I received a call from Dr. Santiago himself who apparently had a problem with me only scheduling 2 fillings and said that because I was uncomfortable in his office that he didn't want me to be his patient. Wow! Talk about shocked. I just got dumped, rejected, by a freakin Dentist! Because I had questions (literally just questions. I wasn't rude, loud, mean, sarcastic, nothing, just questions) Carlos told me that he would have my X-rays sent to me. Here we are almost 3 weeks later and still no X-rays.

After that call I took an even closer look at my Statement of Costs. This time I paid attention to the codes along each of these cavities and realized that these are the same codes that he was calling out to his assistant Elizabeth during the exam when he just looked in my mouth. Not when he reviewed the X-rays, he didn't come out of his office from looking at the X-rays with a list of possible cavities in his hand. He decided that these teeth all had cavities when he just looked at them. I can assure you nothing is visible from the exterior of my teeth except for the 1 original cavity I was there to have filled in the first place. Then I was just furious. I couldn't believe that I almost fell for it. If I had not asked so many questions, then the shady, lying, no good Dr. Carlos Santiago would not have called me back to cancel my appointment and I would probably still be scheduling appointments to have all of these fake supposed cavities filled and probably borrowing money or not paying some bills to get it paid for.

I also started thinking about the whole special tool thing for the Debridement cleaning and I believe they are adding this cleaning to patients Statement of Costs to get their stupid, unnecessary tool paid off. Never have I met a more shady bunch of people in my life.

I may have wasted an afternoon in that office, but I could have wasted a lot more time and loads more money. Ask questions, be cautious, know what's being done, why it's necessary, and how much it will cost. ASK QUESTIONS! If it doesn't feel right to you, if you feel uncomfortable or awkward in the least bit, just get out of there. And DO NOT under any circumstances go to Dr. Carlos Santiago of Orange Park, FL. It is not worth the time, not worth the aggravation, and definitely not worth the money.

Duped by shady dentist

Jacksonville, Florida

U.S.A.