Complaint Review: Emerson Orthodontics - Broken Arrow Oklahoma

 We have been aware of this report for years, but since we were exonerated by the Better Business Bureau at that time, I chose not to respond.  Recently, we have had a few people refer to this report and so I decided to write the following rebuttal. 

The treatment plan as noted in the complaint is a copy of my diagnosis as given to the parents at the initial examination of their daughter.  I recommended at the first visit that the excess gum tissue between the upper teeth would need removal as part of the treatment plan, but did not allude verbally or in writing that I would personally perform the procedure.  It is not uncommon for me to work in conjunction with other dental subspecialists who perform tasks such as gum procedures, tooth removal or implant placement.  No charges were placed in the contract for this procedure.  Although I cannot speak directly to how our costs relate to the other offices visited, I can say that according to the Oklahoma Dental Cost Calculator, which is available on the internet to everyone, the average cost of orthodontics for youth in the Tulsa area is $6145.33.  As stated in the initial complaint, the fee for treatment was just over $2024.

 The father was unhappy during treatment when his daughter broke her retainer twice and a lab fee of less than $100 was to be applied to their account for replacing the broken retainer.  Again, according to the dental calculator, the average cost of replacing a lost retainer is $379.35.  He verbally threatened to defame our business on the internet, claiming to be employed by an online review company, if we did not remove the charges for both of the broken retainers. 

We did remove the charges and had the lab make retainers at our cost.  Treatment was completed on 4/12/2012 and a final retainer was placed.  The father asked when the frenectomy (gum procedure) would be completed and I let him know that the bonded retainer that was placed would hold the teeth in place until the procedure could be completed by an oral surgeon or periodontist.  The father once again threatened to post online negative reviews about me if I did not agree to pay for the frenectomy.

I informed him due to the threats he was consistently making to my office, I would be dismissing his daughter from further observation at my office, but would continue to see her if an emergency arose in the next 30 days with her retainer until they could find a new orthodontist.  The father stated that he considered it “patient abandonment” to not see her after I had place a bonded permanent retainer.  I offered to remove the retainer and make a new removable retainer for her at no cost.  He declined my offer and 30 days later, the patient was placed in an “inactive” status with my office. I recommended to them that she be seen by an orthodontist for observation until she was old enough to be evaluated for full orthodontic treatment.

A complaint regarding this case was filed to the Better Business Bureau and after a thorough investigation, the BBB ruled in our favor finding no merit for complaint or for compensation to be paid.  After the complaint was closed we were contacted by the patient’s mother on 3/28/2013 and notes were taken in the patient’s chart noting that the mother was still seeking compensation and stated that she would “find another avenue to get Emerson Orthodontics to pay for XXXXXX’s frenectomy.”  This “Ripoff Report” was published on 3/28/2013 at 2:22pm

Even after the phone call and the “Ripoff Report”, my office manager contacted the patient’s mother and let her know that our main goal was good treatment for her daughter and even though the BBB had ruled in our favor, we would be open to paying for half of the frenectomy as long as we could pay it directly to the periodontist to ensure that the procedure was indeed completed.  The patient was seen by a periodontist and we did pay for half of the procedure.

To me and to the BBB, this has been a clear case of attempted intimidation from this family.  We have been threatened multiple times to have our reputation defamed.  After replacing 2 retainers, and paying half of the frenectomy, the overall cost spent on the case by me was as much as what the parents paid (cost minus insurance reimbursement).

Please feel free to visit our website at www.emersonbraces.com , click on the smile testimonials on the home page and read the many comments we have from satisfied patients and parents.  We would be happy to discuss our policies with anyone, including our costs and what those costs include.