Complaint Review: Glendale Dental Arts - Dr. John Gazarian DDS - Glendale California

This one patient is not telling the whole truth. The following is the whole truth. Sean came to the office on July 7 with three cavities. He hadn't been to a dentist in FOUR years. He also had SIX old silver fillings that HE wanted to change to white fillings. It was his choice. I do not offer anything that I wouldn't offer to my own family and friends. The documentation on silver fillings versus white fillings is still controversial. But I always explain the pros and the cons of both white and silver fillings to my patients. In the past few years, we have found that 98% of our patients have chosen white fillings. But the choice is always the patients'. This patient decided to have white fillings. Since his HMO only allows silver fillings for the 3 cavities, he was charged the difference in price. Plus he wanted all his old fillings changed to white. Since his HMO does not cover cosmetic/elective dental treatment, he was quoted the standard, usual and customary fee for the cosmetic work. (Which, by the way, is not an arbitrary number. Delta Dental of California controls what this fee may be by the area the office is located. This is Glendale, not Beverly Hills. So the price was not extravagant.) The total came to $1426. He was explained in detail all the charges and what his HMO does and does not allow. He refused all treatment and left. Yes, our office did call him three days later to see if he wanted to take care of the cavities at least. That is our moral and ethical responsibility. It is standard office procedure for any medical or dental office to follow up with patients who have not completed the work diagnosed. It would be neglectful if we did not. If we do not follow up with patients, cavities can turn into root canals. Root canals can become infectious and need surgery. The surgery might turn into an extraction which then leads to bridges and implants. The result of neglect of dentistry is a chain reaction of negative consequences. Then patients look to me for blame. So I make it policy that all patients who refuse treatment are given a follow up phone call. Sean made an appointment for the following day to have the cavities filled with white fillings, and all his silvers changed to white. It is not unusual to ask a patient to make a financial commitment for treament if the patient asks of us to make a time commitment. We are in the health service business. Health serive is giving service to people. Giving service requires time. Therefore, the only thing we have to sell is time, not objects, not a commodity, but service and time. Deposits insure that patients don't cancel their appointment. Our doctor's time is precious, and if patient's cancel or don't show up, that time is wasted and could have been used for another patient who does want treatment. $50 was collected over the phone as Sean's deposit. Mind you, $50 out of a total cost of $1426. It's a minimal deposit. When he came in, he was seated in the room that was set up special for him and the treatment he was getting. All the instruments were sterilized and set up for white fillings. All the paperwork reflected white fillings. Our office was ready to do white fillings. But before the doctor could start, Sean changed his mind, which is completely fine, and decided to have silver fillings. However, a change in treatment requires a change in the room set up and instruments and a change in paperwork, financial paperwork and consent forms. This is a medical office afterall, it's not Wallmart where you can just put something back on the shelf. Sean was asked to wait in the reception room to wait for the secretary who was busy with another patient. Sean didn't wait. He left without telling anyone anything and without waiting for his refund. His refund was authorized at the time he changed his mind about treatment. But he did not wait for it. He left the office. Since that day, I have tried numerous times to get in touch with him to bring his credit card in so I can give him a refund. He has not responded. So how is this my fault? He is the one with who refuses to receive his refund. As far as his rude and untruthful comments, I have been in practice for 28 years with tens of thousands of satisfied patients. I have never done anything but serve my patients with the best care and best treatment they could find anywhere. And I don't suppose it is a surprise that sometimes, more often than not, payments are due. What a shock. When you walk through life thinking everyone is a cheat, you perceive the world as a cheat if it doesn't meet your personal, self oriented and unjustified demands.

If you were uncomfortable when you left the first time, why did you go back the second time. I'd really wonder about a dentist's office that has reps that solicit additional business. Find a new dentist.