I will begin this long-winded complaint by saying I was in excruciating pain for hours upon hours before this began. I had a molar whose nerve had been exposed and I was in paralyzing pain forcing me to leave work.
I thouhgt I could wait until the next day to go to my normal dentist. I was wrong. So I began looking for dental offices that were open on Sunday. I found Immediadent. I live in Dayton, Ohio and they had a location on Miller Lane, miles from my house. I went there, walked in to see a receptionist on the phone. She noticed I was in agonizing pain and motioned for me to hold on. When she got off the phone she went on to explain that there were no dentists in the office to day that i would have to go to the Miamisburg location. I thought...dentist office, no dentist, only ones open on Sunday, I'm dying, ok whatever I will go to that one.
I arrive around 7 PM to see 6 or so people waiting, a few of them had body language insinuating they had been waiting for quite some time. I approach the receptionist, who was actually the only nice, respectable, professional person there. She hands me a bookof paperwork to fill out, and I hurriedly filled it out. I wasn't called back until around 8.
The assistant took me to a chair, told me to sit down, asked me what was wrong, etc. I told her the story, and she could see I was in terrible pain. She typed some stuff into computer and walked away. The dentist comes in a few minutes later, asks me whats wrong...(waste of time, why not ask the assistant, that's why she gets paid, right?) I tell him. He, seeing my level of pain, asks me what tooth, I tell him the exact tooth. He pokes on it to see if I grimace in pain to make sure it was that tooth, as if I lied to him. Then, takes a piece of ice and touches it to make sure it was sensitive to cold, as I had told him already. Pain. Great PAIN. He walks away.
Minutes pass, my pain increases because it's been aggravated. I hear 2 women in the back talking about the "Sunday phenomenon" she will see each week. One can only assume she was referring to the people coming in before close to get work done. Very unprofessional. Very rude. The assistant comes back in to tell me the xrays the dentist wants will cost $217. I said "I don't care, let's get this done" as I was in a GREAT deal of pain. She takes 2 xrays from the chair, then instructs me to take my piercings out, which I did and takes me to the panoramic machine to get a panoramic view (I never once said anything about pain anywhere else, and the dentist never looked at the pan. view, it cost $110). All the xrays were then put on the computer screen in front of me. The only one investigated was the side view taken form the chair (that cost $29). Again the assistant and dentist leave the room.
They both return to say that "Tomorrow we can either do a root canal or an extraction the details can be worked out at the front desk". What?! I exclaimed about how I basically sat in pain, and wasted 2 hours (it was now 10 til' close. they close at 9), to be told what I ALREADY KNEW AND HAD TOLD THEM! I said "When she came in to tell me about the price, I would've walked out had I known there would be no relief, I don't feel I should be forced to pay for anything!" The dentist started asking what days I would be available etc I said that I live 15 miles away and only came to this one becasue of the day, and other location had no dentists... blah blah. He then offers to numb my mouth for my inconvenience. Of course I was going to take that as I was dying from pain. When I told him I cannot live like this until hes ready to take it out, he said "we will give you medication until.." "I dont want drugs, I want the problem solved".
I could see my efforts were in vain, I said I will take their estimates for service not yet rendered and went to desk to pay. The nice receptionist actrually gave me 10% off (I know right? ten whopping percent...but it was something.) so my total came down to $194.40... 194.40 to sit, in pain in a dental farm, have radiation shot into me, waste my time only to be told we cant help you right now.
I will definitely not ever go to that place again. I will go to my dentist in the morning. Probably have to purchase new xrays (although a much more fair price I'm sure), and have to pay another $200 to pull the tooth. Which is what I should've done in the first place, but the pain was too great...still is.
No one should ever go to this place again. In fact, if I can sue for my money back I would love to know how (if I can sue anyone except the nice receptionist, I would like to know how.). This place is a criminal organization and manipulates patients into paying for things they dont necessarily need. I hope it gets shut down. Oh, by the way...the estimate for the root canal.....$2,281. I think not.