All Smiles Dental Care, P.C.

Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 6, 2016/03/25) */ The patient was initially seen at my office on December 17, for a limited examHer past dental history included that she had a bad experience at Affordable DenturesShe had an old acrylic partial denture and went to Affordable Dentures to have it repaired, and she said, "They messed up my partial denture"She came to my office to request a new acrylic partial denture to be madeDuring the initial exam, it was noted that she only had visible teeth remaining on the upper jaw (maxillary arch), and that of those teeth (#and #7) were severely mobile (loose) due to the amount of jaw bone that had been lost around those teethShe was informed of this and her response was that she didn't want any other treatment besides having a new acrylic partial denture made because she was embarrassed to be without her front tooth #The patient was informed that a new acrylic partial denture could be made to replace all of her missing teeth on the upper arch, but she was warned that #and #7, which were severely loose, could be lost soonShe was educated on what an acrylic partial denture was, in that the benefit was that if she were to lose more natural teeth, which was likely to happen, then a new denture tooth could be added to the acrylic partial dentureThe patient agreed to having a new acrylic partial denture madeAn acrylic partial denture is made with denture acrylic and denture teethAt the time when the patient had the acrylic partial denture made, I had a denture lab in my dental officeThe materials I used to make acrylic partial dentures are not of poor quality at allIn fact, the acrylic I use is called GC Nature-Cryl Pour Powder Acrylic, which is a very common acrylic that is used to make acrylic partial denturesThe denture teeth I use is from a well-respected company called Ivoclar Vivodent The patient had impressions of her mouth taken on her initial visit December 17, A little less than a week later, December 23, 2014, she received a new acrylic partial denture and was very satisfied with the productShe was advised to contact us if she developed any problems with the acrylic partial denture, as we do with all of our patientsA week later on December 30, 2014, the patient came in for an exam and stated that she has a burning sensation from the acrylic partial dentureHer mouth was evaluated and there was no visible soreness, no irritation, and no inflammation in the gums where the acrylic partial denture laidShe was informed that she may be having an unusual reaction to the acrylic material in the partial denture or possibly a food allergic reactionThe patient was advised to use ambesol (an over the counter numbing agent) for the burning sensation to see if it would helpShe understood this and she was advised to contact us if the burning sensation continued, and at that point she would have to purchase a hypoallergenic partial denture It is to my knowledge that the patient wore the acrylic partial denture comfortably because she did not contact us until almost a year later on November 11, She called my office and spoke to my lab technician and my office managerHer complaint was not about the acrylic partial dentureHer complaint was that she lost one of her natural tooth, as expected and was informed on the initial visit due to having severely loose teeth, and she was inquiring over the phone about how much it would cost to add a denture tooth to the acrylic partial dentureThe patient was given the quote of $for a dental exam to assess what is wrong and what tooth needs to be added to the acrylic partial denture, and to add a new denture tooth to the acrylic partial denture would be $The patient then said, "That is crazy! Goodbye!" and hung up the phoneAll patients who need to be examined for something specific are subjected to a $exam fee; that is the protocol at my office On March 14, 2016, which was months later from the last time the patient called us, the patient walked into my office and spoke to my office manager about having her acrylic partial denture being repairedMy office manager informed her that it would cost $to have an exam with me (the dentist) to evaluate what has happened to the acrylic partial denture and to determine if it is repairableShe was informed that if a repair could be done, it cost up to $depending on the extent of the repair, and that it would be completed by the next day at a local labShe became upset with the cost as well as the time frame in which the repair could be doneShe thought it would only take minutes to repair, just because she was under the impression that we still had a dental lab in my officeShe was informed that as of January 1st of this year 2016, our in-house lab has closed and we now send our denture cases to a local lab that is minutes away, which increases my lab fees, and therefore as of January 1st, 2016, my fees have increasedShe then asked my office manager who else in town has a dental lab in the dental officeMy office manager said she was not familiar with other dental officesMy office manager then asked if she would like to be seated and have an evaluationShe said no and walked out of the office One day later, on March 15, 2016, the patient called my office and spoke to my office managerThe patient stated that after she left my office yesterday, she went to Aspen DentalShe said that Aspen Dental said the following: -She was told that the partial denture was unrepairable -She was told that she spent way too much money at my office for a piece of [redacted] partial denture -She was told that the partial denture was the cheapest material on the planet -She was told that it was a temporary acrylic denture, and that's why they couldn't fix it After she heard that from Aspen Dental, the patient called my office and spoke to my office manager and wanted to know why my office gave her a "piece of ***/garbage and a temporary partial cheaply made"As far as spending way too much money on the acrylic partial denture I made for her, that is incorrectThe patient paid $for a high quality acrylic partial denture, what is usually $850-$depending on locationBecause my dental office had a dental lab at the time, I was able to provide partials and dentures for a lower cost compared to other offices who do not have labs on siteDental offices who do not have a dental lab in the same building usually charge a higher fee because they have to pay a higher lab fee to have the partials and dentures madeAs far as the acrylic partial denture being unrepairable and having been made with the cheapest material, that is not correct to sayAs stated early, I used high quality material to make my partials and denturesThe patient also had an old acrylic partial denture that was made by Affordable Dentures prior to coming to my office, which she said they repaired and "messed it up." I have no reference as to whether she showed Aspen Dental the "messed up" acrylic partial denture or if she showed the acrylic partial denture that I made for her over a year ago, which she has been wearing for over a year without complaining about itAs far as the acrylic partial denture being "temporary", I disagree with thatThe acrylic partial denture I made for her is not a temporary productShe requested an acrylic partial denture, and that's what she was givenIn fact, she was informed of the benefit of having an acrylic partial denture, in which we would be able to add denture teeth to it later on if/when her natural teeth were lost due to the extent of the mobility of her natural teethThe acrylic partial denture that I gave to the patient could be repaired, but she did not want to pay $for an exam to have an evaluation, therefore I do not know the nature of the repair she was requesting To conclude, the patient is going by what a "competitor" dental office is saying about the acrylic partial denture she showed them, which may not have been the acrylic partial denture made by me, and there is a high probability that the competitor dental offices are just wanting her to purchase their product to increase their revenues At All Smiles Dental Care, we welcome patients to let us know what is wrong so that we can helpIn this case, the last time the patient was here physically and examined on December 30, 2014, she was pleased with the acrylic partial denture when she left my officeIf she would like to return for another evaluation to have me assess the problems, I welcome her to, but to be examined would be $and then I can assess the nature of the repair of the acrylic partial dentureBut as stated earlier, the patient refuses to pay for the exam as well as she did not like the cost of the repair

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2016/03/25) */
The patient was initially seen at my office on December 17, 2014 for a limited exam. Her past dental history included that she had a bad experience at Affordable Dentures. She had an old acrylic partial denture and went to Affordable Dentures to...

have it repaired, and she said, "They messed up my partial denture". She came to my office to request a new acrylic partial denture to be made. During the initial exam, it was noted that she only had 6 visible teeth remaining on the upper jaw (maxillary arch), and that 2 of those teeth (#5 and #7) were severely mobile (loose) due to the amount of jaw bone that had been lost around those teeth. She was informed of this and her response was that she didn't want any other treatment besides having a new acrylic partial denture made because she was embarrassed to be without her front tooth #8. The patient was informed that a new acrylic partial denture could be made to replace all of her missing teeth on the upper arch, but she was warned that #5 and #7, which were severely loose, could be lost soon. She was educated on what an acrylic partial denture was, in that the benefit was that if she were to lose more natural teeth, which was likely to happen, then a new denture tooth could be added to the acrylic partial denture. The patient agreed to having a new acrylic partial denture made. An acrylic partial denture is made with denture acrylic and denture teeth. At the time when the patient had the acrylic partial denture made, I had a denture lab in my dental office. The materials I used to make acrylic partial dentures are not of poor quality at all. In fact, the acrylic I use is called GC Nature-Cryl Pour Powder Acrylic, which is a very common acrylic that is used to make acrylic partial dentures. The denture teeth I use is from a well-respected company called Ivoclar Vivodent.
The patient had impressions of her mouth taken on her initial visit December 17, 2014. A little less than a week later, December 23, 2014, she received a new acrylic partial denture and was very satisfied with the product. She was advised to contact us if she developed any problems with the acrylic partial denture, as we do with all of our patients. A week later on December 30, 2014, the patient came in for an exam and stated that she has a burning sensation from the acrylic partial denture. Her mouth was evaluated and there was no visible soreness, no irritation, and no inflammation in the gums where the acrylic partial denture laid. She was informed that she may be having an unusual reaction to the acrylic material in the partial denture or possibly a food allergic reaction. The patient was advised to use ambesol (an over the counter numbing agent) for the burning sensation to see if it would help. She understood this and she was advised to contact us if the burning sensation continued, and at that point she would have to purchase a hypoallergenic partial denture.
It is to my knowledge that the patient wore the acrylic partial denture comfortably because she did not contact us until almost a year later on November 11, 2015. She called my office and spoke to my lab technician and my office manager. Her complaint was not about the acrylic partial denture. Her complaint was that she lost one of her natural tooth, as expected and was informed on the initial visit due to having 2 severely loose teeth, and she was inquiring over the phone about how much it would cost to add a denture tooth to the acrylic partial denture. The patient was given the quote of $50 for a dental exam to assess what is wrong and what tooth needs to be added to the acrylic partial denture, and to add a new denture tooth to the acrylic partial denture would be $149. The patient then said, "That is crazy! Goodbye!" and hung up the phone. All patients who need to be examined for something specific are subjected to a $50 exam fee; that is the protocol at my office.
On March 14, 2016, which was 4 months later from the last time the patient called us, the patient walked into my office and spoke to my office manager about having her acrylic partial denture being repaired. My office manager informed her that it would cost $50 to have an exam with me (the dentist) to evaluate what has happened to the acrylic partial denture and to determine if it is repairable. She was informed that if a repair could be done, it cost up to $190 depending on the extent of the repair, and that it would be completed by the next day at a local lab. She became upset with the cost as well as the time frame in which the repair could be done. She thought it would only take 45 minutes to repair, just because she was under the impression that we still had a dental lab in my office. She was informed that as of January 1st of this year 2016, our in-house lab has closed and we now send our denture cases to a local lab that is 45 minutes away, which increases my lab fees, and therefore as of January 1st, 2016, my fees have increased. She then asked my office manager who else in town has a dental lab in the dental office. My office manager said she was not familiar with other dental offices. My office manager then asked if she would like to be seated and have an evaluation. She said no and walked out of the office.
One day later, on March 15, 2016, the patient called my office and spoke to my office manager. The patient stated that after she left my office yesterday, she went to Aspen Dental. She said that Aspen Dental said the following:
-She was told that the partial denture was unrepairable
-She was told that she spent way too much money at my office for a piece of [redacted] partial denture
-She was told that the partial denture was the cheapest material on the planet
-She was told that it was a temporary acrylic denture, and that's why they couldn't fix it
After she heard that from Aspen Dental, the patient called my office and spoke to my office manager and wanted to know why my office gave her a "piece of [redacted]/garbage and a temporary partial cheaply made". As far as spending way too much money on the acrylic partial denture I made for her, that is incorrect. The patient paid $449 for a high quality acrylic partial denture, what is usually $850-$1600 depending on location. Because my dental office had a dental lab at the time, I was able to provide partials and dentures for a lower cost compared to other offices who do not have labs on site. Dental offices who do not have a dental lab in the same building usually charge a higher fee because they have to pay a higher lab fee to have the partials and dentures made. As far as the acrylic partial denture being unrepairable and having been made with the cheapest material, that is not correct to say. As stated early, I used high quality material to make my partials and dentures. The patient also had an old acrylic partial denture that was made by Affordable Dentures prior to coming to my office, which she said they repaired and "messed it up." I have no reference as to whether she showed Aspen Dental the "messed up" acrylic partial denture or if she showed the acrylic partial denture that I made for her over a year ago, which she has been wearing for over a year without complaining about it. As far as the acrylic partial denture being "temporary", I disagree with that. The acrylic partial denture I made for her is not a temporary product. She requested an acrylic partial denture, and that's what she was given. In fact, she was informed of the benefit of having an acrylic partial denture, in which we would be able to add denture teeth to it later on if/when her natural teeth were lost due to the extent of the mobility of her natural teeth. The acrylic partial denture that I gave to the patient could be repaired, but she did not want to pay $50 for an exam to have an evaluation, therefore I do not know the nature of the repair she was requesting.
To conclude, the patient is going by what a "competitor" dental office is saying about the acrylic partial denture she showed them, which may not have been the acrylic partial denture made by me, and there is a high probability that the competitor dental offices are just wanting her to purchase their product to increase their revenues.
At All Smiles Dental Care, we welcome patients to let us know what is wrong so that we can help. In this case, the last time the patient was here physically and examined on December 30, 2014, she was pleased with the acrylic partial denture when she left my office. If she would like to return for another evaluation to have me assess the problems, I welcome her to, but to be examined would be $50 and then I can assess the nature of the repair of the acrylic partial denture. But as stated earlier, the patient refuses to pay for the exam as well as she did not like the cost of the repair.