Excel Dental & Orthodontics

Excellent service and an excellent doctorI am very pleased with my visit at DrLapsi's office and the services his staff has provided me and my family
I have had multiple Dental procedures done at his office including Implants, crowns, Root Canal's and filling's done at DrLapsi's officeMy children have had their wisdom teeth under sedation as well as their braces done with DrLapsiI have always had an excellent experience with DrLapsi and his staffTheir services have always been excellent and diligent with a lot of emphasis on patient care and satisfactionI truly recommend DrLapsi and his office to those who are looking for an overall family dentist with excellent skills and knowledge

Review: I had work done in December of 2014. I've emailed them several times and spoke to them about why my dental insurance wasn't billed yet. April was the last day I spoke to someone. I filed my own claim and they have not responded to my insurance. I looked at other reviews in [redacted] and apparently I'm not the only one with billing issues. I'm not sure I want to complain about their services too, because I've since been to another dentist that had to replace my fillings that he replaced less then 2 years ago, because they were leaking. But my concern now is that they are money hungry and not properly billing customers. I believe im owed money.Desired Settlement: For them to bill my insurance company for work done in 2014. So, I can see the true cost of my work. I didn't even mention the work from 2011 or 2012, also not all billed. But I didn't realize what they were doing until 2014. But, if I can get those years reviewed too that would be wonderful. I do believe I've been over billed.

Review: I visited this dentists' office for a possible extraction of a hanging baby tooth. I was told after an exam. I needed extensive work done. I told him I was 73 years old, only on social security and could not afford any of the payment packages he & his assistant kept offering me even through a credit card they would open for me. I kept saying no I have no funds to pay for this but they kept badgering and intimidating me with these payment plans. I became over-whelmed even crying while the dentist kept stroking my hand but kept up with the different "discounted" plans he had for me. Under extreme duress I finally picked one. Before leaving the office they made me sign some document. I didn't even read it because all I wanted to do was get out of there. A day or so later I called and let the office know that I still couldn't afford any of their services and cancelled an appointment for the following week. Then I received a health care credit card bill with a charge of $5,175.00. For what? I hadn't had any work done except for "impressions" for braces by this dentist after being pressed to pick a plan before I left the office. I called the credit card co. and disputed the charges. After the credit card co. did their investigation they were sent a copy of something I signed at the dentists office which said I could not change my mind or renege on this service. I never got a copy of that signature and only remember signing something else with no verbiage like that. The dentist will not take the charge off the card and the card co. says I must make these payments of $256.a month. I believe this is some kind of marketing scam done to take advantage of a senior citizen. This is extremely unfair. I did not want his services. This is unconscionable behavior on behalf of a dentist. He is Dr. [redacted] DDS with his own practice in two locations. Beware! Don't go there!Desired Settlement: I want to have the dentist recant all of these charges and have the credit card cancelled and closed with no penalties or fees. Please help!!

Consumer

Response:

[redacted]

818 Via Alhambra #P

Laguna Woods, CA 92637

Phone: ###-###-####

Email: [email protected]

December 20, 2013

Better Business of San Diego

4747 Viewridge Ave. #200

San Diego, CA 92123

[redacted], DDS @ Excel Dental & Orthodontics

Phone: ###-###-#### Fax ###-###-####

Dear Sirs or Madam:

Enclosed is a copy of a letter sent to Dr.[redacted] regarding the Grievance I have registered

with you. This letter is being forwarded to you for further investigating the weird practice

tactics used by this dentist.

Please keep me informed as to the progress and outcome of your investigation. You can see

in my letter as to what I want the outcome to be.

Thank you for your help and getting the word out on unconscionable behavior by a dentist

to seniors.

Sincerely,

Enclosure

December 20, 2013

[redacted], DDS

Excel Dental & Orthodontics

23521 Paseo De Valencia, Suite 206

Laguna Hills, CA 92653

Date of initial office visit: September 5, 2013

Dear Dr.[redacted]:

I am writing this letter as a follow-up to our meeting yesterday, December 19, 2013

at your office to complain about and have you rescind the $5,175.00 charge you put

on a newly opened credit card for me, by [redacted] (in your office) with City Health Card

on September 5, 2013 for dental work to be started in the following weeks.

As I expressed to you, I feel I was coerced into settling on one of the 4 payment

packages you presented me, even through tears I expressed my extreme discomfort

of being in this situation and needing dental work but not having the funds to pay

for it due to the fact that I only have Social Security money to live on. But you

pushed forth anyway always giving me more payment plans and discounts. I felt

guilty for having taken up so much of your time••••••three hours I sat in that dental

chair!

As you know out of desperation and duress I finally chose one plan costing $5,175.00.

When I left the office I was made to sign some document that I was not aware was a

contract. I was distressed and just wanted to get out of there and did not

comprehend what I was signing. I never received a copy of that document which

you say is a binding contract and are trying to enforce. The law states that "If a

party's consent to a purported contract is altogether absent because it was obtained

through fraud•••for example, if the consumer was not aware that the document was

a contract••the purported contract is altogether void. (See Jones v Adams Financial

Services (1999) 71 Cal. App.4th 831,839 (84 Cal.Rptr.2d 151,157.) Also, under the

Consumer Protection Act it states "Anyone providing goods or services on credit

must give the consumer a written statement showing all financing charges and

the annual percentage rate of the credit transaction" Again, I received nothing like this.

Upon arriving home I did the calcnlations and realized I could not go through with

this expenditure. After all, I had only come in the office originally for a possible

hanging baby tooth extraction. I was extremely upset and by either Sat or Sunday,

(9/7/13 or 9/8/13) had left a message on your answering machine (which [redacted]

verified she received) to cancel all work we had discussed.

Page 2 - Letter to [redacted] -from [redacted]

Now, in California, there is a "cooling off period" in which a consumer has three

business days to cancel a contract according to the California Department of

Consumer Affairs (Civ. Code 1689.3). I called to cancel within those time limits.

Additionally, when [redacted] (your office assistant) opened the Citi Health Card

(credit card) for me she stipulated to me it would be a 2 year payment plan with 0%

interest payments to make it easier to get the work done. Yesterday, I found out

through a conversation with Citi Health that I did not have that plan; in fact, I had

a plan called the 24 Month Budget Payment Plan with interest of 15.99 per cent per

month! This is outrageous! [redacted] knows I never would have consented to

opening up a credit card with any interest charges at all. I already have credit cards

that otTer me 0% interest and could have used any one of those.

This sounds to me that this is a deliberate misrepresentation of material portions of the contract

which constitutes fraud. The law says I have the right to cancel the contract, as well as sue the

fraudulent party for damages. Misrepresentation is illegal..• all charges in an agreement must be

as they say they are.

On top of it all I received a collection call yesterday wanting 2 months worth of payments of over

$500.00!! There is no way I can pay this, as said before. This no doubt will go on my credit

report and do damage to an excellent credit rating which I have worked long and hard for. This

causes me undue stress and upset.

I believe I have legal cancellation rights as laid out above and find this whole experience

unconscionable and ask you to quickly cancel this charge on the credit card with no fees or

penalties and end this nightmare.

Sincerely,

[redacted] -

Cc: Health Net Dental- Member ID [redacted]

Cc: Citi Health Card -Account# 5[redacted]

Cc: Revdex.com- San Diego, CA

Cc: Dental Board of California - Sacramento, California

Review: On Aug 17, 2015 I visited Dr. [redacted] office to get a crown (Porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM)) for tooth #19. I gave the front desk my insurance information during the consultation with Dr. [redacted]. During the visit Dr. [redacted] offered me treatment with a total cost of $1857 for the materials, the crown itself and all labor. Excel Dental & Orthodontics also provided me $50 as a discount if I would pay full amount upfront and then I would bill my insurance company by myself to recover the insurance benefits. So, I agreed to pay $1807 in two installments and before I left the office I paid the first installment of $903.5. We also agreed that I would pay the second part that was $903.5 during the second visit that was requested and scheduled on Aug 20, 2015 by Dr. [redacted].

On Aug 20, 2015 I visited the second time Dr. [redacted] office in order to place the crown (PFM) on tooth #19 that was ordered during Aug 17’s visit. I paid the second installment that was $903.5 once the crown was in place.

During that visit Dr. [redacted] proposed me an additional procedure such as “teeth cleaning procedure” and charged me additionally $163.60 that I paid before I left the Dental office as well. The total cost for putting one crown (PFM) and needed tooth preparation procedures such as Root Canal, Core Build Up for tooth, few X-Rays and the following teeth cleaning procedure was $1970.60 that I paid in full by Aug 20, 2015. It was discovered that Dr. [redacted] has also submitted several claims for the payment to my insurance company and got paid already for dental procedures/services/materials I have been paid in full already during my two visits in August - this is dentist's double billing practices! Also Dr. [redacted] submitted 2 additional claims to insurance for $1400 for Unspecified Diagnostic Proc that I never received - fraudulent billing. According to (EOB) Documents the total amount has been paid by [redacted] is $1500 and customer responsibility is $940.2.Desired Settlement: 1. Refund $1030.4 to [redacted] that was overpaid during Mr. [redacted] two visits to Dr. [redacted], DDS (Excel Dental & Orthodontics office);

a.The total amount was paid already by [redacted] - $1970.60

b.The total amount was paid by [redacted] to [redacted] DDS - $1500

c.The total amount that customer should have paid according to the explanation of Benefits (EOB) Documents I received from [redacted] - $940.2

d. So [redacted] was overcharged by $1030.4;

2. Withdraw all claims that have dental procedures and charges were never provided by Dr. [redacted] (Excel Dental & Orthodontics) and were never requested by [redacted] for the total charge $1704.4.

3. To investigate Dr. [redacted] office management and license to practice

4. To check legality of prices, agreements and policy Dr. [redacted] uses for his patients.

Review: On March 8, 2013 I was seen by Dr. [redacted] for a consultation at Excel Dental & Implant Center in Carlsbad, CA. He offered me a treatment with a total cost $2219. He offered to open a credit for this treatment as well. I filled out the application for [redacted]. I wanted my husband, [redacted], to be a second holder and used me and my husbands Social Security Number for that, with the impression that it had to be submitted with BOTH our signatures. I also signed the agreement and treatment plan without realizing the consequences of it because I felt pressured and because my English is very poor, especially medical terminology. My native language is Russian. On this day Dr. [redacted] did not give me a copy of an agreement and a copy of application for [redacted] account which I filled out. I had to come to Dr. [redacted] again on 03/12/13 to get a copy of all documents I signed and pick up my x-rays, which I had brought for the first appointment. After I and my husband went through all documents I signed, we decided to cancel the treatment. On 03/13/2013 I called the Excel Dental office and told them that I wanted to cancel the surgery which was scheduled on 03/29/13. They ignored me on the phone and made another appointment on 03/15/2013. At the appointment Dr. [redacted] told me that I owed him $1300 for the materials he ordered, but I have never received it or any service from him. Because he already withdrew $2000 from my [redacted] account, I and my husband are disputing this amount to [redacted]. Dr. [redacted] even charged us yet another $100 more because of 2 missed appointments I didnt go to, even thou on 03/15/13 I was very clear that I wanted to cancel my surgery and any treatments or future appointments. I even asked the secretary to write me a letter to prove I wanted to cancel. The secretary wrote a letter which says how much I owed Dr. [redacted]. She refused to write anything else in that letter. The information she gave even shows that I did not want to deal with this office anymore (see a copy of what the secretary wrote 03/15/13). So how can they charge for appointments they knew I canceled? Just one more excuse for this mismanaged, unprofessional office to charge more money.Moreover, they use the arbitrary decisions about prices. Their policy says a minimum charge for the cancelled appointments is $25. In the letter they wrote on 03/29/13 it says that according to their policy a cancelled appointment charge is $50, but in a statement dated by 03/29/13 they charge $25 and $75 for each broken appointment (see a copy of policy, a statement and a letter 03/29/13) that doesnt make any sense. It shows that they tend to break their own rules. Another example of arbitrary prices is on the treatment plan on 03/08/13 where there was no mention of Dr. [redacted] labor fees at all. It was about materials and lab fees only. It is obvious that the material doesnt cost the price he declared and he was going to make a hefty profit from it (see a treatment plan 03/08/13). He is basically charging an exaggerated sum to still make a healthy profit and providing a procedure that I didnt fully understand nor receive. In addition, the office was so disorganized that on 03/12/13 they gave me a copy of a Citi Health application instead of filled out Credit Care application (see a copy of City Health application). This shows a careless service and sloppy office management. In fact, the first time me and my husband saw a Credit Care application was when I received a letter from GE Capital (Care Credit).I seriously question Dr. [redacted] ethics. He is not even registered in the San Diego County Dental Society and has complaints about him online. My husband and I can positively say that Dr. [redacted] office has clearly been unpleasant and unprofessional. It seems they only care about profit and not good patient care.My husband and I truly feel wrong and believe this to be illegal and in violation with our civil rights because the agreement was not done in a proper legal way. Note:1.The bill for $2000 was processed before the second signature and copy of ID was gotten which is not legal. My husband NEVER signed to have his credit ran and they did not call him to ask permission either.2.Dr. [redacted] did not provide all necessary information about the procedure and materials he was going to use or their itemized prices. He didnt explain the consent form. In fact, he didnt even sign it like it must be done in an official way (see a copy of the Consent Form). 3.He didnt make sure that I understood everything that I signed especially because I dont speak English well. He didnt provide a Russian translator either. 4.I felt pressured to schedule the surgery and agreed to it before having all the necessary information and he refused to cancel the surgery but still charged almost the full amount of the procedure.Desired Settlement: I request:1.To refund $1400 on my Credit Care account.2.Review the copies of the lab fees, the address of the lab, and the dates when the materials for my surgery ordered.3.To investigate Dr. [redacted] office management and license to practice.4.To check legality of prices, agreements and policy Dr. [redacted] uses for his patients.

Excellent service and an excellent doctor. I am very pleased with my visit at Dr. Lapsi's office and the services his staff has provided me and my family.

I have had multiple Dental procedures done at his office including Implants, crowns, Root Canal's and filling's done at Dr. Lapsi's office. My children have had their wisdom teeth under sedation as well as their braces done with Dr. Lapsi. I have always had an excellent experience with Dr. Lapsi and his staff. Their services have always been excellent and diligent with a lot of emphasis on patient care and satisfaction. I truly recommend Dr. Lapsi and his office to those who are looking for an overall family dentist with excellent skills and knowledge.

Review: Dental work started on 5/7/13 - total cost over $4000, covered by two care credit accounts, maxing both out, then paying the remainder with insurance (1k max per year - filled.) and out of pocket for the rest (couple hundred bucks.)This work was to cover:wisdom tooth extract (all four, partially covered by bone + being knocked out for the procedure)root canal and crown for one toothdeep cleaning all four quadrantstwo cavities.All work was pre-paid and to be scheduled out.Work completed:Everything but the wisdom extract - which they were clear was the bulk of the cost.After dealing with them for the work they completed I decided I have no faith in this doctor at all and don't want to deal with them every again so I asked for a refund on the wisdom and not to schedule it. Two months later they had not credited me back on my CareCredit account (which I'm paying monthly plus finance for still). I disputed with CareCredit and they today notified me they decided in favor of the merchant siting 2 pages of work completed sent in by the merchant that does NOT include the wisdom extract but equals up to the total amount charged. They've CLEARLY inflated the pricing on the work they completed to avoid paying me back. My daughter turns 1 year old in 1 months. I'm a new father and this is taking food out of her mouth. I don't know what else to do. Please help.Desired Settlement: The cost to me after what my insurance covered (which was 1k max per year for dental) was split between the remainder of my existing care credit account (something like 1200 bucks - I can get details) plus a new account fully charged to $4k. They're refusing any refund in fact they say I owe them 82 cents now... wow. These people are ss and predators. Please help =(

Review: I went I went in to Dr. [redacted] in the Carlsbad office for the $1899 implant abutment and crown deal Excel dental offered. Now I have no teeth. My teeth keep falling out. Dr [redacted] took off my previously done crowns, and ruined work on my whole mouth. He had created a treatment plan that said I had cavities and need to work on the whole mouth. That I understand but I never agreed for them to do the whole mouth. I figured they alays try to get you to do more work and I did agree to a deep cleaning. He numbed me up and then when I looked in the mirror all the front crowns had been removed. He said he had started everything. I would have just dealt with it and did the work with Dr. [redacted] but then the problem started happening. Hr [redacted] did a root canal without using a mouth damn and not following the root canal. It was unfixable by the endodontist and the tooth needed to be removed or fixed surgically which would've been more expensive then an implant. I was in a lot of pain and drove up to the Forest Hills office. The endodontist said I might as well talk to him Dr. [redacted] and see if he was going to do the implant for free and give me my money back for the work it might be reasonable. I spent a Thursday at the office in Forest Hills arguing my tooth infected finally they said they would finish all the work refund $241 and do two free implants. The problem was they ended up using my signature to charge me more. I had made sure to sign on the consent form that it was for free, because of what happened the first time. They actual falsified documents to charge me, RIGHT AFTER Dee,(I'm a spiritual person [redacted]) One of the office managers told me how incredible it was that Dr. [redacted] was offering TWO free implants for all my" troubles" I wrote on the consent form for implants for free only to make sure they didn't charge me, they did send the consent form to [redacted] and another company they use and whited out where I write free, moved my initials from one place to another, altering and forging documents. This doctor is crazy for money. Beware!!Dr [redacted] said to stop treatment it would be more then to just finish

The yellow temporary he put on to cover the five beautiful crowns he took off keeps falling out and I'm in constant pain. I had to pay an Endodontist and a dentist in Illinois to work on me and I was not able to be present on Christmas. I missed celebrating my birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas. I haven't been able to eat solid foods. Your teeth are so important. Be careful I have lost a month and a half of my life. I've been in pain since I started seeing them on November 10. They actual falsified documents to charge me, RIGHT AFTER Dee,(I'm a spiritual person [redacted]) One of the office managers told me how incredible it was that Dr. [redacted] was offering TWO free implants for all my" troubles" (my troubles being I went in for one important implant and was charge for a mouthful of work.he had done full X-rays and told me I needed new crowns on the front and a root canal and but three times I had him say we are only doing the essential work.they talked me into a deep cleaning and numbed my whole mouth and used gas for that. The free by desk person the office manager came and had me sign my application for credit while I was on gas these turned out to or tone used as charges Dr [redacted] took off all My Crowns and said he started all the work. this turned out to be false because when I gave up the fight first they actually attempted to do the work three weeks later)

The worst problem for me is until I can get it fixed I cannot go out. I will just have to keep posting proof of what they did and hope to save someone's else. Please be careful. Go to some of the trustworthy dentists out there.Desired Settlement: I would like the refund of all the money to [redacted] and London company that was charged fraudulently I will pay for the work that was requested which was the implant and the abutment. I do not want to press charges or have this impact my life any further. I am not coming back for any treatment I'm going to finish all work with Dr. [redacted]. To complete the problems that dr. [redacted] created I'm going to have to pay more then I have and to even borrow money. I Will not go back to Dr. [redacted] as I've already lost five teeth and I Will not risk any other physical damage