Phillips, Eric D. DMD

Before treatment began it was clear to patient that there would be a 10% discount if paid at start of treatmentThe patient then sent me a letter saying she would pay $at initial appointment & the balance of $at completionShe came in start her treatment, and said she was unable to pay at that time but would pay at placement appointmentWhen she came in for placement of implant crowns she said $had not come in yetI decided we would seat the crowns anywayWe had her sign an agreement stating that she would pay off her balance by Jun 30th 2014' which she didTo her complaint about the bite, I took impressions of her teeth and reappointed her so we could visualize her complaint about biteI told her that implant crowns in molar areas are narrower to minimize stresses on the implantsI told patient that I would widen occlusal surface if that's what she wantsThe impressions were sent to the lab with instructions for new crowns

This is my response to I.D. [redacted] and my rebuttal to the information you provided. I just had 2 new crowns applied yesterday and wanted to experience how they felt after a couple of days before sending this on to you.
1.   This information provided by Dr. [redacted]s makes it clear why I needed to talk to him and not just his secretaries. I never received the information from Dr. [redacted]s about a 10% discount if paid by the start of the treatment. I was given a senior discount which lowered the amount. A 10% discount for full payment would have lowered the total amt $1000, not just the $500 which I was given for senior discount. This is kind of info Dr. [redacted]s would give me when I talked with him however the secretaries denied me this opportunity.
2.    When I first discussed my concern about the bite which resulted from the crowns Dr. [redacted]s denied that there was anything different or wrong. When I asked why the contact between lower + upper jaw was only ¼  of the usual amount. Dr. [redacted]s never informed me that the bite would not be perfect, much less that it would be narrower to minimize stress on the implants. This lack of information from Dr. [redacted]s is not what I have been used to and I do not understand this insistence of the office secretaries that I speak only with them. This has severely impacted my relationship with him and does not adequately address this concern in your information or when I have brought this up to him in the office.
 
3.    I have received the new crowns and now have contact with ½ of top jaw(implants) to the bottom jaw. This was done yesterday but it feels more comfortable and there is an improvement in the fit – making biting and food chewing better. But this would not have been improved if I had not insisted that I see him for the 1st crowns applied and problems I experienced. Even then it took several  visits before he was able to admit the bite was narrower on purpose.
 
This is my rebuttal to the information you provided and it did little to restore my trust in Dr. [redacted] or to understand why he let kind, helpful secretaries go and replaced them with secretaries who are arrogant and liars and are only concerned with collecting money.

Before treatment began it was clear to patient that there would be a 10% discount if paid at start of treatment. The patient then sent me a letter saying she would pay $2000 at initial appointment & the balance of $2500 at completion. She came in start her treatment, and said she was unable to...

pay at that time but would pay at placement appointment. When she came in for placement of implant crowns she said $2500 had not come in yet. I decided we would seat the crowns anyway. We had her sign an agreement stating that she would pay off her balance by Jun 30th 2014' which she did. To her complaint about the bite, I took impressions of her teeth and reappointed her so we could visualize her complaint about bite. I told her that implant crowns in molar areas are narrower to minimize stresses on the implants. I told patient that I would widen occlusal surface if that's what she wants. The impressions were sent to the lab with instructions for new crowns.

Review: I have not been able to speak to my dentist about billing concerns which arose over arrangements of payments for 2 crowns for implants. Those involved are

[redacted] 2 secretaries: refused to give me their last names [redacted] or [redacted] or [redacted] (dont know spelling of either name)

His secretaries informed me they handle all the billing concerns and refused to let me speak to him many times. For example, they told me I had to pay the entire cost of $4,500 up front when molds were made, when speaking to Dr. [redacted] at the cleaning he told me I could pay 1/2 with molds, and 1/2 with tier application. I wrote Dr [redacted] a letter suggesting a plan to pay $2000 when molds made and $2500 with application asking him to call em and left it at the office. She refused to let me wait to talk to him as he was with another patient which I understood but she wouldnt let me wait either. after leaving office she called me within 10 minutes to say she talked to Dr. [redacted] and he had OK plan However things dont always go as planned and I wanted Dr. [redacted] to understand what I was doing so if the money wasn't there the exact day he did the work the money was on its way. This was unclear with the secretary insisting she understood my situation perfectly but she didnt. When I went to the back to get the $2000 the bank offered me a deal of so much money returned if I used their credit card to pay the $2000. But the card arrived later than the day of my appointment but in the letter to Dr [redacted] I had said it should arrive that week. The secretary was upset but I cannot control the day it comes. These were some of the facts that I had wanted to explain but I could not communicate with Dr [redacted] and his secretaries were not really listening to my explanations.

To further complicate the situation the $2500 was coming from out of town and it was sent several days later than I had requested it, so, when I went in for the fitting I paid the 2000 with credit card but I had not yet received the 2500 as I had expected but it had already been sent on to me, the secretaries asked me to sign an agreement to pay by the 30th of June or they would report me to a collection agency I could either sign it or wait until the money came. I signed it because trying to get all these arrangements at Dr [redacted] was delaying a much needed surgery for a medical condition I had and was also trying to arrange. The implant doctor told me there was an urgency to get the crowns on because another surgery could dislodge one of the caps on the implant by the anestheia and I could swallow a cap. Defineteley Not good! Based on my past experience with Dr [redacted] I feel he could be reasonable and understanding but I felt a hostile action in the statement of collecting agency which was uncalled for as I have always paid my dental bills plus making me feel bad and misunderstood ever to the point of their trying to get rid of me so a patient by overcharging me or so it seemed.

After the crown fitting things got even more complicated I will try to explain what I feel in my mouth and that it might affect how long they will last.

The dentist doing the implant had discussed situation with Dr [redacted] and told him he would have to angle the crowns to get them to fit properly and could he do that? Dr [redacted] said he could do that. Now when trying to convey my impression, both to Dr [redacted] and his assistant everything looked ok to then, I drew picture and insisted that it was not what I had been lead to believe would be the end result. It seems that this fit will cause uneven wearing and certainly does not give good chewing ability. Dr [redacted], finally, seem to understand what I was saying. Said he would take new molds and give them different instruction. I am hoping it will look like this I was surprised it took him so long to understand my concern, causing me to thing he found nothing wrong.Desired Settlement: When comparing dental fees I found that Dr [redacted]s is charging at least $1000 more for this procedure than other dentists I checked on. I called Made appt to see Dr [redacted] to discuss the fitting position of the crowns. I paid him $2500 that day but if he was unable to correct the alignment of the teeth I expected him to make an adjustment in the price paid if able to do what he had told me he could do them probably he earned the extra $1000.

How do I get a better relationship with my dentist? When I said I never bad problems with other receptionists they said a well, we are here and they are not. What does that mean? Has Dr [redacted]s had problems with patients? Its like he is a different person than he used to be. I have a different complicated life right now and they were not making the stress less Please help.

Business

Response:

Before treatment began it was clear to patient that there would be a 10% discount if paid at start of treatment. The patient then sent me a letter saying she would pay $2000 at initial appointment & the balance of $2500 at completion. She came in start her treatment, and said she was unable to pay at that time but would pay at placement appointment. When she came in for placement of implant crowns she said $2500 had not come in yet. I decided we would seat the crowns anyway. We had her sign an agreement stating that she would pay off her balance by Jun 30th 2014' which she did. To her complaint about the bite, I took impressions of her teeth and reappointed her so we could visualize her complaint about bite. I told her that implant crowns in molar areas are narrower to minimize stresses on the implants. I told patient that I would widen occlusal surface if that's what she wants. The impressions were sent to the lab with instructions for new crowns.

Consumer

Response:

This is my response to I.D. [redacted] and my rebuttal to the information you provided. I just had 2 new crowns applied yesterday and wanted to experience how they felt after a couple of days before sending this on to you.

1. This information provided by Dr. [redacted]s makes it clear why I needed to talk to him and not just his secretaries. I never received the information from Dr. [redacted]s about a 10% discount if paid by the start of the treatment. I was given a senior discount which lowered the amount. A 10% discount for full payment would have lowered the total amt $1000, not just the $500 which I was given for senior discount. This is kind of info Dr. [redacted]s would give me when I talked with him however the secretaries denied me this opportunity.

2. When I first discussed my concern about the bite which resulted from the crowns Dr. [redacted]s denied that there was anything different or wrong. When I asked why the contact between lower + upper jaw was only ¼ of the usual amount. Dr. [redacted]s never informed me that the bite would not be perfect, much less that it would be narrower to minimize stress on the implants. This lack of information from Dr. [redacted]s is not what I have been used to and I do not understand this insistence of the office secretaries that I speak only with them. This has severely impacted my relationship with him and does not adequately address this concern in your information or when I have brought this up to him in the office.

3. I have received the new crowns and now have contact with ½ of top jaw(implants) to the bottom jaw. This was done yesterday but it feels more comfortable and there is an improvement in the fit – making biting and food chewing better. But this would not have been improved if I had not insisted that I see him for the 1st crowns applied and problems I experienced. Even then it took several visits before he was able to admit the bite was narrower on purpose.

This is my rebuttal to the information you provided and it did little to restore my trust in Dr. [redacted] or to understand why he let kind, helpful secretaries go and replaced them with secretaries who are arrogant and liars and are only concerned with collecting money.

I have not been able to speak to my dentist about billing concerns which arose over arrangements of payments for 2 crowns for implants. Those involved are

[redacted] 2 secretaries: refused to give me their last names [redacted] or [redacted] or [redacted] (dont know spelling of either name)

His secretaries informed me they handle all the billing concerns and refused to let me speak to him many times. For example, they told me I had to pay the entire cost of $4,500 up front when molds were made, when speaking to Dr. [redacted] at the cleaning he told me I could pay 1/2 with molds, and 1/2 with tier application. I wrote Dr [redacted] a letter suggesting a plan to pay $2000 when molds made and $2500 with application asking him to call em and left it at the office. She refused to let me wait to talk to him as he was with another patient which I understood but she wouldnt let me wait either. after leaving office she called me within 10 minutes to say she talked to Dr. [redacted] and he had OK plan However things dont always go as planned and I wanted Dr. [redacted] to understand what I was doing so if the money wasn't there the exact day he did the work the money was on its way. This was unclear with the secretary insisting she understood my situation perfectly but she didnt. When I went to the back to get the $2000 the bank offered me a deal of so much money returned if I used their credit card to pay the $2000. But the card arrived later than the day of my appointment but in the letter to Dr [redacted] I had said it should arrive that week. The secretary was upset but I cannot control the day it comes. These were some of the facts that I had wanted to explain but I could not communicate with Dr [redacted] and his secretaries were not really listening to my explanations.

To further complicate the situation the $2500 was coming from out of town and it was sent several days later than I had requested it, so, when I went in for the fitting I paid the 2000 with credit card but I had not yet received the 2500 as I had expected but it had already been sent on to me, the secretaries asked me to sign an agreement to pay by the 30th of June or they would report me to a collection agency I could either sign it or wait until the money came. I signed it because trying to get all these arrangements at Dr [redacted] was delaying a much needed surgery for a medical condition I had and was also trying to arrange. The implant doctor told me there was an urgency to get the crowns on because another surgery could dislodge one of the caps on the implant by the anestheia and I could swallow a cap. Defineteley Not good! Based on my past experience with Dr [redacted] I feel he could be reasonable and understanding but I felt a hostile action in the statement of collecting agency which was uncalled for as I have always paid my dental bills plus making me feel bad and misunderstood ever to the point of their trying to get rid of me so a patient by overcharging me or so it seemed.

After the crown fitting things got even more complicated I will try to explain what I feel in my mouth and that it might affect how long they will last.

The dentist doing the implant had discussed situation with Dr [redacted] and told him he would have to angle the crowns to get them to fit properly and could he do that? Dr [redacted] said he could do that. Now when trying to convey my impression, both to Dr [redacted] and his assistant everything looked ok to then, I drew picture and insisted that it was not what I had been lead to believe would be the end result. It seems that this fit will cause uneven wearing and certainly does not give good chewing ability. Dr [redacted], finally, seem to understand what I was saying. Said he would take new molds and give them different instruction. I am hoping it will look like this I was surprised it took him so long to understand my concern, causing me to thing he found nothing wrong.