DC
Second-rate Procedures and Greedy Tactics
I was referred here by my dentist at Clinicas del Camino Reale to have a wisdom tooth extracted, and then to have a root canal done for a crown that was causing me pain. The wisdom tooth extraction wasn't great, but it went okay, even though they nearly dropped the tooth down my throat and tried to upsell me on several procedure options that Dr. Fahad said my insurance didn't cover. Because I didn't pay for the "optional" treatment measures that I felt should have been included with the procedure, the healing took longer than I expected, and the extraction hole has not completely sealed like my previous extractions from other dentists have, and it has been several months since the extraction. Although I was reluctant to return to Horizon Implants for a root canal on a crown when my dentist referred me to them again, I was in pain, and felt that it would be the quickest solution to get treatment. After having to wait a while for the initial appointment, I went in, and was once again given a list of upsell steps of the procedure that Dr. Fahad said were not covered by my insurance. For instance, Dr. Fahad told me that in addition to what my insurance covered, I would have to pay $100 for a special 3D scan of my mouth to proceed with the root canal, and that if I wanted to remove the crown to have the root canal, it would be an additional $250, or they could drill through the crown, which he said would not be an additional fee. I was concerned about drilling through the crown, because of the possibility of cracking the crown, but after speaking with my regular dentist, he said to do it, and if it cracked, then he could replace the crown and my insurance would cover it. To make a long story short, I proceeded with attempting to get the root canal done with Horizon Implants, and had to wait nearly a month for the next available appointment. This morning I went in to finally get this painful crown treated, prepared to pay the additional $100 for Dr. Fahad's special 3D scan, since Dr. Fahad told me there was no way to avoid it, but then I was told that I would still have to pay an additional $250 for them to drill through the crown, contrary to the previous upsell conversation he had with me. At first, I thought it was just the front desk people who misunderstood the upsell charge that I declined, and they even confirmed the conversation I had with Dr. Fahad by his own notes where he detailed that crown removal would be $250 extra, saying nothing about any additional charge to drill through the crown, which is the only way to accomplish the root canal without removing the crown. But then Dr. Fahad came out and pretended like it was always going to be $250 whether he drilled through the crown or removed it, which makes no sense, because I had a long conversation with him before about me wanting to remove the crown but not having the money for that, so I decided to take the risk of drilling the crown instead. Even though I am in pain, and could afford to pay for the crown removal at this time, I left without my root canal, because I do not trust Dr.Fahad, and do not want to let him work on my teeth any more. Each appointment I've had at Horizon Implants, I've heard other patients reporting problems to Dr. Fahad that they've had with his procedures, or changes in prices that they weren't expecting, and I've heard Dr. Fahad dismissing their concerns in various ways, but I thought since I was having a simpler procedure than dental implants and that I was referred by my dentist, I wouldn't experience the same problems. But I was wrong. Rather than accept the extra business that he receives from referrals for simple procedures and the payments he receives from insurance, he still tries to upsell his low income patients in an attempt to squeeze every dollar out of them through whatever manipulative tactics he can, and if you don't accept the upsell, you can expect to receive second-rate care. I do not trust Dr. Fahad, or Horizon Implants' business practices, and I will be letting my dentist know that he should refer his patients elsewhere in the future. If you are a patient of Clinicas del Camino Reale and you are referred to Horizon Implants, ask for an alternative referral and save yourself a lot of time and manipulation as you seek treatment.