Smile Time Dental's Online Review Report Card

The asian male dentist dr Michael is awful. He’s rude, unprofessional, and tries to upsell unneeded dental work. He should find another profession. The front desk receptionist is absolutely the best though! Her name is Jen. Shes super friendly and helpful

This is going to be a long review. I am copying below a letter that I sent to Metlife Insurance, recommending that they remove Smiletime Dental from their list of HMO insurance providers. I have copied extensively from Google AI summaries of other bad reviews and also information about complaints to the Better Business Bureau about Smiletime Dental. "I made an appointment at Smiletime Dental in Folsom with Jack Gorman, D.D.S. on Oct. 8. I had an extremely bad experience there and will not go back. I will say more about that below, because I believe that you should remove Smiletime Dental from your HMO program for the reasons I will explain below. SMILETIME DENTAL MANIPULATIVE AND DISHONEST PRICING Prior to switching to the DHMO plan and prior to my appointment at Smiltime Dental on October 8, I was told by your billing people what I could expect to pay for services at a contracted DHMO dental clinic. Specifically $50/quadrant for scaling and root planing and $45 or $55 if I get 4 periodontal maintenance treatments. These sounded like good prices. After I had the appointment, met Dr. Gorman for examination, provided him with x-rays, discussed my bone loss and need for periodontal scaling and root planing (deep cleaning) plus periodontal maintenance, he created a treatment plan for me and sent me to Stephanie V., the treatment planner. Stephanie told me that for every quadrant and every periodontal maintenance appointment, I would need to receive something called Cervitec at a cost of $98 each time. She said that this part of the treatment was "nondeclinable" (she used that word at least 5 times) and every patient in their clinics has to have it. The effect of this was that after taking a morning for this appointment, using one of my covered exams and meeting Dr. Gorman, my cost for everything would be almost $500 more than what I was told by your representatives I would be paying at a contracted DHMO clinic. This is dishonest and manipulative and I recommend that you remove Smiletime Dental from your HMO clinic list. I am going to copy some relevant information from Google AI below to provide more information and verification of what I have written above. TYPED INTO SEARCH ENGINE: "DO ONLINE REVIEWS OF SMILETIME DENTAL MENTION A NON-DECLINABLE CHARGE FOR CERVITEC TREATMENT?" GOOGLE RESPONDED: Yes, multiple online reviews of Smile Time Dental mention a non-declinable charge for Cervitec treatment . In these reviews, customers complain that the dental office charged them for the treatment without their consent or full knowledge, claiming it was a mandatory part of their service. Customer complaints about Cervitec charges A "mandatory" fee: A reviewer on Yelp for the Rocklin, California, location claimed that the office required a mandatory, non-declinable $90 payment for a microbial mouthwash treatment, which was not optional before a cleaning. Surprise bacterial treatment: A reviewer for the Granite Bay, California, location mentioned that despite asking for only insurance-covered services, they received a $73 charge for a "bacterial treatment." The reviewer felt deceived and demanded a refund. Deceptive billing practices: Another patient review for the San Ramon, California, office detailed deceptive billing practices, citing a deposit request for deep cleaning that was not fully covered by insurance. The patient expressed that the office added "unapproved" and "hidden costs". Several customers have complained about the charge on Yelp reviews for different Smile Time Dental locations. Details from online reviews include: A Yelp reviewer for the Rocklin, CA, location stated that the dental office "don't tell you it is mandatory and non-declinable to pay $90 out of pocket for a microbial mouthwash prior to a cleaning". Other reviewers across various Smile Time Dental offices in California have reported questionable billing practices and added fees, including charges for unnecessary or unapproved services. In one case, a reviewer received an unexpected bill for a consultation that they stated never occurred. Another reviewer noted that fees and costs were not upfront and that they felt they were being "up sell[ed]". fees and costs were not upfront and that they felt they were being "up sell[ed]". "ARE THERE FORMAL COMPLAINTS AGAINST SMILETIME DENTAL'S BILLING PRACTICES?" Yes, there have been formal complaints against Smile Time Dental regarding its billing practices , including reports of surprise bills, insurance fraud, and harassment from collection agencies. Key details from formal complaints include: Surprise bills for unapproved services: Charges submitted to insurance for non-existent services Claims of being overcharged and sent to collections Lack of accreditation and negative reviews on the BBB Difficulty in receiving refunds

MEDICAL FRAUD! Quoted $1,800 for extensive work on "tooth decay" and the need for a new crown. 2nd opinion said no decay, replaced the existing crown, took 20 minutes and cost $58. Have filed complaint with CA Dental Board.

Great service

I like it here cause they have friendly staff. Especially Jennifer. Angel helpful with check in. Thank you Dr Michael for making sure my teeth remain healthy. Kayci and the other assistants are really nice and polite. Tamsen does really good teeth cleaning. Jennifer is very good at making sure my appointments are all set and answers all my questions. Thank you smile time!

I’ve had an appointment booked for weeks. I work a very busy schedule 5 days before my appointment, Smile Time calls me 3x and 2x voicemail while I’m in a meeting. At 4:45pm end of a work day. They then text me to confirm. I reply “c” to confirm. They thank me for confirming Come to find out they canceled my appointment and booked my slot. So they called me soo many times because they needed to squeeze someone in. And said screw me. I’ve asked for their policy that gives them the right to cancel me 5 days before, it doesn’t exist. Screw this place

Great service from everyone! Jennifer gives excellent service! Jennifer is so helpful and such a sweetheart!

The staff are very lovely 😍

Jennifer at the front desk is an absolute gem. She went above and beyond to ensure my experience with multiple appointments in one day was seamless and stress-free. As for the dental team, I've been to several dentists in the area and often left feeling like was being upsold unnecessary procedures. That hasn't been the case here. The team genuinely prioritizes your dental health with honesty and integrity, which is refreshing.

GREAT STAFF. I had a wonderful experience with the front desk. Dr. Michael was very straight forward and direct giving me an understanding of everything. Loved how easy the whole process was from check in to check out!