ComplaintsforGentle Dental of New England

• Initial Complaint

  02/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  on january 4th i went to the orthodontist at the ********** location for a new retainer. The man who worked was very friendly & said i can either pay in full now, pay half now, or wait till they come in. I was informed my retainer would be available in 1-2 weeks so I decided to just pay in full. I paid 350$. It has now been a month and a half and three phone calls later and nobody has my retainer. The orthodontist staff is supposedly only there on wednesdays so staff keeps telling me they will email the orthodontist and they will give me a call. I have received no phone calls and no indication my retainer is ready. I even called to make sure they had the correct phone number on file. At this point I feel this office scammed me out of my 350$ and that they never even ordered my retainer. I dont know what else to do other than show up there and demand a refund.

  

  Business response

  02/21/2023

  Thank you for the opportunity to address our patient. We take all of your concerns very seriously. I understand your frustration and your feedback is important to us and this is what will help re-educate and train our staff. We have reached out to our ******* office and have been informed that you have received your retainer.

  Any further questions please reach out to us . 

• Initial Complaint

  01/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  To whom it may concern. I have been a patient of Gentle Dental of *********, ** for approximately 10 years and have never had any issues with their service or billing. On December 14, 2022, I had an appointment scheduled for a routine cleaning. They called me a few days before the appointment to notify me that I would need to reschedule due to staffing issues. I called to reschedule a few days later, leaving a message for them, and never received a call back. At the end of the month, I revived a bill in the amount of $162.09 for the appointment that never happened. I called Gentle Dental back twice, both times leaving messages, to get the bill removed and to reschedule my initial appointment, and still never received a call back from them. This is completely unacceptable. Hence, I am filling a complaint with the BBB. I am requesting that you please help me to resolve this matter as quickly as possible. Thank you.

  

  Business response

  01/19/2023

  Thank you for giving us the opportunity to address our patient concern. We take all of our concerns seriously and your feedback is important to us. Your balance is coming from treatment rendered 6/2/2022 not from 12/14/22. Your insurance has changed and we need this to be updated so we can send this treatment to your insurance company for 6/2/2022.

   

  Customer response

  01/20/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. This said, if someone had called me the first two times I called regarding this issue, they could have saved us both this time and trouble. I look forward to receiving a call back from Gentle Dental about my unresolved appointment change.
  
  Regards,
  
  *******************************

• Initial Complaint

  01/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On 10/07/2022, Gentle Dental of Braintree provided an estimate for ***************** Services for five teeth indicating the procedure was covered under my dental insurance with an out-of-pocket cost of $98.80. The procedures were completed on 10/04/22 and 10/28/22. On 11/09/2022, Gentle Dental billed my out-of-pocket cost of $1,087.26, explaining that the dental insurance denied by insurance claims. After speaking to Gentle Dental and the insurance company, I discovered that Gentle Dental never submitted the procedure for a correct estimate or else, Gentle Dental would have been notified by my insurance only covered the services for only one surface per tooth. My insurance company, ********** Blue Shield does not have any estimate submission from Gentle Dental for any procedures. As of 12/12/2022, Gentle Dental informed me that I would put into collections if I did not pay my outstanding balance and I am responsible for the not verifying that my insurance did not cover the procedures. I attempted to contact Gentle Dental of Braintree numerous times to help resolve the issue and they notified me that I needed to submit a claim appeal because my insurance did not cover the procedure. If Gentle Dental contacted the insurance for an estimate and details of the procedure, then I would have gotten the correct estimate. My family and I have been going to Gentle Dental of Braintree for many years, and have been overcharged in the past, so much so that at one point, we had a credit of over $300 with Gentle Dental. I am filing this complaint because of the way I was spoken to by the office manager, *****, at Gentle Dental and their unwillingness to help identify the problem and resolve the issue

  

  Business response

  01/13/2023

  Thank you for giving us the opportunity to address our patients concern. We take all of our concerns seriously and your feedback is important to us. Your insurance company does not require a pre-treatment estimate to be sent in unless you request one. The office can send this in for you for any procedures that you have done. We will be adjusting your balance of $953.21 leaving your account with a zero balance to facilitate good patient relations..

  Customer response

  01/23/2023

  please provide a copy of the balance being zero. 

  A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  

   

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  12/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On November 3rd, 2022, I went to gentle dental as new patient for an oral Evalution. They told me the Evalution was complementary for new patients. After the Evalution they told me I needed 5 Cavities fillings, I asked if my insurance covered it. she ran my insurance and said I only owed a 50-dollar copay. The receptionist told me I had really good insurance coverage and then told me the only amount I had to pay was 50 dollars. A few weeks later I received a bill in the amount of ******. I called them immediately to find out why I'm getting charged when they told me it was only charged 50 dollars. when I spoke to ***** the manager of gentle dental, she gave me an explanation of the charges and said that my insurance only covers sliver fillings and not the white composite fillings. At the time of my visit this information had not been told to me. I was told that all the work was going to be done for 50 dollars. At no point in the conversation did she mention that there were two different types of fillings. she should have told me the options that were available that were covered under my insurance, she only mentioned that it would cost 50 dollars. In my opinion Gental Dental brings customers in at one price and upgrades them to another price without their knowledge, (bait and switch). Had I been aware that I was going to be billed ****** for services rendered, I would have declined their service. All I am looking is someone from your agency to contact them and have them take care of theses chargers because I am not responsible for them. I was misled by the receptionist at Gental Dental.

  

  Business response

  12/27/2022

  Thank you for the opportunity to address our patient. We take all of our concerns very seriously. Your co-payment that the office asked you for was paid by you. We can only estimate the co-payment from the information that we receive from your insurance company. When a bill is sent to the insurance company they can pay it, deny it, or ask for additional information. I understand your frustration and we will be adjusting your balance of $255.00 leaving your account with no balance to facilitate good patient relations.

  Customer response

  12/28/2022

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  11/03/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I have been a patient of Gentle Dental for quite some time. In July I was made aware that my account had a credit balance of over $300.00. Gentle Dental had made no effort to alert me to this situation. Upon finding out I called and requested that I be refunded the credit amount.Beginning in July I was assured that my request had been forwraded and that I would receive my money in 14 to *************************************************************************************************************** 14 to 21 days.Here we are on November 3 and the office manager ( ******* ) has informed me that they do not owe me $300+ and that ia lesser amount will be forthcoming in 14 to 21 days.The questionable truthfulness of the responses I have gotten, the delaying tactics and the inability to get someone to take me serious brings about this complaint. **************** ia non-existent. Thank you for any help you may provide.****

  

  Business response

  11/09/2022

  Thank you for the opportunity to address our patient. We take all of our concerns very seriously. I understand your frustration and your feedback is important to us and this will help us to re-educate and train the staff. When you had been told you had a refund then it was submitted for reimbursement. An audit then has to be done on the charges and payments from your insurance company from your explanation of benefits need to match. If you need your explanation of benefits we can provide them to you. We found adjustments had to made to your account. You had a refund of $170.73 which was refunded on 11/4/22 to care credit. Please check your account from care credit that you received this.

  Customer response

  11/11/2022

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *******

   

   

  Customer response

  11/14/2022

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *******

  This response is disingenuous at best. It was they who advised that there was a credit balance of $360 +/- in the first place. They requested some time, 14 to 21 days, to audit my account to verify this balance. After their audit they advised that I indeed had a credit balance of $360 +/- and that they would be forwarding a check to me within, guess?, 14 to 21 days. Now they have mysteriously found another charge to deduct from the credit. After 3 months of this shucking and jiving you might well understand my frustration with this office administration. Seems like a pretty straight forward transaction, they have my money and I want it back.  I put the blame for this fiasco clearly on the Office Manager, ***************  In telephone contacts I found her to be ******************, untruthful and devoid of any semblance of customer service skills. If I knew who her supervisor was I would be writing this note to them. 

  And by the way, since Gentle Dental is a franchise type operation I made a concerted effort to contact Corporate. As it turns out they are a subset of an entity called 42 North in *************. In perusing the corporate management structure in both entities there is no executive in either one designated ort titled as "customer service". Therein lies the culture.

  Thank you for the opportunity to rebut .

  ****

   

  

  Business response

  11/18/2022

  Thank you again for the opportunity to address our patient concern. I understand and sorry for your frustration. This has been addressed to the office. We had sent a refund to care credit for $173.50 not for $170.73 as stated. As a professional courtesy you will be receiving another refund by a check in the amount of $199.00. You should receive this within 5 days. Total refund would be for $372.50.

• Initial Complaint

  10/22/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was trying to pay my bill with gentle dental in ******** ****** and paid the wrong company. I have called and sent my receipt to them and nothing. I just want my money back

  

  Business response

  10/27/2022

  Thank you for the opportunity to address the concern that was made. We take all of our concerns very seriously. A payment was made to Gentle Dental of New England. The payment was made in error by the patient who is seen in Gentle Dental of ******** ******. The payment made to ** on 10/27/2021 and returned on 10/28/2021 for $65.00.The bank settled this on 11/1/2021. I reached out to the patient who called her bank and she did receive this refund.

• Initial Complaint

  07/09/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had two crowns the staff bullied me into getting even though they weren't really necessary to have. They even told me that my insurance covered a certain amount and made me pay a co-payment and said nothing else to me about it for greater than 6 -8 months after going back and forth to their office for many other appointments. The dentist told me that gentle dental would take care of it. Then 3 months later they told me I have this huge balance that gentle dental is only giving me a few months to pay for when I was told they'd cover it.

  

  Business response

  07/19/2022

  Thank you for the opportunity to address our patient. We take all of our concerns very seriously and your feedback is important to us. The patient never updated her address this is to why she wasn't receiving bills. When we are looking at patient's benefits she has coverage for crowns. We can only go by the information that we receive from her ins.co. Once the claim is received by the insurance co. they can pay or deny the claim. When the claim was denied we sent in 2 appeals but they would not cover. The Dentist will give the patient a courtesy discount of $700 once payment is made on the remaining balance.

  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  06/04/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was treated at the Gentle Dental ********* location for a dental exam on 3/2/2022 and then for a debridement on 4/19/2022. When I was in the office for my first visit, the receptionist called my insurance with me present to verify full coverage for treatment. They said they would be able to **** my insurance directly and I did not need to submit the claim myself. Despite this, Gentle Dental has not been billing my insurance, and has instead been sending me statements with the full out of pocket amount due. I have repeatedly called the treatment location in the months of March, April, and May and have been told they are working on a resolution to **** my insurance, but in checking with my insurance no dental services have even been submitted in 2022. I have repeatedly offered Gentle Dental to conference call my insurance to assist with billing, and asked them what the exact issue is, but they have declined and not offered me an explanation. I do not understand why after 5 months after the date of service, there is still no record of any submission from Gentle Dental despite them insisting they would handle billing my insurance. I would like an explanation of what is causing these billing issues so I can properly liaison with Gentle Dental and my insurance to get correct payment issued. I would like to stop receiving improper bills for out of pocket amounts due until after I can confirm my insurance has been billed. I am attaching a copy of my last **** from Gentle Dental as well as all claims (medical, dental, pharmacy) from my insurance in 2022 to illustrate they have not billed my insurance at all.

  

  Business response

  06/10/2022

  Thank you for the opportunity to address our patient. We take all of our concerns very seriously. I am sorry that you kept receiving bills and understand your frustration. In looking into this matter claims had been sent 3/16/22 and 4/20/22 thru electronic billing with your insurance company. It kept coming back as incorrect sub Id. This has been corrected with electronic billing and a paper copy has also been sent to your insurance company as backup so we can receive payment for these claims dos 3/22/22 and 4/19/22 .This has been sent electronic and a paper claim 6/9/2022.

• Initial Complaint

  04/25/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In August of 2021, I began going to Gentle Dental after just having my baby. I had to get extractions and I've received a cleaning. I was on maternity leave but still had insurance through my job so was supposed to be covered still. Regardless when I told I had a bill to be paid I definitely always paid out of pocket as requested. I gave paid in person and I have also paid on the website directly. Each time I paid on line were times I hadn't returned back to gentle dental because I knew I could not afford any more charges with a new baby so I'd wait until I could before any more work was to be done. So after I'd pay through the website I definitely made sure to call after each transaction to make sure it went through and to also make sure I didn't owe anything else. I was told there no other charges when I last called 2021. We are now in 2022. I received a bill stating I owe $107 for a cleaning which I already paid for in November 2021 and this was dated January 2022. I called and then they give me different charges over $200 ans still mentions I owe for a cleaning. My husband has his bank statement that shows $107 which was from the cleaning. As well as the other charges because he has paid for my dental expenses while out of work. We went over the charges and it doesn't make sense why Gentle Dental is sending me bills. This needs to looked into because I have been told before they will report to credit bureau without my consent for unpaid work. I don't like to owe any business money especially when I've paid and always checked to make sure afterwards that I do not owe anything. I was given a full list of work to be done before anything began as well with prices with and without insurance. Something is not adding up and something is not right.

• Initial Complaint

  12/31/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I went to Abington Family dental because I had dental issues. I was told I had periodontal disease and decided to get dentures. The first dr I saw was Dr. ******* She had no chair side manner and had me in tears while she shamed me about my teeth. I was passed on to another Dr- his name was ******************. I liked him and he was kind and patient, however he was inexperienced and still in school. It was he who did the extractions and the alveoplasty, that needed to be done again because it was not done correctly. I wanted immediate dentures because I had a brand new granddaughter that I was going out of state to meet. When I received them- about two months later, the top fit but the bottom never did. I had numerous soft realigns for the bottom because they were painful. Dr *** left the practice because it had become too much while going to school. The new **************** was upbeat but also inexperienced. I decided I wasnt getting the bottom replaced ( for 2k$) until the top was realigned. I went in and Dr ***** added the mild material over the soft realign material- the dentures came back later that day and were thick and totally wrong. She ground the new material out and did a soft realign to get me through the week. I went back and she did another mold. After the second realign they still didnt fit. Theres no suction so they fall down without using glue. Her answer? Shed do as many resigns as I needed and added - if it makes you feel any better, nobodys dentures fit right.This is unacceptable. $4000 for dentures that dont fit. For the Ill fitting bottoms; no discount. I would have to pay for a new lower- full price. The Ill fitting top- that now is slanted and bucked is also unacceptable. I called the dental office yesterday and left a message for the office manger. She did not call me back. This is not the first time my calls have gone unanswered. It is unacceptable to send any patient out with Ill fitting teeth. Theyre loose. I still cant eat.

  

  Business response

  01/06/2022

  Thank you for the opportunity to address our patient. We take all of our concerns very seriously. I understand your frustration and your feedback is important to us.The Dentist has reached out to the patient and will be remaking the upper denture.The patient has an appointment to start this process. At one of her visits the Dentist will evaluate the lower.

  Customer response

  01/10/2022

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  Dr ****** and the office manager both reached out to me in response to my complaint. Unfortunately, I have contracted Covid- however I am currently more than 48 hours symptom free. I was informed by Dr. ****** that I need a negative test before I can be seen- and said so, 3 times in the minute long conversation I had with her. At no point did she ask how I was feeling or wish me well- not something that surprises me.
  As for the reason I am rejecting their response; the lower being redone is off the table per their office - as corporate has declined to redo at any discounted rate. They want another $2000.00 on top of the $12000 I have already paid  up front for their shoddy service.
  I would like copies of my file and all the notes from any of the dentists involved in my case. I will be reaching out to the affiliate that I was sent to for the second alveoplasty, for their notes as well. If necessary I will seek legal council.
  
  *****************************
   

  

  Business response

  01/14/2022

  Thank you for the opportunity to address our patient. The Dentist and the Practice Manager has been speaking with the patient. The Practice Manager states that the patient has an appointment on Friday January 14th.They discussed if she still did not feel better and talked about how she was feeling that they would accommodate her to get another appointment. The patient understood that at this appointment we would be making her a new upper denture. Also that the Dentist would be discussing with her about the lower denture and coming to a decision with the patient.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩