Valley Dental

The dentist said my 9 year old daughter needed a root canal. After 6 months of her being in pain, they finally gave me the information to set it up. I decided to have a second opinion and cone to find out, she simply had a piece of her baby tooth lodged in between her adult teeth. Valley dental had taken several xrays and still insisted she needed a root canal. One xray at the second dentist and the piece was removed. I saw the xrays and even I could see the piece of tooth VERY clearly. I find it deplorable that they would insist that a 9 year have a root canal when it was not medically necessary. She has had 0 issues with that tooth since.

Your money or your teeth.

I have been a patient for a long time. In the beginning, it was about the patient and his or her teeth. Not today. It is about money now.

Over time I began to notice that Valley Dental became aggressive about trying to sell patients things they did not want or need. We were there some time ago discussing orthodontics for the children, and the dentist with whom we were speaking had the phone to her ear and dialing an orthodontist before we discussed anything. I had to politely ask her to please stop. Had I not, she would have pressured us into spending money we did not want to spend.

Other little selling tactics crept in. For example, the person cleaning my teeth would ask if I wanted X done to my teeth. I said yes. At checkout I was told I needed to make an immediate payment for it. I paid and said no thanks the next time. Little, but telling. This was the beginning of the upselling.

The office staff was reorganized so that instead of walking out, you had to see someone to pay before anything else. You are led to a chair and are seated and asked to pay, often when you did not know that you had incurred a debt because the staff did not tell you. It became very clear that it was no accident that you were not being told. You were also given a sales pitch of a range of options of dental care and dental care accessories while seated in the chair. Gentle, yet pressured.

Over time the office began to routinely bill beyond usual and customary. Way beyond. To the point where we had to call after receiving every bill because the amount beyond usual and customary was growing with every visit. Additionally, the billing was very sloppy. There were errors in every bill, and the bill was always skewed in Valley Dental's favor. This was not once or twice. This became an ongoing issue for years. Every bill required scrutiny that required wrangling over the phone.

I had an exam and was told I needed to come back to take care of a small issue, Their words. I said ok and made an appointment. At that appointment I was told that the procedure would be lengthy and expensive. I was not told this before. I asked how much total and how much out of pocket. I was shown the total and my out of pocket. I was not able to afford that out of pocket. I had the distinct perception that I had been set up for money. A subtle yet distinct pressure or hustle. As a minimum it was a sin of omission from the previous visit. My instincts told me otherwise.

In response to my initial review, Valley Dental wrote,"payment discussions, and payment options are always discussed so that each of our patients are fully aware of what our intentions and procedures are."

No, they did not. No, they do not. It was my distinct impression that whomever at my exam quickly hustled me through the x-ray review saying it's a small shadow, we'll get you fixed right up. When I returned for the procedure, I sat down and was immediately that today's procedure is lengthy and expensive. I then asked how much, and then and only then was I shown a printed, detailed break-down of the procedure and the cost. I then said this was never explained to me, the person at that time said sorry, and if I wanted the procedure I had to pay cash or by credit card. They would not send a bill to me. I said I did not have that much money at that time. I said thanks and left.

I was once asked if I wanted fluoride applied to my teeth after they were cleaned. There was no mention of money, expense, or incurring a debt. I said ok. The fluoride was applied, and I was directed to a desk and employee I had never seen before. I said, and she said I owed them X amount today. I said for what? She said for the fluoride. I said I was never told that the fluoride would cost beyond anything my insurance would cover. She said I owed them $$.xx. I was hustled or conned into paying for something I did not want. I had an exam six months later. The receptionist said, "Oh, I see that you don't want the fluoride." Is this not a sign of their concern about $?

I feel validated that I'm doing a great job with taking care of my teeth, even when I know that I've been slacking due to so much going on in my life these last two months. My hygienist is a cheerleader and encourages me to keep trying, and compares everything to when I first went back just over a year ago. I feel important.

As soon as I arrived they took me right in. It was very quick and pleasant and professional. They answered my questions, made sure I was comfortable and took time to converse. A very good experience. I highly recommend Valley Dental.

I always hated going to the dentist..until I found Valley Dental! The office was clean and inviting, they have an adorable room for kids to play, a beverage bar, comfortable chairs, wifi, etc. The staff was incredibly friendly and gave me a tour, and even gave me a welcome gift (a Scentsy Wax Warmer and Scentsy Wax)! There are TVs in the ceiling so you have something to watch while you're getting your teeth cleaned, headphones to listen to your program, sunglasses to shade your eyes from the light, and they even gave me a paraffin wax treatment for my hands! I even received FREE teeth whitening for life..incredible. I am recommending Valley Dental to EVERYONE.

I have been going to Dr. Gavin since 1996 when he was open on a Saturday and I had an accident and new to this area. I have always been very happy with Dr. Gavin and his staff, my daughter and her family now go to Valley Dental also.

Absolutely love my smile again! So excited to look in the mirror now! The last few weeks I felt unsure and hesitant to smile, but now I'm not self conscious to smile! And it's just the first day after the procedure! What a relief to have my personality back! I could hug everyone at your office! Thank you THANK YOU infinitely

The entire staff was great, but the price is outrageous. It cost me $110 for an ex ray of two teeth when I could get an entire exam at other dentists for the same price or less(some sentists I've found offer a comprehensive exam for under $100). Then to fix one filling it was $320 on top of that. So for one cracked filling it set me back $430. So if you have money to throw around its a great dentist and staff. I just dont think dental work should be priced as a luxury.

I have been going to this dentist for about 15 years. And have always had a great experience. Everyone is super friendly.

Lory was extremely professional and easy to talk to! She took an interest in my life which was really nice. Dr. Holly was also very nice and took the time to really introduce himself.