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Review 2/24/2011
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The modern equipment at Gateway Dental is impressive but it unfortunately cannot transform a bad dentist into a good one. Dr. Dimitri apparently overbooks patients causing him to rush through procedures. He was often arrogant, full of plausible explanations to cover his mistakes and generally incapable of performing high-end dentistry.
Dr. Dimitri misled me into believing that I had periodontal disease and needlessly subjected me to a painful scaling / laser treatment that cost $1140. I also paid $3100 for three porcelain crowns. They required 10 VISITS and the results were chalky, rough crowns that didn't match the color of my other teeth. Dr. Dimitri didn't bother using a shade guide against my teeth so he guessed and ordered an "A2"-- four shades too dark. He also left tons of excess cement between the crowns and padded my bill $575 for crown lengthening, a surgical procedure which I later learned was unnecessary.
I was finished with Dr. Dimitri but agreed to give Dr. Rodgers, the practice's co-owner, an opportunity to fix my crowns. He avoided eye-contact while I voiced my concerns then became impatient when I refused to compromise my standards. Dr. Rodgers offered to remake my crowns but insinuated that I probably wouldn't be satisfied with anything. When a patient requires 10 VISITS for a crown, it says a lot more about the dentist than the patient.
Nick, their office manager, agreed to a partial refund. I was promised the refund within three business days but it took almost three weeks. Unlike me, Nick had a great experience at Gateway Dental. Read his numerous "filtered" reviews posted on Yelp. It's one thing when bars or restaurants leave fake, positive reviews about themselves but it's kinda sleazy when a health care provider does it.
Their business practices are equally dishonest. Gateway Dental has TWO price lists, one for My Smile members (actual fees) and another for non-members. The non-member prices are so inflated that patients are compelled to pay the $100+ enrollment fee. Here's an example, My Smile members will pay $1150 for a LAVA porcelain crown but non-members must pay $1775. Get a consultation from a reputable dentist and you'll discover LAVA crowns only cost $650-900 without insurance. My Smile is presented as a third-party discount plan but it's completely worthless outside Gateway Dental and other Pacific Dental Service affiliates.
I paid cash and was still overcharged so imagine what Gateway Dental is doing to insurance companies. They require patients to e-sign an inordinate amount of legal forms, relying solely on the paraphrasing of their receptionist for most documents. These aren't just Treatment Consent forms, they guarantee payment even for procedures deemed unnecessary by insurance companies. When you receive a huge bill for the remainder, it's already too late.
Don't even consider going to Gateway Dental. If your insurance company lists Gateway Dental as your provider, change it immediately! Avoid all providers within Pacific Dental Services -- http://PacificDentalServices.com/
Gateway Dental's website -- http://EastvaleGatewayDental.com/ and Mira Loma Smiles, down the street -- http://MiraLomaSmiles.com/
If you see that same cookie-cutter website, keep searching for another dentist. They will overcharge you 40-60% just like Gateway Dental and odds are, the quality is just as bad.
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