Bright Now! Dental Reviews

Let's analyze this using my example at Bright Now. All I want was a basic exam and cleaning, $29 as advertised. The first thing they do is run a battery of X-rays, then do a basic exam checking for the depth of tooth pockets followed by a dentist checking for cavities. It's interesting to me that all my tooth pockets are 2-3 mm but the last two checked were 4-5 mm. At this point, they can easily claim a periodontal disease and from the fine print can omit the cleaning.

Everyone has periodontal disease to some degree since a mouth is a very dirty place full of bacteria. I find it suspicious that the last tooth was 5 mm as they claim, further watching and listening to their communication chatter. It appears they do not allow sufficient time for a hygienist to do a cleaning. I believe they had no intention at anytime to do a cleaning and were looking for an excuse to upsell an overkill, but still good, treatment.

Next a treatment plan is presented for $761 but discounted to $292, 10 times what I expected to pay at the start. This discount is also tricky, since it is an arbitrary high amount which is then arbitrarily lowered to dazzle the simple-minded. This is where you have to be smart enough to see through this tricky business plan, be knowledgeable enough about your true condition, which is very hard to do, so that you can find the strength, which many people don't have, to just say no to up selling.

There you have an example of Bait then Add which is used against unwary, simple-minded consumers every day at millions of businesses around the world.

The problem is that Dr. ** had moved on. A new dentist was in this corporate office, and he would not honor fixing the ill fitting crown. He advised that he didn't place the crown, and it was not his responsibility to replace the crown for no charge. I would have to pay for a completely new crown. Needless to say, I will not ever use Bright Now Dental ever again.

At the end of his services, he told me that his office would not be able to work on my teeth again because they were problematic. He told me to find a dentist that could put me to sleep during my procedures and have my work done. Hmmm, I am not rich and how insulting! All this dentist needed to say was that he did not feel comfortable working in my mouth and I would be glad to go to another facility! Lastly, I just found out that this facility did not even make impressions for my new crown! It is now 3.5 days later (Thursday morning). The temporary crown that they put on my molar on Saturday. It is now Wednesday and the temporary crown is almost non-existent. This is really shabby work!

I believe they overbook each day because even though I always arrive ten minutes early for my appointments, I am forced to wait unacceptable lengths of time. On the first appointment, I had to wait 2 1/2 hours. The second time, I waited 1 1/2 hours. The third time upon arrival, I spoke to the office manager and told her if I have to wait more than 20 min. I was going to leave. There was never an apology, they just don't seem to care. While I was waiting, an old man entered and told the office girl that he had been calling and leaving messages for three days without a return call so he had taken the bus there to make an appointment in person. No one apologized to him, but they did make him an appointment. This front office staff is poorly trained, lazy and the office manager doesn't appear to care about their performance at all.

When the perm crowns arrived after 3 weeks, one of them was the wrong color and did not match the surrounding teeth. They had to reorder the perm crown. I asked for them to request a rush from the lab; however, they said no. I had to wait over 3 weeks to receive the new perm crown which this time was the correct color. However, while waiting 3 weeks, the temp came out again and I had to have it re-cemented again! Bright Now Dental Lancaster, California acted as if they don't care about the extremely long wait times for patients or the fact that they use a lab on the opposite coast in Florida which is slow, slow, slow. They told me I needed two wisdom teeth extracted. I called 5 days in a row trying to make an appointment. All I kept getting was an answering machine. I left detailed messages containing my full name, phone number and what I wanted to make an appointment for. I never received one single call back.

Finally, on the 5th day, they answered their phone and I was able to make an appointment. I believe Corporate has all the offices overbooking which results in extended wait times for the patients. They also demanded one half payment upfront on a $1,200 dental bill. Who can afford to pay $600 at one visit? I had to argue with the office manager and billing girl, but was able to make $200 payments, twice a month until paid in full. In my humble opinion, they treat the patient like a sub-human being, overbook appointments and then make you wait for up to two hours, and then demand half of your estimated bill upfront. Their corporate headquarters needs to start receiving complaints from all their patients or things will never change.

All during this time, I’m making minimum payments on the portion I was asked to pay. The next visit, I asked again, and she said she would contact the "guy" that submits bills to the insurance. Once again, there was no answer. The "guy" didn't answer his phone or return an email. I called back in a week to follow up and she tried to get a hold of the "insurance billing guy”, his number was disconnected, and the email wouldn't go through. So, she then tells me she will bill the insurance company herself. The next visit for my daughter, I inquired again. The answer from our insurance company she says, "I haven’t heard anything yet". So, once again, I have no answer.

Finally in December, I was asked to pay $700 to catch up since the insurance company hasn't paid anything yet. So, we pay the $700 and again waited to hear from insurance company. Well, her treatment was over, and still nothing was determined. And then I heard the manager lady handling my account got fired. The new lady said she would handle it, that the other lady didn't know what she was doing. Was it solved yet? No. In the meantime, I’m getting collection calls from Newport Dental (the office who send out the bills) saying we are behind on payments. I told them no one has given us an answer on billing our insurance, and that we were told by the Bright Now office not to pay anymore until they get an answer.

Well, April rolls around and we are moving back to Utah, and my daughter’s treatment was done. Well, I didn't want to move without paying what we owe, so I go into the office once again and still, no one knew anything. So, I call my insurance company myself, and get this! No one even submitted a claim! What the heck is wrong with this company? So, here we are in Utah, still trying to figure all this out, and what happens? Bright Now Dental sent our balance due to a ** collection agency. We called the Bright Now Dental office, and the "new" finance manager lady says "I submitted your bill to the insurance, but haven’t heard anything back." She then says, "Your insurance is Delta Dental right?" No, it’s MetLife! We told them Met Life from the beginning.

So, then the collection agency said they would submit the bill for us to MetLife, only to receive the answer that they denied our claim. And why did they deny it?! Because the date of service was too long ago! Are you freaking kidding me? So, needless to say, we had to pay $1,097.00 for our balance due, so that our credit report that is over 700 score doesn't get affected. I think I’m going to look into suing. Don’t do service with this company. They are crooked, uneducated and very unprofessional.

Now I got a statement saying I still owe them $1.00 after Steve said don't worry about the last two statements where they charged a late fee. I also had an appointment one time for my 6-year-old. I'm not lying or exaggerating like most people that waited for 5 minutes and say they waited an hour. We were there 6 hours! Even the receptionist shook her head and apologized, but no one else did.

Half a year later, on August 15, I received a letter from the same dental office billing me for $282.00. I called to find out why I was being charged, and the person on the phone pulled up my records and did not know why either. So, she told me that they would get back to me in 5 days because the manager in charge of these matters was currently on vacation. I never received a call back from them, and a few days later, I received another bill that stated I was now being charged a late fee, adding up to a past due balance of $296.10.

They have sent my account information to the Collection Department of Bright Now Dental as of September 4, 2012. According to the Collection Department, I was being billed for a treatment that was done on February 14, 2012, for which I had already paid the amount that the dentist and the office manager said I would be responsible for. They did not notify me of any accruing balance on my account until I received the first bill in August, nor were they able to inform me what I was being billed for.

Yesterday, September 10, 2012, I called Bright Now Dental in Corona to inquire about the account balance, and she still could not give me an answer as to why I was being billed and that she would give me a call within 5 days. I heard the same thing more than enough times from their office, so I decided to visit their office. I waited 30 minutes because the front desk assistant said somebody would talk to me about my bill in a few moments, only to hear after waiting that long that they are actually too busy to accommodate me and that they will give me a call within 5 days.

I obtained a copy of our dental benefits statement from June 7, 2012. Bright Now Dental submitted a claim for a porcelain crown for $1,254. Delta Dental accepted a fee of $937.00 because that was the maximum contract allowance; however, because the crown had a limitation of 5 years for the same tooth, Delta Dental did not cover any of the fees. While I was aware that my insurance denied the fee to cover the reparation of my crown because of the limitation, I was not aware of the amount that Bright Now Dental sent as a claim to Delta Dental, leading me to be unaware of any past due payments since I was promised that I would only be responsible for $700. Bright Now Dental is now charging me more than the amount I was aware of and given knowledge to. Bright Now Dental has violated my patient's right to affordability as well as my right to full disclosure, because I am being charged in excess of the amount determined by the dentist (Harris **) and the office manager, which was the $700 that I paid for my crown on February 14, 2012.

I had been also having pain above my tooth in my jaw and my ear. I told the specialist this and he said I still had to reschedule for a root canal. He also told me that the pieces of the instruments might get stuck in the root canal because the instruments are bigger than the root is. And he might also need to apply antibiotics for a while before applying the crown, which is another appointment to replace the current crown which got screwed up. Since I have already had a crown put in on that tooth this last spring, I will now have to pay out of pocket a total of about $500 for the crown.

I went back to have it finished. They had to order the crown. Another month! The temporary cap they put on fell off after three days while eating a Hershey's bar! I went in to have the crown put in. (I have never had that kind of work done to my mouth and did not know what to expect.) He gave me shots to numb my mouth. I thought that was what they had to do. He started drilling into another tooth! I had no choice but to let him finish! Original dentist said I need just a crown. This one digs in and does a root canal. The second crown does not fit well and has no indentions like my original teeth. My bottom teeth hit the darn thing and I keep getting food stuck between it and my gums above it!

Now, they tell me my insurance has run out and I have a $430 credit through Care Credit and they will credit me. (They talked me into charging up the total amount I was approved for. Stupid me!) I still have not seen credit so I called to find out why. The girl (nasty, rude and had food in her mouth!) told me I only have a $180 credit! I asked for an itemized bill and she told me that she can't give me one! **! I will never go back and will spread the word that they will rip you off! By the way, six visits later and I still have not got my teeth cleaned. Do not use these people!

As I was leaving the office, assuming that I'd be billed for their services, I was told that payment was required upon completion of service; they did not send invoices. Originally, I had not been instructed that their work was cash only, and asked to be sent an invoice. I was told that they didn't do business that way, and didn't want to set up an account just for me. After some tense moments they agreed, however, I did not appreciate the tone of the conversation.

My total bill came to $252.00 for the filling and everything else was covered by my insurance. However, I don't believe that three minutes forty five seconds with a dentist is worth $252.00. Why did they have to take 14 X-rays? I would guess my insurance company paid for them, but I surely didn't need them. None of the documentation I filled out indicated cash only. There are no signs in their office indicating cash upon completion of procedures. I believe this scenario is a prime example of what is wrong with our medical system.

It is now 3:55. After I started complaining and inquiring about whether the dentist was in or out of the building, he came out and apologized but asked if I could wait another 30 minutes. I said no, I couldn't and that I was putting in a complaint. I left totally upset and my daughter did not get her fillings. This was the most unprofessional/inconsiderate experience I ever had to deal with. I told the receptionist that I didn't appreciate not being given the option to decide whether I wanted to reschedule or not. I am appalled that my daughter was put in a situation like this when she needs much more gentle attention. I do not plan to return to this office and will be making a report to my insurance company.

He said often times he gets patients with ridiculous quotations from dentists who are clearly trying to take advantage and prey on patients who would rather take their word than to visit another dentist. My friend dentist told me that I did need a couple of repeat sessions of cleaning and fix minor cavities but all of it would be covered by insurance and there was nothing extraordinary that had to be done. Most times he said the $4000 quotations should rarely happen for just cleaning and maintenance unless implants or braces are needed. Buyer beware folks!

I said I was very upset and I had contacted my insurance. I am now paying an additional $760 to repair the substandard work and still don’t have the funds to replace the front tooth crown. Leeam the manager stated he would refund $300. I agreed since something is better than nothing. Since the phone call to the manger, he has been contacted by my insurance regarding my grievance and now has chosen to no longer give me the refund. I feel as a consumer I have the right to contact my insurance. I didn’t know I was accepting hush money! I am currently out $760 for repairs of Bright Now Dental’s work and can’t even come up with the $1500 they want to repair the front tooth crown. I feel so ripped off by this company!

I have received a statement from Bright Now for 2 yrs. Now collection agencies are harassing me.

Marian **, my mother, was supposed to have three teeth pulled on the morning of July 13, 2011. Marian is 81 years of age, suffered two heart attacks, and underwent several joint replacements. According to staff members working in this office at the time, Dr. ** was 2 hours behind schedule, and therefore rushed Marian's procedure. After administering the anesthetic, which was painful for Marian (the needle was bent when Dr. ** withdrew it), I was told they needed to wait 15 minutes for the anesthetic to take effect. No more than five minutes later, Dr. Berwick began the surgery.

Throughout the procedure, Marian trembled and screamed from pain, yet Dr. ** did not stop. Instead, he ignored her cries and rushed forth to finish, clearly without thought of his patient's comfort and well-being. After leaving the room, Dr. ** told me, "Well, it's out!" showing only his haste to get through his agenda. Afterwards, he neglected to return to check up on Marian.

When I returned to her room, my mother was extremely pale, crying and shaking uncontrollably. There were two assistants holding her and trying to comfort her. After some time, she was able to calm down and we left the building. Fortunately, Marian had just one tooth pulled rather than the three that were intended. I simply shudder to even think what the physical and psychological effects of pulling more than one tooth would have been.

After we returned home, my brother Mark, a licensed psychologist, called the office to complain about the treatment Marian received. He simply told that less medication is used on elderly patients and that the office was abnormally rushed due to time constraints.

My mother was restrained and calm in her response to pain. She had several teeth pulled in the past, but never reacted as she did that day with such immense pain.

In this day and age, a patient suffering this kind of pain and trauma—mentally and physically—is uncalled for. This was an outright abuse, especially considering Marian's age. That night she had nightmares about the visit and was still shaking a day after the ordeal. Neither Mark nor I can understand how a caregiver can operate with such limited empathy and lax standards, or how nothing was done to assist Marian with the pain she suffered.

I believe that while dental procedures can at times be uncomfortable, to force an 81-year-old woman to endure such outrageous pain and mistreatment is both cruel and unprofessional. I feel it is absolutely necessary to submit this letter to the governing board regulating dentistry in our area in the hopes of some form of corrective action. It is also my intent to present this issue to Bright Now! Dental, Dr. **, Secure Horizons (provider of AARP Medicare Complete), and the Better Business Bureau. Your time is greatly appreciated, and I hope to receive a response regarding this incident.

I was given an estimate ahead of time that this "special" cleaning would cost me almost $700 out of pocket (after insurance). A normal cleaning only costs me $18 after insurance. I was told they would do all of this "extra" stuff: numbing my gums and cleaning underneath them, flushing out all of the bacteria, etc. They insisted that I needed this treatment and that my "gum disease" would get worse and worse if I didn't do it.

Skip to today, I just returned home from having my "deep cleaning" done. They used a sharp metal instrument with antibacterial spray coming out of it to go around my gum line. I was not numbed up. After this, I expected more intensive, deep cleaning treatment. Not so. She then proceeded to scrape my teeth with the sharp metal instrument to remove plaque build-up like they always do at cleanings, followed by a very mediocre polishing job, and then a basic floss. I was done. I was led to the front desk where I was told my total was $812. (I also had a filling done, which accounted for $135).

I told her I was extremely disappointed with what I had just received for my treatment for that kind of money. The receptionist just looked at me. I told her that other than the anti-bacterial spray at the forefront of the cleaning, it was exactly like any other cleaning I had ever received. She balked at me, and she .tried to say that the hygienist had done more "extensive scaling under the gum line." I disagree. It felt exactly like every other cleaning I have ever had, with the exception of the antibacterial rinse. For $660. She just said, "Well, I wasn't in your mouth, so I don't know."

I proceeded to tell her I thought this was a huge racket, and I didn't understand what I was paying so much for. She said nothing. I then told her that I would tell everyone I know not to ever come to Bright Now Dental and certainly not to ever have this extensive cleaning done. She completely ignored me. I have never felt so ripped off and scammed in my entire life, and I feel physically sick to my stomach that I just paid almost $700 for a glorified cleaning. I will never go back to Bright Now Dental, and I will discourage everyone I know from going there either.

I had the x-rays done although the equipment was an antique and the lead apron was, I felt, too small. I tucked in as best I could. As she began taking x-ray after x-ray, I asked how many they needed. She replied 18! It seems she took even more than that. I told her I had never had so many taken before. I am 58 and have had them taken at least every two years or so for life.

Then, the x-ray person set me down in a dental chair (also very old) to wait on the dentist and told me that I would have an exam and then the office manager would call me about what treatments I would be needing(?) before they would be cleaning my teeth and that I would not get them cleaned that day. I said, "What? I just came for my regular cleaning."

I do take extremely good care of my teeth, get them cleaned at least twice a year, if not more, always brushing, floss at least once a day, also never have drank a drop of coffee in my life, very rarely tea, never smoked, don't drink, etc. I even still have two very firm baby teeth. I went out to talk to the receptionist and told her how I had made the appointment for cleaning and she had confirmed that on the phone a few days before. She said maybe it wasn't her, that she had been there only two weeks but I knew it was her voice.

She went to talk with the dentist who she said told her there would be no charge for the x-rays as long as I did not stay for the exam. I said I would stay if I could get the cleaning done then, as expected, but they could not get that because apparently, there are two (2) types of cleaning - regular and ??. I'm betting no matter how good of care you give your teeth, most people get the ?? one, so I declined and left.

That was yesterday afternoon. This afternoon, the office manager called me and exclaimed that I had run out without paying for my s-rays. She told me there was a "misunderstanding" about that, that the receptionist and dentist were wrong. I asked her if she had spoken with the dentist and she avoided answering the question by attacking me. I asked her how much the x-rays were going to cost and she kept talking over that. Finally, I told her that if I had to pay for them I owned them and she went into some spiel about how the originals by law had to stay there which is not true but they would have copies for me when I came to pay. I feel like getting a sheriff to go with me. I am going to check to see if I can find help anywhere.

I decided to pay out of pocket for a second opinion. I went to another dentist that came highly recommended to me from a friend. I received copies of my x-rays that were taken at Bright Now and brought them to the second dentist. He looked at my mouth and the x-rays. He couldn't find one cavity and said he thought my teeth were easier to clean than his. Needless to say, I went ahead and paid for him to clean my teeth.

Like I said, if I had had any dental issues in my life, Bright Now Dental might have pulled one over on me. However, I knew my history and knew that the likelihood of 6 cavities popping up out of nowhere was highly unlikely. With that, it was worth it for me to pay the money to have a second opinion. I think this needs to be brought to everyone's attention as some people may not think or cannot afford to get a second opinion. If I had listened to them, I would have spent $1500 on unnecessary work. Because I got a second opinion, I was able to avoid that cost. I did, however, have to pay $200 out of pocket for the out of network dental visit and cleaning.