Wang and Cortes Dental — Attraction in Tampa

I am new to south tampa and initially booked with Dr. Wang as a new patient. He studied close to my home so i liked that and given that this is a family practice, I really felt inclined to book an appt. The receptionists cancelled that appointment (did not say why) and offered me the appointment i got. So I had my first visit with Dr. Bonilla, she 'seemed' very nice. However, upon examination she immediately stated I needed fillings when I just got fillings in the teeth she said I needed them in. I also just completed braces and have some black triangles (nothing major) and my entire reason for my visit was to get dental bonding so that it would close the spaces between the teeth and my teeth would look/feel better. My Orthodontist/previous dentist recommended dental bonding and explained that its purely cosmetic and elective.

Wang & Cortez dental is advertised as part 'Cosmetic Dentistry' so i went to them purely for that reason. When i asked Dr Bonilla about the dental bonding, she flat out ignored my question/interests for the bonding and immediately recommended both implants and porcelain veneers instead. When i asked her again, she did not directly answer my question but instead explained some stuff about gum tissue moving due to the braces which, from what i understand, is part of the process and is totally normal for people who get braces especially as an adult. On an honest note, this made me feel insulted because my teeth are in relatively good shape and although they are not perfect as no ones is, im trying to improve them and that is why i came here.

She did not give me a reason why she would not do the bonding and instead danced around with her own opinion and ideas of what SHE thought. I walked out of there feeling confused and did not get my needs, concerns or questions met although SHE did ask quite a few questions. I would like to note that the hygienist who assisted me was very kind and was definitley comforting.

Other things I will mention: THE RECEPTIONISTS HERE ARE VERY UNPROFESSIONAL, SLOPPY AND NON-RESPONSIVE!! I personally witnessed the one with the new york accent gossiping to the blonde receptionist and the younger Asian women who works behind them about a patient who had called in regarding a new tooth filling that she was experiencing pain with. They were very careless regarding this patients situation and proceeded to gossip about the patient for a good 10 minutes after that call. This really made me feel uninterested in this place as its first impressions and how you treat people that truly matter and gossiping on this level, at this day and age is just ridiculous.

I had reached out to them several times and they were completely non-responsive. I called again after my appointment and still could not get through, so i left a voice mail which was never responded to. I followed up by email a few weeks later to request my xrays be sent to another practice and the email was never responded to either.

Overall, I would not recommend going to this dentist office. It is, in all reality, just a fancy location with mediocre dentists who clearly think more of themselves than their patients. There ARE much better practices out there who actually care about their patients and their integrity enough to treat them with decent respect and will care enough to atleast respond.

If you live in South Tampa, your options are many and for the price that you'll end up paying here, you can go elsewhere and have a much more pleasureable experince where you will atleast feel valued. Time and money today still matter on the grand scale of things and your choice is what makes the difference.

At Wang + cortez dental I personally did not get any treatment that made me feel like it was worth my time or money. I would...

This review is entirely my opinion.

I found the new customer "sit-down" to be odd, unnecessary, and uncomfortable. My opinion is that they use this meeting to convey to new patients how serious the office is about dental care, with the implied message being that perhaps wherever you were going before was not as serious about dental care.

After the "sit-down" they did X-rays - more X-rays than I have ever had taken at another dentist. Then Iryna Mayer, the hygienist, did an assessment (to include gum recession), and promptly tried to get me to agree to some sort of more in depth cleaning. Of note, my new dentist's hygienist did the same assessment, but my recession numbers in that assessment were much better than they were by Iryna Mayer. I was immediately suspicious of this additional service that was offered because I have a pretty good dental history, and I've never had anyone try to offer me anything other than a standard cleaning.

Despite her recommendation, I tried to have her give me a normal cleaning. At that point the hygienist called in Dr. Wang, who proceeded to tell me how dire my situation was. When I said I was skeptical of his assessment he referred me to his outstanding Google reviews. I don't recall the price being mentioned until I inquired. At that point I found out it would be $380 out of pocket, and an additional $282 to the insurance, for a total of $662 beyond a normal cleaning. In addition to the cost, it would require 3 additional visits. After letting them provide me with the information on what they said I needed I got up and left. To his credit, Dr. Wang could tell I was uncomfortable with the experience, and said he would not have anyone contact me. He was true to his word, which I appreciate.

I went to another dentist and they stated I did not need any service except a standard cleaning. Given my experience, I encourage anyone who finds them self in a situation similar to mine to seek a second opinion. FWIW, based on talking to numerous people, my opinion is that my experience is not uncommon in Tampa.

Further, I had the numerous X-rays Dr. Wang's office took transferred to my new dentist, who told me they were of poor quality. As a result the new dentist redid them (at no charge - which tells me the quality was actually poor, they weren't trying to make a buck). The new dentist had digital X-rays, and not nearly as many taken.

This review is...

When you’re looking for a dentist, you hope the dart you throw hits a bull’s-eye. Well, bull’s-eye for me when I chose Wang + Cortes,4212 S. Manhattan Ave. in Tampa! Because of several serious infections, I was really not able to think about dental care for fear of bacteria traveling from my mouth to my hip. So when I thought it was prudent to go and needed to find a nearby dentist, my daughter recommended Wang + Cortes. I was anxious going to my first appointment - you never know what you’re going to get. After a thorough exam, turned out I needed three crowns and a periodontic treatment plan. As of today, I’ve begun the periodontic process and have two temporary crowns. I am not exaggerating what I say this is the best dental practice I’ve ever been to, and I’m 66. Honest to God, Dr. John Yacoub was so good doing my crown work that I could’ve napped. Zero pain – nothing – from start to finish. My hygienist, Christina, was also amazing. She explained the different x-ray techniques and couldn’t have been more thorough and professional with a terrific outlook and sense of humor as well. On the periodontic side, Jovie was unbelievable – so knowledgeable and enthusiastic (and upbeat and funny and, well, you get the picture!) I could not be in better hands - and that also starts with the employees up front – very helpful and friendly and efficient. I’ve just never been to a dental practice this good on all ends of the spectrum. I encourage anyone looking to switch, dentists or who is looking for a new dentist to give Wang +...