Fresh Dental Hickory NC — Local services in Hickory

I would be more comfortable dealing with a used car salesman! My husband and I went in for our yearly cleaning (covered by insurance) and we were very clear up front that we weren't interested in anything else. Throughout the entire visit they used scare tactics and sales pressure to try upselling us with unnecessary procedures. All of the rooms are very close and open, so you can hear the same sales pitch over and over again with other patients (very cringy to say the least). My husband and I have very perfectly straight teeth and are extremely adamant about our oral health, but they still insisted that we needed Invisalign and specialized cleanings that weren't covered by insurance. They attempt to show you a before and after picture of how your teeth will look after using Invisalign, but they literally couldn't point out any differences (Because our teeth are perfectly straight!). They countered with, "they may look perfectly straight, but your biting pressure is off and your teeth will fracture because of this". They handed my husband a bill for over $5,000 based on their recommendations. We basically threw our hands up and were about to walk out. At this point, they became condescending and almost hostile, but they finally agreed to do our yearly cleaning - only after we signed a waiver stating that we were aware our teeth were doomed to fall out and they would not provide a basic cleaning to us in the future.

It's clear that they don't make money from cleaning, and if they are unable to upsell you, they don't want your business.

Nearly 2 months later, we received a bill for $200 for excessive x-rays that our insurance refused to cover. So much for a free yearly cleaning.

There is no way we would ever go back to this place due to their sleezy sales tactics, and I really hope I don't see any more random mystery bills popping up from...

I had a lot of cavity work done in May of 2020 by Dr. Jahal at Fresh Dental. I paid the uncovered portion by my insurance for the procedures (which took a few hours) there in the office, and the rest (I was told) would be covered by my insurance. A few weeks later I was scheduled for a cleaning, and I missed this appointment as the day before my son sustained a life threatening injury due to motor vehicle accident and had been airlifted to CMC in Charlotte. I totally forgot about my appointment, and honestly I was barely keeping it together at that point in time. I got a call from a young man working for Fresh Dental, who, when I answered, was extremely rude and demanded to know why I didn't show up for my appointment. I apologized profusely and explained the circumstances and told him that I had been at the hospital with my son the past three days and didn't know when I could reschedule again. He told me that he could not waive the no show charge (understandable) and then very coarsely said they do not tolerate no call no shows. I get it, it's a business, but it's not like I didn't show up because I wanted to, my kid almost lost his freaking leg and was unconscious in the hospital. After that conversation, I was done with Fresh Dental. A few weeks later I was billed for additional costs not disclosed by Fresh Dental. Then, three months after my intial appointment, one of my fillings totally popped off and I am now about to undergo oral surgery to remove said tooth because the nerve has been exposed and lymph nodes became infected. The dentist was kind enough and the modern technology and office setting was nice, but the quality of "work" and kindness from some of the office staff was lacking in my opinion, so I'll be going elsewhere for my dental...

We tried Fresh Dental because it was in network for our insurance. As far as positives go, that’s the only one. Quick recap of the negatives — pushy sales tactics, shady business practices, poor communication.

My husband and I were both subjected to very aggressive upselling, but some of it was a “silent sell.” He was told he needed a special fluoride rinse and that he had to use it because when he came back next time, “they’d know if he hadn’t.” Sort of a weird veiled threat that seemed out of place when it comes to mouthwash. What he wasn’t told was that this “necessary” rinse was not billable to insurance. That ended up being a surprise $70+ bill. They tried the same thing on me several weeks later. I found it effective but annoying to ask the hygienist every few minutes “is this covered by insurance?” Several times the answer was “No, but we need to…” Never in my life have I needed to be so vigilant during a dental cleaning.

They also tried to convince us both that we need braces. My husband has never needed braces; I did Invisalign 5 years ago and still wear the retainers weekly. Another completely bogus upsell.

What finally put me over the edge was when I showed up for my cleaning and was told my appointment had been canceled because I hadn’t responded to a confirmation text (a text that they never sent). When I told them I had not received a text and asked why they had not called, I got a shrug and a “Let me see if we can work you in.” Several minutes later, I was told that it was my lucky day because they had figured out a way to work me into the schedule. Lucky? For being seen on the day and time I had booked an appointment?

Save yourself some headaches - and potentially some money! - and choose a...