Lynnwood Dental Excellence — Local services in Lynnwood

I came in last October for a routine cleaning (Groupon) and was told I need a gum graft immediately. I was surprised because I had just been in for an exam here six months previously, and for a cleaning at another dentist three months before that, and no one had said a word about the possibility of needing oral surgery soon.

They quoted me $8000! I decided to just hold off until my next cleaning at a different clinic and see what they said. Several months later, I got a threatening, almost overdue bill for $400 for the October visit that was supposed to be fully covered with the Groupon. Luckily they rectified it when I called, but it was still alarming to even receive that bill, and speaks to the disorganization and unprofessionalism of their front office. Then just a few weeks ago, I got a text reminder of my upcoming appointment the next day. I never made another appointment as I always planned to go somewhere else and get a second opinion. The appointment was also in the middle of a work day, which I never would have scheduled. I had to take time out of my day to call and sit on hold to make sure they knew I never scheduled that appointment and was not coming in.

I have great dental insurance now, so this morning I went to a highly-rated dentist in Bellevue (who doesn’t need to do Groupons!). She did a thorough cleaning, X-rays, and exam, and reported that my teeth are great! NO issues! NO $8000 oral surgery needed! I’m so glad I followed my intuition and waited for another dentist to confirm.

I am only posting this to hopefully warn others who may be scared into purchasing extremely costly dental procedures that you may not need. Get a second opinion! You may need it, sure! But you might not. Based on my experience with Lynnwood Dental Excellence, I unfortunately don’t believe you should put your full trust in them. There is probably a good reason some of these clinics need to use Groupons. Just be cautious!

Edit: In response to the owners response, I am NOT disparaging Groupon users, I was one! It was the way I provided myself with affordable dental cleanings and exams while I didn’t have insurance. What I am saying is that some clinics who don’t get enough business through reputation/reviews and quality work have to drum up patients by using Groupons. I don’t think an established, long-standing dental clinic should need to use Groupon, and this opinion has been solidified by the experience I had there. They tried to sell me an $8000 surgery (expensive by ALL standards, even in the Seattle area), that I did not need. This was confirmed by the fact that two other dentists that same year made zero mention of it, or six months later. If it was so “dire”, you would think that my dentist today would have at least noticed an INKLING of the problem! After all, it’s six months later, shouldn’t it have gotten worse? I realize all dentists are different, but you are all trained in the same field and should recognize the same...

My initial experience with Lynnwood Dental Excellence was promising. And I felt, after nearly 8 years of dealing with providers who wouldn't consider the "out of the box" issues I have. But after several appointments, they changed the focus of my treatment plan to include placement of Crowns on teeth that were rotated nearly all the way around, and this rotation is effecting the joining teeth as well. So they were going to use HOOKS to make them fit the misaligned teeth that have been causing tremendous pain for YEARS! I sought the advice of a specialist. Who determined that I could not correct the problem until I had orthodontic braces to straighten my teeth FIRST. There was (from what I was told), and small cavity in one of the rotated teeth. I kept asking them to fill it, but after at least 6 months, they told me it was impossible to fill it, because it was inaccessible. Due to the rotation. And location of the cavity. When I informed them that I was going to follow the specialists advice and get the braces, the dentist became enraged! I was there to have a different tooth filled, and when I informed him that I have extremely sensitive teeth, and usually require extra novocaine. He seemed like it was a big hassle. Again he was angry at me for agreeing to get braces. And he jammed the needle SO hard in my gums, that there were visible bruises on the outside of my cheeks! But what was worse is that he then LEFT me. And went and did work on someone else for 45 minutes. And the novocaine had all but warn off. I just had to grin & bear it. Yesterday I saw a message informing me of a teeth cleaning I had made several months prior. And I had forgotten about it. They never mentioned taking any X-rays. Just cleaning. The voicemail message was sent the evening before the appointment. I called right when they opened the next morning and told them I had just received the reminder, and wasn't able to make it. They require 48 hours for cancelations. But only remined me about 15 hours ahead of the appointment. So I am being billed for 2 cancelled visits. Totalling $100. After reading through other reviews, it appears the care of this facility has TANKED since changing hands. The defensive way the clinic responds to complaints, basically says it ALL. I will NEVER step foot in that...

I generally refrain from posting negative reviews, recognizing that everyone can have an off day. However, there are instances when it becomes necessary to share my experience to prevent others from facing similar challenges. Having been a client at Lynnwood Dental Excellence for over five years, I recently decided to discontinue my association due to concerns about the quality of service with two stars being generous, I would rate it one star if it wasn't due to there being a few nice employees that don't have control over billing who's continued lack of transparency was the "straw that broke the camels back".

Despite specifically requesting my original dentist, there was inconsistency, and the extensive treatment plan I undertook yielded minimal improvement after significant financial investment. Inquiring about implants incurred a $150 out-of-pocket charge merely to determine candidacy, adding to my dissatisfaction.

Over the years, billing practices became a source of frustration. Initially covered by insurance, subsequent annual cleanings incurred unexpected charges, attributed to gum measurements. Despite expressing my preference for only covered services, I faced repeated discrepancies.

The overall impression of the clinic's focus on financial aspects, evident in the waiting room's credit card applications, raised concerns about prioritizing profit over patient care. I intended to address these issues with the owners, my sole recourse, but encountered difficulty in reaching them.

Most recently, I was charged for a service not rendered, and when questioning the consistency of gum measurements, I received identical numbers from consecutive years. This recurring pattern raises doubts about the clinic's practices.

Initially, I was willing to attribute this to a misunderstanding. However, the persistent recurrence of the exact issue compels me to express my concerns especially when enquiring about speaking to a manager, I was just informed that she held that position, I was subsequently told that the owner is available only on Mondays and Fridays. Despite making multiple recent attempts to contact him, my efforts persistently prove to be...