NYU College of Dentistry — Local services in New York

I've been going to NYU Dentistry on and off for years, initially for general dental work. However, at some point, they stopped accepting my insurance. Fortunately, I got a better job that allowed me to go to a different dentist. Despite that, I decided to proceed with the dental implant program at NYU. I'm writing this review to warn people about how disorganized NYU Dentistry is. I got my implant done in April of last year at the NYU College of Dentistry's Weissman Building. The doctor there specifically told me to make sure my student dentist booked my second appointment. Since I knew he was graduating, I repeatedly asked him to schedule it—but no one ever did. He eventually passed my case to a female student dentist, who added a third student doctor to the private chat who is a male that I never met because he never even greeted; which led me to believe the doctor was not real. The female SD said, I’d receive a call in a few months to schedule the appt. But again, nothing ever happened. Meanwhile, shortly after getting the implant, I went on vacation to Turks, and the healing cap popped off. When I returned to NYU for a fix, the entire experience was a nightmare. The reception staff was rude. No one seemed to know what was going on with my case. Despite giving them my previous doctor’s name, they had no record of who was handling my treatment. It was incredibly frustrating—why don’t they keep accurate chart notes? How do they not even know which floor my procedure was done on or which department I came from?? The doctor who fixed the healing cap was unhelpful and rude and kept asking me the same questions. I was not thinking clearly because I had a long day and I hardly ate anything. The doctor who fix the healer cap walked me down to the prosthetic department to book an appt, only to be told that my student dentist had to book it. After this, I tried multiple times to get my second appointment scheduled. But the SD kept ignoring my requests. Eventually, I let it go for a while as I focused on another dental issue. This year, I finally decided to follow up on getting the crown because I didn’t want my teeth to shift any further. I called NYU, but no one knew what was going on. It took forever to get through to someone, and when I finally got an appointment with a general dentist on the fifth floor, they examined my teeth poke and prodded my gums—only for the head of the department to come over and say my case was actually for the Weissman Building. He then informed me that my case was too severe to qualify for undergrad implant program.

Looking back, I now realize that my original student dentist likely knew this, which is why he never scheduled the second appointment. They all knew, which explains why they kept stalling. And honestly, it made me feel terrible—like I was just a stepping stone for them to gain experience, knowing full well that I wouldn’t receive proper care for the second part of my treatment. I don’t care if it was discounted—my hard-earned money still went into this, and yet, the student dentist got his "experience," graduated, and moved on, while I was left in limbo. That’s not how you treat patients, and it’s exactly why NYU needs to be much stricter in holding their student doctors accountable.

Ultimately, I took matters into my own hands. I contacted the records department, got all my files, and sent them to my private dentist. My dentist was able to place the crown without any issue—it was a SIMPLE procedure.

Final Thoughts If your case is even slightly complicated, I do not recommend going to NYU Dentistry. If you don’t have the best health or you don’t have like a back up plan like a private dentist. I wouldn’t recommend. While the implant itself was cheaper at NYU, the lack of organization and follow-up made the entire experience a nightmare. You’re basically on your own If your case is too complicated. The only real benefit was the reduced cost of the implant, but even that wasn’t...

Upon arrival I checked in at the lobby. I say good morning to Audrey B who was very nasty and rude to me while I was with my 1 year old son. She never said good morning back and decided that she was going to make a signal of a cross sign across her forehead and chest which was very disturbing, rude and unprofessional. She never explained where I needed to go and handed me a small paper with 3s on it. I asked her what does that mean and she's says "you can't read"? I was absolutely disgusted by her and told her I do not work here and never been to this side of nyu and needed her to explained to me where that was. She was just nasty. Body language and disposition were very unprofessional and definitely needed to choose another field to work in if she doesn't like people. I then get up to the 3rd floor and this horrible inviduual check in person "Julissa R was just as worse!! She was very racist and very rude as I came in and said I have an appointment. She totally dismissed me and said this tall white man was first when clearly we came in at the same time but was directly behind me. Common curiosity goes a very long way. I am disgusted I even have to make a complaint about this. She was shouting at me and I for sure shouted back and let her know that I needed to speak with a supervisor. I spoke with Brenda who was very understanding and very apologetic. I explained to her that I needed to make a complaint and she told me I could. She was able to assist me and help me thereafter. I then get to the student dentist after all of those disturbing encounters and I couldn't be see quickly because they mentioned that my insurance didn't pick up. I explained to them that I called that Friday or Thursday before my appointment and the representative named "Sat" took my insurance over the phone. I was very upset at this point because I had already wasted so much time and now I couldn't be seem for my issue of pain in my month. I then was told once my insurance was verified that they couldn't see me because I needed other service on the second floor. The student dentist then takes me downstairs to see if I could get an appointment. I was able to; however it was a very overwhelming experience. The student dentist examined me and it was just terrible. I do not have a fear of dentist. They didn't often change gloves from what I could see and the student dentist kept Giving me needles even after I told him I was numb. My mouth currently still feels numb to this day and its been a week .he kept saying "did she sign the consent and NEVER WENT OVER THE CONSENT"!! They took forever to pull the tooth and the instructor dentist had to come and do it and I currently have a piece of tooth that is still in my mouth that is causing me serious pain. The instructor who seemed to be ok said I couldn't get any antibiotics even tho my tooth was pulled and now I have some type of infection and have an appointment today that I will not go to because of the lack of experience. The instructor who said the student dentist was on his way of graduating is definitely not so ready for graduation. This is horrible to continue to have pain which appears to be inflamed and has an infection. I will never recommend and never go back to any students who do not yet have a degree. I am disappointed for this service of how I was treated checking in the lobby and on the 3rd floor. Overall nyu needed to provide better quality service and be...

At NYU's clinic I arrived, My insurance plan had been approved, The receptionist had all I provided, And I sat waiting, feeling soothed.

The dentist came, gentle and polite, But then he dropped a bomb, My insurance plan was not in sight, And quoted me a price so high, it made me feel dumb.

Two thousand dollars for a basic clean, As a low-income senior citizen, I was terrified, Reliant on government help, this was obscene, I couldn't afford such a price, I cried.

Was this discrimination, or just a lie? My Asian heritage and financial status, was it to blame? I felt helpless and ready to die, This treatment of the disadvantaged is a shame.

Transparency and respect are what we need, In dental clinics, for all to see, So no one faces such despair and greed, And all can receive care equally. Today, I went to the NYU dental clinic for an appointment. I had called ahead and the customer service representative assured me that my Healthfirst Life Improvement Plan (HMO D-SNP) 2023 dental plan was accepted, and that I had been referred by my primary dentist. When I arrived, I provided my ID, insurance card, referral letter, and x-rays to the receptionist and took a seat in the waiting area.

The dentist was polite and friendly when he arrived, but as soon as I sat down for my dental exam, he suddenly informed me that they did not accept Medicaid, Medicare, or my dental insurance plan. Instead, he began quoting me a price of $2,000 for a basic cleaning. As a low-income senior citizen, I simply couldn't afford that kind of expense. I rely on government healthcare subsidies and insurance plans to receive dental care, but the dentist continued to refuse and even mentioned that I was not the first patient to have this issue.

I was shocked and dismayed. However, after checking NYU's official website and speaking with customer service representatives from my Healthfirst Life Improvement Plan (HMO D-SNP) 2023 dental plan, I was assured that NYU was indeed within the network. I felt like I was being lied to, or worse, discriminated against because of my Asian heritage and low-income status. This treatment of low-income senior citizens is unacceptable and unjust!

It's devastating to think that I'm not the only one who has experienced this kind of mistreatment. It's important for dental clinics to be transparent and honest about their acceptance of insurance plans, and to treat all patients with respect and dignity, regardless of their socioeconomic background or ethnic identity. I hope that my experience will raise awareness of this issue and inspire changes that will prevent others from facing similar discrimination...