Kool Smiles [My awful, awful experience] Feedback greatly appreciated.

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I have never been so discouraged, sad and outraged at any business, as I am at kool smiles! When I moved to Abilene, April '09... I searched which children's dental offices were in network with my insurance, Metlife. Kool smiles was the only "children's dentist" in network with my insurance. I asked my sister if she had heard anything about them. She has lived in Abilene for 10+ years & works at bc/bs, and hears lots of good, unbiased info. about doctors/dentists. She told me from the get go she hadnt heard one good thing about them. She further stated that most people didnt like them because it felt like "a welfare" office... as in any government (military or civilian) office, you have huge wait time, overbooked, under-staffed, etc, etc. After hearing this, I was discouraged, but i decided to give them the benefit of the doubt... give it an honest attempt and see for myself. Over the following year and a half, I would learn to regret that decision. I am VERY, very displeased with kool smiles right now, to say the least. I will not go back there ever again. Ever.

In short, this is my experience :
Feb. '09 - Schedule first appt.
May '09 - Initial appt.. (x-rays, pics & cleaning) - no complaints, my 7 year old is excited to see games and other kids.
Nov '09 - cleaning - informed my son "needs" 4 sealants on back molars.
Nov '09 - sealants done - insurane is billed & I pay about 150-ish out of pocket.
June '10 - cleaning - informed my son "needs" a baby root canal. I hesitate, as they did not indicate any decay, etc. at the previous appt. They insist it needs to be done.
June '10 - baby root canal - insurance is billed & I pay around 150-ish (maybe more)
Nov '10 - cleaning - informed my son has 2 "cavities" that need filling.
Nov '10 - cavity # 1 - cavity filled, told that since my son's "cavities" were on opposite sides of the mouth, they could not numb both sides. And that I would need to schedule another appt for cavity #2. Appt. Scheduled. Insurance billed & 55 out-of pocket.
Nov '10 - Appt CANCELLED!!! New dentist called.
Dec ' 10 - initial appt with my dentist to fill the "cavity"... Only one thing, no cavity... at all could be detected! By sight, x-ray... Nothing. Not even discoloration in the slightest.
Nov '10 - Feb '11 - several phone calls a week from Kool smiles to both my cell phone and my husband's reminding us that I "Missed an appointment. That my child has dental work still needing to be attended to... "

*With each and every one of these appointments. It was atleast a 1 hour wait time before my child was called back. And atleast 1 more hour after going back. Many times it was closer to two hours after being called back. Twice we were there for 4+ hours! And at every appt. the communication to the parent was awful. Very vague, generalized answers, never showed the xrays, or shown location of said tooth (or teeth, in most cases) to be worked on. And it was always communicated by a dental assistant, never the dentist. I realized the extent of it when my 3 year old became a patient, June 2010, because for both his visits (June '10 & Nov '10) I would accompany my boys throughout the duration of the appointment. I literally would sit next to my children, and never once did the dentist identify herself (or himself) to me... much less explain anything to me or my CHILDREN while examining them. That said the assistants, for the most part were friendly and nice to my kids. But they seemed stressed. Highly.

*Yes, I promise I'm not insane. Reading it sounds like any idiot could figure out these were unnecessary procedures. Trust me, I DID doubt, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt. Obviously, that was completely an awful mistake on my part. And unfortunately it is my son who ultimately suffered the most here. Very disgusted with this place.

*Of course, the worst part of this and my main concern here, is knowing there are many children that are STILL patients. Many are Medicaid. Many are private insurance. And all deserve much better care. I plan on reporting this... for the children's sake, if nothing else.

Anyway, I was curious if anyone has had anything at all like my experience? If so, I'd really appriciate any and all feedback you have to offer. Even if it is to defend Kool smiles... I literally want to believe they are not knowingly subjecting children and their parents to this. However, I am doubting there's many positive things to say after finding posts like this : http://www.complaintsboard.com/compl...s-c362194.html
That is from an Abilene's Kool smiles employee. Also apparently in GA one Kool smiles office's govt contract was revoked... No more Medicaid for them. I believe this is a Kool Smiles company problem, not just in this one particular office.

I am left extremely discouraged after this awful experience...


Bleuvapeur at hotmail dot com

Kool Smiles [My awful, awful experience] Feedback greatly appreciated.
I have never been so discouraged, sad and outraged at any business, as I am at kool smiles! When I moved to Abilene, April '09... I searched which children's dental offices were in network with my insurance, Metlife. Kool smiles was the only "children's dentist" in network with my insurance. I asked my sister if she had heard anything about them. She has lived in Abilene for 10+ years & works at bc/bs, and hears lots of good, unbiased info. about doctors/dentists. She told me from the get go she hadnt heard one good thing about them. She further stated that most people didnt like them because it felt like "a welfare" office... as in any government (military or civilian) office, you have huge wait time, overbooked, under-staffed, etc, etc. After hearing this, I was discouraged, but i decided to give them the benefit of the doubt... give it an honest attempt and see for myself. Over the following year and a half, I would learn to regret that decision. I am VERY, very displeased with kool smiles right now, to say the least. I will not go back there ever again. Ever.

In short, this is my experience :
Feb. '09 - Schedule first appt.
May '09 - Initial appt.. (x-rays, pics & cleaning) - no complaints, my 7 year old is excited to see games and other kids.
Nov '09 - cleaning - informed my son "needs" 4 sealants on back molars.
Nov '09 - sealants done - insurane is billed & I pay about 150-ish out of pocket.
June '10 - cleaning - informed my son "needs" a baby root canal. I hesitate, as they did not indicate any decay, etc. at the previous appt. They insist it needs to be done.
June '10 - baby root canal - insurance is billed & I pay around 150-ish (maybe more)
Nov '10 - cleaning - informed my son has 2 "cavities" that need filling.
Nov '10 - cavity # 1 - cavity filled, told that since my son's "cavities" were on opposite sides of the mouth, they could not numb both sides. And that I would need to schedule another appt for cavity #2. Appt. Scheduled. Insurance billed & 55 out-of pocket.
Nov '10 - Appt CANCELLED!!! New dentist called.
Dec ' 10 - initial appt with my dentist to fill the "cavity"... Only one thing, no cavity... at all could be detected! By sight, x-ray... Nothing. Not even discoloration in the slightest.
Nov '10 - Feb '11 - several phone calls a week from Kool smiles to both my cell phone and my husband's reminding us that I "Missed an appointment. That my child has dental work still needing to be attended to... "

*With each and every one of these appointments. It was atleast a 1 hour wait time before my child was called back. And atleast 1 more hour after going back. Many times it was closer to two hours after being called back. Twice we were there for 4+ hours! And at every appt. the communication to the parent was awful. Very vague, generalized answers, never showed the xrays, or shown location of said tooth (or teeth, in most cases) to be worked on. And it was always communicated by a dental assistant, never the dentist. I realized the extent of it when my 3 year old became a patient, June 2010, because for both his visits (June '10 & Nov '10) I would accompany my boys throughout the duration of the appointment. I literally would sit next to my children, and never once did the dentist identify herself (or himself) to me... much less explain anything to me or my CHILDREN while examining them. That said the assistants, for the most part were friendly and nice to my kids. But they seemed stressed. Highly.

*Yes, I promise I'm not insane. Reading it sounds like any idiot could figure out these were unnecessary procedures. Trust me, I DID doubt, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt. Obviously, that was completely an awful mistake on my part. And unfortunately it is my son who ultimately suffered the most here. Very disgusted with this place.

*Of course, the worst part of this and my main concern here, is knowing there are many children that are STILL patients. Many are Medicaid. Many are private insurance. And all deserve much better care. I plan on reporting this... for the children's sake, if nothing else.

Anyway, I was curious if anyone has had anything at all like my experience? If so, I'd really appriciate any and all feedback you have to offer. Even if it is to defend Kool smiles... I literally want to believe they are not knowingly subjecting children and their parents to this. However, I am doubting there's many positive things to say after finding posts like this : http://www.complaintsboard.com/compl...s-c362194.html
That is from an Abilene's Kool smiles employee. Also apparently in GA one Kool smiles office's govt contract was revoked... No more Medicaid for them. I believe this is a Kool Smiles company problem, not just in this one particular office.

I am left extremely discouraged after this awful experience...

This dental clinic runs a very disorganized child factory. They truly only care to see "NEW kids ages 4 and up that are well behaved as this is the age group that makes them the most revenue. If your child is scheduled for a six mo cleaning expect to be rescheduled mutliple times. Where is the continuance and qulity of care? The rarely follow proper protocols on First Dental Home exams provided by the Medicaid progran for babies age 6 mo to 36 mo. The billing fraud that occurs throughout this company should be grounds for imprisonment or at the very least a through investigation by the OIG. I would high discourage anyone from taking their children to Kool Smiles, And find another emoyer unless you look good in orange jumpsuits. Not a good company to work for or take your precious kids to.

Kool smiles misleads the public!! These are NOT pediatric dentists. Most dentists (>90%) have no more advanced training with kids compared to your local dentist who makes dentures. There are numerous horror stories about what goes on in these clinics and this has been a common theme to these clinics wherever they pop up. Find a pediatric dentist to take you child to and KEEP AWAY FROM KOOL SMILES because Kool Smiles isn't to cool.