Diane J Heckley DDS

Really great dentist and staff– they have always treated me very well. The spa amenities are great– there is an awesome massage chair, hand massagers, herbal tea, eye pillows, etc. (all free!). Dr. Heckley has always been super honest about treatment and costs, and is very open to answering all my questions. Love this place– I actually look forward to my cleanings!

Dr. Heckley is the most friendly and gentle dentist I’ve ever been to. She always has a smile on her face and is focused on helping you to get the best treatment possible. Her hands are small, so she is able to access your mouth with minimal discomfort. She also has a real talent for giving shots– my whole family has commented on how you can barely feel her give you a shot.
Her work is very high quality– she put veneers on my teeth nearly 18 years ago and they are still on and look great!
Dr. Heckley stands behind her work and has nothing but the highest integrity. While other dentists may be willing to «patch over» some problem in your mouth, Dr. Heckley is going to make sure that you have functional, quality dental work so that you won’t be wasting your money.
As for her office environment, it is very clean. She has a new «Spa» theme to help patients relax, which is neat (at Bloomington location, not sure about Bedford). Her staff is very friendly and helpful with insurance filing, etc.
Patients — – I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

So, I realize that people use this site to grind an axe sometimes, and that’s what I’m doing now. Although I also thought I owed it to the public to share my experience.
I read reviews as well, and when I read negative reviews, I often temper what I read by considering the other side of the story. I assure you, I wouldn’t be posting this if I wasn’t so incensed by my experience. Please read on…
Patients — –BEWARE!!!
I called Dr. Heckley/​Downtown Dental in need of some HELP – to repair a broken veneer, and she agreed to fit me in at the end of the day, on a Friday. I just needed a temporary crown, which are used while crowns, etc. are being prepared in a lab.
Easy peazy.
After waiting nearly an hour, Dr. Diane spoke to me for a moment, then sent in her assistant with a quote for a $ 271 filling. I thought this seemed amiss, so I called my normal dentist’s office in Santa Monica, and they concurred that this was the wrong product/​procedure, and that their office offers temporary crowns for $ 100.
I tried to explain this to Dr. Heckley’s assistant, who told me,
«THIS IS WHAT THE DOCTOR IS OFFERING YOU».
I explained that it wasn’t the right procedure, but she just kept rudely repeating that I only had one choice, and that doctor would not consider anything else.
Cue the next assistant,
«THIS IS WHAT THE DOCTOR IS OFFERING YOU», like a parrot.
Me – «But I don’t need the $ 271 filling, I need the $ 100 temporary crown! Can I please speak with the doctor??»
«NO!!!»
Clearly, the good Dr. only wanted to help me if she was going to get paid enough to make it worth her while, albeit overprescribing me.
In my humble opinion, not respecting a patient’s wishes or concerns and overprescribing GRATUITOUS work is an unethical and cruel way to run a dental office.
I was also not surprised to have now found some awful reviews on Dr. Heckley on other sites that echoed my experience:
People — you can definitely find a better dentist to care for you.
Cut to the angry, sad and frustrated patient with the broken teeth, realizing it’s friday evening, so he can no longer go to another office, that he looks like a monster, and he’s screwed for the weekend, cursing the staff – literally, and coming home to vent and drown his sorrows in his macbook.