Kurz Family Dentistry

As a child I had a family dentist that botched several of my fillings and didn’t believe me when I complained of pain in teeth he had previously filled. When we relocated I had x-​rays done at our new dentist and they found I had decay under all my fillings and they needed to be redone. Kurz family dentistry reminds me of the feeling I had when going to that old dentist, except with a flashier exterior and higher prices.
The short version of the story is that I (and my family) have paid Kurz Family Dentistry thousands of dollars to what amounts to be mediocre, bordering on shoddy dental work.
Here is the long story:
I found Kurz though my insurance company and looked through their website and some reviews and decided they seemed like a good dentist. I went to them for a filling because I had not been able to chew on my left side for several months because food would become lodged in my bottom molars. They did a preliminary check and limited x-​rays and told me that I would need two crowns put in rather than one filling and brought me an estimate for the work — about $ 2000 after insurance that I would have to pay immediately. Being a young, recent college graduate I did not simply have this amount of money in my back pocket so I said I would speak to my mother to see if she could pay. They said I should call now, in the middle of her work day, rather than scheduling another appointment. The amount of pressure I felt to do the procedure was staggering. I was not able to take the time to think about it at all.
When I had the crowns put in my appointment was later in the day and it ended up running past closing time. After the dental assistant was finished cementing in my crowns, she did the flossing to ensure the teeth fit properly and excess cement was removed. She ended up yanking a large chunk of cement out from between my teeth and commented on how large a piece it was. This should have warned me that something was wrong, but I trusted she wouldn’t just let me leave if there was something wrong. But I guess they were in a rush to leave, because when I got home I saw a clear gap under the very back crown and could feel water going under it when I drank. I called the next day to let them know. Because I was working I couldn’t just leave and have them fix it so the next time they could get me in was 4 days later and they said I may as well get my teeth cleaned then since I hadn’t done that in a while. I agreed, but by the time I came in, my gums had grown to cover the gap and Dr. Kurz said there was nothing wrong and it was just sensitivity. This is where I was reminded of my old, shoddy dentist for the first time, telling me that I was just making it up or exaggerating. I was instructed to use sensodine and an oral rinse they prescribed for a few weeks and to come back if I still had sensitivity. During this time I could not chew on that side because food was getting lodged again (as if there was a gap). This defeated the purpose of the entire procedure and $ 2000 payment. But I did as I was told, thinking that I’m not a dentist and I needed to trust that a doctor should have my best interests in mind. At this visit they also did my general check-​up with full x-​rays and found several other cavities that needed crowns or fillings (totaling a few thousand dollars).
Almost two months later I was still having the same issues, so I called to have them fix the crown. They said since I would be numbed up on that side already, it would make sense to do the top crowns and fillings I needed on the same side. Although I was still a little unhappy with the current crown issue, I agreed this made sense because I’d like to have as few needles shoved in my mouth as possible, and thought the current issue was a fluke. I have since decided that this must be how they make a good amount of their money — telling people they will do more work while they fix their previous mistakes, and keep doing that in a cycle.
So, while they had me numbed they decided that although they didn’t see any issue, since I had complained several times, they would replace the crown. At this point I had told them 4 separate times on multiple occasions which crown was having issues (the very back crown) but somehow they still managed to take out the wrong crown. I was so numb that I didn’t even know until they had already quartered the implant. At this point I was so stunned that I didn’t know what to do. They finished the incredibly painful procedure and I left. I was so angry and shocked, I couldn’t fathom how they had made that mistake.
After I went in for my final appointment to apply the final implants (which included several issues with cementing the crowns, so I don’t know if these are right), I spoke with the receptionist about all of this and told her I wouldn’t be returning. She was very nice and said she really wanted to make it right and would speak to Dr. Kurz and get back to me about what they could do. It has been a week now with no word.

My family and I have been going to Kurz Family Dentistry for over a year. While our previous visits were expensive but pleasant, today’s visit was not satisfactory. I made an appointment because part of a filling came out of my tooth and I wanted to get it repaired. I was also due for a cleaning so I asked for that service as well. I was told on the phone that both could be done since I would already be in the chair. I showed up today and was taken back promptly at my appointment time. The technician proceeded with the cleaning. She was courteous, professional, and did a great job, which is why I’m leaving 2 stars instead of one. My problem came after the cleaning when I was told that they would be unable to repair my filling today, and I would have to make another appointment. The filling repair was my main reason for the visit and what I took off of work to get done, and they had no one available to do it. Why should I make another appointment to get my tooth fixed when they couldn’t do it on this visit? How do I know that someone will be available next time after I take off of work again? My family and I will not be returning to Kurz Family Dentistry.