Edmonds Oral Surgery

They deserve a better Unilocal score in my opinion. I’m not here to complain about the price, it’s health care, no matter where you go it’s going to be the same vacuum in your wallet.
I’m a nervous person, I never had surgery before. I put my faith in Dr. Sato and he came through like a CHAMP!
I was a deeply impoverished child so for about 15 years I did not have dental insurance (or any other insurance for that matter). I had ALL 4 impacted wisdoms with some bone loss to the neighboring teeth. The outlook was not great for me. I was probably going to be in a lot of pain afterwards…
Was I?
NOPE!
I know everyone has different recovery speeds but I was eating solid normal food the next day (DONT try this yourself, haha I’m a professional pig). I didn’t need to take the pain meds at all, at all. It didn’t hurt, more of a hum of discomfort. No swelling.
I mean c’mon, those are some pretty talented hands Dr. Sato.
The receptionists are awesome. I met 3 of them, they were helpful and offered me juice and water on a hot day.
Schedule and changing appointments were a breeze.
The location… tho. it’s pretty hard to find. Tucked away near a slew of hospitals and care centers. You walk along 76^th W and 216^th until you see the blue emergency sign then turn down right at the sign bam Edmonds Oral Surgery!
«Freebies» like lip balm, oatmeal, tofu, apple sauce, pudding etc to take home. The nurse gave them to me. Yummy!
The 1 week FOLLOW UP appointment is literally 5 minutes, you go in they gift you that syringe to spray the holes of your now gone teeth and Dr. Sato takes one last look to see the progress. All green and you’re done! Yayyyy!
They also let me keep my removed teeth in a bag haha morbid.

Worst experience ever and paid $ 91 consult fee for a 5 minute visit where the surgeon reviewed xrays and charts from my dentist. Total time in office? Maybe 20 minutes. I spent more time paying than being consulted.
Was quoted a high rate for my extractions because of my «great insurance coverage» by the finance specialist. Was told that I would be paying the best rates (for them) because my insurance would pay for the higher rates. Did the woman forget I was 50% out of pocket???
I told her no thank you. I’d go elsewhere.
I went back to my dentist who performed the procedure for roughly 10% of the qouted out of pocket expense.
If you have other options, go somewhere else. Plain and simple. If this oral surgeon wants to refund my consult fee for the terrible experience… so be it. If not $ 91 bought them this terrible review of their terrible service provided.

So happy so far with the professionalism of the staff and Drs. at edmonds oral surgery. I called via a referral from our family dentist. The soonest they could schedule a consultation was over a month away. I worked with the receptionist (feel bad that i forgot her name). I made the appt. and the receptionist told me that she would contact us if any appts. Opened up sooner. Sure enough an appt. did open up and we were seen within days of calling.
During the consultation we were made to feel extremely welcome and all of our questions were answered. I wont be in town for when my college aged son gets his surgery but i know he will be taken care of.

I was very impressed by all the staff and doctors here. At my first consultation appointment they gave me plenty of information to help prepare me for my surgery (removing all 4 wisdom teeth). Everyone is genuinely kind and makes you feel very taken care of.
I was nervous about the surgery up until I entered the office where I met with a receptionist who sweetly and promptly attended to my needs. Within 5 minutes I was led back to the surgery room, helped by the doctor’s assistant, and any trace of nerves I had walking in were far gone. When she told me it was time to go lay down I literally thought we had just gotten started! My husband drove me home as I was in an out of sleep. It’s only been about 6 hours since I had the surgery and — besides some swelling and a little bleeding — I feel awesome.
Yes, the procedure was pricey (I have no dental coverage) but I believe it’s worth paying the money to have something done well by people who see you as more than «just another patient.» They seem to care about the ultimate well-​being of their patients, and do their best to give you an experience that demonstrates that.
I would recommend this place to anyone, you won’t be disappointed!
Thank you Edmonds oral surgery :)

I am very surprised and pleased by this place. I was referred by my dentist and weary from my husband going to a different place in Edmonds and having a horrible experience. But I can honestly say I am so happy after my consultation and I feel like I am taken care of here.
My first call to this place was amazing I wasn’t rushed through anything and the lady on the phone was pleasant and patient with all of my questions. They were able to bump my appointment up ahead of time and fit me in so I could get my wisdom teeth out sooner since they were bothering me. The gal that took my x rays was helpful, patient and nice. After meeting Dr. Sato who was pleasant even after just coming from surgery, the cost of everything was explained by Michelle clearly and I received a copy of everything for my records.
The women at the front desk are wonderful and made me feel welcome. All around I feel like the staff enjoy their jobs and make the whole experience that much better. I’m nervous about my surgery but my nerves are a bit more calm after meeting everyone and having such a great experience.

UPDATE… After I wrote this review, I received a call from someone at this office stating something like… I see your issue has been solved (7 months and several calls after) and we would like to ask you to TAKE DOWN YOUR Unilocal REVIEW.
I let them know that I was not going to that… and told that they were in all freedom to post a follow up comment.
Do note that I didn’t review their price… I reviewed a system that takes an unreasonable amount of time to refund the customer.

I have seen Dr. Heldridge several times now. The first time I needed multiple complicated extractions before the start of orthodontia treatment and to prepare me for an implant when my orthodontia is complete. Because it was going to be a pretty complicated procedure, they brought in an anesthesiologist and put me out completely, which I really appreciated.
Waking up from anesthesia was pretty disorienting. They handed me a bag of stuff (I thought it was funny that the bag o’ swag had a plastic cup and straw that I couldn’t use for fear of a dry socket), gave me and my sister instructions and prescriptions, and then I was sleepily led out to the car. The healing for this procedure went very well, and within a week all of my swelling/​pain was gone and I was back to my normal routine. The worst part were the stitches that were between my teeth from where they had to sew my palate back on, and even that was only mildly annoying.
The reason I went to Dr. Heldridge was that I was referred to him by several doctors, all of whom said he was the person they would go to if they needed an implant. Additionally, my sister went there when she had to have her wisdom teeth out and she had a really great experience. I am now in the process of getting the implant for my cuspid (that poor baby tooth did its job for 35 years), and I am really glad that I chose Dr. Heldridge to perform all of my procedures. He is pretty matter of fact with his examinations, but I find him personable, reassuring, and kind.
It is expensive, and I think I can understand the shell shock experienced by other reviewers. What I don’t understand is their feeling that they felt rushed or pressured by the people who came in to give them the quote and talk about paying for the procedure. First of all, the consultation does not cost $ 200, it is the scan that they do of your head that costs that much. And yes, you need it. You can’t really expect them to go digging around in your jaw and not know what they are going to find in there. For instance, in my first consultation for the implant a couple months ago, Dr. Heldridge found a dark spot around the root of the tooth next to where the implant was going to go. He said that he did not feel comfortable about moving forward until an endodontist had taken a look at the film, and referred me to a doctor that was nearby. It turns out that I had developed an abscess around an old root canal, and I had to have it fixed before I could have the implant done. If the doctor had not had the image to look at, he would not have known that there was a problem. If he had done the implant, it would have failed because he would have been trying to attach it to deteriorating infected bone. So you know what? I am more than happy to pay for the scans since insurance won’t cover it.
As for the person who comes in to discuss the financial obligations, I can say hands down that this is very normal. Over the past two years I have had enough doctors and dentists digging around in my mouth to last me a lifetime, and every time there was something really expensive that needed to be done, I had the exact same talk with one of their financial people and had to sign the same kind of paperwork. I have also had to have this talk and sign similar statements of financial responsibility when having a regular surgery done. Yes, if your insurance doesn’t cover it, you are financially responsible for the cost of treatment. And yes, it is expensive. If you don’t like the cost, then don’t schedule the procedure. Just tell them that you need to look at your options. Maybe ask if there is a way that you can do a payment plan. You can ask for a copy of your scan on a CD, and then go get a second opinion and estimate. If you are going to pay several thousands of dollars for something like an implant, you need to have personal accountability for making sure that you are comfortable with the person you are giving your money to.
I have not seen any of the other doctors there, so I don’t feel comfortable saying anything about them. But I appreciate Dr. Heldridge’s forthright and cautious approach to my care. When I went to the endodontist, he was concerned about the life of tooth, and thought it might be a better idea to extract it. He consulted with Dr. Heldridge (who would have been the one to make all the money on an extraction), and Dr. Heldridge felt strongly that we should try to preserve the natural tooth for as long as possible. Clearly he isn’t just in it for the money.

Check out their «meet the staff page» on occasion if you want to better understand the meaning of «employee turnover.» While Dr. Heldridge’s surgical abilities have afforded him a very good living, hes let it go to his head. In a nutshell, he’s a primadonna that thinks the world revolves around him and should have retired years ago. In case anyone is curious as to why he’s always late for his appointments, it’s simple really, his time is more valuable than yours, and his online stock trading, scanning CNN, or surfing the net, is more valuable than ensuring his patients are seen on time!

This place just wants YOUR MONEY! And they will charge you for whatever they can and add fees without a reason. I went in for a consultation to get my wisdom teeth pulled, I knew my insurance wasn’t going to cover for my xrays, so made my peace with paying the $ 91 out of pocket, after the appointment I paid for the xrays and was given a receipt and told my balance was 0. Then 3months later I get a bill from them saying I owe them $ 17 plus a $ 3 late fee for being 3months past due! And on top of that they placed a sticker on it saying «pay NOW». Are you serious? I called and they couldn’t explain to me the charges and the person in charge of that was not there and won’t be back until the following week. When I talked to her, she tried to say it was my insurance fault because my insurance’s fees could vary and they weren’t always the same. Which is actually a lie! Because I even called my insurance and they said that isnt true and every dental office has and knows what their fees are, not to mention that consultations are actually covered at 100% by my insurance. I went to pay the balance in person and requested a copy of my xrays and took them with me. I will admit that the doctor was nice and very knowledgeable, but I will never go back to this place nor will I ever give them any more of my or my insurance’s money! All they care about is your money! Don’t go there unless you’re ok with giving your money away.

At the tender age of 30, I finally got my wisdom teeth pulled. My teeth had never bothered me before, but for some reason, they decided to all of a sudden pop up and be a literal pain in the neck.
The scheduling staff was very accommodating, fitting me in on very short notice with a tight deadline since I was switching insurance policies and wanted to use up what I had left. As far as cost, extractions are not cheap! Their price was comparable to what I was expecting and even if it was slightly higher than other quotes I received, in the end it was worth it.
I think I can go down in history as one of the most successful extractions ever. I don’t remember a thing from the moment I took the anti-​anxiety pills to when I woke up the next morning with absolutely no pain! I was (carefully!) slurping down oysters and eating soft but regular food by dinnertime. Didn’t even need the pain meds. Of course, every outcome depends on the patient, but I think a large part of my quick recovery was due to some very skilled hands.
Like other reviewers, I was a little surprised I had to pay in full at the consultation visit. I believe the payment is actually due a little before your surgery date, but my consultation just happened to be within that timeframe. This didn’t bother me too much since I already had the cash earmarked for the surgery.
I doubt I’ll have a need for additional oral surgery anytime soon, but I’d definitely consider them if I do.

Just had my wisdom teeth out & had a very good experience. All of the staff from the front desk, dentist & assistants were extremely professional & helpful. The waiting room is very comfortable, offering coffee & drinks for those that are waiting while you are in surgery. I felt at ease during the first appointment and they took the time to explain the procedure and answered all of my questions. The day of the surgery they were very quick to get me in and I was done in about an hour. I did have to pay my portion of the bill not covered by insurance up front, but that is fine with me as a lot goes into these procedures & I’m sure people back out all the time. This way I was paid & had to go, no excuses! =) I would recommend Edmonds Oral Surgery to any friends & family that need oral surgery for sure.

Uncomfortable. Money and getting paid centric. That was the forefront to how we felt during our HOUR long ($ 220) visit for a CONSULTATION. A consultation that they asked us to move up 30 minutes (and thus, leave work that much earlier) and then make us wait 40 minutes.
They say «Bring comfort to you…», yet comfort is nowhere to be found in this office.
While the Doctor (Dr. Sato) was VERY nice and VERY personable and forthcoming, the staff seemed disinterested… even strapping a BP test on my son then leaving for 15 minutes… she had to retake it because the machine had shut off. Names? No, they don’t introduce themselves, other than the doctor (again, great).
NONE of the nurses introduced themselves, and half the visit was reviewing legal docs and financial obligations and signing a bunch of crap.
The visit ended with some lady (again, no introduction, other than the ‘finance person’ or something like that), who came in with her Plantronics headset still on her head talking about our obligations and finishing with, «so, I just need to collect the $ 42 for each boy now»… while still in the EXAM room!
Oh, and beating into us that payment is due 3 days prior to service. FULL payment. RED LIGHT!
So yeah, the doc is the show… but, would you really sit in a restaurant that has the most fabulous cook yet the WORST servers? No!
Dr. Sato needs to clear out the staff, restructure the client intake format and make his patients feel warm and fuzzy… not like their credit cards are more important than their comfort.
My take? This office is more focused on collecting your money than actually treating you and making you feel comfortable with a major surgery.
NO THANK YOU. Collecting our records and moving on…

I was just recently seen at Edmonds Oral Surgery for the extraction of a cracked wisdom tooth. It was a problem because I have been having very complicated facial pain on that side and we were unsure if the pain was actually coming from the tooth or now. I had a complete pre-​surgical consultation but before I could have the surgery, the problem got worse. I called the office and explained. Dr. Heldrich immediately put me on antibiotics, wrote me a prescription for pain medication and the office got me re-​scheduled for the surgery.
I had not consulted initially with Dr. Heldrich but he was the surgeon available for the procedure. He is very good from a technical stand point. I had conscious sedation and the entire affair was over very quickly. Since the surgery I have had quite bit of pain bit I developed what appears to have been a type of «dry socket» and have been going back every few days for packing in the site. Dr. Heldrich helps me every time and has been great.
The staff was super nice, when I called or came in and did everything they could to work around my scheduling needs. Extremely professional.
I also become nauseated with pain medication and I always take it with something on my stomach.
After this type of surgery it is important to understand:
1. You will have pain. Follow your post op instructions. Ice, elevate your head, fluids, soft foods.
2. Take your pain medications as directed. The object here is to pain relief, not go into a coma from your pain meds and this can ba accomplished with smaller amounts of pain medication than one might think.
3. Call EARLY if you have a problem. Don’t wait until the problem is so bad that you have to call at the last minute.

Had an awful experience with a wisdom teeth removal through Edmonds Oral Surgery.
You arrive once before your surgery so you can meet your surgeon and ask any questions you have. However, whatever surgeon you happen to see that day is now assigned to you. So, if they happen to be sick, gone, on vacation or not perform surgeries on the only days that work with your schedule it’s a hassle to get another surgeon to perform it. The pre-​surgery session is a joke. No helpful advice, reluctant to answer questions, kept referring me to a 2-​page pamphlet.
My surgery was preformed by Dr. Brinkman. She was fantastic (of what I remember). Very comforting and friendly.
After the surgery became a nightmere. The pain relief gave me unbearable nausea. However, when I tried to reach the office I couldn’t even reach a dr and someone told me I had no options, they wouldn’t give me anything to stop the discomfort. My choices were either pain or buried in the toilet (which is AWFUL after Oral surgery).
Finally, (at recommendation of my nurse, doctor and pharmacist) I obtained a dissolving tablet that cured my nausea extremely rapidly.
After doing so, Dr. Heldrige called me at home and began to harrass me, a day or so out of surgery and on pain meds! He was offended I had not followed the generic advice the office had already offered me (suck it up) and also harassed for «timing» this fiasco a few hours before his weekend began. JUST AWFUL.
My after visit was on my birthday. My appointment was ONE HOUR LATE. Only when I asked (after the 2^nd time) and mentioned it was my birthday was i IMMEDIATLY seen. There was only one other person waiting and there was staff everywhere.
After, we followed up with the office. The manager could not care less. She was rude and again accused me of undermining the surgeons authority. After 2 letters, the office proved that they did not care about the customers experience.
CONS:
— Awful customer service (reluctant to answer questions, don’t care about your recovery)
— Reaching the dr after surgery, or any after surgery advice
— ANYTHING WITH DR HELDRIDGE
PROS:
— Dr. Brinkman WAS Fantastic. I even feel guilty about ratting out her office because she was wonderful both times we met.