Forward Dental

When my insurance changed, I needed to find a new dentist and ended up at Forward Dental. I’ve given it three tries for routine cleanings over the last year and a half.
During my first visit, they insisted on taking their own x-​rays instead of using the recent ones from my previous dentist. I was still in the waiting room to overhear a call to my insurance company to ensure that x-​rays would be covered… but a couple weeks later I got a very, very expensive bill for full head x-​rays.
Despite this, I returned, because the location is easy to get to and it was a quick in and out visit. The last two visits however, I was assigned a dental hygienist that truly made my experience uncomfortable. His well intentioned, but misguided approach to conversations as he worked was bordering on inappropriate. I also left both times feeling like one side of my mouth hasn’t been fully cleaned.
Forward Dental is not terrible, but I am feeling very good about my decision to look for dental care elsewhere!

The women who work the front desk are an unfortunate combination of incompetent and rude. I don’t recommend this place to anyone. They’re always running late and don’t seem to care about customer service. Save yourself the trouble and steer clear of this place.

After going to Forward Dental for over a decade, I finally had to find a new dentist because of two recent incidents in particular that I think people should be warned about.
1. Involves my father, who had the wrong side of his mouth drilled (and was initially billed for it, although many hours on the phone finally solved that problem). He had to set up two additional appointments to fix the problem created by the dentist.
2. During a routine cleaning, a hygienist broke a permanent retainer that has been attached to the back of my front teeth since I was 15. It was unpleasant having jagged metal half-​hanging from the back of my teeth, but it wasn’t the end of the world and the dentist was able to repair it right away. But, they then billed me almost $ 300 to repair it. Getting the charges dropped was a nightmare that involved being berated by their awful customer service staff.

I chose this Forward Dental because they’re in my insurance network and close to work. Both times I visited I didn’t have to wait long at all, they had plentiful magazines, and very friendly staff.
I was presented with a bill estimate up front before anything was done. My estimate included a fluoride treatment, which wasn’t covered by my insurance (but a minimal cost). I decided I wanted my cleaning visit to be free so she crossed that right off and the services I wanted were covered fully.
I have an area that’s very sensitive to cold that I mentioned to Dr. Ross. I braced myself for the answer I didn’t want: gum grafts. Nope! There’s a treatment that can be applied to the area and set — kind of like a seal. I came back another time over my lunch break for this and was out of there in 20 minutes. I ate frozen custard tonight for the first time in forever without pain!

If you don’t have dental insurance, stay away. I wish I could give 0 stars for extortion.
In 2010, we were using a dental discount program. I phoned this office to ask if they accepted it. They said they did. I scheduled the appt and brought in 5 of the 6 members of my family for cleanings, exams, etc… During the paperwork process, I included all of the relevant info for my discount plan, including the staff taking my card in order to include a photocopy of it in my file. Every indication given was that it would be accepted.
Once everyone was done, I was presented with a $ 1200 bill. Based on my discount program, I expected it to be about $ 800. I questioned the amount due, but paid the bill. They said they didn’t know why it was that way, but they would look into it and issue me a refund for the difference once it was figured out. I left with my bill paid in full.
Two weeks later, rather than receiving info about a refund, I was presented with an additional bill for over $ 200, claiming that what I had paid in full that day was the «insurance rate» and that since I was not insured, I had to pay a higher rate.
Needless to say, I was shocked. Not only did they tell me on the phone that they would accept my plan, they copied my card and told me they would work it out! I felt lied to, cheated, and taken advantage of.
I spoke with staff and management, and explained the situation, assuming they would acknowledge their own fault in the scenario, and simply remove the additional $ 200 bill. I approached it all in a very matter-​of-​fact way. I figured that any sensible manager would see the situation as simply an internal communication error and they would take a corrective course of action.
Rather than acknowledgment, they simply dug in deeper. I just got brick walls and stubbornness. Everyone I spoke to said that they did not have the authority to remove the bill. For real? Everyone? Nobody has decision-​making authority?
I asked to speak with someone at the Forward Dental central office, but they refused to give me any contact info.
I was left with no options. Either pay the illegitimate bill or let it go to collections.
Eventually, they sent me to collections over their stupid $ 200. I disputed the charge, and the collector left me alone. That stupid $ 200 sits on my credit report and will remain there for 7 years. They’re not getting a penny of it. It wasn’t about the money, it was about the way they were extorting me for it.
Since this experience in 2010, I’ve have told this story to at least a dozen people and will continue to tell it and steer anyone I can away from this business. I wouldn’t want anyone to experience what I had to.
It was one of the worst customer experiences of my life.

They don’t respond to online requests for appointments.