SmileCare – Chula Vista

Do not trust what they tell you at the Smilecare Chula Vista Dentist office! A little over 3 years ago, while I was in the dentist chair being examined, I received a high pressure sales pitch on how badly I needed several crowns, and all the great benefits of crowns, etc. One of the major selling points they stressed was the 5 year guarantee on the crowns! Wow! A 5 year guarantee! Sounded great! And I know I saw that 5 year guarantee on all that paperwork they shoved in my face. They signed me up for a dental credit program and did the very painful procedure on me. Fast forward to the present, a little over 3 years have gone by and I have finally paid them off. Low and behold, one of my crowns breaks, so I make an appointment at the Smilecare dentist office in Chula Vista on Broadway to get my broken crown fixed or replaced. I was shocked when I was told that my crowns were only guaranteed for 3 years, not 5 years!!! And how unfortunate it was that I had just gone past that 3 year period by only a few days!!! What a shame! Well of course I told them that they promised me that my very expensive crowns were guaranteed for 5 years, but the office manager just looked at me like I was either crazy or just a liar. And of course there was nothing in my dental records that said I had a 5 year guarantee on my crowns! So, after arguing with them for a few minutes, I was told by the office manager that the burden of proof was on me. And if I could come up with some proof of a 5 year guarantee on my crowns, she would «try» to plead my case to her corporate office. I went home and found all my copies of the paperwork for those expensive and painful crowns, but of course they had made sure not to mention anything about any warranties or guarantees on the work they did. The office staff and technicians and hygienists are great people who I consider my friends. But the manager is not. The office staff actually remember that day that I was promised a 5 year guarantee on my crowns, and kind of quietly agreed with me and looked kind of guilty about the whole thing. But of couse they really couldn’t say much of anything to back my claim, because they didn’t want to get in trouble. I don’t blame them. I was was stupid for not getting the 5 year verbal guarantee on my crowns in writing! So here I am with a broken crown that will cost me almost a $ 1000.00 to get fixed (money which i do not have). Bottom line: Don’t believe what they promise you at Smilecare Chula Vista on Broadway!!!

This place is robbing all of it’s Denti — Cal patients of money.
A family member waited 2 months to schedule a dental appointment and the day of treatment they advised her she needed to pay over $ 300 for services that were not covered by Denti Cal. I called Denti Cal and they stated the services were not covered because it was combined with the already covered services and no additional payment should have been due. We decided to leave the office before any treatment, thank God!
They claim the insurance is not covering services so that the patient pays out of pocket for extra treatment to make more money. This place is a joke and we will be reporting them to the better business bureau as advised by our Denti Cal representative. Go elsewhere since they take advantage of people!

Place jacked up my tooth. It’s messed up now.

THIS IS THE WORST OF THE WORST !!! The only reason I gave them one star is because it made me !!! This is the most awful dental office I have ever been to. The people at the front desk are rude and unprofessional. They don’t even know how to fill out the paper work to send to the insurance … I waited two months for approval to find out they never sent the paper work in… They try to do work that is not needed and to pad the bill so that you have to pay out of pocket this place needs to be shut down. I am going to find out where to report them file a complaint,

my dentures are great. the dentist and staff made
this a pleasant experience. i highly recommend
Dr. LaCayanga. like i said Very pleased with his services.

Do not go!!! do not go!!! the dentist that my brother had broke my brothers wisdom tooth so he couldn’t take it out completely so my brother had to come back and they had to cut open his jaw to remove it the pain he went threw on his first and last visit he said was «indescribable» «wouldn’t wish that pain on my worst enemy» once again don’t go!

My biggest gripe with this place is that it’s so dumpy. I felt like I was on welfare just being there. Girls at the front desk were not the most professional I’ve ever met, but not the worst, either. The guy who does the X-​rays should find another line of work; he was by far the most miserable part of my experience there. I have a gag reflex and those bones at the bottom of my mouth that hurt and he was taking his sweet time and making it the most painful dental x-​ray experience I’ve literally ever had, even after I asked him several times to be quicker (he waltzes over to the control panel super slowly, and it’s not in the same room). Not gentle at all. He really just didn’t care and was kind of a jerk; not professional whatsoever. If he were my employee, I’d seriously fire him. The dentist was very nice, though, and he absolutely did not try to upsell me into having unnecessary procedures done, which is worth a million bucks. That’s the first time a dentist didn’t try to upsell me, and I appreciated it very much. Pair that with the out of this world hygienist and it makes up for the idiot at the xray machine. The hygienist is literally probably the best I’ve ever had, which is why I gave this place the two stars it got. He needs a big fat raise, but the rest of the place needs a big fat update.

Dr. Garatti needs to be looked at real careful like an attorney.
I went to him initially had some work done and got SORE MOUTH SYNDROME
It took months to get rid of. Then I went back to get some more work done
big mistake. I got back the sore mouth syndrome and I have had it for 20mos.
and I cannot get rid of it. The place has not been painted or upgraded in 10 years.
It is filthy and I suspect they have viruses, bacteria and air borne viruses in that
clinic and I aim to find out after I have the clinic inspected by the Health Dept.

If I could go a negative start I would. I’ve been battling with them for two years on work that was supposed to be billed to the insurance company and never was. Its unfortunate that the office manager couldn’t be better trained on making sure payments and insurance estimates are done correctly the first time around. I paid all my out of pockets fees while i was there and come to find out there is more? Office Mgr kept stating don’t worry about it, well I never knew don’t worry about meant they were sending me to a collection agency and F you. They kept calling me for cleanings but never once did they go over that there was an insurance payment issue. Fine I’ll pay for work that was done but communicate that. Then come to find out I’m being charged for two dental exams becaue the dentist was on vacation and he used another dentist and called us all back in because he didn’t like the way the temp dentist handled things. We’ll than why did you hire him. Very unprofessional. Listen I’m not going to say the Dentist didn’t do a good job or that he wasn’t nice, he was but Gosh please control your desk. I would fire any of my front desk employees if I found out they were playing with ppl’s accounts that way.

I have been coming here for 3 years for dentist and orthodontist … hygienist! confused by all the reviews because I have never had a problem with this place front desk staff are always smiling and friendly I will always come back.

I have avoided this place for over 3 years because of the horrible customer service I received. My wife’s insurance does not afford choices so we are stuck with this location. I returned to get a check-​up on Wednesday. The receptionist was helpful and courteous. Maybe things have changed I said to myself. The waiting room was full so I asked for the first Saturday appointment at 8am. She click-​clacked on her keyboard then said this Saturday was open. I said OK. She filled out an appointment card for May 14 at 8am. I thanked her and left, pleased with the professionalism. Today, I received a courtesy call to confirm my appointment but it wasn’t for 8am, it was for 9am. The receptionist, like the two-​faced bleep that she is scheduled me for 9 but told me 8. Who the hell cares if I waste my time. Typical bleep for this money-​grabbing, over-​booking excuse for a dentist office. Do yourself a favor and believe what the other reviewers have said and stay away if at all possible!

I went in on a thursday, got a deep clean and laser treatment, went in again on that following monday for an Ortho consult (braces) & that tuesday for wisdom teeth removal (all 4), and I have two more appointments set up for a root canal and a check up… So far the doctors have been nothing but nice, the front desk staff has been very helpful, the prices aren’t bad and they have great programs to help ease with finances. They’ve called and checked up on me after the surgeries, and treatments and I really enjoy the experience I’ve had.
I’ve had some horrible experiences with dentist in the past, I do my research well, and that goes for dental insurance as well… I know how much work I need done, and I know what type of work, with that being said I looked for an insurance that would cover the majority of the work, which was Aetna DMO (not PPO) I found out most PPO’s didn’t cover enough or barely anything… So when I was picking a Primary Care Dentist Aetna had really good reviews about this place, and everyone was available within the same building meaning I wouldn’t need a referral to an outside specialist for laser or braces or a gum specialist…

DONT EVER. EVER go there. I went in for a toothache. The dentist who was a total ignorant told me I needed a crown. I let him do it. They charged my insurance for more than the services and the insurance denied it. the people are rude, the dentists are rude and filthy. They do more on you than it’s required and then when your insurance says no because you didn’t need it they send you to collection agencies and charge you thousands of dollars. this place should be shut down immediatly with a wrecking ball. I am warining you this is the WORST dentist in San Diego.

This office is disorganized and tries every possible way to charge you for unnecessary services. Wait time at this office is beyond the reasonable amount of time. I waited over an hour past my appointment time.

I have to agree with all the negative reviews for this office. I really should have researched before going in. Yes the ladies at the front desk are very unprofessional and loud. Once in the chair the experience was not warm and welcoming at all. It felt as if they just wanted to find all these things with you and tell you that they cannot get started unless you agree to pay this and pay for that. Yes i now my mouth needed some work done but if I only want to get the metal crowns instead of the porcelain ones that was the choice that they were pressuring me to get. The loud lady was the one pushing and pushing that i get the most expensive procedures. I let her know that Its not in my budget but she ran my credit like if she wasn’t listening to me. Why would they push for my child to get seen for braces at age 7??? Once i went to another dental office i realized the huge difference. The Dentist at another location said she would refer me to a orthodontist when my child is 12 and has all his adult teeth in.
IF anyone is thinking about coming here: KEEP LOOKING! Im sure you would rather go where the staff is professional, where the Dentist makes you feel welcomed, and where the staff will accurately recommend services instead of trying to just get their money.
UNPROFESSIONAL STAFF!!! NO GOOD!

This place is horrible!!! Save your self the trouble! seriously, I read the reviews before going and thought, «maybe all the bad reviews are biased», NO this place is HORRIBLE!!! I have not been there in over a year and suddenly I receive a bill in the mail AGAIN! Supposedly the first time was due to a glitch in the system, they are trying to get money from anyone they can. They messed with the wrong one this time! I wrote to BBB and hopefully things will change, oh and btw, don’t get suckered in to the toothbrush crap they try to sell you, its ridiculous!!!

I see so many bad reviews here and it is weird because I have had nothing but an amazing experience here for the past 2 + years.
I had been in sd for a little over a yr when I found this place through a co worker. I didn’t really wanna drive all the way to cv to the dentist when there are a few in my area but I said heck ill give it a try!
The staff at this office have been nothing but helpful and understanding. ester has always been the one to help me with the finance part of the dentist and let me tell you what she jumped over rivers to find me ways to afford what I needed done!
I come here for dental visits to dr garate… the hygenist (hes new I forgot his name) and the orthodontist dr kopeky I have always felt comfortable and satisfied with all of the drs:)

The ladies at the front desk are so loud! Going on and on about personal family issues to each other.
Talking crap about clients that they were just on the phone with and calling them «rude» and «bitches»
Complaining that the people on the phone were saying they couldn’t understand them, saying they didn’t speak clear English? Hmmmm
They were talking so much crap about people, they forgot they had left someone on hold!
One of the ladies was just on the phone with a client who needed to know where the building was located. She told the caller that the place was located near the lazer tag place and «the building doesn’t have smile care on it, just family dentistry or something like that on it»
Ok now the other lady is calling another person to tell about her family problem.
This is such a small office to be blabbing your family’s drama!
She was so preoccupied about getting back to her phone call, «guuurl, do not hang up!» She overcharged a man for his procedure!
This is my boyfriends dentist, I’m just sitting in the waiting room.
So glad this is not my dentist!
You think they would be more quiet and professional, especially at a dentist office where people can be nervous and anxious about their procedures!
I’ll give 2 stars because my boyfriend has no complaints about the dental work; the front desk ladies just seem to need some work…

Terrible dentist that saw me in the summer of 2010. He said I needed antibiotics for my gums and proceeded to torture me for 2 hours only doing half. I would speak to his staff in Spanish and they all hated him. I only went back cause I had to finish the treatment. A different guy did the procedure that day in 30 minutes and I didn’t feel any pain. The Persian dentist (thats what he said he was when i asked him where he was from, i just call him Mr. Torture) scared me into buying mouthwash, electric toothbrush, and tooth pastes to «fix» my problem, seems like its his strategy to make money). I didn’t go back to do the rest of the treatment he recommended (root canals, braces and 20 other things I didn’t need).

I’ve been coming here for over 2 years now and have been treated EXCEPTIONALLY well. From my Orthodontist, Dentist, Periodontist, Hygienist, to the their assistants and front staff. The Hygienist, Chris has a gentle touch and is very calming. He is very professional and is very good at what he does. He answers all your questions thoroughly and makes sure that you are comfortable. The Front staff especially Esther and Annais are very professional. They make every visit feel like Im visiting relatives or family. They are very down to earth and are very sweet and welcoming. And I have to say that my Orthodontist is one of the nicest gentleman I have ever met. I am very pleased with this staff and will refer them any day.
Ray

I came in with my sister and quickly discovered how unprofessional this clinic is.
XRAY FAIL
The dental assistants messed up all of my sister’s xrays and did ALL of them over. They messed up half of mine and redid those too.
You know those unbelievably uncomfortable xrays that make your eyes water? Yep, redid those. In the most painful way possible. The assistant saw me wincing and said, «Does it hurt? It’s okay, it’ll be over soon,» subequently left to take the picture then chatted with another assistant for about a minute before coming back to me to remove it.
PAPERWORK FAIL
[Part 1: Check-​in]
Checking-​in took twice as long as it should have because the receptionist kept calling me up to sign «one more paper.» Dude. Just give me a packet and I’ll fill it out in the waiting area. Also, I KNOW I’ve filled out all those papers before. I told them that, and they immediately said, «No no no. You’ve never been here. We don’t have a file for you.» I distinctly remember going there once with my brother who had an appointment and filling out my own paperwork just to have a file even though I wasn’t going to be seen that day. They didn’t TRY to find my paperwork from that day. At all. The other assistant stayed glued to her computer screen, doing her online shopping.
[Part 2: Mix-​ups]
My sister and I have similar names. Still, mine starts with an A and hers starts with an R. At least look at that. Really. The dentist and staff mixed our paperwork together, resulting in my sister accidentally putting her signature on a sheet of paper that was supposed to be for my file. The dentist told her, «Well you shouldn’t be signing things that aren’t even yours. You should’ve been double-​checking anyway.»
SERVICE PROVIDING FAIL
I was at the clinic for 3 hours for them to tell me I had cavities. That’s it. They wouldn’t even clean my teeth. Our insurance covered a regular tooth cleaning but they said I should have a deep cleaning, which isn’t covered. I tried to have at least the regular cleaning now, and maybe get the deep cleaning later. They refused to clean my teeth at all.
CUSTOMER SERVICE EPIC FAIL
The dentist never once looked me in the eyes. He never introduced himself either. None of the staff bothered to learn our names. You would be surprised to hear all the creative ways they found to pronounce our names. After repeating our names several times to several people, my sister and I gave up on trying to teach them.
Regarding the paperwork mix-​up, the dentist told us, «Obviously, mistakes will be made. You guys have similar names. Next time, don’t come in at the same time.»
Sooo… we’re supposed to take 2 separate trips and waste twice as much gas to go to this crappy, unprofessional clinic because they don’t know how to read our names? Hmmm.
When the dentist stated I had a cavity on my lower right, I asked «So where???» and without even looking me in the eyes, he interrupted me and said, «LOWER RIGHT.» Well duh, doc, but I have a lot of teeth and there are more than one tooth in the lower right area.
PRODUCT FAIL
The dentist’s office recommended a cleaning plan and had us purchase an electric toothbrush with some pastes and things. Shouldn’t have bought that. Big mistake. The toothbrush frayed after the first use and required daily battery charging for several hours lest the motor get weak.
Anyway. Word of advice? Never go there. Ever. I feel like being generous today so I’ll give this place one star.

There is no better way to say it: This place SUCKS!!!
My first consultation here was on March 25^th. I had an 8:30 am appointment. I wasn’t seen until about 9:00. No problem. I’m very patient and understand that the first time visits can be a little longer. I didn’t leave until 11:00am and my teeth weren’t even cleaned! I was told this was due to them being short staffed. No problem. I know with this economy things can get a little slow.
My wisdom teeth had been bugging me and was told that I needed to get 3 of them removed. I was told the Oral Surgeon comes in twice a month. I made my appointment for the nearest date April 15^th @ 8:30am that same day.
I called yesterday to get more information reguarding the procedure and the women on the other line was very helpful and went through what should be expected.
Here is my gripe… this morning at 10:00am I get a call stating that my appointment will have to be rescheduled because my claim has not been submitted to my insurance. WHAT? I was livid! I had made the appointment over two weeks ago and they are now calling me less than 24 hours before my appointment. When I asked why it hadn’t been submitted when they had plenty of time I was lied to and told that it would take my insurance 4 to 6 weeks to process my claim.
I quickly contacted my insurance and found out that there still hadn’t been a claim submitted for me and when I asked how long it would take to get an approval I was told that they only need up to 5 days to process my claim! I later called the office and they finally admitted to still not submitting my claim! UGH!
Never again! I’m stuck in getting my wisdom teeth pulled here but I will be quickly changing dental offices!