Dental One Associates of Columbia

If I could give 0 stars I would. Appointment scheduling is ridiculous and even when you try to schedule your next appt as you leave they won’t have anything for eight or more months so plan to make appointments a year out if you want to work on your schedule and not theirs. Twice I’ve shown up and they didn’t have my appointments on the books. They rarely call back and good luck if you ever have to reschedule. You rarely see a dentist unless you ask. Go elsewhere.

Worst dentist experience I’ve ever had. I had a Dr. Berns lecture me about why I needed an 18 panel x-​ray before getting a cleaning. «Patients cannot make an appointment for a cleaning without this type of exam just like patients cannot request a surgery without an exam.» What type of crap is this… I went to a different dentist 6 months ago, the sent me a reminder card say please get your 6 month cleaning. Every other dentist in the world would schedule a cleaning appointment without requiring the patient to jump through hoops and billing for x-​rays that I don’t need because my other dentist had sent them over. Yes, a patty should be able to request a cleaning!!! It is not the same as surgery you idiot!!!

Been going here for 4 years. This is the only provider covered for our insurance. 9 out of 10 times when I call to schedule an appointment I get an answering machine. ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ on whether they call me back. They need another pediatric dentist. Wait time for an appointment is literally 6 months. No exaggeration. It’s September and they are scheduling for April. If there was another option I would leave for a practice more concerned about its customer service.

I have had many appointments at Dental One, starting about 15 years ago and going through this year. I have undergone multiple procedures there (cleanings, root canal, filling etc.). As a result, I am pretty qualified to speak to this office-​find somewhere else. Appointment wait times are ridiculous. It is not unusual to wait 4 – 6 months for a simple cleaning. I haven’t experienced the aggressive deep-​clean upsell other reviewers mention, so your mileage may vary there.
I also had the most unprofessional experience I’ve had at any doctor when I went in for a cavity and my dentist realized I needed to have a root canal instead after drilling into the tooth. He proceeded to call over other dentists and hygenists to look at my tooth, remarking «ooh it’s oozing» «look at that! wow, how horrible» and several other unprofessional remarks, leaving me mortified and with a healthy fear of the dentist and the now associated humiliation. The root canal also turned into an extraction when they drilled through the side of my tooth by accident and cracked it! If that sampling of delightful dental incidents entices you, you will love this practice. Me? No thanks.

Definitely leaving this practice. Since they didn’t bother to ask why I was leaving their practice, I figured I can tell you guys: I don’t need a dental hygienist who I was meeting for the first time discuss religion AND her masturbation methods with me while her fingers were in my mouth.

I can’t say I love this dental office. I mean but who really loves going to the dentist anyway. I’ve been coming to Dental One for about five years now and I’ve had a few small issues but in general I can’t say this place is any worse than the other dental offices I’ve been to.
Dental One does seem a bit like a farm. They have a pretty sizable office/​farm. Three big waiting rooms and two side hallways that house an in-​house oral surgeon and the orthodontics crew. I’d guess there are about 8 hygienist stations and there are open, so if privacy is your thing ask for another location to discuss your dental health. The in-​house surgeon also has an OR and I’d assume the orthodontist team has their own space as well.
I’ll try to summarize my experiences here in a couple sections, first the oral surgeon. I’ll admit I felt slightly pressured by Dr. Asher into getting my wisdom teeth removed. He gave me no real medical reason to get them pulled other than because it’s the standard practice (ching ching$$). I won’t go into depth about my research but I decide the long term health benefits helped to justify the decision to get them pulled. The surgery went pretty smooth, I’m pretty sure I hit on his assistant before I went under. He let me keep a couple of the wisdom teeth and my recovery took about 6 weeks.
Dental Hygienist: I’ve had mixed visits over the years. Some hygienist are nice and others pretty condescending. The ability to clean teeth doesn’t give you a pedestal. Some try to force you into getting fluoride and question your decision making while others here accept no and keep it moving.
Customer service from the front desk has always been fine, can’t complain about that. My one issue is the waiting time considering how large this place seems, on occasion I get seen in good time but most times I’m left waiting as person after person gets called in before me.
*Pro tip: I think early appts have less wait time, the closer you get to lunch and right after lunch the longer I think you wait.
**Pro Pro tip: Floss and brush regularly, it makes these appt’s much easier plus you’ll save money on breath mints and gum.

UPDATED: They have not refunded my deposit or responded to my requests to do so. I plan to file in small claims court. Recommend you stay away.
The practice is run efficiently and I had no issues with the hygenist or periodontist. However, I was recommended for a gum surgery that would cost $ 1500 after all insurance was paid. I got a second opinion, and that doctor said there was no case for any surgery at all. This mirrors other comments on this site that the practice resembles a car dealership selling you stuff that you don’t need. If true that is actually unethical and would violate license laws. So despite my pleasant experience, I do not trust the dental advice provided and would recommend others not to go here.

This review is for cleanings. Dr. Wright is fantastic and did great work.
Lauren the hygienist is the rudest, most condescending person. I brush twice a day, floss, and use mouthwash. She tried to sell me something for my gums. I said no, and it continued to go downhill. I don’t understand how paying patients can be treated this way. I was snapped at, she wouldn’t make eye contact with me, she didn’t explain anything she was doing, and she took forever getting ready. She was incredibly rough. I felt like she was taking her anger out in my mouth. My mouth has never hurt from a cleaning before.
If you must go to this place because it’s the only one nearby that takes your insurance (like me), ONLY SCHEDULE WITH DE ANN for cleanings. She is so sweet and so kind. My cleaning was last minute so I couldn’t book her.
Basically, if you don’t schedule a cleaning 3 months ahead and get DeAnn, you are really pushing your luck. Twice I wasn’t able to get her, and twice I regretted it. However, this last time was just ridiculously awful.

This was my husband’s dentist and the only reason why I switched was because my Dentist was ruid and overcharging. Well lets say I switched for the better, the staff are always nice and friendly. The cost is very inexpensive and they’re always willing to work with me regardless of the cost. I had to have so much work done before my wedding and I only had like 2 months till the wedding, my Dentist was so awesome he saw me on days he wasn’t even supposed to be in the office just to make sure we stayed on schedule. It all worked out and I had perfect teeth for my Wedding. I also love that they have Ortho in the same building, so no running all over town for a consultant with for an unknown surgeon. I’m never switching, Dental One girl forever.

The only reason I gave any stars is because of Dr wright and his assistants. He is great and should find a better practice.
The office staff, manager and billing department are terrible.
Most notable annoyances:
Don’t expect to EVER be seen at your appt time. You will be called back at least 15 mins– an hour after
Billing will send you to collections but can’t be bothered to return a phone call to explain why you have a balance (I pay each visit with my HSA but insurance denied a claim & it took them months to advise which date of service resulted in a balance)
They scheduled me an appt but tried to perform a root canal on the wrong tooth. When I corrected it and had a 3 hr appt for nothing, they still tried to charge me
They then refer you to the manager, who is of no assistance
This is the wal mart of dentists — patients are nothing but a number.

In my opinion this place is like a car dealership. They are all nice and the professionals have skills, however in my opinion they are there to sell services which some other reviewers on this site also state. My dentist sent me here for a periodontics checkup and while in one of the many waiting rooms I chatted with three other patients. How amazing that all 3 said they had or were scheduled to have bone surgically put into their mouths. It was no surprise that this same procedure was also recommended for me, and later my wife. My dentist was not given an update after my checkup though he’d provided a referral which they held. I had to request the records and carry them to him. He measured the gum gaps and told me the measurements on the records were not what he was measuring and there was no need for surgery. In my opinion people should avoid this type a franchise practice and stick to small dental practices where there is more incentive to maintain relationships with patients.
We were called, yes called, and left messages about this review. The first doctor stated they were very displeased with this review. The second doctor stated three doctors had met, none of the names rang a bell, and I’d no longer be seen there and my wife’s appointment the next day was cancelled. You might think, and many people would, they’d have asked what they could do better. Please read what other reviewers have written as many have written less than stellar reviews too.

Let me start by saying this. I have never had any problems with my teeth. I geneerally get cleanings every 6 months and a Dentist Exam once a year. And if my insurance hadn’t changed I would still be going to Fusion Dental down the street. However, my insurance changed and I had to switch and my options were limited with my plan.
Now… this place does seem to be quite the ‘factory’ with lots of different ‘rooms’ to wait in (1 – 4) and then the hygenist are literally lined up with cubicle walls seperating them. You are not taken to an individual closed door office for your cleaning. (so, please be ok with talking about your dental/​health problems with the possibility of the patient in the ‘area’ next door hearing you) My wait times in the past three visits havent been too bad (10 – 15 minutes). However, I have seen others in the waiting room that were there prior to me and continued to wait… ugh!
I will admit that it does seem that they try to up-​sell you on services. Every time I’m there I have been asked to get a Fluoride treatment (which I havent had one of those since I was 14 probably). Its an extra $ 50 I believe? I have to refuse it every time. They also told me that the bacteria in my mouth is so bad that they have to put some type of ‘ointment’ around my gums to clear that up. I“m not one to argue over my dental health, so I obliged and paid the $ 30 for the treatment (had to do this twice now). However, I tend to question this service since in my 30 years of going to the dentist Ive never been told the bacteria around my gums was that bad.
The check-​out process tends to also be slow. As you finish up with the hygenist you are then taken to ‘another’ waiting room to wait for someone to be available to check you out, collect payment and make another appointment. This could take up to 10 – 15 minutes as well. All in all I spent 15 – 20 min with the hygenist but spent about an hour at the office. :-(
On to appt times. I tend to just schedule my next appt (6 months out) while I“m checking out. However this past visit I had a last minute change in my schedule and calld to reschedule. They told me the next available appt was 6 months out? Really? You are booked 6 months in advance? Wow. They happened to have an appt that had opened up the next morning, so I made some changes to my work schedule and made the appt. However, its concerning to me that if I need to reschedule an appt I would have to wait for 6 more months… Maybe time to hire some add’l people to accomodate the demand in business.
All in all… I’m just coming here for cleanings/​exams and nothing else, its not the best office I’ve been to, but it’ll do the trick since this is one of few places my insurance accepts in the area.

I am not necesarily one who forms a relatationships with my doctors as I am kind of an introvert. I mainly require decent and respectful bedside manner and convincing mastery of your trade. Pretty basic. However, I was pretty put off by my most recent dentist at Dental One.
This is my second year going to Dental One in Columbia and I was a client at Dental Cross Keys for several years prior. Again not having much expectations beyond basic respect, getting my teeth clean, and feeling like the health of my teeth was in good hands I was pretty comfortable with my experiences prior. Until my visit this year where I was assigned to a different dentist (Dr. Barrow) than I had last year (she must have left?). I came for my cleaning and annual exam and at the end of the exam was told that I had to reschedule my appointment because the Doctor went to lunch. What professional just leaves for lunch when they have a patient that they know is there and planning on seeing them? This led to me having to schedule another appointment about 3 or so months later just to come in and have the dentist look at my xrays. When I came in for the rescheduled appointment they did not have me in the system. The receptionist felt terribly about it and rescheduled me for first thing next morning.
When I came the next day this was my first time meeting Dr. Barrow who barely introduced herself to me before she asked me with attitude (it is all about tone!) why I had yet to have my wisdom teeth removed. Tone is everything, this was a question that could have been asked way more pleasantly, playfully even, but she asked it as if she were scolding me. It has been recommended that I have my wisdom teeth pulled but I have made the personal decision not to, and while I respect and understand this being a recommendation and do not fault any dentist for making it, I would expect the same level of respect and understanding from my dentist as it relates to my personal decision. Maybe she could have taken the time to speak to me and get to know me before speaking with me in such a manner about it? Yeah, she is definitely not meeting my requirement for basic respect and good bedside manner.
Other dentists at this location might be much better than her but I will not stick around to find out.
Time to look for a new dentist… I think I will check Unilocal

Profit, profit, profit.
This company will send you a card in the mail telling you «it’s time for your next appointment» even if you’re not a customer. We just shrugged off this sales technique, as we did indeed need an appointment. This should have been a warning sign.
Once you get in, they’ll upsell you «deep clean» services even though a) this is like the rustproofing nonsense car dealerships sell and b) you don’t need it. They do this simply because insurance will pay, so thanks Dental One for keeping everyone’s rates high. You’re the problem.
Then when you leave the practice (because you’ve moved out of the area, not because they are scam artists) they will actually force you to pay a fee to get your records moved to your next dentist. The process with any other dentist is simply to call and say, «my new dentist is ABC Dentist, can you forward my records?» Not so with Dental One, since there’s an opportunity to charge you here, they will take that opportunity.
Go anywhere else.

Worst experience EVER!!! I got my teeth knocked out in May. After going back for three more appointments, and $ 10,563 later still don’t have my permanent bridge. Last appointment I went to THEY broke my new teeth… now I have to wait another month! It’s amazing how quick they collect your money and once they do everything goes to their own pace!!!

Ask for Dr. Chehab. He’s great… honest, good clean work, and wont treat you for something you don’t need.

I had a maryland bridge at dental one last September, it fell off on February 5^th of this year! Can you believe it!!!

After being a patient here for the past 3 years, it is definitely time for me to find a new dental practice. Dental One Associates in Columbia, MD truly rips you off and definitely performs procedures that are way over the top. Also, the past two cleanings I have scheduled, I have been there more than 15 – 20 minutes early and I have always been seen 20 minutes AFTER my scheduled appointment. Completely ridiculous if you ask me. Also, I am often «arguing» with the Head Staff, don’t even know her name, but she «bullies» you into procedures. No joke. Today, I thought I was going in for my cleaning. But they tried to whisk me in to see a dentist for an exam. They also took a bunch of X-​rays and then were going to take 4 more! I asked the assistant, «I want to find out if this is covered with my insurance.» Sure enough, when she went to find out, it turns out I would be responsible for the cost! WTF? NOBODY should coerce you into getting things done when you are misinformed about who is paying. I’m so done with Dental One Associates in Columbia, MD. They are definitely not in the business of helping people. instead, they are there to make money and that’s pretty much it.
Too many times have I had to fight tooth and nail to prevent «extra» procedures to be done. They are nuts there. Please… save your time, money, and headache. It’s a shame that they are your typical «out to make money off insurance companies and you.» What a shame. They are health care professionals! So disgusted.

Go here at your own risk. This is a large facility that encompasses many different areas of dentistry including orthdontics. It’s pretty much a one stop shop which is a plus. However from there everything goes down hill.
It seems like it’s their job to try to upsell you extra services, products, and do unnecessary treatments. I take very good care of my teeth. When I went in I was told that I needed a deep cleaning and had gum disease because my gums bleed when he poked them pretty hard. I was floored because I frequently brush and floss. Just a fyi, insurance doesn’t cover the full cost of a deep cleaning so I would have had to pay about $ 240 out of pocket. The dentist even went so far as to tell me I needed to see the periodontist (next office over) before he could clean my teeth. When I went to the periodontist he said I didn’t have gum disease and wanted to know why I was there and who referred me to him. That referral cost me $ 20! $ 20 to literally walk to the next office for a 2 minute examination!
I realized this was a sham and ordered a copy of my x-​rays and went to a different dentist. My new dentist commented that Dental One took unnecessary x-​rays, confirmed that I do not have gum disease nor do I need a deep cleaning. He also proceeded to explain that some dentists are out to make as much money as they can without really caring about the health of your teeth and that would sum up Dental One Associates perfectly.

I got all 4 of my wisdom teeth were extracted by Dr. Asher. He was great! Great bedside manner, caring, & fun! His staff & assistants were also great!!! I have also been to Dental One for many cleanings, crags, & even a root canal done by Dr.
She was great & she catered to the fact that I am scared of the dentist!
The only problem with Dental One is the wait to get a cleaning. There is a LONG wait. If you are like me and work shift work, you have no idea what you have available I’m 3 – 4 months. I also don’t like their phone system. I can never talk to someone to make an appointment. It seems that they always call be back hours later.
Over all, Dental One has absolutely great doctors, hygienists, & staff. I would recommend this place… and I am scared of the dentist!