Coast Dental

I really love these guys. They are very gentle and kind. Had Dr. Mike Stoici and all his staff are wonderful to work with me.

I only went to this Coast Dental because my Humana Insurance told me I had dental coverage for an exam, cleaning and x-​rays. Today I spent only a few minutes in this office to find out that they scam their patients. My 1^st x-​ray was $ 118.00 after my insurance coverage. I told her My insurance pays for cleaning and she said only a light cleaning but you will need more. I told her just stop right there I’m not letting you do anymore on me, I am leaving.
I told the manager that Florida Dental charges $ 59.00 for an exam, x-​rays and cleaning. She told me go there. I told her I want my personal records back including my drivers license and social security number but she wouldn’t give them back to me until she made copies of them.
I would not trust this dental business.

Certified mail RRR will reach them 11/​02/​2015
October 31, 2015
Halloween Appropriate
Dr. George Helmy
Coast Dental
7801 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street
St. Petersburg, FL 33 702
Trepidation & Your Lack of Holistic Approach
Dear Dr. Helmy,
Got your letter (notice) yesterday but had to meet State Attorney Mid-​day for disgorgement hearing in criminal prosecution of dishonest contractor who will have to return funds to me, or for deceiving consumer’s innate threat, be sentenced to 5 years in a Florida prison.
My life experiences and awareness have made me a careful consumer in an age when anyone and particularly those over 65 (seniors) must be cautious and mindful. Below please note my «Yelp» review which is essentially accurate from my viewpoint but which lacks a key item which is a compound error on Coast’s part and which is where you have the holistic failing due to what may be a myopic perspective. Italicized:
* 10/​22/​2015
Horrible horrible, dental plan faxed coverage, I confirmed as I set up appointment on 8÷13÷15.
First appointment for initial visit for simple check up, x-​rays and cleaning 10÷16÷15.
Prior to closing on 10÷15÷15 they left phone message «no coverage». They don’t reverify for their needs until inconvenient last minute, get it wrong, cause anxiety and sleep loss and they have never heard of 48 hours for an appointment scheduled two months in advance.
Arrive on 10/​16, «opps our error» and have the largest panoply of dental x-​rays EVER (anyone say billing), get exam where I am told despite my good care I need $ 1,200 of quadrant cleaning with 3 times a year $ 150 follow up … these are AFTER insurance coverage. I ask dentist for simple cleaning and offer medical release for it. Refuses as does head office in Tampa I force a response out of after 4 days of trying. Can you say Rip Off & Marketing Scheme ?
As above, arrived and though like many older people I try and avoid x-​rays and had agreed to and confirmed with your office I would have, SIMPLE SET OF X-​RAYS, SIMPLE EXAM AND ROUTINE DENATAL CLEANING.
After the comprehensive x-​rays all the conversation and examination was oriented to a deep scaling and procedure on my teeth. Not what I had agreed to and the simple cleaning I requested was refused despite my agreeing to a release and that after consideration of the procedure I might agree to have it done.
But. Two hours of research, back and forth on the phone with carrier and your office and acknowledgement of coverage and waiting for appointment for more than 2 months I am very concerned with my well being and then hit with a cost estimate far beyond any expectation and showed minimal coverage by my plan (of which Coast is a part) even though the plan has over many years assumed responsibility for a major portion of costs.
You knew from what I said that the cost was a worry for me. That is how it is for all over 65. Combine that with my care to get the appointment, receiving treatment I hadn’t arranged for, the refusal of the cleaning and maybe at that point you should have asked to see your estimate of cost, looked at what YOU (Coast) said the plan would pay and told your staff to check again.
In light of the less than 24 hour old «not covered» error you can’t provide good dentistry and you wish without being as aware of the context in which you operate and the nature and view of the PATIENT.
Shame on me, but like an idiot at the time of my appointment and afterward I believed what you (Coast & YOU) showed my plan would pay (look at your records).
$ 50.00 of $ 1066.99 leaving me out of pocket $ 1016.99
Yesterday morning as I am checking with my plan for coverage of one of the periodontists you recommended do I find out that the plan pays all but $ 65.00 per quadrant and maintenance.
So the failing was either the staff, Coast procedures (like checking on confirmed coverage of an appointment mad more than 60 days prior till mere hours before when patient is unable to correct for you are closed for the day) and you. You didn’t care for despite caring as a dentist you ignore that you are serving as the visible major domo.
Frightened already and then hit with a price belying my experience and expectation I see a thousand dollars plus I wasn’t willing to spend …
Shame on me and shame on you (collectively). Procedure would have been $ 260.00 for me with $ 65.00 for subsequent maintenance.
Coast and YOU have been around long enough and dealt as a participating part of my dental plan that getting the numbers right would have been the way to do business. All the more important for you knew of the attention I pay to my dental health and the anxiety Coast had created.
You have unduly burdened me for to have the work done I will have to leave the dental plan I am with to find another at probably greater cost to utilize the periodontists you choose for they are not covered under my plan.
Your withdrawing your services leaves me with no other choice.
Tony Witlin

In this case you will not get what you pay for.
I had a crown that fell off in 2012. Being new to the area I quickly looked up a dentist that was close by. That turned out to be Coast Dental when it was in its old location. Since I was freaking out about my crown I scheduled an appointment right away instead of looking around. At the time it was Dr. Chamberlain that saw me. I was told my insurance didn’t cover any of the crown, so it would cost around $ 600. However, if I wanted to spend more to get a porcelain crown, it would stay longer. I decided I didn’t want to have to keep coming in so I opted to pay about $ 800 for the crown.
Fast forward to six months ago, which is about 3 years later. My crown popped off. I was really surprised and alarmed since crowns are supposed to, at a minimum, stay on for five years (most stay on from 8 — 15). I went back to Coast Dental and Dr. Stoici looked at it and said he could just cement it right back on. So he did and I went on my merry way.
Now just this last weekend I was at my new dentist getting a cleaning. The crown popped out. My new dentist took a look at it and showed me how whoever made it the first time made it wrong. It was much too short on the ends to grip my tooth. In addition, he couldn’t believe someone would cement that back on. He suggested that I go back to Coast, because they may waive the fees to redo it.
I went back over to Coast Dental and at first they said they would cover it and I would only have to pay the lab fees, which would be about $ 100. Then they told me they wouldn’t cover anything because Dr. Chamberlain no longer worked there. They said this was essentially his problem and asked if I wanted his phone number. When I gave him a call, his staff told me that it was definitely Coast Dental’s problem since they were his employer at the time.
I’m getting the crown done at my new dentist since it would cost me the same as what Coast proposed. In the end, because of Coast Dental, I spent $ 800 for a crown that lasted me about three years. That’s what I call a rip off. If you need a dentist go to Dr. Bushati at Greenberg Dental. He is honest and won’t charge you an arm and a leg for shoddy work.

It took me one visit to realize that these chain dental offices are simply scam artists who are going to scare you into believing that if you don’t do the thouands of dollars worth of dental work that they are saying you need, all of your teeth will fall out and you will have dentures.
The dental assistant and the hygienist were the ones who were really trying to scare me the most. They both gave me HUGE lectures about how all of my teeth were going to fall out within 5 years if I don’t get bridges, and veneers, and an aggressive cleaning. All of this was 4,000 dollars. AT first I took what they were saying seriously, but after a few minutes of hearing them talk, I began to realize that they were trying to scare me! They really were trying to scare me into believing that I had to do all of this expensive dental work or I was going to lose my teeth! For God’s sake I’m only 26! This is ludicrous! They were so rude on top of that and they were pushing other procedures as well, such a bone grafting. They also were pushing me to start it all THAT VERY SAME DAY. And I was like, UM hello! I need to think about whether or not I am ready to start pulling out my teeth and getting bone grafts and bridges and veneers! And they mentioned multiple times to start that day but of course, I’m not going to.
Please don’t go here and PLEASE din’t fall for their fear tactics. Avoid dental chain offices at all costs.

BEWARE!
I was new to the area and this was closely located to where I reside, so I made an appointment and went in for my annual cleaning. I have always been fortunate to have good dental coverage and have been compliant with dental care; cleanings every 6 months, check ups, xrays and having services performed as needed. Despite my efforts, I have had my share of root canals, crowns and bridges.
I go to Gateway Coast expecting a cleaning and xrays. I am told by a doctor, who sits behind me, does not look at me, does not introduce himself that I have $ 10,000 worth of dental services that are needed!!! He does not wait to answer questions, explain or itemize the services. He tells me to make an appointment and set up a payment plan. They did not even clean my teeth, nor would they schedule an appointment for teeth cleaning. Ludicrous.
After this incident, I did my homework — going on line to check out reviews, health grades and the such of a number of dentist in the area. I selected Dr. Fletham. I have been going there for about a year now. I did have a crown replaced as it broke off and another filling repaired, but that was it. It was not $ 10k in services. Plus, Dr. Feltham and staff keeps faithful to their appointments. You are in and out in a reasonable amount of time. You barely get to sit in the waiting room and they are calling you. They are pleasant, professional, honest and caring. They explain each procedure and step along the way.
Gateway Coast dental was the worst experience I ever had at a dentist.