I went to Ulery Dental for periodic cleanings and yearly exams from 2008 until 2010. The cleanings were excellent, and I thought I had built a rapport with them as a patron in the event I needed something more than just a cleaning, but that was not the case.
I went in for my annual exam on 19 Jan 10 complaining of aching pain in my lower right jaw, thinking perhaps a filling needed to be redone. I saw Ameena Chimata, and, despite her questionable personal hygiene and non-engaging personality, I informed her of my complaint. As she inspected the area in question, her only concern was to direct her assistant to make sure a bridge arrived for another client. After performing sensitivity testing, her diagnosis was that tooth 31 needed a root canal. I signed a treatment plan for a root canal, and made an appointment to see Wayne Steinberg on 22 Jan.
That same day Ryan Mankiewicz performed the cleaning, during which he commented on the gap between tooth 29 and tooth 30. He further stated that he didn’t know if Chimata had noticed this, but they could re-do the filling in tooth 30.
I came back three days later to see Steinberg, first asking him if he was an endodontist. He brusquely gave me a spiel about how he was in the military ten years ago, and how he has performed hundreds of root canals, and curtly told me to sit down. After performing sensitivity testing, he opined it was tooth 30 that was at issue, and that the tooth was not infected, just injured. He explained the tooth needed a crown, but it would eventually need a root canal, so I should just go ahead and get the root canal. He pressed me on what my decision was; I eventually decided not to get the root canal, wanting instead to get a second opinion, and, if necessary, to get a root canal from an endodontist vice a general dentist.
Over the weekend, I decided to give Ulery once more opportunity to resolve this dental issue before going to another dental office. I called Ulery on 25 Jan in order to follow up on Ryan’s comment during the dental cleaning. I asked specifically to see Ryan, since he was the one who spotted the issue with tooth 30, and also because I did not want the language issue I had perceived with Chimata. As I sat in the dental chair on 28 Jan, I recounted the comment he had made during the cleaning, and expressed a desire to have the filling in tooth 30 redone to resolve the problem. At this point, he read both his notes and Steinberg’s in my file, disparagingly stating that he had said was something different. He explained it is impossible to get perfect contact, but I could get another x-ray of the area if I wanted. I opted not to get another x-ray because I might need more x-rays at another dentist I had contacted.
In hopes of expressing my disappointment with the dental services, I told him I was considering going to another dentist. Ryan responded in a loud and argumentative tone, “you can go get a second opinion if you want, but they are going to tell you the same thing,” or words to that effect. As I got out of the chair and picked up my coat, I told him, “I just want you to understand..,” he cut me off, snidely stating, “oh, I understand.” I continued, “I don’t want whatever problem is going on to get any WORSE.” At this point he said he would redo a filling if he thought there was any decay underneath the filling, but he did not think that this was the case with tooth 30.
My experience at Ulery went from “average” to “sub-par.” Ulery is a high-volume operation marked by confusion, disregard, and shoddy facilities. In response to my attempts to have a say in my dental care, I was treated as if I was “holding up the works” of their dental mill. Instead of allying my anxiety, Mankiewicz's tone and demeanor exacerbated a situation requiring dental attention.
I had a dental exam with another dentist on 12 Feb 10. They took a digital x-ray of tooth 30 and tooth 31; the dentist spotted decay on tooth 30. She was able to work on tooth 30 that day, finding decay under the filling. The tooth was prepped and fitted for a crown, and has not given me any problems since, proving that there was no need to kill the tooth.