Gardner Jerry I, DDS

I called to make an appointment and specifically asked if they accepted Cigna. I was told «absolutely» and proceeded to schedule my appointment.
When I arrived, the staff was extremely nice and welcoming. I was given a tour of the facility, and noted that it seemed pretty outdated and a bit rundown, but convinced by the A rating on Angie’s List I looked over the appearance. I was told that I would be seen by Dr. Cudia instead, as Dr. Gardner was no longer seeing patients. The receptionist should have been upfront with this information prior to scheduling my appointment as I specifically asked to be seen by Dr. Gardner. After the exam, I was provided with a detailed treatment plan that included how much I would pay out of pocket in addition to the insurance.
As I looked over the treatment plan I thought it odd to be charged $ 40.00 for «oral hygiene instruction», $ 53 for «desensitize medication», etc. all items that I did not request, but kept quiet thinking it was just how they break down things for insurance purposes. Something just seemed
In all, I was told it would be $ 200+ out of pocket in addition to insurance.
I was told that I would need to come back after the first visit for the filling and additional cleaning.
When I returned, I was seen by yet another dentist (a female) who performed the filling. I thought it was strange that the receptionist was assisting the dentist throughout as it seemed she was unprepared and her assistance was something that she typically did not do.
During this 2^nd visit, more «procedures» were attempted to be added on and that’s when I spoke up and said that the treatment plan stated I owed 200 and that I was not prepared to pay any additional money. I was told «OK». I told myself this would be my last visit to this office and that I would find a different dentist for my family. These folks are all about $$$$$$$$
Today I received a bill in the mail for $ 128. I called the receptionist and I told her that the treatment plan we agreed upon was for $ 200 out of pocket in addition to the insurance coverage. She stated «So you were told that you would only pay that $ 209 and not a penny more?» I told her that when I agreed to the plan that yes, this is what I expected to pay. I then questioned why I was receiving a balance for the amount insurance didn’t cover, given they knew how much insurance would or would not cover. She stated that they can «charge whatever» and that they are not bound by Cigna. I then told her that when I initially called and asked if they accepted Cigna prior to scheduling the appointment that I assumed they accepted the payment amounts from Cigna. She said well «you shouldn’t have assumed that.» I let her know that I would not pay the bill.
I then called Cigna to explain this, including how I was never treated by Dr. Gardner even though the claim they submitted showed him as the provider although my treatment plan shows Dr. Cudia (WHO IS CONTRACTED WITH CIGNA) as the provider. The representative said that this sounded a bit «fishy» and encouraged me to once again follow up with the dentist office. She also noted that the charges they submitted were above the average charges submitted by dentists in the same zip code.
All in all, while the folks here are friendly– I didn’t really pick a dental office in order to find new friends. Instead I was treated by two fill in dentist and billed over $ 300 for a cleaning and a filing even though I have dental insurance. But when an office charges you $ 40 dollars to show you how to floss and brush what can you expect. Lesson learned.
If they do not resolve this issue then I will file a formal complaint with the Georgia Board of Dentistry.

wow. all i can say is wow… what terrible work this dentist has provided my husband. my husband had thousands and thousands of dollars worth of work done 10 years ago and how it’s all falling apart. the root canal not done properly and tooth as gone bad which he crowned. a 5 unit bridge has crumbled. another 2 crowns have cracked. the list goes on and on. now another tooth has gone bad. this dentist is does poor quality work and should not be in practice. all his work is terrible. our friend who we referred a while back who has perfect teeth saw his office for a cleaning. Dr Gardner told her she had a cracked tooth and ended up doing a crown on her and is now finding out she didn’t have a bad tooth. our other friend who went to him changed dentist also as he was getting bad care. changed to a dentist who wanted to get xrays, but come to find out Dr Gardners office filed for x-​rays charges when none were done.
if you are considering going to Jerry Gardner, you should go elsewhere. This dentist does terrible work.

I have been a patient of Doctor Gardner since I relocated to Atlanta from NYC 6 years ago. Dr. Gardner has assembled a wonderful team — and it makes for an extremely pleasant experience. Each time I go to the dentist it’s like visiting a group of old friends. I broke a tooth over Thanksgiving weekend and needed an emergency root canal — I was in horrific pain — Jerry was wonderful — he called me back within minutes of leaving a message on Thanksgiving night. Great customer service — I highly recommend Dr. Gardner!