Dental Specialty Associates

Well I went in for fillings for «cavities». 6 months later I have had 2 root canals and crowns somewhere else because they did such a bad job in the procedure. AVOID AT ALL COSTS (about $ 1200 for me after everything to fix their mistakes).

I truly wish I could give them a 0 star. The worst place I have ever been to. Before I had even arrived at my appointment, they called me multiple times to confirm an appointment on the wrong date. Once I arrived, the hygienist continued to complain about not being able to get the right X-​rays and make passive aggressive comments about how frustrated she was under her breathe. The dentist then told me I had 4 cavities which seemed odd to me. I decided to cancel my appointment for my fillings and go get a second opinion. After I cancelled my appointment, I continued to get calls regarding other patients appointments and confirmations. Then, they charged me $ 125 for the X-​rays and examination I had done. I went into the office and paid. I got a second opinion from another dentist in the valley and I HAVE NO CAVITIES. Today, I get home from work and have an invoice of them trying to charge me another $ 125 claiming that I never paid. Fortunately, I have my receipt and will be calling first thing tomorrow morning. Please, spare yourself and do not visit this practice. I will never be back.

I would have given 5 stars if they didn’t over quote for every procedure. I’ve been a patient with them for about 10 years. Many dental and ortho procedures between myself and my son. Recently I was laid off from work and did not have insurance. I was waiting for my new jobs insurance to kick in. In the meantime, my son visited to get some work that was previously paid for done. The work that they did irritated another tooth (which they filled just 3 months prior) and he was back within days for awful pain. They advised him he would need a root canal and a crown and quoted him (a 19 year old kid) $ 2000! And maybe that’s what it costs, but I did call 2 other places and got quotes for $ 1500. What really upsets me is that we have been loyal patents for many years and they knew we didn’t have insurance currently. Why overcharge us? To say I felt taken advantage of would be an understatement. No longer do hear places «care» for anyone other then themselves. Completely disappointed in how they handled this situation. Before today we were called «family» and welcomed wth emails, etc. Today, it’s like they never met us or know who we are. We are just some insurance less people who they saw as an opportunity to make a buck. Pissed. And neither of us will ever be back. Also, they let my son go without a prescription for antibiotics. The least they could have done is call in a prescription for the infection in his tooth. Nope. Nothing.

I had read some reviews before I went in there, but once I experienced the place I started reading more reviews as I sat in the dental chair! When I arrived the girl at the front pretty much didn’t acknowledge me. She was on the phone. I stood there waiting & she looks up & tells me to have a seat & she’ll get to me later. Of course I didn’t do that. I asked for the new pt paper work. Filled all of that out & they took me to the dental chair where the girl taking the X-​rays was rude as well. She didn’t smile once & made no small talk. I sat there waiting after that & a dental hygienist comes in to look at my teeth & says they don’t look bad but I need the extra cleaning that the insurance doesn’t cover. She would not do the cleaning that the insurance covers. Then the lady from the front office comes in an gives me an estimate while I’m in the dental chair. She tells me that I have cavities and several cracked teeth that need crowns. I had an uncomfortable feeling about the whole thing, so once she left, I began reading more detailed reviews here on Unilocal,and I saw that some patients had been told the same but later found they were misinformed. The dentist was rude also. Dr. Berger. He comes in an is in a hurry to numb my mouth. I said I’m not doing anything yet. He got irritated & walked away. I waited for the office lady to come back to my chair. Instead the dentist comes back & I decided to ask for more information on the cavity he wants to fill & the cracked teeth. I actually asked if there was really a cavity lol! Dr. Berger was in dismay & was appalled. Instead of going over the X-​rays with me, he said he didn’t feel comfortable treating me & said he would not do any dental work on me. LOL. Does that make ANY SENSE? Any ethical dentist would show X-​rays & explain. That pretty much answered my question! They gave me what I believe are my X-​rays & their little estimate for my rotting cracked & decaying teeth! I am working on a 2^nd opinion. Even if their assessment was correct, the staff is rude & unprofessional. Definitely DO NOT recommend, to anyone.

Wow, just wow! I’ve been going to this office over the last year and am in shock. While Nicole is amazing and does a great job cleaning your teeth-​the money scam that seems to be going on is just insane. I was told I had several cavities, needed at least 2 inlays and a cleaning every 3 months. Now while I assumed I needed some work, I never thought they would be dishonest. I have now switched dentists and need none of the work Dental Specialty told me I needed and just need a cleaning every 6 months like everyone else. I was told my gums look great and no fillings/​inlays were needed. Not to mention, they are always running late for appointments.
DO NOT GO HERE!

Just following up from my post 7mo ago. After they told me I had 10 cavities (being a patient there for 4yrs and Invisalign there) I went elsewhere. No cavities! Now on my following 6mo appt at my New dentist, guess what… Still no cavities! These people called me today to actually schedule an appt for a cleaning because its been over a year. I wonder why. Never ever going there again.

If it weren’t for the beautiful lobby and the friendly reception staff, I would give this place a zero. Well, that and the fact that Unilocal doesn’t allow for Zeros. Point being, this place SUCKS and you should not go there. I repeat, DO NOT GO TO DENTAL SPECIALITY ASSOCIATES FOR ANY REASON. I visited DSA in September 2013. I went at the recommendation of my insurance company. The second I walked out the door after my appointment, I contacted my insurance provider and changed my primary dentist to anyone BUT these people. My appointment was made same-​day as I was in extreme tooth pain and needed to be seen. When I got to DSA, they promptly placed me in a room with an oral hygenist who took my x-​rays. We were off to a great start. After that, I was placed in an exam room where I waited about twenty minutes to see my dentist, Dr. Lior Berger. Dr. Berger was rough with his hands, pushing and pulling in my mouth and knocking metal things and cold against my teeth to determine my issue (s). I understood that this may need to take place given that I was in extreme pain. I silently endured his torture. He did not speak to me really, he preferred to bark numbers and orders at his staff. They were nearby with my chart taking notes. After my exam by Dr. Berger, I was escorted to the «finances» department where they would go over my treatment plan. Long story short, I went in with a DENTAL EMERGENCY and left with NO SOLUTION to my problem. As a matter of fact, what I DID leave with was a «treatment plan» that included 3 root canals, 2 crowns, a two stage tooth cleaning and multiple cavities needing to be filled. All for the low, lo price of $ 3,000+ AFTER insurance!!! Um, no.
I left DSA and never went back. I wasn’t really bothered enough to write a Unilocal review at the time because I knew that I was smart enough not to pay $ 3,000 for tooth treatment that wasn’t actually causing me pain. I figured most other people would be the same. However, as of the past 72 hours, I feel a bit differently.
Today is Sunday. Thursday night I got no sleep because of a recurrence of the pain in my teeth /​jaw. I knew I couldn’t go back to DSA. I visited another dentist’s office about two miles away. On Friday morning, I had yet another emergency exam to help identify the pain that I had been having in my mouth. I was at the dentist’s office for over two hours. Multiple dentists consulted on my case. It turns out I needed ZERO root canals. My tooth pain is actually not tooth pain at all. I was diagnosed with TMJ. So, had I listened to Dr. Berger, I would have had three unnecessary root canals along with all kinds of other stuff that would not have helped my pain. The new dentist told me my issue is not with my teeth at all but rather pain is coming from my jaw and muscles around my mouth. They prescribed me a muscle relaxer to bring down my swelling /​inflammation and took impressions to have a night-​time mouth guard made. My guard will be made and ready for me to pick it up in two and a half weeks. My cost– $ 240. Dr. Berger tried to scam me for a TON of money. I am devastated that there are people in the medical field who operate with morals like this. Unbelievable.

I used to hate going to the Dentist and DSA has completely changed what I think! It is always a pleasure to to walk in an be greeted with a smile! My hygienist Nicole is amazing and gets me in and out feeling great! I had my wisdom teeth taken out and it couldn’t have been easier! I love the Scottsdale office and staff and have never had a problem.

Awful awful place. I scheduled a cleaning and they wouldn’t do it, they told me when I showed up that they needed to do an «evaluation» first which included Like 50 X-​rays that the assistant couldn’t take correctly. So I had to make another appt to get cleaning and request another day off from my job. They say they give you a $ 50 Credit if you refer someone? Not if they’re in your household. Lame.
I left a message for a call back to schedule an appt– never got a call back. Got my teeth cleaned and was supposed to meet with someone after to make a treatment plan and get estimates– the person was out that day and they stated they would email it to me– never got an email. Bad place. Find another!
Ok so when I came here I forgot to mention that The dr here told me I had 8 cavities and needed to get them taken care of ASAP. I was so upset since I have only had 2 cavities my entire life. So now that I found my new dentist and went to my appt three days ago, I have ZERO cavities! This dentals specialty associates place is a total scam! We must all report them! They are scamming people out of their money! I feel bad for people who are victims of these scammers!

Their staff is super friendly! I got all of my wisdom teeth out yesterday morning! They did an amazing job, great experience –before n after the surgery! Would definitely recommend! Thx Dr. Lilien!

I came to this office in December of last year. It had been a few years since I had seen a dentist, so I anticipated a cavity or TWO and definitely a cleaning. Well my name was called i went in. with the ASSISTANT… not the hygienist (which I thought was weird) she proceeded to look over my teeth using a machine that basically tells them where you have cavities or potential ones. The dentist came in for about 30 seconds was very unfriendly, he began to look at my teeth very quickly and not gentle. By the end of this appointment I needed 6 fillings and a procedure called an SRP which is what someone with gum disease would need. I was devastated that my teeth were that bad. It had been awhile but I didn’t think I neglected my mouth that much. This visit made me so upset that i couldnt bring myself to go back, besides the fact i couldnt afford what they recommended.
Recently I went to another dentist for an actual cleaning and a 2^nd opinion. There I was told that no SRP was needed, just a cleaning and I had ONE cavity. I have always loved going to the dentist and this place almost ruined that for me. They are only about making money and have zero concern for the patient needs or their bank account. Worst experience ever! They don’t even deserve a star.

As others state this business has shady practices. They’re all about the money and have poor customer service. I arrived half and hour early and they were twenty minutes late my first apoointment. Instead of a cleaning the gave me an orthodontic assessment. The second time they didn’t answer my call to confirm, was delayed by construction the dentist cancelled because they had to get the airport. Wish I would’ve read these reviews before: (

AVOID THIS OFFICE AT ALL COSTS.
Overall, I am beyond appalled that this office is in business.
To begin my horror story at this sleazy establishment, I was referred to them from my insurance. The service is absolutely horrible. It took me 3 months to schedule an initial appointment (my appointments were cancelled on me multiple times). In addition, they would not permit me to have a cleaning at the same time as my «evaluation» (or whatever their term for it was).
When I finally did get to meet with them for an exam (the wait time in their lobby is very long), my X-​Rays were taken and the dentist, Dr. Berger, came to take a look at my teeth. Never once did he make eye contact or utter a word to me. He was in and out within a minute or two and only spoke to the hygienist (very awkward). I was then taken to a room to see my diagnosis. A completely separate woman who I had never seen before explained my $ 3000 diagnosis. She urged me to make appointments ASAP for all of this work. I haven’t even had a cavity in years so I said I would go and get another opinion. They used scare tactics and slander to try and get me to schedule the work at their office, but after two other opinions I found out I only have one cavity as opposed to the ridiculous diagnosis they falsified.
BEWARE!!! This place is a complete scam.

so this is my update after a total debacle with the Dental Specialty Group office not coming through with honoring what they quoted in pricing my dental implant. Dr Lillien did a great job in his work, but then the office turned around and wanted to charge me another $ 750 for an abutment that was quoted as being included in the original price.
Needless to say, if your dentist drives a Maserati, you are probably going to get screwed over so he can make his payment

I have never had any issues with this place. It is clean, in a nice location. I have had several cleanings, and my mouth always feels great afterwards. Friendly, helpful staff. They found something wrong with one of my previous root canals, and they had a specialist look at it, but did not force the issue or force me to make a decision regarding surgery. They are clearly in the business for the patients’ well-​being. I would recommend this place. Only knocking off a star because I have seen people waiting in the waiting room for a very long time — this has not been my experience, but sometimes I have gone in and come out and still see the same people in the waiting room. Perhaps they are waiting for relatives.

I have been coming to Dental Specialty Associates for about a year. They are always very professional and courteous. Appointments are available early in the day before work, which is not always common.
This place has new technology, the procedures are painless, xrays are quick, they offer good advice for practical day to day care and provide good samples. All of my check-​ups have been easy and painless. I had a deep cleaning and a standard cleaning here, which I thought they did a great job on both. Appointments were quick and on time.
The only things that surprised me were 1) I had to schedule a follow up appointment for cleaning. I figured it would have been done all in one appointment. and 2) Deep cleaning was not covered fully by my insurance. Be sure to ask when you schedule so you know what to expect. The second time I went back, I just had the standard cleaning and no issues at all. They may recommend different products, but it’s up to you to choose. No different than anywhere else i have been before.
I had billing questions and my calls from DSA were returned promptly — the staff are very polite, attentive and helpful. While I duked things out with my insurance compnay, DSA was patient and understanding.
Honestly, I’m surprised at the ratings here. I have not had any problems at all. I have been to four or five different dental offices in the valley that were horrible prior to finding DSA. I recommend DSA to co-​workers and friends.

I have so many negative things to say about this place, but I will say just one. DO NOT GO THIS PLACE! I only wish there was a minus star, they would get –5.

I couldn’t agree more with everone elses comments below. My experience started off good in 2012 when I went in for a Clear Correct Consultation. But when I went back to actually start my treatment I had a new orthodontist already. That should have been my first red flag to not come back. It took twice as long to get my trays as they had estimated, and when I’d call to check the status it was as if I was calling for the first time. No one knew what was going on, they said they’d call Clear Correct but I’d never get a return phone call. I finally had to have a stern talk with the office manager which seemed to finally help my case. But regardless, getting the actual trays took about 12 weeks instead of their 6 – 8 week estimate. Once I started my trays, the orthodontist and everyone that worked there was very friendly and helpful. It wasn’t until about a year later (2011) that things started to shift to an unorganized mess. My (2^nd) orthodontist left, I went through two other orthodontists within a matter 6 weeks, their recommendations and consultation on my trays were very inconsistent. My treatment plan which they estimated would take 16 months is now going on 28 months! I recently moved and am trying to get them to ship my trays to my new orthodontist but I am getting no where.
The people who work there are great — they are super friendly and I have no doubt that the technicians, othodontist, and dentist know what they’re doing. But the actual operations and office management is lacking severely. I would NEVER recommend anyone go to them for any sort of treatment plan.

I went to this dentist by way of refferal because they had a «twilight» sedation option for having tooth extractions. I have severe anxiety issues with dental procedures, having specialized in anxious patients,. i thought this might be ok,. man,. was I wrong. It was the most traumatic experience of my life,. they said they could not use certain chemicals of me for sedation since I was on other medications,. I offered to stop taking the medications to be able to use the sedatives they had, but the doctor would not let me.
The day of my extraction,. they put an IV in my arm and said I would be dizzy withing minutes,.. it never happened,. I felt like they put just salt water in the IV. I felt no sedation and no effects. I told them I need more sedative,. they did not listen,. but instead,. they forcefully strapped my arms to the chair and went ahead with the extraction anyways. I felt EVERYTHING! it was the fact that they did not listen to me and went ahead and charged me 500 dollars for the sedation only,
I cant imagine what problems you would encounter if this was your regular dentist.
I will not go back to them for anything,. and neither should you. I would stay away from this company and find someone who’s customer service is on par with your needs.
Don’t make the mistake I did.

I have been patient with Dental Specialty Associates for about two years now and am on my fourth orthodontist, though not by choice. It seems to be a bit of a revolving door, which I can only infer is why my treatment is still ongoing despite their intial date. It’s really disappointing that they cannot retain people though I understand it may not always be under their control.
General operations seem to be a continuing issue. During my first year, their billing was incorrect and I constantly had to go through my charges with a fine tooth comb and have them correct the billing statement. In this matter, they were always friendly but it was frankly unacceptable that I had to constantly correct them.
Another billing issue emerged when a collection agency sent me a very discouraging letter saying that I was overdue on my payments, which was incorrect. I have been on auto-​pay my entire time with Dental Specialty Associates and when I contacted them they informed me that an error with their system had resulted in a multitude of patients receiving collections letters incorrectly. However, DSA did not bother to inform me of their error until I brought it to their attention.
Another aspect that is bothersome is that though they kindly provide reminder calls of upcoming appointments, they «REQUIRE» that you call them back to confirm you attendance for the appointment. I realize this is small but honestly, I find it quite annoying to confirm an appointment I already agreed to attend by setting it up.
I have also had Dental Specialty Associates cancel appointments on me because their Orthodontists decided to change their hours or attend a seminar and generally these cancellations have occurred last minute and add on an extra two to three weeks between appointments and/​or they have asked that I go to a different office that is very much out of my way. It is incredibly rude and unprofessional.
DSA is admittedly good at getting patients out of the waiting room, however, there have been quite long waits with me sitting alone in the dentist’s chair with people coming and going through the room and me just waiting for my appointment to occur. It would be nice if the appointment occured at the time scheduled without me having to wait in the chair for so long. This wait has been as long as forty minutes and was quite a waste of my time especially since on that particular occasion I was only with the orthodontist for five minutes before the assistant took over. I do not understand why she couldn’t have spared five minutes when I arrived rather than making me wait so long.
Despite the nice people, who work there, I can only conclude that their customer service and operations are quite lacking and I would rather go to a different service provider who has their act together. Unfortunately, my money has already been spent and I can only hope that my treatment will be done within the coming months so I can finally rid myself of this hassle.