Mark W Collins, DDS

My wife and I go to Dr. Collins and find this office to be excellent in every way. Dr. Collins himself is professional, knowledgeable and patient and he clearly explains everything that’s going on. The Staff is friendly and efficient. When you have an emergency they have a great system.
I’m not sure how you could get a better Dentist.

Well first things first, after seeing all of these reviews I was a bit worried about going to dr. Collins but after being and already making my 3^rd appt. I actually really like this office, they make me feel so comfortable and like to chat while I wait for the dentist which is never too long, and dr. Collins is always making sure that I felt no pain and that I was comfortable, I would really recommend this office

This office is a joke. The right hand does not know what the left hand is doing. There is no communication at all between employees. It has taken them forever to credit me money for something that they filed an insurance claim on illegally. Cathy in the office could not even make a phone call to me to let me know what was going on. She just left a note for the receptionist to tell me if I called that she refunded the insurance company. Mind you this is at least 5 phone calls and a month later. They have the worst (no) customer service I have ever seen in my life. Then you are tag teamed by a man and women about the next procedure or payment.
I went in for an appointment to get a filing and start on my crown. Unfortunately I did not have the money for the crown yet. The receptionist told me when I got there and over the phone earlier that morning that they were just going to do the filling for now. The doctor proceed to do part of the crown work without even telling me that was what he was doing. The receptionist came running over once she figured out what he was doing and said you were not supposed to be doing that. On my way out we talked about a payment plan for the crown procedure. To this point I still do not know what he had completely done.
I went back about 6 weeks later because my tooth had become inflamed. He said well I am glad that we did not do the crown because you need to have a retreat on that tooth and the tooth may not be salvageable. So the crown would not have fit. They then scheduled me an appointment with a periodontitis that could do the retreat in their office. I get a phone call the day of the procedure and she is a no show, no call. They rescheduled me for the next week. With no avail the periodontitis disappears of the face of the earth — I now know why.
I went to another dentist in La Jolla that could do the retreat and are under my insurance. He took care of my retreat and had to re-​prep my tooth for a crown because of my tooth condition.
I called the office and let them know that it looked like we might lose my tooth but it ended up being ok. So after weeks of leaving messages for Cathy, who will try and talk you into circles and then contradict what she just told you, credited my insurance company back the $ 450.00 they gave them. Good idea since that is insurance fraud that she committed. This still is not sufficient and they will be hearing more from me or my lawyer. I have talked to several dentist and my lawyer and they should refund me still at least another $ 335.00. The crown was never made and should never have been sent to the lab or in the first place prepped. Mind you I called probably about 5 times and a month later before she just left a message with the receptionist if I called. Get some customer services and some ethics Cathy.
In the end it is not my fault that they performed work that they were not supposed to. It’s ok! Karma, God, and the legal system are not who you want to mess around with.
So needless to say I would not refer them to anyone not even the devil himself.

The doctor is fine.
I like the office.
The staff needs some training in customer relations.
I get constant calls telling me that I am due for another appointment. Sometimes they call when I am unable to have a conversation about dental appointments, and I have to tell them like 3 or 4 times I can’t talk now.
Once after being hounded to go in for another dental appointment, I find out almost a year later that I am about to be sent to collection. I had changed to a new insurance coverage that the doctor also accepted. Not surprisingly the old insurance denied coverage. That’s my fault for forgetting that I changed. Did I hear anything from the office? No. They must have called me 3 times to schedule a new appointment during that year. No mention of my insurance refusing payment. They did send countless letters to my old address (that I didn’t get).
I had to pay full price for that filling. I was ok with that. I screwed up. Would have been nice to find out I screwed up earlier than almost a year after the fact.
At this point I was considering changing dentists. I receive another call telling me that I have an appointment tomorrow. I had apparently agreed to an appointment some time prior (during which I was not notified my insurance problem). She wanted to confirm that I was keeping my appointment. I said I actually did want to cancel my appointment. She informed me that it was a day too late to cancel the appointment without a fee.
Why would you wait just until it is too late to cancel without a fee to confirm the appointment?
She did agree to waive the cancellation fee this one time. Gee thanks. I don’t think there will be a next time.
They didn’t do anything really terrible, but I would rather spend my money elsewhere.

I made an initial appointment to visit Dr. Collins. The receptionist was inattentive and liked to order me around — she told me to sit down rather than fill out my forms at the counter. Never had that problem with any other dentist. When I did not sit down immediately, she raised her voice and told me to «sit down.» She said I needed to keep the area clear for others who are coming in. No one else came in the entire time I waited in the lobby, and even if they did, I would have stepped aside. Prior to my appointment and over the phone, she rudely reminded me twice (as if I couldn’t hear the first time) to come to my appointment early to complete my forms. I arrived, as scheduled. However, I wasn’t taken in until 30 minutes after I arrived. Was surprised and shocked to see that the receptionist, not the hygenist or other dental assistant, took the x-​rays. I’ve never seen that before. Then, the staffed seemed content to let me languish, waiting, for another 30 minutes with no explanation or apology as to why I had been waiting for over 1 hour. The dentist was on the other side of the open wall, and he never attempted to explain when I would be seen. It was clear he and his staff knew I was there. After an hour passed, I left because it was clear I wasn’t going to be seen for awhile and I had to return to work. I’ve had braces before, so I’ve practically lived in dentists’ offices in San Diego since I was little, and I’ve never seen an operation run as haphazardly, ineptly, and unprofessionally.

I chose to go to this dentist office because it is right down the srteet from my work. The office was small, but nice and clean. The hygenist that helped me was SO sweet… super nice and caring. I have a little anxiety at the dentist, always been a baby about it, but she made me feel comfortable. But then Dr. Collins came in… he was very gruff, with an unfriendly introduction. When I was having my gums measured, at the first prick of an instument against my gums, the sensation caused me to slightly flinch. Dr. Collins became upset, and said in an angry tone, «Don’t do that! I don’t have any patience for that… I know that doesn’t hurt!» I was already uncomfortable about being in the dentist office, and he made my very upset :(I pretty much zoned out for the rest of the appointment… I knew I was not going to go back. I thought that the staff was very friendly, but Dr. Collins was unfriendly, rude, and inconsiderate! There are too many dentists out there for this kind of treatment.