1st Advantage Dental - Latham - Latham (NY)

1 /5 Andrew Mason: The hygienists are polite and kind, and the office staff are generally friendly and want to help. That said... 1st Advantage is a corporate dentistry practice that seems to prioritize income opportunities over truly necessary procedures. I and three friends and family were all recently pushed to get crowns when 2nd opinions in all cases suggested that it really wasnt necessary yet. They ended up killing my tooth which now requires a root canal and possible extraction because I didnt think to get my second opinion until it was too late. 1st Advantage shows an over-reliance on technology when simple human interactions may suffice. When I checked-in, the front desk apparently marked me as "confirmed" instead of "checked-in" which meant the hygienist didnt get an alert that I had arrived, so I was left waiting for 40 minutes until someone apparently walked back and told her that her patient was in the waiting room. Why is the system set up such that theyre just waiting for a computer notification instead of people simply communicating effectively? They threaten to cancel an appointment if you dont confirm a few days before- but only leave a voicemail requesting that you call back-- the callback number is an overly-burdensome touch-tone dial menu (which allegedly doesnt actually direct calls to separate areas anyway). Most practices offer text or email confirmations and still dont threaten to cancel your appointment. I never know which dentist Ill be seeing until I arrive for the appointment, and the last few visits, I was told the dentist on duty was a non-employee of 1st Advantage and only substituting because the in-house dentist had time off. In some instances, the substitute wasnt comfortable making care decisions for me so what was the point in seeing them anyway? A recent billing question submitted multiple times in writing, in person, and over the phone took 8 MONTHS to get someone to simply acknowledge, let alone respond. Just go to a private practice and pay the higher, out-of-network costs. 1st Advantage is not worth the savings and definitely not worth the trouble.

2 /5 Tom Keyes: I received a call at around lunch time on a Tuesday 4/22 and voicemail telling me that my appointment had to be rescheduled. I called back the morning of 4/23, to inquire about rescheduling, and was told that my options were the following day 4/24 at 1pm, or the next earliest appointment (at any time) would be in September. It was not explained to me why my appointment had to be canceled, and I did not receive an apology. Now I have to worry about my teeth since my semiannual cleaning appointment was delayed by 5 months. I could not make the following day at 1pm appointment due to a prior planned responsibility at my job. In a previous visit, I was prescribed a night guard by the dentist/doctor. When I payed for the night guard, I was told that I owed a certain amount and that my insurance covered “more than typical” when compared to the average insurance plan. Deciding that I could afford the night guard based on the reasonable ~$100 copay, I made the purchase. I received a bill months later saying that I owed ~$200 dollars. I called, and the receptionist said that they made a mistake on my original bill. I had to pay the difference, even though it was involuntary cost that I never agreed to. With these things being said, everyone makes mistakes. I have missed an appointment once at this dentist office. I apologized and would have paid for the missed time on behalf of the hygienist/doctor. I am a reasonable person, but I don’t feel that I am being treated with respect here. Thoughts?

5 /5 Vickie Maiello: My hygienist Suzanne is a very talented and dedicated individual. You really should find a way to help your employees further their careers, sending them to dental school with the opportunity to stay with First Advantage Dental for years to come.

4 /5 Mila Paskovaty: The office was very good , a lot of staff worked there for years. You would come there and felt right at home. Now all staff who worked there for years left including doctors. It is a revolving doors now. Staff people don’t stay. Every time you are coming you see new faces and you don’t know who will take care of you. Appointments are scheduled for far back and if you for any reason need to cancel , you will be thrown way far from the original appointment like months a head. . It is a very sad and uncertain situation. I am thinking myself to leave this office after going there for more than 20 years.

5 /5 Susan OConnell: Office staff very attentive and helpful. Dental assistant was very engaged and kind. Dentist explained the treatment plan and her findings. Seemed knowledgeable. Her very bright headlamp was blinding as she spoke to me about the plan. I couldn’t make any eye contact with her. Perhaps she could turn off the lamp when engaging with patients.