South County Dental - Englewood

"I called to schedule a dental cleaning at South County Dental Care, no pain or concerns with my teeth, and was happy to hear I could get that service on my first visit there. When I came in that day I got x-rays from the dental assistant and then saw the dentist, Dr. Osmar M. Morales. He said my x-rays looked good, no cavities. Then he did my periodontal charting. When he was finished he said you actually do have a cavity, a filling that needs to be fixed and you have periodontal (gum) disease. He said I didn't need a basic dental cleaning but rather a deep gum cleaning to treat the disease, the kind that you have to come in on two separate visits and be numbed for. I told him that I understood but that I didn't have the money for that at the moment because it was a few hundred dollars even after my insurance would cover part of it. I asked him if I could just get the basic dental cleaning that is covered at 100% by my insurance, like my annual preventative health benefits. He said no, it wouldn't help and walked away. I left feeling weird about the situation. Called back the next day and explained to the manager that I was going to use a mouth wash for periodontal gum disease, a new electric flosser and electric toothbrush that was recommended to me, for the next 6 months and then I would return for another periodontal charting to see if there was any improvement with the increased care of my teeth and gums at home. I asked if she had billed my insurance for the dental cleaning. (that I did not receive) She said no and that they could again schedule one for me as long as I was willing to sign a form that said they would no longer be seeing me as a patient unless I agreed to go through with their treatment plan. I really just wanted to use my preventative care benefits because I had paid for dental insurance all year long, it was now December, and I hadn't used any of my benefits this year. It is recommended to get your teeth cleaned professionally twice a year anyway, even on their website!, so it seemed reasonable for me to have this done. I also asked the manager if when I came back I would be seeing the hygienist this time and not the Dentist, her response was that they have no hygienist working here so the dentist does all dental cleanings. Two weeks later I go for the dental cleaning that we scheduled and a girl brings me back saying that she is doing my cleaning today. I asked her if she just started working there and she said that she's worked their for 5 months. I said, oh I was told there were no dental hygienist's here so that's why I was wondering. She says, "I'm not a dental hygienist, I am a dental assistant, but we are able to do the cleanings" It did not sound right to me, especially since the manager told me on the phone that the dentist has to do all the cleanings here, but I let her proceed because I didn't know for sure at that point. She spent 20 minutes with me at most and all she did was brush my teeth and then floss them. No tools were used and I could have done the same thing at my house with my own toothbrush so it was offensive and a waste of my time. As soon as I got out of there I looked into it and found that "Cleaning teeth using the tools in a dental office requires a higher level of training that a dental assistant does not have. Performing cleanings is outside the scope of practice of dental assistants. Dental Assistants are not permitted to use dental drills. Therefore, they are not permitted to perform cleanings." This is also on their website under dental cleanings: "your dentist has special tools that provide a thorough cleaning, which is helpful for the prevention of cavities and gum disease." and "Over time, tartar builds on the surfaces of your teeth and no amount of brushing or flossing will get rid of it. However, during a dental cleaning, special tools are used to safely remove traces of food and tartar before they cause major damage." Allowing a dental assistant to do your routine dental cleanings and then billing for this fake service is insurance fraud."

"Dr. Osmar M. Morales is the best dentist I have ever been to. He is very conscientious about minimizing pain and discomfort. My temporary crown fit so perfectly, I forgot I had it. The new crown is flawless too! Thanks, Dr. Morales!!"

"Highly recommend this dentist office! Just moved to the area and my eight year old had an abscess on his tooth. The appointment with xrays was $93 since our insurance was out of network, but they got him right in and down to the issue. After a bout of amoxicillin and a week later... we were at his appointment to have the tooth extracted! I was so nervous for my son but everyone from the dentist, to the office staff (including the adorable greeter Jackson) completely amazed me in the level of care they offered. No tears just smiles with south county dental!"

"Dr. Hall is awesome. I've visited a lot of dentists and it always felt dreadful. They weren't very nice, or weren't thorough with their examination. This is not the case with South County Dental. Dr. Hall is very friendly, caring, trustworthy, and SKILLED. I have to have a bit of work done, and finally, I'm not afraid of the dentist! Every person this office employs is kind hearted and patient, always with a smile on their faces. Fantastic."