Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/05/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I got services from Designer Smiles roughly nine months ago. When I called to set up an appointment, I explicitly asked if they were IN NETWORK for Humana dental insurance and was told yes. I got my adult baby tooth removed and was offered several options for a replacement. A clear retainer with a tooth inside that was very fragile, a partial denture, or an implant. I opted for the middle-of-the-road option as it seemed more durable. The procedure went great, and the dentist was wonderful. However, the partial denture came back as two weird baby teeth instead of the one tooth it was replacing. I remember even the dentist laughed when he looked at it. I was so relieved to have something in place of my missing tooth that I didn't mention my issues with it at the time (which I definitely should have). I paid around $200 initially and was given a bill with what was projected to be covered by my insurance (the partial was around 1500), and that total was a little over $700, which I paid in full. Keep in mind I am a full-time college student and don't have a lot of extra money, so I made the appointment while I could afford it and expected that I wouldn't be getting a huge bill. Fast forward a month, I found out this dentist was out-of-network and my insurance didn't even cover the tooth extraction or x-rays like they would have and I ended up with a bill of around $600. Meanwhile, I was extremely unhappy with my partial as is, and I called to see if I could have it remade. I thought this would be a relatively easy fix and I could just come in and talk to someone but they told me I'd have to make another appointment. Since this dentist is out-of-network, I did not feel comfortable doing that and risking more of a bill I could not afford so now I'm stuck paying for a partial I hate and feel very misled from the beginning. I wouldn't have a bill at all if they would have been honest because I would have gone elsewhere.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/10/2025

  We have reached out to the patient on this matter. We have resolved issues and come to an understanding via a phone call from the business owner. There were some complaints that we factually incorrect that we likely not meant to be harmful, but were misunderstandings. We understand it was not personal and ae not upset by it. We understand there was frustration and things may have not been communicated correctly or remembered correctly or a combination of both. Either way, we just want the patient to feel understood, cared for, and ultimately respected. And if we did not go a good enough job, we can take ownership of that. We have waived all finance charges for the patient but she is still responsible for the remaining part of the bill without incurring any more charges as long as they are on a regular monthly pattern. There were some things that could have been better communicated on the part of our business and we will take that feedback to grow. Both parties in this case are happy and comfortable with the decision and talking it out. We have even offered to use the unused partial as a credit to more definitive dental work. It will not be as a refund, but toward a replacement option. Please reach out with any questions. Thanks!