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:01/19/2025

  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.

  On 12/2/2024, I had four fillings replaced and one tooth bleached. One of the fillings, which I continue to have issues with, was a replacement of a resin filling that wasnt as white as my other teeth. I was having no other issues with that filling at all. The first replacement was not the proper shade and popped off my tooth shortly after.I returned on 12/6, and the technician noted that she had questioned Dr. *********************** material choice for the initial replacement and apologized for the issue. She replaced the filling, but it came off again the next day. I went back to the office and another technician replaced it, stating that the prior filling failed because my tooth wasnt completely dry during application. However, this replacement also came off a short time later and while I was out of town.Upon my return, the filling was replaced again on 12/30 by a different technician, who blamed previous attempts on improper layering and drying but assured me this one would hold. At the same appointment, I also had the previously bleached tooth treated again, but it developed a dark spot in the area that evening where the bleach was applied.When I contacted their office for resolution, I was told in writing at 2 different instances, copies attached, I would be refunded in full for all treatments because they determined that I could not be satisfied and released me as a client. However, I only received a partial refund. When I inquired about the remaining amount, I was informed I wouldnt receive the full refund, instructed not to contact their office again, and threatened with cancellation of the partial refund check. Additionally, I was told that my bite and travel schedule were to blame for the issues.I am seeking a full refund for all treatments, as initially stated in their correspondence. If this cannot be resolved amicably, I am prepared to pursue this matter in court. Please let me know if you require further details.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/06/2025

  This patient came into our office for various fillings, to fix a chip in her front tooth that has repeatedly been chipping, and then she also decided to have a dead grey tooth bleached.  She was traveling in the next month, and we told her the bleaching process may not be done before she goes.  We offered to start the process now and finish it when she returned from her trip, but she could have complications along the way because she would just have a temporary in the tooth.  She opted to start the process before she left.  While she was away, the tooth started to stain under the temporary filling which is absolutely something that can happen with a prolonged temporary in a tooth (a complication she was warned about.)  She could not get back to our office to alleviate the issue. So, TO BE NICE, we refunded her money for the bleaching so she could have a dentist where she was finish it and not have to pay again out of pocket.  We also added a small refund for a chip we FIXED in her front tooth because it took us 2 times to get it right (meanwhile it's a tooth that she has had fixed over 7 times at previous offices, and we told her it would be an ongoing issue because she needs ortho and doesn't want to listen to anyone telling her that.) The chip we repaired, mind you, is currently intact, and the repair is stable. However, because she was turning into such a difficult patient, we offered to refund the money spent to replace the chip as well as the bleach, even though our repair WAS STILL INTACT!  We were tired of listening her complain that she had to come back twice.  The horror, right? (yes that's sarcasm.)

  So, we sent her the monies for these 2 teeth, neither of which was due to anything we did wrong, and it STILL didn't satisfy her.  She wanted monies back on other fillings we had done previously that were perfectly done, intact, no sensitivity or issues with those teeth.  We refused to refund her anymore money, and henceforth, she wrote a complaint to your organization. She is a horrible person scheming for more money and defaming my name.  I wonder how many other dentists she has done this to. 

  I have already contacted my attorney and am in the process of filing defamation charges against her.  If your organization would like to be brought into the suit, then by all means post her baseless accusations.  We were only trying to be accommodating and nice by refunding that money; it was not an admission of any wrong doing.  She is a bully, and I wasn't refunding any more money for perfectly stable dental work.  I have 2 assistants who worked with me on her along with my front desk who will attest everything I am explaining is true and factual.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/07/2025

  In reference to the complaint ID above, I thought of something further that might help assist you in this matter. I do have my dental records that *********************************** sent to me with my partial refund check. I didn't think about including them in my most recent response.
  
  These records can show that I never came in with a complaint of a chipped tooth.
  
  The bill submitted to me also does not show anything about a chipped tooth, because I never have had a chipped tooth.
  
  I also noticed in my records that they do not have all of my visits regarding fixing the filling that kept coming off of the same tooth. I originally had the filling put in place on Dec 2 at 11 am. I came for the first time to have it repaired on Dec 4 at 1pm. I came in the second time to have it repaired on Dec 8 at 10 am (this was a Sunday and the dental ********* was in the office and saw me) and the 3rd time I came in to have it repaired was Dec 30 at 9 am.
  
  I am attaching here the dental records that were sent to me by ***********************************.
  
  Please let me know if I should do this some other way and I very much appreciate your help.
  

  Better Business Bureau:

  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  I am writing to address and dispute the numerous inaccuracies and mischaracterizations in the response.
  First and foremost, I want to make it absolutely clear that I never had a chipped tooth, nor did I ever request that a chipped tooth be repaired. I've attached the billing statement from her office, detailing the treatments in question and the associated payments. The only reason I initially sought treatment was to replace an existing filling with a whiter one. The only issues I experienced with that tooth occurred after ********************************** worked on it.
  Once that office began working on my tooth, the filling popped off three separate times, requiring multiple replacements. Each time I returned, I received a different explanation from a different *********:
  The first ********* blamed Dr. ************************ choice of material, noting that the shade used was not the white I had requested.
  The second ********* blamed the first, stating that the tooth was not dried properly before the material was placed.
  The third ********* blamed the second, asserting that the material needed to be applied and dried in layers.
  It was only after these three failed attempts that the filling has, so far, stayed intact.
  Regarding my refund, I was explicitly told on two separate occasions in writing by ********************************** that I would receive a full refund for all treatments. See Attachments. This refund promise was not something I soughtit was clearly offered to me, not once, but twice and in writing. In addition to seeking reimbursement from this office, I am seeking a full refund that covers all treatments provided by Dr. *********************** including payments made by my dental insurance provider, as well as an additional reimbursement to me. I paid a total of $1290 and have received only $446 so far. Because the promise of a full refund was not upheldand following my last correspondence with her office instructing me to no longer contact herI have been forced to reach out to the Better Business Bureau for assistance in resolving this matter.
  Furthermore, the claim that I have experienced similar issues with other dentists is completely baseless. I have never had any problems with any other dental provideronly with Dr. ********************** and the work performed in her office. The attempt to paint me as someone with a history of dental complaints is both false and defamatory.
  I take defamation claims seriously, and I expect any accusations made against me to be supported by factual evidence rather than personal attacks. If Dr. ********************** chooses to pursue legal action, I will respond accordingly, but I will not be intimidated or silenced for simply seeking the refund I was promised.
  This situation could have been handled professionally from the start with transparency and accountability. Instead, this response is riddled with hostility and falsehoods. I hope this letter clarifies my position.
  Regards,
  
  ******** ********

  Business Response

  Date: 02/12/2025

  When we say "chipped tooth" we are talking about the filling that was done on #7, that is the front tooth that had the filling redone multiple times before coming to our office and again at our office.  This is the tooth that we told her she would keep having issues with if her bite was not addressed.  If she did not hear me, understand me, or take heed of what I was saying, unfortunately that's out of my control.  I am one of only ************************************************************** bites and how people's teeth come together.  I am literally an expert in this area of dentistry.  This patient again, does not have to hear or agree with what I said, and the conversation is actually irrelevant at this point, because the filling we placed IS STILL INTACT. There was no reason to continue to complain about a tooth that is 1. fixed, and 2. she didn't even pay for because we reimbursed her. However, because she did complain ( and for god sake is still complaining) about having to come back to the office more than once. Even though the filling is perfectly fine and currently intact, we still refunded her for the work, because again, we were through listening to her complain. The reimbursement wasn't an admission of doing anything wrong, it was simply am attempt to make this patient go away and dismiss her from the office.  I was through having my front desk waste hours with her countless communications to the office.  There was no reason to refund the monies for this tooth or for the tooth we were in the process of bleaching, but we did anyway, simply to excuse the patient from the office and to not continue to be tormented by her badgering of my front desk staff. 

  The other fillings that were done in the back of her mouth have had no issues, and therefore, we are absolutely not refunding her for those fillings.  I am regretting refunding her for anything because it has opened this can of worms that I so do not have time to deal with considering my insanely busy dental practice.  This is what happens when you try to be nice.

  I am finished with this discussion, and if I receive any other correspondence concerning this ridiculous dialogue, I am contacting my attorney for harassment. She had issues with 2 teeth (beyond our control), but we still reimbursed her for those 2 teeth.  This discussion is over. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/15/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]

  Response to *************************************************************** appreciate the opportunity to respond to Dr. *********************** comments and to clarify the situation with factual information.

  Regarding Tooth #7:
  Prior to visiting *********************************** Tooth #7 had only ever had one filling placed, which was done almost 20 years ago.
  I had no issues with the filling other than wanting to change the color for cosmetic reasons.
  There is no record of multiple fillings being placed or redone on Tooth #7 before being treated at her office.
  ********************************** did not have access to my prior dental records and was not informed otherwise.

  Discussion of Bite Issues:
  At no point during my treatment did Dr. ********************** or her team discuss any concerns regarding my bite in relation to the filling on Tooth #7.
  My patient notes from her office contain no documentation that this issue was ever discussed with me.

  Refund Agreement:
  I was explicitly told in writingtwice by ********************************** that I would receive a full refund for all treatments.
  The current dispute arises from the fact that this refund has not been fully honored as originally promised.
  My only intent is to hold the office accountable for honoring their written commitment.

  Use of BBB as a Resolution Channel:
  I have only used proper channels to seek resolution, including filing a BBB complaint.
  I have not engaged in harassment, and I am simply exercising my consumer rights.

  Personal Attacks & Legal Threats:
  The tone of Dr. *********************** response is hostile and personal, attacking my intelligence and mischaracterizing my attempts to resolve the matter.
  I have now been threatened twice with legal action for simply requesting the refund I was promised in writingtwice.

  This matter is not about ongoing complaints or dissatisfactionit is about ensuring that a refund, which was offered to me in writing twice, is honored. I am only asking for what I was documented to receive. I request that Dr. ********************** and her office adhere to their original written commitment and provide the full refund as promised.

  I appreciate the BBB's assistance in facilitating a fair resolution.

  
  Regards,
  
  ******** ********

  Business Response

  Date: 03/10/2025

  The patient had issue with 2 teeth we worked on. Neither issue was within our control, but because the patient was being demanding and because we wanted to dismiss her from the practice, we offered a refund in full for those 2 teeth. There was truly no reason for us to refund her monies for the work on these 2 teeth, but theres ABSOLUTELY  no reason to refund monies paid for work on other teeth. Its a ridiculous request holding no validity, and we arent refunding any more monies. I am kicking myself for refunding the first amount having tried to reverse the refund at the bank. Our position is firm; our position stands; no offense to the Bureau, but we dont care if ******** is satisfied with said refund or not. Thats all she is getting and should be happy with that amount rather than trying to ******* more out of hard working business owners.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/12/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]

   
  Response to ************************************************* am rejecting the businesss response as it is both inaccurate and misleading.

  
  1. Clear Agreement for a Full Refund Initiated by the Business

  Dr. ********************** offered a full refund on their own, without any negotiation or demand from me at the time.
  The refund was not something I requested and then "negotiated"it was voluntarily offered by the business before I had even asked for one.
  This is documented in two separate text messages, which I have provided as evidence.

  
  2. Unwarranted Personal Attacks & Bad Faith ********************* of addressing their failure to honor their own word, Dr. *********************** response is filled with unprofessional personal attacks.
  The business attempted to reverse the refund at the bank, further proving their willingness to act in bad faith after issuing it.
  Calling me demanding or accusing me of swindling is both defamatory and an attempt to distract from the actual issue: they made a written promise and are now refusing to honor it.

  
  3. Contradictions in Their Response

  The business now claims there was no reason to offer a refundyet they did so voluntarily, without any initial request from me.
  If they truly believed a refund was not warranted, they would not have offered one in the first place. Their attempt to change the narrative now is both dishonest and legally questionable.

  
  4. Final Request for Full Refund Before Legal Action

  I stand by my original demand: Dr. ********************** must honor their written commitment and issue the remaining balance owed.
  If this is not resolved in good faith, I will pursue legal action in small claims court, where the text messages will serve as evidence of the full refund agreement.

  
  I urge the BBB to carefully review the documented communication, which clearly shows that the business initially offered the refund on their own. This is not a case of a customer making excessive demandsthis is a business refusing to honor their own agreement.

  
  Dr. *********************** attempt to walk back the refund and attack my character instead of addressing the issue is an admission of bad faith. I reject their response and request the BBB to continue its investigation into this unethical business practice.

  
  Regards,
  
  ******** ********

  Business Response

  Date: 03/20/2025

  I do not know if I have ever been this annoyed.  We emailed Ms. ******** and told her we would be refunding the monies for the 2 teeth she had an issue with.  There is absolutely no where else in writing that says anything about a full refund for all work ever completed.  That's a rdiculous thought, statement, pipe dream.  We do not normally offer refunds; we do not do guarantees (as we cannot control how people take care of their teeth at home.)  We told her we would refund the monies for the 2 teeth she was having an issue with; she got the monies for those 2 teeth; end of discussion. We DID honor the refund for those 2 teeth.  Somewhere in her head she dreamed up that the refund would be for any and all work we ever did at our office.  That was never said; that was never put in writing; that was never an offer that was on the table.  We offered a refund on 2 teeth.  She got the refund for 2 teeth.  She wasn't promised anything else whether she ASSUMED she was or not. She wasn't.
  
  I told you before as I told her.  I have a business to run, patients to see, and I am 100% done with this inquiry.  If you need to discuss anything we me again, I will simply direct your inquiry to my attorney for harassment, libel, and slander, and then send you the bill for any billable hours for the response he needs to formulate to your organization or to her.
  
  Sincerely, my last correspondence,
  Nicole Carnicella

  I have repeatedly told the patient and the BBB that I will not be refunding any monies for any work other than on the 2 teeth she complained about.  As I have also repeatedly said, in retrospect, I wish I hadn't refunded any monies.  The patient was traveling, I thought it would be nice of me to help her out and return money so she could have the tooth finished elsewhere.  Needless to say, I will not be nice again.  I do not know how many times you want to send me this "response to complaint" but the response will not be changing.  There will be no more money refunded.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/28/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  Consumer Rebuttal to Business Response
  To Whom It May Concern,
  I am once again rejecting the businesss response, as this matter remains unresolved due to their continued refusal to honor a written commitment made by their office.
  1. Written Promise of a Full Refund
  I have previously provided evidence of the text messages exchanged between myself and *********************************** showing the basis of my complaint. These are dated January 6, 2025. These messages include a direct question I asked, in which I sought to clarify whether the refund would apply only to the bleached tooth or to all treatments I received. The office respondedand I quote:
  "So unfortunately, we will have to agree to disagree on the situation which is why Dr. ********************** is just refunding you in full for all treatment and feels you will be better off in another office."
  This was a clear, unambiguous written commitment from the business itself. The current dispute exists solely because the office has since refused to honor that full refund, despite this written statement. Had that message not been sent, there would be no complaint.
  2. Unprofessionalism and Personal Attacks
  Instead of addressing the evidence, Dr. **********************s responses have included:
  Repeated personal insults, including calling me ridiculous, tormenting, demanding, and accusing me of swindling her office;
  Baseless claims about my dental history and character, despite having no access to my prior dental records;
  Hostile remarks toward the Better Business Bureau itself, threatening legal action if contacted again and suggesting that further attempts at resolution are harassment.
  This conduct is not only unprofessionalit is inappropriate for a licensed healthcare provider. Responding to a consumers documented concerns with name-calling, sarcasm, and threats is an unacceptable way to handle any legitimate dispute, especially one where the providers own office made the original refund offer.
  3. Contradictory and Evolving Narrative
  The business initially stated that the refund was offered as a courtesy, then attempted to reverse it, and now claims the full refund was never discussedall despite having provided it in writing. These shifting narratives further reinforce the lack of transparency and accountability in their handling of this matter.
  4. Final Attempt at Resolution
  I am not asking for more than was promisedI am simply requesting that the business honor its own written word. If this cannot be resolved through the Better Business Bureau, I will pursue legal action in small claims court, where the January 6th messages will serve as evidence. At that point, the courtnot personal opinion or insultwill determine the outcome.
  
  In Closing
  This is not about dissatisfaction with dental carethis is about integrity. A professional made a written commitment, then chose not to honor it. I ask the BBB to consider all of the documentation Ive submitted as validation of my complaint. I see no resolution here and would ask the BBB to publish my complaint and the responses of Dr. ********************** in full so that others are aware of the unprofessionalism of this healthcare professional.
  Sincerely,
  ******** ********