After the holidays, I called a different pediatric dentist office in Grandville and was plesantly surprised to hear that our first appointment was going to be the next week. We proceeded to the new dentist only to find out that our son needed 3 fillings and 1 tooth pulled (this is the one with the original abscess). NO CROWNS, NOT A ONE.
I scheduled an appointment for my son in July. The first appointment available was in November. My son had an abecess from a previous filling and our family dentist referred us to Dr LaDue. We waited out the 4 months and went in, not knowing this was just a consultation. I spent a good 30 minutes entering information on their website prior to the appointment. Upon arrival to the office, I was informed that the forms did not save and I would need to complete them again before the dentist would see my son.
Fast forward a year later after the work was done. (I think my kids have 8 or 9 total crowns.) 2 of the 3 kids passed their recent cleanings fine, my middle had something the hygienist was concerned with. She barely saw a blip on the xray, and she was going to have the dentist look at it and call me back. She called back a week later and said my child would need a crown on the tooth, since it was the small molar, that's all they could do. So we went from not even knowing if it was indeed a cavity, to needing a crown. I scheduled the appt anyway. and then started thinking about looking for other dentists. I needed one anyway since mine was retiring, so I picked a family dentist close to home. The new guy got us in within a month. He looked in my childs mouth, and couldn't find the cavity or anything wrong with the tooth that Smilies was going to crown. Of course, Smilies is dragging their feet about getting our records transferred, and still hadn't sent the xrays after 2 weeks of the request. I found out that our new dentist is the President of the West Michigan District Dental Society after I scheduled the appointment, so he is an extremely well respected dentist in our area. I left that office, extremely grateful to have made the switch, but also so irritated, because if this one didn't need a crown, how many others in my kid's mouth were put in just for the $$$$$$$. I was, and am still sick about it.
My four kids have been going here their entire life. Awesome Dentist. Super friendly staff. Have never had a bad exsperience.
Upon leaving, I went home and was discussing with my husband about the $3000 plus we were going to be spending on baby teeth. We decided that I would call and ask Dr LaDue if there were some teeth that we could crown and some that we could just do fillings on. My call was never returned.
My kids have been patients of Smilies Pediatric Dentistry for over a year now. I waited too long to take them to the dentist and I knew they would have some cavities, my oldest was 6 at the time. We had some bad habits of giving them milk at bedtime, and it seemed harmless at the time, because we brushed regularly and their teeth were so perfect. After looking at them, Dr LaDue decided that my middle would need to go to the hospital to be put under because he would need so many crowns. I think 5 stainless steel crowns total in his back teeth. And my oldest needed 3 I think, but he got his done in the office. When deciding the treatment plan, Dr LaDue rattled off 3 options; white filling, silver fillings or stainless steel crowns, as if we had an option, but we didn't, he only does stainless steel crowns on that second smaller molar, and if the largest molar has 2 cavities in it or more, he'll crown that too. Basically Dr LaDue doesn't believe in putting in fillings like most dentists. I guess most pediatric dentists don't. I feel that is more a financial gain for him, not necessarily what's best for the child. My middle son won't even smile with his mouth open anymore since the crowns show slightly. I pleaded with Dr. LaDue to use fillings instead, it would be so much cheaper and less conspicuous to do fillings. He sat me down in his office and showed me reports that showed that crowns were 93% effective and silver fillings were only 85 % effective, meaning they'd fail 7% and 15% respectively (these numbers may be off a little, I'm just going by memory), and you may have to crown those filling later on. So Dr. LaDue is basically cutting to the chase and assuming all fillings will fail, so lets just crown them all. I can understand wanting to put crowns on a child who is deathly afraid of the dentist, or has special needs that make a trip coming back to the dentist not worth it, and the price tag of a crown seems reasonable when faced with a return trip in a few years. Maybe then. MAYBE. It should be up to the parent though. We we sat down in the office, he told me that if we didn't do his treatment plan, he wouldn't take "the case". Yes he referred to my child as "the case". I should have run then. But I didn't, I knew my kids had cavities, and it had taken us a couple months to get them in, plus it was going to be a couple months before they were able to get us in to get all the work done, I couldn't just start over, or so I thought.
Bottome line? This office is all about the money. Think about it, crowns are the only big money maker for peds dentistry, so they push them, even when they are not needed.
As many other long reviews that I read, my 5 year old was counciled and went through 6 crowns and 4 (scheduled for 2) teeth pulled. When first going through the council with Dr. Ledew the worry and concern must have been present on my face. He had gained my trust with his knowledge he shared, and how well he connected with my daughter. This news was daunting, we had gone in to have two teeth looked at..... Me not saying anthing at this time but taking it all in, Dr Ledew says to me, "If nothing is done I would have to say this is neglect." That thought never even crossed my mind to not have my child treated! This was the second pediatric dentist working with these two teeth. We went through all his recommendations and the heavy heavy bill, not to mention having our little sweetheart under annestesia for the first time. Looking back I am enraged. He played my emotions for his pocket book, and without it I would have listened to my husband and gotten a second opinion. If your are reading this and thinking for your child and family, please please seek another professional. There is no way my daughter needed all those crowns snd 4 pulled front teeth!!! It took her smile away and she cried and asked why there was so much metal in her mouth. We too let her take milk to bed for too long as a young todler. The life of parenting sometimes has a learning curve. We will never go back and have since found a great one in Fremont.
I had scheduled my daughters first visit and consultation 3 months in advance. The appointment was scheduled for my 18 month old. I arrived 30 minutes prior to our appointment time. I filled out the paperwork and turned it. 15 minutes after our appointment time, the administrator tells me Its going to be awhile longer there was an emergency. Don't get me wrong, I know emergencies are just that and that they can not be avoided. Why I am rating them this low for not telling me there was a possible wait time in advance. I am with an 18 month old and 8 1/2 months pregnant (so it is visible...no mistaking I am going to pop any day). When I called to talk them about my concerns they were not receptive to them. I did find out the the emergency patient came in at 9 that morning, 1 hour prior top my appointment, so they knew there was a possibility I would have a waiting time up front, and with an 18 month and visibly uncomfortable momma, they failed give me the heads up at check in I may be waiting past my appointment time and an option to reschedule at that time. Very disappointed in the professionalism and their lack of concern at a very unhappy patient. Would not waste time making an appoint 3 months in advance. There are much better options available.
I did like that Dr LaDue came into the waiting room and chatted with us before taking us back for the exam. I appreciated the way that he included my son in the discussion and the general way the appointment was going. He took X-rays and then told me that my son needed 7 (yes, SEVEN) crowns on baby teeth. He also wanted to pull 2 additional teeth. So, here I am, thinking we are coming in to have an abscess fixed and then finding out that we needed 7 crowns and 2 teeth pulled. I was a little overwhelmed, not only at the procedure itself, but that we also were instructed to have my son admitted to the hospital and put under. I wasn't given any other option, no fillings were discussed because Dr LaDue said the cavities were on 'multiple sides of all of the teeth.'
Like I said, Dr LaDue is very nice and his manner with the kids is amazing. I just would recommend a second opinion before going thru with any amount of crowns, or admitting your child to the hospital.
Smilie S Pediatric Dentistry is a US Dentist based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Smilie S Pediatric Dentistry is located at 2017 Eastcastle Dr SE Suite A, Grand Rapids, MI 49508, USA.
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