I didn't get what I wanted, so they didn't get what they wanted. And don't be fooled by the 'emergency dental services' they claim to offer on their website. \r
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I had horrible tooth pain that made it so that I couldn't even function.\r
My husband called around for hours to get me an appt that day, and told me that he made an appointment at Lifepoint Dental in Ankeny at 3:00. The first thing I asked him is if he was sure they would be able to pull the tooth today. He said 'Yes. I told them that it's an emergency, that you can't even function, and that you are in a severe amount of pain.' I told him to please call them back and make sure, because I didn't want to waste the whole day waiting for an appointment that late, just to find out that they wouldn't. So he called back again, and they said that they didn't see why it would be an issue to get it done.\r
They asked me a few questions, and took me back to the room. I was the only patient there. When the assistant came in, I asked her if they were going to do an x-ray. She said yes. I asked her if there was any way to avoid it, because it hurt really bad to bite down, plus, I was on a very limited budget and wanted to eliminate everything that wasn't needed so I could cut down the expenses of the visit. Also, I knew I just wanted the tooth pulled, so there wouldn't be any drilling or anything like that. But she said they had to do it, so I sucked it up and dealt with it. After she was done she said the dentist would be in shortly. \r
When the dentist came in, she asked if I had a plan for the tooth. I told her I just wanted it out. I didn't want a rot canal or anything like that... I just wanted it out. I told her what had happened the last few days, and how much pain I was in, and how the pain meds weren't working at all. I told her that my teeth were very sensitive and that the last time I needed dental work done, they had to use a lot of Novocaine to numb me before it got to the point of not being able to feel anything.\r
She looks at her assistant, and then looks at me, and says ""Well, we aren't going to be able to pull it today...""\r
I just stared at her and started crying. ""You're kidding me, right?"" I said. ""My husband spent hours calling around to find somewhere that could put me out of my misery today, and you are the only place he found that could do it. I can't live like this all weekend!""\r
Then.... she had the gall to say, while I was sitting there crying and holding my cheek: ""This is the start of our weekend. I just don't have time right now."" WHAT?!?! I told her ""You said that it takes a while for you to numb up, and then I have to do the extraction, and I don't have time.""\r
""But my husband was told that you could do it today, and that this was the only available appointment. I just got my kids out of school early and drove 30 miles here for nothing?"" I sobbed. She just stared at me. I was so mad. I got up out of the chair, and stormed to the lobby, and the assistant followed me. I turned around and said ""I'm NOT paying for this. You have got to be kidding me if you think I am, or have a reason to."" The assistant said ""We did an x-ray that you have to pay for."" I said ""I asked you NOT to do the x-ray. You said that it was needed. I told you what the problem was, I told you what tooth it was, and I asked you to extract it. If I went to a restaurant, and placed my order, and never got it, I wouldn't pay for it. You didn't give me what I wanted, or what I came here for that I was told I could get, so I'm not paying for it."" At that point, the dentist came out, and asked what the argument was about, and the secretary, who had been gawking the whole time, filled her in, ""She doesn't want to pay for anything."" \r
""Fine. It's fine."" The dentist said, and walked back out of the lobby. I turned around and opened the door, and walked out. \r
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