Insider Pages Reviews for Mar Gary M Dds - Rancho Niguel Dental Group

1 Stars: Terrible Place (by kristy h.)

kristy h. — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:49:00 GMT

I am 9 months pregnant and just about to give birth in a few days and went in to see what Dr. Mar could do about a wisdom tooth that is so sharp it is cutting that back of my cheek and gum. Now, I know I cannot have this pulled right now, however I need a temporary fix (maybe shave it down). I cannot eat, sleep or hardly open my mouth because I am in so much pain. Dr. Mar had no alternatives or suggestions for me except that he told me to have it extracted last February.....Last thing I needed was a power trip and an 'I told you so' from my dentist while I am in pain. No compassion whatsoever!!! He told me to wait until after I have the baby....wel, with a newborn and a toddler at home, I don't see this happening anytime soon. Also, since I have been a patient there this past year I have been the victim of dental upselling:) What dentist and staff try to upsell their patients???? This place is a joke. They want to charge my husband $220 for a cleaning. We are supposed to get 2 free cleanings a year and have done so all of our lives. It's not like we haven't been to the dentist in 10 years. Bottom line.....I will not be going back ever again.

2 Stars: Money Printing Operation (by Jim B.)

Jim B. — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:45:00 GMT

Prepare to be fleeced by Katie and her gang of thieves. I can't believe I fell for their upsell tactics but they scared the heck out of me. Avoid this place like the plague!

1 Stars: Is this the new scam that everyone has Periodontal disease??? (by Rob T.)

Rob T. — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:01:00 GMT

My dentist the Talega Dental Group says the same thing as some of these reviews. Are there any decent dentists anymore? I'm 32 years of age, and somehow I'm about to lose all of my teeth?!?!?

I may just take my chances and never go again!!!

2 Stars: The Art of the Scam (by Randal J.)

Randal J. — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 15:16:00 GMT

I've been going to Rancho Niguel Dental Group for a few years now, but no more...I'm tired of being ripped- off. They put in a porcelain crown for me once, and I was charged an extra $100 for a "precious metal fee". I couldn't figure out why I would need precious metal, given that the metal can't be seen as it is under the porcelain. The lady gave me some excuse about it being stronger that regular metal, and that they do not use regular metal in the crowns they put in. How convenient for them. It just felt like a gouge. My worst experience came when a new hygienist got real creative with my "gap" numbers, numbers that I have never seen before from any other hygienist, there or anywhere else. Suddenly, out of no where, I had periodontal disease, and if I didn't get the "root and scaling" procedure done, they would likely need to refer me to a specialist. I told her I just want a cleaning. She said she could not do it, and now that I've been diagnosed, I can never have a regular cleaning again (with my insurance it costs me $0), I now need a "deep" cleaning (which costs me $40), three times a year. Now that I'm freaked out, she shows me a list of items I can purchase with my procedure, which total $450 out of pocket. There must have been 10 different things to choose from. Dazed and confused, I took a few items off the list and had her proceed, like I had any idea what I did or did not really need. Four months later I show up for my "deep" cleaning, which felt no different than any other cleaning I've ever had. My gaps were checked again, and...it's a miracle, they were substantially smaller than they were before. In fact, I hadn't had gaps that small in years. The hygienist said to me, "See, the procedure last time really worked". That was the last straw. I did realize later, however, that I never saw or spoke to the dentist before, during or after this procedure. This was all cooked up by the hygienist.

1 Stars: Upselling (by Lynn M.)

Lynn M. — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:42:00 GMT

Wow. When I came home from Rancho Niguel Dental Group, I felt like I was buying a used car! The location was perfect and close to my home, but this practice seems more concerned with making money than with the patients themselves. With my past dentists I just made an appointment every six months for a check-up and cleaning, this place tried to upsell me on everything from a toothbrush (that they happen to sell in their office) to a deep cleaning (which my current dentist told me I don't need). I felt pressured immediately. The employee who handled my appointments was positively rude. Horrible experience. I would never recommend this office.

3 Stars: Wow! Where are the GOOD dentists!? (by gail g.)

gail g. — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:06:00 GMT

I'm on the border of Seal Beach, HB, Westminster.
I need cosmetic work on my front teeth, caps on
molars, and the "deep cleaning". This is almost an
intolerable thought for me because I can hardly
handle a regular cleaning.

Who knows of a GREAT dentist?
roogray at yahoo dot com

I've already visited some dentists and not too sure
about them...even a kiddy dentist! High priced and
I don't have insurance or know what insurance to
buy on a monthly/yearly basis.

1 Stars: JLG (by Judy G.)

Judy G. — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 14:50:00 GMT

I agree with the rest of the posts here. I thought it was just me but everytime I went to see Dr. Mar I needed a crown and had one done.Then I wanted him to re-do a filling in my front tooth and he said it was too thick and I needed to put a crown on it. That seemed to be his standard answer to most of my dental problems. They did one side of my mouth for deep cleaning and it felt no different than a regular cleaning. I feel totally ripped off by this dental group. Won't go back!!!

1 Stars: Scam artists (by tricia c.)

tricia c. — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 11:05:00 GMT

I had to change dentists because of a move. Unfortunately, I chose Rancho Niguel. They told me I needed 'deep cleaning' and that, oh, too bad, most of it wasn't covered by my insurance (which is pretty good). I had a bad feeling about them, so I reluctantly made an appointment at my old dentist, and drove the 50 miles to see him. He told me that the 'deep cleaning' was a scam: it WOULD be covered by my insurance IF xrays were sent to get approval. "And," he told me, "you'd never get approval because you don't need it!"
These people are next door to crooks. Stay away.

2 Stars: Keep Looking (by Frances B.)

Frances B. — Tue, 08 Nov 2005 11:38:00 GMT

If you are in the market for a new dentist, I would continue searching. This office has a great location, but the personal customer service is nothing great. They get the job done by making appointments, but there isn't anything special. My recommendation would be to go to a private dentist with his or her own practice, for they are more likely to interact on a more personal level.

2 Stars: Quantity not quality (by Christine H.)

Christine H. — Wed, 17 Aug 2005 03:56:00 GMT

Although location is nice, customer service throughout the office is extremely poor. From making the appt, to the front desk, to the dentist, youre constantly being pushed to do massive amount of dental work. As a result, I went to my former dentist for a second opinion, only to find that the work was not needed. Stick with you current dentist. Rancho Niguel is more about quantity, not quality.

1 Stars: Rancho Niguel Dental Group (by Phil B.)

Phil B. — Mon, 23 May 2005 10:20:00 GMT

If you need a new dentist, keep looking. They are Ok for basic dental work like cleanings, they are just awful when it comes to the more complicated tasks like crowns and root canals. We had to switch dentists because they just couldn't seem to get a crown put on right.

They also over-recommend services so be aware of that also.