Boston Smiles

Joseph Roth 4 months ago

Another update: Dr. Lao sent me an email apologizing for the experience, but unfortunately it is very clearly written by ChatGPT/similar AI. Even their apologies are insincere. Updating the review after a phone call from Dr. Jahnsen, the practice owner: Dr. Jahnsen, the practice owner, called me several hours after my appointment to gain a better understanding of my experience. She offered to have me come back into the office so that she can give me a second opinion. However, several minutes into the call, it became abundantly clear why she actually called. She wanted me to remove/soften my review (which the office asked me to do) and to defend her staff member. As a result, I’m no longer a patient at Boston Smiles. Unfortunately, her leadership style and poor conflict resolution skills caused a follow-up call to turn into a worse review and a lost patient. Original review, unedited: I had an unpleasant experience with Dr. Lao. He was very informal, asking me if I “had anything to complain about,” rather than a standard line of questioning like “do you have any pain, discomfort, or any other problems with [my] teeth or gums?” He spoke with quite a bit of jargon and would ask “if that made sense,” if I said no not really, he would quickly explain and move on. After 30 seconds of examination, he exclaimed that I needed to get teeth pulled immediately—something Dr. Cheng, from my previous visit, told me was not an emergent issue and we could keep an eye on it over the next several visits. When I informed Dr. Lao about Dr. Cheng’s assessment and asserted I’d had X-Rays taken, he dismissed it, and insisted his own assessment was correct. Overall, Dr. Lao’s communication style and unwillingness to consider previous information made the visit unpleasant. That being said, the other staff, hygienists, and Dr. Cheng (at my last visit) are all quite pleasant, and Boston Smiles is a nice, clean, and reasonably well-run dentist office. My rating and displeasure primarily reflects my interaction with Dr. Lao, not Boston Smiles.

MG 3 weeks ago

I've been really happy with Boston Smiles. The team is personal and professional, and they communicate clearly throughout each visit. I always feel comfortable during procedures, which makes a big difference. I also appreciated how transparent they were about costs upfront, no surprises on the bill. Highly recommend if you're looking for a dentist who genuinely cares about patients.

K Swei 3 months ago

BE CAREFUL if you want to save your orthodontic insurance benefits, this office will bill your insurance for the consultation!! The consultation is not truly free and it’s NOT no-cost of you because you will need to use lifetime coverage! I came here for an aligner consultation. Before the visit, I was told the consultation would be complimentary. However, after the appointment I found out that the office submitted a claim to my insurance, which was applied toward my orthodontic lifetime benefit. If you have orthodontic insurance with a lifetime maximum, this means the consultation can reduce the amount available for your future treatment. I was surprised because I have had consultations with 3 other dentists and none of them billed my insurance for a consultation. The consultation itself was also very brief. No photos or scans were taken! The assistant briefly looked at my teeth and asked a few questions, and then Dr. Jahnsen spoke with me for about 5-10 minutes. She told me that my case is more complex due to an open bite and that, as a general dentist, She recommended that I see an orthodontic specialist. I do appreciate the doctor being honest about my case. However, I was still billed about $400 through my insurance for a very short consultation. If you have a more complex case like an open bite and are looking for treatment, SAVE you TIME and MONEY just going directly to an orthodontic specialist!

Robyn Addison a month ago

If I could give zero I would. My 6 month check up consisted of a polish and flossing only. The floss was consistent of thick twine and some got stuck in my teeth. The 2 assistants that did "the cleaning" and "the dentist' were all rushed. The dentist came in, needed correction on who I was. She took the tool and literally lightly ran it over 3 upper teeth. Did not "poke" any as they do, nor measured my gums. (No x-rays were done so I feel a little more attention other than basic questions from the assistants that may or may not have been relayed is appropriate). She was in the room, no exaggeration, less than 3 minutes. So glad my insurance will pay her in full and who knows if there are any cavities or anything needing attention. Because asking if I have any concerns is the protocol. (Because we can always feel if something needs attention, right?) She advised I come back in 6 months. Why? If I don't have concerns and unless I want to get flossed with twine. No, absolutely not. It went so fast I did not catch "the dentist's name"name,. unfortunately.

Giovanna Claxton a month ago

All the dentists are really nice and very thorough. I’ve had a lot of work done and it’s not completed yet but my teeth look great. They have definitely paid attention to detail. Great job.