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I would not recommend this dental clinic.
I was told on my first appointment that I would likely need gum grafts, but that they would hesitate to do this kind of surgery until I had been a patient with them for at least a year. This, I thought was reasonable, and they told me I would be booked in for the maximum number of cleanings my insurance would cover to keep my gums healthy. At my second appointment, which I thought was my second cleaning, I had a very uncomfortable appointment where my gums were painfully poked and prodded, I was given no polishing and no fluoride. It became clear when Dr. Rai talked to me after the appointment that this had been an appointment to prepare my gums for the grafts which she would like to have done within the following two weeks. I told her my concerns with this was happening so soon, how the recommendations at this appointment was inconsistent with what was told to me at my last appointment, how my insurance would not cover these surgeries (which cost $900 each in 3 parts of my mouth), or the fact that I've had previous gum graft surgeries and experienced first hand how being a student and having these painful procedures can be really difficult. My concerns were not taken seriously and she told me that putting this surgery off could result in the loss of my teeth. I got a second opinion and that dentist assessed my bite, took a mould of my teeth so we could assess my gum health/deterioration over time, and told me that $900 is a specialist rate (Dr. Rai is not a periodontist). Dr. Rai did none of these small tasks to assess my readiness for the gum graft surgery.
This appointment gave me a really bad feeling and I felt disappointed that dentists continue to push expensive procedures onto people without concern for the huge financial expense or the repercussions such a surgery would have on a student while school is in session. Find another dentist to go to!
Visiting a dentist has never been so pleasant. Dr. Rai and her team offer professional and thoughtful care. Gillian always offers a warm welcome and handles scheduling and billing effortlessly. The hygienists who saw me are incredibly kind and gentle. And Dr. Rai always took time to explain any issues that came up during a check-up; she was thoughtful about aligning treatments with my insurance and budget (especially important while I was studying); and she did a fantastic job making any procedures (root canal, fillings, etc.) painless. I couldn't recommend this group more.
Whether you are nervous about going to the dentist, have a complex medical history that requires certain accommodations to your care, or going to the dentist just isn't your favourite way to spend an hour, Dr. Rai and her team will go out of their way to make your visit as pleasant as possible. I would recommend West 9th Dental Clinic to anyone who is looking for a good dentist.