Ronald Rich
On Thursday, February 26, 2026, I contacted S&B Dental Group PC and spoke with Hazel, Office Assistant, to schedule an appointment to repair my temporary crown, which had chipped while I was still waiting for my permanent crown. I had been told months earlier that my permanent crown would arrive soon and that I would be notified when it did. Despite calling the office multiple times, I never received any notification. During the February 26 call, Hazel informed me that my permanent crown was finally in, and an appointment was scheduled for March 1, 2026. When I arrived for my appointment on Monday, March 1, 2026, Hazel informed me that the dentist would not see me until 11:00 AM, despite my scheduled appointment time. After I expressed concern and argued that my time was not being respected, the dentist eventually took me in. Once I was seated, staff began searching for my permanent crown and informed me that it could not be found. I was then told that the crown had been lost. As a result, my tooth had to be shaved again, a new mold was taken, and I was fitted with another temporary crown. Approximately five days later, on Sunday, March 7, 2026, around 2:30 PM, while brushing my teeth, the temporary crown fell out of my mouth. I contacted the dental office on Monday, March 8, 2026, and the earliest available appointment I was given was Friday, March 13, 2026, at 12:30 PM. March 13, 2026 Incident On Friday, March 13, 2026, I arrived on time for my 12:30 PM appointment. Without any prior warning or explanation, I was left waiting until 2:30 PM. When I asked why I had not yet been seen, I was told by the office assistant that the dentist was late and that I would need to continue waiting. During this time, another patient arrived with a 1:00 PM appointment. Despite my earlier appointment time, the staff allowed this patient to be seen before me. When I questioned this, I was told that the other patient “had something to do,” implying that my time was less important. I requested to speak with the office manager and the dentist, but the office assistant stated that the dentist did not speak English. I became increasingly upset due to the dismissive and unprofessional responses. Shortly thereafter, a former office assistant—someone I recognized—entered the office. I explained the situation to them, and they were able to locate my permanent crown in the same place where Hazel had previously claimed to have searched. I again asked to speak with the office manager. Instead of addressing my concerns, the office assistant walked away from the desk, began speaking in Spanish, ignored me, and was laughing and joking. As a Black patient who does not primarily speak Spanish, this interaction made me feel discriminated against and disrespected, particularly because I understood that comments were being made about me in Spanish. Due to the severity of the situation, I began recording the interaction. I subsequently contacted the Governor’s Office, the Office of Dentistry, and have begun seeking legal counsel. Conclusion This experience demonstrates: Excessive and unexplained delays in treatment Loss and mishandling of my permanent crown Repeated failure to respect scheduled appointment times Unprofessional conduct by office staff Treatment that I perceived as discriminatory and dismissive I am requesting that this matter be formally reviewed and addressed