Gateway Family Dentistry – Sedation and Implants

I was told I needed a crown because of a huge crack in my molar and need fixed quickly. Had two second opinions.. no crack and nothing wrong at all. I have been seeing these dentists for the last two years. I was constantly getting fillings and was beginning to wonder if I even needed any of them to begin with. My teeth never hurt until I started going to them. The last time I went in I was told I had a huge crack in my left back molar and it needed to be fixed quickly to avoid it breaking completely. I again had my doubts but done something about it this time. I had two second opinions and I don't even have a small crack in my tooth, not even a little. There's nothing wrong with my molar whatsoever. I am now getting all of my xrays from their office and I will be taking it to my new dentist to see if all the work they did do was even necessary. I have never had teeth issues until I started going to this office and then all of sudden I had cavities all throughout my mouth and cracked teeth! These two dentists saw I had good insurance and they took me for granted and I don't want them to do this to anyone else.

It's been a [very] long time since I've been to the dentist and I was hesitant to return. The ladies at Gateway made me feel SO welcome, answered my questions, eased my hesitancy, and made me feel well taken care of! If you are nervous, go here. If you've had a bad experience in the past, switch over. If you have questions about treatments or insurance, ask them! They were so pleasant to work with. Can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm not dreading my next appt-- actually looking forward to it!

Everyone i have met has been loving and definitely amazing.. Keep up the great work..

Experience awful. First time meeting the Dr. Was very dismissive and disrespectful. 💯

From the beginning, I was in excruciating pain for my cavity that had gotten infected down to my root. I searched online for a dentist that was open on a saturday and saw Gateway Family dentistry. I immediatly scheduled an appointment that same day and spoke with lovely Terri who made me feel so welcome through the phone. I went to the appointment and was anticiapting for my tooth to be fixed, so amazing Dr.Erwin prescribed me antibiotics to have me comfortable ( i didnt think theyd work but it did!!) Dr.Erwin notified i needed a root canal treatment done. I was so nervous about my root canal procedure, from reading horror stories online, but as soon as i recieved anesthetic medication I was at ease and the whole process of the root canal treatment was lovely. Literally I was laid back watching a movie with headphones in my ears. I felt ZERO pain, not even when the anesthetic was put in. I'm glad to call this dentist MY dentist and recommend it to everybody. I love the staff, and I just want to give a special thank you to Terri and Dr.Erwin for being just that awesome.

When I look for a doctor, dentist, or professional service to give my business to, I look simply for one thing: That they're easy to work with. I understand it takes a few interactions to truly get a feel for a business' efficiencies, strengths, and weaknesses, but after moving to the area and going through 2 appointments, and an attempted 3rd appointment with Gateway I can say that my experience hasn't been easy enough to maintain a long-term commitment from a new customer. I'd rather frequent a place with quality issues that was easy to work with and coach on my expectations than frequent a place where the relationship feels like constant friction.

What I like about Gateway Family Dentistry:
1. They get you back fast for your appointment. You just go straight back. No fuss with payments or paperwork ahead of your visit unless it was your first visit.
2. They made notes in my file about we had talked about before to have conversation topics for my next visit. Nice touch to show that there is awareness around customer relationships.

Factors that contributed to my choice to change dentists:
1. No one is every really happy to see me when I arrive. No, this isn't a must for a dentist office, or any business for that matter, but it just sets the tone to walk in the door and be greeted by happy, open, peaceful people.
2. You are prompted to wear a set of sunglasses during your cleaning. I don't understand this. I understand not getting splashes and ick in your eyes, but no other dentist has ever made me wear glasses. If it were a true safety concern, why are they not ANSI approved safety glasses that completely enclose and protect the eye area? Also, why are they not cleaned from one patient to the next? They have evident spittle and splash debris on them from their lifetime on patients and the dental tray. Seems counterproductive and more risky to me.
3. The emails. I signed up for email appointment reminders on my work email so I would actually see them. But in the 8 weeks between my first exam and my dental cleaning I received 10 emails. Overkill. And the emails kept coming, even if I "clicked here" to confirm. Just a weekly interruption to my workflow during busy season.
4. The tipping point. I was in evaluation and observation phase, but believe this is where I must draw the line. Went for a cleaning and fillings. I have a spine issue that makes it hard/painful to sit in weird positions. Went for a medical procedure yesterday to help through today at the dentist. Made it through the cleaning, but halfway through (albeit about 15 minutes, did I say how efficient they are!) I knew I could barely make to the end, much less fillings. I asked to reschedule the fillings for a few weeks from now. When I went to the front, needing to leave, ready to check out, it's like everything was a battle to get out the door. Had to keep saying no, I don't want to pay for fillings or have my fillings today, let's reschedule later. This was even after the hygienist told her I had to leave quickly. Next we had to do the scheduling back and forth. Okay, this is normal, but if you've ever been in pain you know your mind is already half consumed and focused on just alleviating it. We come to a date. Get a time. Okay, great, I can go. No, now they want me to pay. I can't go yet. I advised her no, not today. Then I was given a story about procedures for next year, etc. etc. And she proceeds to calculate my payment. I politely stand and wait, allowing her to do her job and honor her responsibilities. She prompted me again for payment, this time I politely told her again no. More out of principal of being in pain and needing to leave, and not being pushed into something after I had already told multiple people what I needed. She cancelled the appointment we had made. After all that. It was their policy. At this point, to me, this isn't a small local business looking to serve it's customers, but rather a bureaucracy of policies and procedures that is not easy to work with.

I came in for a filling about 2 weeks ago. After they numbed my mouth I had to wait almost an hour for them to start working on me, which is unusually long. During the procedure, the dentist informed me that the drill had slipped and accidentally cut the inside of my cheek. It was a nasty gash that took 4 days to heal and they still charged me full price! I had to buy some antiseptic mouthwash to make sure it didn't get infected in addition to that. I will now be taking my business elsewhere.

I had a wonderful experience at my last visit. Dr. Patel did a great job, along with Lauren, Leslie and April were helpful. I cannot wait to return. Best dentist in town.

Everyone is always nice and it is a great environment!

Dr. Erwin is an excellent cosmetic dentist who truly cares about her patients an pays meticulous attention to detail. I'm 29 years old and for my entire life I have been extremely unhappy with my smile. After dong a veneer consultation with Dr. Erwin , I knew I was in good hands. She answered every question in detail, addressed my concerns and desire for a natural-looking smile and made me feel completely comfortable come the day of my procedure. Thanks to Dr. Erwin, I've never felt more confident in my life! I now have the beautiful smile I've always dreamed of and could never thank her enough!