Family claims trip to east valley dentist a nightmare
A visit to the dentist is already stressful enough for an adult, imagine what it’s like for a 5-year-old child.
What was supposed to be a simple visit to the dentist, turned into a nightmare for a Coachella Valley family and their young son.
The family, who does not want to be named, said last week they took their child to Western Dental in Indio for routine cavity fillings, instead the child came out with molar caps. The mother said she never consented to that procedure. In addition, she said her son told her he had been physically restrained and was told if he didn’t stop crying he could not go home.
“When I seen his face, it was just so horrible. I mean the back of his shirt was so soaking wet, it was so sweaty, he was crying, his mouth was full of blood,” She said, “He had red dots all over his face and all over his body. So, I asked the lady what was that from? She said it was from all the pushing and all the crying that he was doing,” the boy’s mother added
The mother said she wasn’t allowed to go past the front desk, and staff never contacted her about the child not cooperating.
“I mean, if personally I was back there and I see him struggling, I would have stopped the whole procedure,” she said.
Dr. Matt Jam at Grenada Dental in Indio says when it comes to children undergoing dental work, it can be a stressful time. He makes sure parents are present and the child is comfortable.
“Oh, I want the parents to know exactly what I’m doing. They have to know what I’m doing, they have the right to know what I’m doing, and i want them to be a comfort for the child,” Jam said.
In response to the family’s claims, Western Dental sent a statement saying, “Western Dental is committed to providing all of our patients with high-quality clinical care, and we take very seriously any complaints regarding a patient’s experience at our offices. In this instance, we are conducting a full review to determine what occurred, and we will follow up directly with the patient’s family.”
After leaving Western Dental, the family posted about their experience on Facebook. They’ve received dozens of comments from other dental patients who claim they’ve also had a bad experience at the same clinic.
“It just upset me, I don’t want anyone else to go through this with their kids,” the family said.
