Willamette Dental Group

Ahh Willamette Dental, you played me well. The issue here is not the providers, but the logistics and principle of the matter. After my visit, my statement came to $ 199. However, months later, I received another statement for $ 246, billing for the same visit. The increase in charges were not itemized nor explained.
Although I am not responsible for the additional charges as I have secondary insurance and regardless of who is responsible, it is the principle of the matter. As a business/​healthcare provider, everything needs to be transparent and honest.
I called the patients accounts center to question the discrepancies, but answers were not given. Simply, a «you don’t have to worry about it because you’re not responsible» and «I can’t see what you are talking about».
I don’t know where this increase came from so I have to wonder if this is a tactic for insurance fraud on their part.

Setting up an appointment was absurdly easy… I was fully expecting to wait like a month and a half, but I was able to get in the next day if I wanted to (I didn’t… needed some time to mentally prepare myself for going to the dentist). The first-​timer paperwork was pretty easy. The reception area is small but cozy. I didn’t have to wait very long for the dentist and the assistants to come get me… I honestly think I was the only one there, which I’m not sure how I feel about that, but it turned out okay.
The hygienist went over my dental history very briefly, then the dentist popped in and said hi. Then I was whisked off to get some x-​rays, and then immediately to the dentist’s chair for a cleanup. Very speedy process. No wait time in between check-​in and x-​rays or in between x-​rays and cleaning.
The cleaning was actually really pleasant. It’s a little messy because they use water flossing (at least for me they did anyway, I don’t know if this is common practice… it was not at my old dentist), but I would rather take a face full of water than someone viciously attacking me with floss for 20 minutes. It was very comfortable. The hygienist was very thorough with the water flossing, but the actual cleaning was very quick. You can tell he was very skilled. They also give you sunglasses too, which is AWESOME because you don’t have to be blinded by that overhead light… (also, not sure if this is common practice, but my old dentist didn’t have this either).
I was feeling pretty good about my experience, thinking I might get away with not having to see the awful scrape-​y thing… but I did… :(Not for very long though!
The only thing I didn’t like about my hygienist was that he spoke «dentist speak» to his assistant very frequently and didn’t explain to me what he was talking about. But I guess no news is good news, because he said my teeth were pretty good.
The actual dentist was very kind. He gave me a mirror and explained that he needed to put some sealant on one of my molars and showed me on the mirror everything he was talking about. Nice guy. The assistant put on the sealant and did a flouride treatment (which tastes terrible, but… ok), and I was on my merry way!
I was in and out in 75 minutes, which was longer than I wanted, but I did have to fill out like 4 «new patient» forms and get sealant put on, so… pretty good. Also, the hours were super convenient (my appointment was at 4:45 so I didn’t have to take time off from work), and everyone was very nice.

Warning: this is a shady business.
I actually don’t have much to complain about as far as the dentist/​receptionist or hygienist at this location; I went in for a standard yearly cleaning here at the Northgate office a few months ago, because my dental plan at work offered a yearly cleaning/​checkup where (supposedly) at an in-​network dental provider you only had to pay your regular copay. So, I came in for my cleaning… the office was nice, the receptionist was friendly, the hygienist and dentist were both professional and efficient, they didn’t offer any expensive tooth whitenings or say I should have my wisdom teeth removed, and so I thought everything was kosher.
I paid my copay, I went home… seemed like everything was cool. A month later, I got my insurance billing statement in the mail… everything still seemed ok… it verified that I paid my copay, and Willamette was billing them for all the various services they performed, yada yada, standard insurance billing statement.
Today, I get a bill from Willamette Dental consisting of a long list of charges with no actual description of services next to them, showing what the insurance company considered «allowable» and paid, and what they didn’t pay… then in the middle there’s an entry that says «non-​covered service» for $ 45, that Willamette says is now 60 days past due, that I’m required to pay them.
First off, why don’t any of the «services» have descriptions? For all I know, they could be billing me for the water they used to rinse my mouth out while cleaning my teeth, or the air I breathed while inside the office, or the office staff’s lunchtime Starbucks order. Second, there was never a point when I was informed that I was being provided with a «service» that was not being covered by my insurance, so that I would have had the option to decline that service. Perhaps $ 45 doesn’t seem like a lot of money to quibble over, but when you’re poor — guess what, it is.
Third, since this is the first bill I’ve received from them, I’m assuming they’re considering it «past due» by counting from the initial day I went into the office, which was about 2 months ago… so they’re trying to say I’m over-​due for payment on an unspecified service which I was never told about, never asked for payment for on the actual day I was in the office, and that I shouldn’t have to pay for anyway since this was a comprehensive yearly cleaning covered by a single co-​pay at an in-​network provider. So, yeah… kinda shady.

Sweet. I get to give a five star review to a dentist.
This was my first appointment at any dentist in 4 to 5 years. My last dentist was a nice guy, but his plastic medical gloves smelled like poop and I had a hard time sitting in the chair without gagging. I was also informed, possibly erroneously, that my insurance didn’t cover him anymore so I took a 4 year hiatus from dental care.
Onward to Willamette. I showed up about a half hour early because I was under the impression there would be lots of paperwork. There was not. Lots of questions about my medical history and circling «no.» I did circle «yes» to «unresolved stress» since I was at the dentist. After I left the dentist it was resolved.
Because I was there early, they let me in early. That was nice. They took some x-​rays. My teeth are awesome. Then Michelle took me to the seat for the cleaning and spent the entire time being very friendly. She doesn’t know this, but I love her. If I was 5 years older, a couple million dollars richer, and had any intention of flossing…
We’d name our children Jake and Naomi.
Despite the immense pain which I handled without crying because I’m big, the entire tooth cleaning process was pleasant. Apparently my gums rock. Then the dentist came in. His name escapes me, but he was also a nice dude. He told me that I had no cavities, but I did have two «pre-​cavities.» I expected he’d tell me I need to get some sort of filling, but instead he said «you don’t need to do anything. If you maintain good oral hygiene you can live with these forever.»
Then he looked at my Wisdom teeth. I have all of them. Two of them are facing inward like cannons wanting to blast my bottom teeth out of place. Once again, I assumed he’d tell me I need to get them out. He said «Don’t get your wisdom teeth out unless they cause you pain.»
He may have been the first dentist to ever suggest that getting your wisdom teeth out if they’re not moving or causing pain is stupid. I love him too. We’ll name our kids Bill and Taylor.
They told me I don’t need to come back for 6 months to a year. What a rocking place.

Strap a toothbrush to the hoof of a mountain goat and let it kick you in the face repeatedly. You will get about the same experience and quality of care as you will at Willamette Dental, and it will be cheaper.
This is one of the worst health care experiences I’ve had in the Seattle area. I started going to the office on Dexter because it was one of the few providers covered by my insurance that I could get to on foot. When I changed jobs, I decided to start using their Northgate office, mistakenly thinking it would be a smooth transition.
Not so. I might as well have just gone with an entirely new provider since they started from scratch as if I were a new patient (which means extra fees for exams I didn’t need yet). In Willa World, having multiple locations does not mean added convenience.
This location in particular is awful. It is situated near I-​5, which you’d think would be convenient. However, you have to make a left and then a U-​turn on two perpetually congested streets just to reach the building. And when you do, their narrow, small, second-​floor parking lot is almost always full. Because it’s so small, cars often park over the line, occupying every other space, so you have to park at the other building’s parking garage, which is across and down the street. And heaven help you if you’re late because of this – the receptionist will remind you!
The last time I was there, a transient had taken up residence in one of the seating areas in the lobby. He smelled horrendous and laid across a row of seats as if he were wasted.
Even if you dismiss the labyrinth-​like hellpit for your average car-​trip in Seattle, the care is atrocious. I went to have a tooth filled, and after the dentist had put the anesthetic in my mouth, he started asking me questions about what composite he was supposed to use and what color. I had gotten a letter of predetermination from my insurance company for this procedure because I didn’t want there to be any surprises. I had been improperly billed before and I wanted to make sure everyone knew what we were doing and what it would cost beforehand. Apparently, this pre-​emptive legwork was for nothing.
Then I went back because I had cracked a filling. I chose a different dentist, hoping he would be more on top of things than the last one. Although he was able to perform the repairs needed, he gave me too many shots of anesthetic, which left a GIANT BRUISE on my face for weeks. When I called their office to tell them what happened, they didn’t care at all. I offered to send them a picture (it was a big bruise!) but they wouldn’t look at it. They wanted me to waste another afternoon driving to their roiling cesspool so the dentist could look at it and tell me to wait a few weeks for it to go away.
What’s worse, they don’t know how to file an insurance claim, so I’m paying through the nose for this terrible treatment. I tried to discuss it with their office manager to no avail, and she said she didn’t have the authority to do anything (or even talk to anyone about it) and that I had to call her superiors myself. Not wanting to leak her incompetence, it was a non-​working number. I’ve gotten better customer service from call centers in India.
Unless you are a glutton for punishment, do not use this provider. Stick with the mountain goat and thank your stars when you narrowly miss being mauled to death.

I’ve been to this place a lot of times over the past three years and only once have I had a bad experience (a rude hygienist — I wrote a letter to the management and I never got that person again). The dentists take their time to make sure you understand what’s going on and what you need to do. The hygienists are all (except the one noted above) friendly and professional, and most importantly they are gentle with my sensitive gums. They also listen, which is great. I have a very touchy gag reflex, and they must have noted it in my chart or something because I told them about it on my first appointment and it has never been a problem. That in itself is practically a miracle after way too many nightmarish experiences with prior dentists.
This place has taken me from bad dental health to nice, pretty, healthy teeth in the most painless and efficient way possible. They’re great!

i’ve been fairly happy going here for about 4 years now. my only problem was that the tech did not clean the head rest on the x-​ray machine, and it was clearly gooped with make up, yuck! my other gripe (which prompted this post now) was that they changed their scheduling! before you could make your follow up appointments 4+ months in advance, and now they only let you do it «in the next two weeks» when i asked why, they said «so people can get in sooner». that plan is plain stupid. they are catering to the people who call in and cry about a «three month wait» because they waited until the last minute to call in. its called «planning ahead» for your routine visits, not calling in on monday because you need a tuesday morning appointment ((UNLESS its an emergency!))
dont change the way you book, now i can’t plan ahead and plan my time off from work, beacuse other people dont like to «wait so long» for their routine appointments! — and i’m sure that they probably already waited 5 years to call in anyway! you can wait another 3 months

I was a little hesitant to try Willamette after reading the negative reviews about the Dexter Ave. location, but my insurance didn’t give me much choice if I wanted to save money.
I had to wait quite a long time on the phone before a representative answered my call (there were 12 people ahead of me, the voice told me), but once I was talking with a live person she got me an appointment within 3 days. Nice!
So at 7:25am I show up at Northgate… there’s plenty of parking and the receptionists were actually very nice. I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary about this place, except for maybe the area where everyone was getting their teeth cleaned/​worked on in the same room (no real «walls» between areas, but I didn’t really care). They called me back right on time and took a whole series of x-​rays, both bite-​wing and panoramic, before sending me to my chair. The only real complaint I have is that they didn’t ask me how long it had been since my last x-​rays (last year), and I wouldn’t have minded requesting the old films to save me a little radiation exposure – but oh well.
The hygienist was perfectly fine and chatted amiably but wasn’t annoying, and only asked once if I was interested in tooth-​whitening and then left it alone when I said no. The doctor came after the cleaning (I’ve waited MUCH longer for the doctor to come in other offices!) and he was actually very sincere and made good eye contact (something I take note of with medical professionals) while discussing my dental issues. I felt like he seriously cared about his patients, it was really nice. We did talk about getting a nightguard for my grinding, but he mentioned immediately that it would be 100% covered by my plan and that I didn’t have to get it if I didn’t want to – he explained everything very clearly.
And I was out of there within an hour of coming in, nice! So no real complaints about Willamette… it wasn’t the shop of horrors that I was expecting, and I’ll most likely continue going there even if I have other (more expensive) options with my insurance.

So I’ve been to a few dentists in my time, and it’s been a few years since I’ve been to the dentist too. I came here last week for my cleaning and had to have a filling re-​filled today as it was old and needed to be fixed. Anyhow, Dr. Rampey and his team were great. The cleaning was good and they were able to answer my questions well.
My filling today was probably the quickest and most efficient filling I’ve ever had. Dr. Rampey was great and I felt absolutely no pain when he numbed me up. In the past, my previous dentists were sadistic and would apply the novocain and then start drilling before the novocain would even start working! I felt nothing this time though, not even the pricking from the needles when he gave me the shot, that’s how amazing he was!
Sure, I didn’t have any drastic issues, but I felt in good hands and know that if anything comes up I’ll be well taken care of here. Dr. Rampey knows what he’s doing, answers questions well and is just plain efficient.