Smiles In Springfield

This is a very honest and fair review. I was recommended this dentistry practice by a website with positive reviews, so I decided to come here.
Positive:
–Cleanliness, free bottle water in mini fridge to your right when you walk in (don’t know if they still have that). Plenty of chairs that are sturdy and clean as well. Computers are situated so that patient’s information is protected, in compliance with HIPAA. However, they should be more careful with their paper charts being exposed in an area that people are walking by who can glance at them. They should be closed or flipped over when not in use. HIPAA violation charges are not cheap, but money should not be the driving factor as any good customer-​centered practice would want to place their patients’ safety and well-​being as priority.
–The dentist, Dr. Tran has a caring demeanor and good bedside manner, so he meets his mission, but as a whole practice and team, I cannot state the same. He has about 20 years of practice experience, so he is competent and has certain skill sets that not every dentist around the area has. Some of his dental hygienists (Phin) are very thorough and also have caring, positive attitudes. Occasionally, there are temps or agency ones that do things a little differently, but they still get the job done.
Negatives:
–I understand this is a business at the end of the day, but you can still practice as a business without being deceptive and display behaviors that suggest greed for money. The office manager (Tina Tran) has on many occasions pushed deep cleaning on me. My insurance did not cover, so she would tell me I would have to pay out of pocket $ 1000 or more per session. I did not hear a peep from the dentist or dental hygienist about my need for one, so the next time, I asked the licensed healthcare (dental hygienist) about it, who told me I did not need one after a quick test.
–I have had one charge on my insurance bill and had to pay copay where a procedure was charged on a visit that was not performed. So, service was not rendered but they were quick to charge. Someone later told me that is grounds for possible insurance fraud, since you cannot charge for a procedure that was never done. I was glad I looked through my billing carefully and pointed it out. Instead of an apology or explanation, all I got was Okay fine, we’ll refund you. I’m going to give them a benefit of the doubt and write it off as possible honest mistake, but all the other little things I see just makes me feel like I can’t trust them.
–Their obsession with x-​rays is over the top. I’m young with no significant dental history, so there should be no need for 3 – 4 x-​rays per year. At most, twice a year. I’ve had to decline it on one or two occasions because they couldn’t even give me a reason for why on earth they are doing. There was one visit where one person took the wrong chart and got confused because I had already gotten one recently but she did not see or didn’t know what she was doing.
–Back to the manager here and another assistant named Maria. They failed to confirm my insurance as being up to date as I ask every time when I come in if they can confirm and if everything is still working, they say yes. One full year later, as I come for my 2^nd visit, after the procedure has been done, and I had paid the copay, Maria told me my insurance doesn’t work anymore and that I’m responsible for payment for the previous year and this visit in full. Apparently, it stopped working one year ago and nobody at this practice was courteous enough to notify me. Worse, they told me to call the insurance and sort it out so that I could come back and continue seeing them again. If I were a practicing business and most especially associated with healthcare and focus on quality care, I would pick that phone up and call the insurance myself to advocate for my patient. And because it’s part of going above and beyond for your customer. I was never informed by my insurance nor the office about the issue, so I ultimately, I called my insurance to rectify the issue. Then after payment, I realized they did not subtract my copay that I paid out of pocket last time, so I had to ask them. That shouldn’t even happen since it’s all there in the computer – every cent that I owe them they ask for, but they conveniently did not see that I paid a copay? I talked to some of my friends who are practicing dentists and dental hygienists and they told me as a business, they would absorb the charges because customer service is more important than the money and also the staff failed to verify and confirm that insurance was still valid, which should occur at the beginning of every visit – not one year later when the insurance authorization failed and then they noticed because they did not get the money.
–This is my own experience and observations, and I do have a background in customer care and a keen eye for details, so I expect more than just a «friendly smile.»

I was referred by a friend a few years ago and besides the distance I travel from DC, I love coming here. Parking is usually easy. Scheduling appointments isn’t a problem. Front staff is pretty friendly. The assistants and hygienists (don’t know all of their titles) are awesome!
Dr. Tran is a cool doc, friendly with his patients, gets you in and out and yes, I’ve had a root canal, fillings, extractions. all painless. I refer anyone whenever they ask.
TIP: Be proactive about asking for estimates. It’s always tricky when you have a procedure that needs to be done and it’s not a basic, preventative procedure as it may cost you a lot out of pocket. Ask for the estimate when you make an appointment. This always makes my temperature rise when dealing with my teeth =(Also whenever Ive seriously asked about teeth bleaching, I’m referred to the Crest White system.

Absolutely nice staff and Dr. Tran is great! Thanks to my husband’s recommendation, FYI he’s been his regular client since last year. My husband, mother in law and I we all go see him when we have problems. I don’t need to worry about my teeth. I also thanked the gift card for my first visit. i

The best dentist in Burke Springfield area. Really great with children. Dr. Tran is my family dentist and will be for a long time. Everything Dr. Tran worked on so far for my kids and myself, it was painless and smooth. I love the way the office schedule the appointment. I never had to wait for my visits. Some other dentists in the area you can wait half hour to 40 minutes easily, but not at Dr. Tran office. I am glad to have a great dentist close to home.

I love this place! I’ve been here for at least 4 – 5 years and have always had good experiences. The staff is really friendly and accommodating. While I was away at college they always managed to work me into their schedule when I came home for breaks and needed a last minute appointment.
I’ve had two cavities (knock on wood) and they made it PAINLESS. I really couldn’t feel anything. I’m also a sucker for pain and had one lady cleaning my teeth and I was afraid to tell her that it was a little too hard. I ended up telling her after she was done and she made a note of it and next time she was SUPER gentle. I really liked that I was able to say something and have them remember and do it 6 months down the road without having to remind them.
My parents have been going here for forever and they have nothing bad to say about this place either. They’ve had plenty of procedures done here and– again– no complaints. At all. They send reminders in the mail to remind you to schedule an appointment every six months which is really helpful.
Five stars. Easily five.

I’ve been coming to Dr. Tran’s practice for over ten years now. I stick with him because he’s a friendly, skilled and painless dentist (which is apparently hard to find!).
My last visit was in August 2014. I had forgotten to schedule a cleaning appointment, but the office staff were helpful in fitting me in an open time slot. They were very friendly in doing so. Upon my visit, I was greeted by the smiling office staff, who know me by name since I’ve been a patient for so long. They always make friendly conversation and remember little details about me that makes the waiting room a very comfortable place.
Phin, the hygienist, eventually comes out and greets me and brings me into a dental room. She is always energetic and entertaining to be around. Her cleanings are very thorough and I can’t ever feel a thing while she’s working on my teeth. This time around, she needed some x-​rays so she quickly did that as well. She knew exactly what she was doing and got good shots of my teeth first time around. After she was done, she called in Dr. Tran, who came in to do a quick check on my teeth. He’s quick and thorough and has a delightful personality. After he was done, I collected a goody bag which consisted of a new toothbrush and other dental supplies. Before I left, I had a quick chat with the receptionists about my next appointment, billing, and said my goodbyes. I’ll be seeing them again in just less than 6 months!
My last visit was a very generic dental visit. But a time I truly appreciated being a patient here was just last year– during my general cleaning, Phin, the hygienist, noticed a small cavity forming in one of my teeth (not too sure of specifics… I know absolutely nothing about teeth). When calling in Dr. Tran to check my teeth, she mentioned the potential cavity. This meant scheduling another appointment and coming back to get it filled. I was the last appointment of the day and everyone was about to go home. Dr. Tran said that he could stay longer than he was expecting to fill my cavity, so I wouldn’t have to schedule another appointment during a workday! He really cares about his patients, and of course, I said yes! to filling my cavity right away. When he filled my cavity, it was virtually painless. I was impressed, since this was my first filling in years — I didn’t know it would be that easy (or that’s how he made it look/​feel!). I’m thankful that Dr. Tran was flexible with his time, and cares about his patients. I don’t think most dentists would do this — they would just ask for you to schedule another appointment during their normal hours on another day.
Summary: The people at this office are genuinely nice and caring. They want the best for you and are wonderful people. Dr. Tran is an amazing dentist — I recommend him to everyone I know. And those I recommend him to end up being long-​term patients. There’s a reason I’ve been with this practice for over a decade! Thank you Dr. Tran and office for such a positive experience over the years!

Dr. Tran and his staffs are very professional and ALWAYS provide superb service. They made me feel very comfortable.. It’s actually a pleasure to go to the dentist if that is possible! The most painless dentist and office equipped with state of the art equipment. They truly showed they care for their patients. I highly recommend him to everyone I know who may need dental care. I am extremely satisfied and glad that we are part of Dr. Tran dental family for the last 10 years. Looking forward to my next appointment. Dr. Nguyen