Varinos Dental Associates

Reviews 7

JI

Jim Driscoll

Buyer Beware!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In the Fall, I visited the office for some long overdue dental work. The office provided a treatment plan and quotes for what the work would cost. I made my decision to move forward with the treatment plan based on assurances that Varinos gave me. I was taken into the financial office for a consultation and during this review, the staff member outlined the costs for each visit and she broke down the insurance portion and patient portion. She even made the comment, “You have great insurance.” Then she explained that if I “paid in full” on that day I could receive a 5% discount. I took advantage of that option. We have since discovered that we have a balance of $867 This amount is the the difference between what Varinos Dental charged for the service and what Guardian, our insurance carrier, has set as the acceptable fee for the service. Obviously we are surprised by this because no one in his office had ever given any indication that this could happen. During the Summer, when my wife initially called to find out if you take Guardian, the person who answered the call asked if we were an existing customer. She answered yes and your staff member told us “Yes.” At no time was the term “out of network provider” used. When both of us met with the financial person to discuss treatment plans, the term “out of network provider” was NEVER used and the idea that we could owe additional beyond what was outlined was NEVER explained. This feels like a case of bait and switch and it so disheartening from a medical professional with whom we have had a long standing relationship. Even on your website, they give assurances about working with all insurances companies. They state “do not worry because we can always verify your benefits in the office.” The reality is we should have been worried and cautious because we were mislead and misinformed. I think the reality is that the staff member in the financial office did not know what she was doing with regard to verifying our benefits and she must not have understood the Varinos Dental policy with regard to being an “out of network provider”. We have been informed that this staff member no longer works there. I think that speaks volumes. It’s likely she’s no longer employed by you because she was not good at her job and didn’t know what she was doing. In discussions with other dental professionals, we have learned that Dentists routinely “write-off” the differences between their fee and what the insurance carrier is willing to pay. In fact, when you agree to be a network provider with a carrier, you agree to their fee structure. Yes, we now know you are an “out of network provider” for Guardian, but, again, this was NOT conveyed to us until AFTER we questioned our balance. But the dentists we spoke with, told us that they even when they take insurance as an “out of network provider”, they commonly write-off the difference in fees. One would think if you were willing to accept Guardian insurance from an existing customer (something implied with your staff member’s question of “Are you a client currently?”) you would be willing to accept Guardian’s fee to maintain that relationship with the client. Varinos describes his practice as the “premier dental practice on the North Shore” and yet we do not feel like we’ve received “premier” customer service.

---

AB

Abhishek Jain

I absolutely loved the service provided by Dr. Vora and her wonderful staff. The entire place is amazing and clean. I went to the Arlington office last week with a broken painful tooth. I was accommodated on the same day for an emergency visit and was seen by Dr Vora. I was told that I needed a root canal and a crown. I was a bit uneasy about getting a dental procedure done by someone I had never met before but after my consultation appointment I knew I was in good hands. During my consultation appointment, Dr. Vora thoroughly explained the procedure and what it would entail. She answered all of my questions and was very reassuring. On the day of the procedure, I waited a very short period before I was taken back to begin. The whole procedure took about 60 minutes. The front office staff was very patient, polite, and understanding with me before and after my procedure. Next day, Dr. Vora even called me to check up on me and see how I was doing. She said she was even available on weekends to respond to any issues I had. I was really impressed. So far the recovery has gone well and I have had no pain. I would recommend Dr. Vora to anyone!

---

VA

valerie smith

very disappointed about how my son was treated by one of the denitist at Varinos Dental. My son has disabilities that require special attention. He needed to not feel pain while just having his teeth cleaned. He was told to hang in and dont worry almost done many times during the visit. He asked to stop again and again and to reschule but to no he was told no. Because of this he has been set back in his ability to have dental work done. I tried to call and explain this to the office manager and she proceded to terminate the phone call. I asked to speak to Dr. Varino and that has not happened. So I hope this makes a change in how they treat there patients with disabilties.

---

ME

Merril Allen

I was desperate - going out of state to help my son and daughter-in-law with their new baby, and the tooth that had been bothering me off and on suddenly hurt 24/7. My regular dentist was on vacation, and a friend recommended Varinos. I got an appointment immediately, was diagnosed with a badly cracked tooth, and given an appointment the following day for an extraction. I have dentist-phobia, but the staff were so kind and gentle through the whole nightmarish experience. The dentist grafted in some bone for a future implant, and everything healed up nicely. And I was able to leave in time for the birth of a new grandson!

---

CA

Carmine Riccioli

Do Not recommend Varinos .. Very poor Billing Practices .... They actually had me get out of the Dental Chair and go to the front desk to pay for services prior to continuing a procedure. I couldve just as easily paid on the way out .... Also ... they do not send customers a check if they over estimate ... it goes into a credit on your account ... if we have to pay them upfront , the least they can do is to reimburse the customer promptly when we overpay..... I will never return to Varinos .. its bush league.... Riccioli

---

DI

diane donohue

After a trip and fall accident I broke my two front teeth including fracturing the roots. Dr Varinos generous with his time formulated a plan to restore the damage. Financially he was very fair as well. Dr Varinos gave me a great smile only a year and a half ago. The office (Peabody) is state of the art. He will soon move one of his office in Winthrop to a brand new facility on Veterans Rd in Winthrop. He has several offices to accommodate you needs. I highly recommend the practice along with his staff.

---

DA

David Carlton

As usual, my trip to this dental office went fine. I have been extremely pleased with Varinos Dental. When I go for cleaning it is pain free. My prior experiences at other dental offices with cleaning was not pain free. Ugh. Also my last trip was for a crown and Dr. Aziz (hope I spelled her name correctly) was just super. I have already gotten a friend to switch over to Varinos and he tells me they were good to him. I rate them 5 stars for service, friendliness, skill.

---

---