Great Expressions; ARTHUR HALTTUNEN, DDS DENTIST WILL GIVE YOU THE RUN AROUND, LACKS CLEAR COMMUNICATION, LACKS BASIC DENTAL SKILLS, ONLY 1 PERIODONTIST TO SUPPORT PATIENTS OF FIVE OFFICES...YOU'LL BE WAITING NO MATTER HOW URGENT. LIARS, YOU'LL BE SPENDING YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY ALTHOUGH ALL SHOULD BE COVERED BY INSURANCES. WILL NOT TREAT ALTHOUGH YOU'VE DONE EVERYTHING THAT THEY'VE ASKED YOU TO DO. Largo Florida

April 2014 I scheduled an appt with Great Expressions for May 1st for a consult and xrays. I did request an additional cleaning, but because I do have those receding gums, they refused. I did indeed have them cleaned though...later on that same day, just a few hrs later; I went by my dentist from my guardian plan. I do have two plans and unfortunately the Dentist that I've been using for the last couple of years only takes one of these plans. Great Expressions takes both of them; which is what led me to them in the first place.

So off I go to my appt of May 1, first thing in the a.m. They pretty much had me waiting around for a bit but I was okay with it since I didn't have to be at work until 9:15. X-rays and Dentist Consult completed...he sends me off to schedule an appt with their Periodontist and states that we'll go from there. The only problem is that this franchise has five offices with only one periodontist to serve all of these patients from all of the five offices. The earliest date that they could schedule the specialist was almost a month and a half away...I'm in pain, taking amoxicillin for one tooth that's already infected and causing my surrounding teeth to hurt as well. Most definitely, I'm in need of immediate attention. 

Call after call, I begged this Largo branch to take care of my cavities...afterall they are general dentistry. And since I walked into their office with records from two other perio's stating that the scaling is a must, lets get this going with your hygienist as well. Well Dr Halttunen demanded that I see their Perio first and once I did that and we see what a third perio has to say, they we'll go from there. I explained to them that I will still keep my appt with the Perio for June but again, lets get this going asap so my mouth can get healthy. I just don't want to waste any time and my mouth is in extreme trouble. After about my third call, the receptionist expressed that I can go see any perio...doesn't have to be within Great Expressions.

Headed to my insurance website and looked up other perio's with in my plan, chose one and scheduled an appt. Attended my appt for this Perio to write down the same consult as the other two perio's ...scaling of all 4 quadrants. But this time, this consult costs me $86 although I thought this was free and was so very thankful that I even had that much money on a credit card to be able to pay them. That was this past Tuesday. That evening, I emailed the Largo Great Expressions to let them know all has been taken care of and I would like to schedule an appt for Friday to get the scaling done. I provided the Perio's name and phone number.

(Please understand that I've been going to the perio for years...And ALWAYS...I see the perio for a consult, his hygienist always does the root scaling. The dr lends a hand by providing the novocain and that's it.)

On Wed, I confirmed the cancellation of my appt with Great Expressions in Pinellas Park (I had left two voice mails with no response). I did get through to the receptionist and we took care of the cancellation. That same day, I called Great Expressions in Largo to express that all has been taken care of...That I've seen my third perio as requested, his office will be mailing all of his notes and they should receive them no later than Thur. I wanted to schedule an appt as for sure, I was so thrilled to finally have all taken care of.

Well when I spoke to the receptionist; Jenny... she stated that she can't schedule an appt for me because the office manager. Anastasia would need to speak with me first. I asked the receptionist why that was...why can't I just schedule an appt? She reiterated that I needed to speak to Anastasia and when I asked to speak with her...She stated that she wasn't available.

I called their office again, spoke with Anastasia and she said that their Dr will not see me and that I just need to go to the perio and have the work done there. I couldn't believe what I was hearing and expressed to them that there is no way that I can go to them...They will charge me $100 per quadrant even though I hold two insurances...That's $400!! There is no way I can have the work done by them.

I desperately call their Pinellas Park location first thing this morning (Thur)...they have already given my previously scheduled appt to another patient. I would now have to wait until July if I wanted to see their Perio. Again, let me mention that this isn't routine and that the longer we wait, the more I'm endanger of loosing my teeth. I pleaded with their receptionist, he became rude and short with me. He explained that July would be his first available. And that was that.

Drove to the Largo location and figured that I would speak with them face to face to get this resolved. They made it clear to me that their hygienist isn't skilled enough to do the root scaling and the dentist can't fill my cavities. Are you kidding me...Really??? This is crazy!!! Stay away from this office!!  With in the year, I could've been pretty much taken care of between both of my insurances and the fact that they will both rollover come January 2015. Just trying to get healthy here...This has been such an impossible task.

Please also note that I called this office twice in the very beginning to schedule an appt.  I left two detailed messages and after several days, didn't receive a call back. I left work early one afternoon and physically went to their office to schedule an appt. Although, I had the records of my calls to them in my phone...they had no record of my calling them. I spoke with another patient who shared with me that he called them five times before Great Expressions Largo returned his call. Ugh.