Joseph G Schmidt DDS

Masterpieces Smiles, as Groupon put it, is located in a plaza off of Bee Cave Rd in Westlake. Had a bit of trouble finding the place with GPS but the office is very welcoming and convenient for those who live around that area. I came in for a Zoom Whitening procedure offered on Groupon at a hefty discount. I guess I really should learn when people tell me «you get what you pay for». The consultation with Dr. Schmidt was normal, he took a look at my teeth to see if there were any problems that he could find to keep me as a patient. I am religious with my teeth cleanings and daily hygiene, so he couldn’t find any issues other than «I grind my teeth at night». This Groupon was used to bring patients into his practice. The Zoom treatment was done by what I expect to be a hygienist who was careful in placing the bleach and thorough in explaining the process. I was told my teeth «were already white enough» and that they couldn’t go much brighter. I disagreed, but we continued. The actual procedure did not hurt — no zingers, pain or true discomfort. It did take a while (1 hour) but I wasn’t checked on as much as I had figured they would. At one point I thought the bleaching light had moved, but they didn’t say anything. Once the procedure was done, they tried to upsell a take home kit (should have bought it!) and tried to make another appointment with me to be seen by Dr. Schmidt for regular check ups. I already love the dentist I have so I declined without being pressured (awesome). The 3 star rating comes down to this: the hygienist placed the bleach too low on my two front teeth (so it looked like only half was white). It bothered me for days to come. The worst part of this experience was that my teeth bleach, after following all detailed instructions, faded after a week. After one week after having this procedure, I seemed to have returned to my original color. I’m not sure if the bleaching agent didn’t take, or if this is the way teeth bleaching normally works. I feel that my $ 100 spent on this Groupon could’ve been used on white strips with longer effect. Oh well!

I have never had any problems with my teeth, and I have always gone to my regular 6 month checkups. When I came to Dr. Schmidt, he told me I had 3 cavities all on the right side of my mouth and proceeded to fill them. That was over three months ago and I have had pain in those teeth ever since. I have now spent over $ 700 cash at other dentist trying to fix the problem, but nothing had been able to help. I have not been able to chew on that side of my mouth for the past 3 months. I would never recommend Dr. Schmidt to anyone. I went from never having any teeth problems to not being able to chew on one side of my mouth for over three months now.

Beware of this Dentist & his clerk. I found out that they not only forget to tell you they are out of network, but they tell you you will be charged one amount when booking the amount, then charge you a higher price after the procedure is completed! I asked how much it would cost for my crown prior to booking my appt. & was given a specific amount. After having the work done I was told I would have to pay an additional $ 150.00 for the crown. Then when I got my permanent crown (5 weeks later), I was given a bill for $ 470.50. The Dentist billed my insurance company for procedures he never performed. I complained to both his clerk and to the dentist, but there was nothing they would do to resolve the issue.

This was the worst dental experience I have ever had. If you are looking for a dentist that is concerned with helping you have a healthy mouth, look elsewhere. This dentists number 1 priority is Invisalign and teeth whitening, rather than oral health. I ended up here after purchasing a Groupon for a cleaning and X-​rays. They had me come in on separate days for the cleaning and the x-​rays meaning I had to ask off from work twice. The cleaning was not very thorough and they do not have a very high-​tech x-​Ray machine, therefore it takes forever. Also, the tech completely forgot to have me put on the radiation blocking bib. The cherry on top was when the sleazy dentist gave a professional recommendation for teeth whitening. I am well equipped with two working eyes and do not need to pay a dentist to tell me what color my teeth are. Needless to say I did not schedule further work with this office.

Sooo.. . yeah. I WAS so excited when I found Dr. Schmidt. He made me feel so much more comfortable going to the dentist. HOWEVER-​in the meantime, he has proven that first impressions are not always right.
As a nighttime tooth grinder, I had cracks all along my gum line that needed to be filled. (The discomfort I talked about in my first review of him.) He filled them. They chipped out. He apologized and redid them. Said that hadn’t happened in all the years he’s been a dentist, how embarrassing, bla bla bla. Fine. I went back and asked if he could remove my permanent retainer and asked what my other options were. I felt like it was impossible to clean/​floss well enough and I just wanted something that wasn’t glued into my mouth. We settle on one of those clear retainers you wear at night. I went and had a mold made of my teeth and he said to come back to get my retainer «fitted.» I assumed that meant put it in my mouth and make sure it fits. I go back and before I even realize what he’s doing, he starts gluing a new retainer in my mouth. I was afraid to say something, due to the sharp metal instruments in my mouth and really I was just in shock. That wasn’t AT ALL what we talked about. He immediately removed it and told me I could come back and get the right retainer. He was so sorry and embarrassed again. I was pregnant at the time, and in between that visit and the next, I was admitted into the hospital. I missed my appointment for the right retainer. That’s my fault, I totally admit. I was supposed to be there Monday morning, I went to the hospital on Sunday night, so going to the dentist for the 3^rd time for a simple thing was not my first priority at the time. I left the hospital and was put on bed rest. Before I could call to reschedule, my fillings chipped out AGAIN. By then I was so pissed– I didn’t even call to tell them I would NOT be returning ever again. About 6 weeks later (ish?) I get a bill that says «It’s been 6 weeks, so if you don’t pay this in the next few days it’s going to collections.» Uuuhh, it would have been nice to get ONE bill in the meantime. Why would they wait 6 weeks and then give me a short notice to pay it before sending t away. It was for over $ 200 and I can’t understand WHAT it was for. The wrong retainer you gave me? The crappy fillings you gave me.. .. twice? Maybe I should have assumed I owed them from my last screw up visit?, but as a business owner, I can NOT imagine charging any client/​patient for such terrible work. That’s absurd. I didn’t have dental insurance when I had the filling done, so I had to pay about $ 1500 out of my own pocket. When he had to redo them the first time he didn’t charge me, but it ended up being a total waste of money anyway. Now, I have to find a new dentist and start over with filling the gapping holes in my teeth. I’m so frustrated. I know there are flukes and people make mistakes. I make mistakes at work too and sometimes there is really just no pleasing people. I don’t feel like I’m one of those people at all. Like, I’m afraid of the dentist, but I’m not at all high maintenance. I’m a patient person, but come on. Messing up 3 or 4 times? no.
I CAN NOT BELIEVE I WASTED SO MUCH MONEY AND TIME HERE!!! I am a new mommy and I definitely could have used that for something else.
So, in conclusion, thank you Dr. Schmidt for your terrible service and charging me and arm and a leg to take time off work and go through all that discomfort for NOOOOTTHHIINNGG.