Metroplex Oral and Facial Surgery

I just had all four wisdom teeth pulled yesterday (01÷15÷16) by Dr. James Lucente. There is surprisingly very little pain and hardly any swelling! Minimal post operation side effects which I could not be more thrilled about! His staff was very thorough in explaining everything that was to be expected before and after the surgery. And a HUGE plus, they used IV sedation and completely knocked me out through the whole thing.
I did have a negative effect to some medications, not sure if it was the nitrous or the pain killers but I threw up twice a few hours apart from each other due to nausea and excess swallowed blood and in my stomach. I couldn’t keep any liquids down for a solid 5 hours.
Ironically, I was recommended to come to Metroplex by my previous orthodontist. I was a former patient at Forney Wellness and I was scheduled to have my teeth removed from there. They have a specialist that comes in maybe twice a week for the sole purpose of removing wisdom teeth (that should have been a red flag from the get-​go). The specialist pulled me and my husband into the back room where I was expected to have the surgery. He pulled up my x-​rays and proceeded with, «Okay, here’s the thing…» Apparently, he wasn’t able to extract my teeth because from the 2-​D scan he wasn’t able to tell if my nerves were intertwined with my roots and he didn’t want to cause any permanent nerve damage. Furthermore, he refused to take the top teeth out in fear that my sinuses wouldn’t heal. Keep in mind that this office had already rescheduled my surgery from Tuesday to Wednesday, and now they’re telling me they won’t do it at all. You can imagine the scheduling fiasco at my job at this point.
While I appreciated the doctor’s concern to proceed with the surgery, I would have better appreciated a phone call the night before. Instead, I took three days off work and got up at 5:30 with my husband who had also taken the day off only to be recommended to a different orthodontist that owned an I-​CAT 3D X-​ray to further investigate those nerves around my roots.
My confidence was completely reestablished as soon as we walked in to Metroplex. The staff was so friendly and kept us up to date on everything that was going on. They were professional, punctual, and quick to serve. We made a consultation appointment on Wednesday and were back for the operation on Friday (yesterday). They really had their stuff together and I appreciated that. Dr. James Lucente was professional, maybe a little over confident which could make a person feel uneasy, but after the surgery I’d have to say that his confidence is rightly placed. I’m thoroughly surprised with how little pain I feel and how little swelling there is.
I apologize for the complaint against my previous orthodontist, but all that was to say how much I appreciated Metroplex for making an otherwise uncomfortable experience a good one!

Dr. Lucente and his team are amazing people. Very friendly! I went in on last Monday for my exam and was set for my wisdom teeth extractions on Friday. It’s hard having to get dental work without having insurance… but have no fear… Lori who is apart of Dr. Lucente’s team worked with me and we figured out the best deal for my surgery. I’m very appreciative of the dental assistant I had. I forgot her name… my apologies. I am thankful for the speedy surgery and the warmth my family and I felt on Friday.
Thanks a lot!!!

Good work overall.

Took both of my teenagers to have all wisdom teeth extracted last week. As a very protective mother, I was obviously concerned about sedation. I couldn’t have been more impressed w/​my overall experience with this Doctor and his staff! Loved the office’ cleanliness, appearance and staff! Everyone was friendly, knowledgeable and concise.
Dr. Lucente was amazing and I would highly recommend him. Both surgeries went great with no problems at all. Recovery was fast, and staff well informed me of what to expect and I felt very confident in taking care of them. They had no bruising or «chipmunk» cheeks (prob because surgery was fast and precise). This doctor is a perfectionist and «knows his stuff», so to speak.
I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE ALL PARENTS WITH TEENAGERS TO HAVE THEIR WISDOM TEETH OUT BEFORE THEY TURN 18 YRS OLD. It is so much easier on them when they are young and they will need them out eventually.

Dr. Lucente and his staff were amazing! I was really nervous about my wisdom teeth extraction surgery because it was my first time being sedated, but they made sure I was in good hands. I came in on a Wednesday morning and the surgery went as smooth as possible. I didn’t feel a thing and the recovery process was so much easier than I expected. The pain stopped after the first day and I didn’t even have a chipmunk face the day after! I definitely recommend this office for everyone!

My son had his wisdom teeth out here and it was a great experience. They had us in and out. The doctor is very professional and took time to answer my sons questions so he wasn’t nervous. The price was great and I was able to get my sister an appointment the next month. Great experience. Front office team helped us get insurance all squared away.
I liked that the waiting room was comfortable and had a coffee machine along with bottled water. I had forgotten to grab myself something that morning and this was a life saver. Plus when you leave they are right down the street from a braums so we got him a chocolate shake.
Beautiful surgery office. Very clean. Easy to get to. We will recommend this to everyone in our family!

Dr. Lucente and staff care about you as an individual and take the time to hear your needs.
I went here for a very difficult wisdom teeth extraction (5 teeth!). Who knew I had 5! It runs in my family to have serious complications with our wisdom teeth. Our teeth grow deep in our head and we have small mouths. My father had them out when he was around my age and was crying in bed and out of work for 3 weeks. My brother had the same problem and missed four weeks of work when he used his local dentist for extraction. Given this info I wanted to ensure that I went to a place that would take this into account.
Day of Surgery: The front desk staff had me fill out my paperwork and had me back on the table within 15 minutes! I remembered being disappointed that I couldn’t sit and play games on my iPhone. I get very little downtime with what I do. They made sure I was comfortable. Dr. Lucente respects your time and sticks to the schedule so your loved ones aren’t stuck waiting for hours. He had me answer a question and before I could finish I was out like a light. I woke up shortly after with some gauze in my mouth feeling better-​than-​ever! (probably a little to do with the happy drugs) The estimate they gave me was the same as all the other places I had spoken to. I think that the cost is pretty much the same across DFW. I also believe you get what you pay for so if you found someone giving it to you for half of the cost you’re probably going to missing a piece of your jaw along with 4 weeks of work (like my brother when he went to a different place). I appreciated the office being open and honest with me when I had questions about insurance and my co-​pay. Sometimes people don’t appreciate being told they can’t get something for free.
I’m so glad I got them taken care of. Dr. Lucente said the surgery would be very simple and easy, and he was right!!. The only complication I had was that I had to eat pudding that day (which I don’t really care for). But hey, not a bad problem to have! I was eating somewhat-​solid foods within 24 hours. Mashed potatoes, soups etc.
Fast forward after the surgery. I didn’t have any open wounds. He was able to give me stitches and I had very little bleeding. I haven’t felt any other pain or discomfort since the removal! I have referred 8 people to this office and they had very good results too! I am proud to have this office in my rolodex as it makes me look good to my friends for referring them to such a good place.
Day of the surgery, My Step-​Dad took me to the appointment and waited for me in the waiting room. It didn’t take very long so he was happy too!
After the surgery, I was given instructions on how to wash my mouth and what I could eat. My family held me accountable. Since I didn’t have any pain and very little swelling they had to remind me that I couldn’t have some of my favorite foods yet. I didn’t have to call for follow-​up. I healed up nicely and have gone on with my life!
I highly recommend Dr. Lucente and his team!

Short review:
They want your money and they do not care about your well being.
I went here for a simple wisdom teeth extraction (3 teeth). The estimate they gave me was pretty high. I spoke to the office about that and they stated that it was normal. I was in pain so I didn’t think to check the physician reviews here. Dr. JL said the surgery would be very simple and easy so I booked quickly. I asked about complications and he said that I would not have any due to such an easy case.
Fast forward after the surgery. I have TMJ and also had a bone spur appear. My right ear hurts when I travel (flights) and also hurts when I do a lot of chewing (pizza, etc).
Initially the doctor told me they would take care of the bone spur at no additional cost, but later changed his mind and said I would have to pay again. He even stated if I waited until next year, I would have benefits again in my insurance so I could come back then.
I had to get a 3^rd-​party company involved. After speaking to two other local physicians, I realized they mis-​coded the surgery. It should’ve been a extraction for a fully erupted tooth. Instead they filed it as an soft-​tissue impacted wisdom teeth. Which do you think costs more money? Initially I thought it was a mistake on their behalf, but after this ordeal I’m pretty certain they knew exactly what they were doing. They contacted me 3 months after surgery and said I had an unpaid balance. They said that I still owed another $ 100. I visited their office 3 times after the surgery and none of those times did they notify me of this. Supposedly they had the wrong mailing address. Afraid of it going to collections, I paid immediately.
Other points:
Day of the surgery, I was told that my payment amount increased. This is minutes before my surgery and they asked «Do you still want to go through with it?» — This is after I and my GF took the day off. Why didn’t they call the day before when I could’ve made appropriate changes had I decided not to?
After the surgery, I was given instructions in Spanish.
I called the office several times due to the pain I was having. I wanted to speak to the nurse, but the receptionist would discourage me and say things like «You know pain is normal?»
I was reading the «waiver» form before the surgery and I was rushed into the room. I signed the form in the OR room instead of the reception area. They were in a rush to get it over with. I didn’t get to read it thoroughly.

Absolutely the worst customer service I have received from a dental services office. Never was introduced to the actual oral surgeons nor allowed to contact them during the consultation process when I had questions. Was told the preapproval could take up to two weeks and when I called three weeks later I was told they were still waiting for the insurance company. In fact, I found that they had never submitted the preapproval request in the first place. When I tried to straighten things out with Metroplex I got the run-​around being told I needed to talk to one person and then another none of whom ever called back because the «office manager» always was at another office. And then after three months of this wrangling and having an appointment set, they called three days before the surgery to say that they have decided to no longer accept our insurance.

As a general dentist in the area, I have been referring to Metroplex Oral Surgery for years. My patients always come back pleased with their experience. Therefore, when my own fiancé had a difficult wisdom tooth case that needed to be handled, I knew exactly where to go. She is always very nervous about everything, but Dr Lucente and his staff were very friendly and made her feel very comfortable. Dr Lucente did a fantastic job with the extractions. He was very fast and she did not have any discomfort whatsoever. She was back at work the next day doing great. Thank you to Dr. Lucente and the entire Metroplex Oral Surgery team!