Aspen Dental

Beware! Chris Arena is dangerous. 100% Truth on Dr. Chris Arena, DDS - Aspen Dental, Latham, NY. He told me he would do a good job for me over the telephone. While preparing #14 for a filling, he aggressively drilled away all of my healthy gum tissue between #14 & #15. At follow-up, he denied responsibility and suggested that I see a periodontist. That specialist was disgusted to learn that Arena had removed all gum tissue and explained that the damage was irreparable. After many years of pain despite constant maintenance, I subsequently lost #15 after an extremely expensive dual zirconium bridge placement (spanning #14 & #15) failed due to the missing gum tissue. Recurring long-term low-grade infections and ongoing bone recession persist despite routine hygienist visits and thorough home-maintenance. There is no end in sight, with a continuum of thou$ands in dental treatment outlay over many years. All concerted efforts to reverse the damage continue to fail. He owns every aspect of this painful and expensive waking nightmare despite his denial. Even still, bone loss continues due to Mr. Arena's dismal capabilities. Now, #14 must be extracted in lieu of allograft bone restoration to accept a titanium post implant to support an artificial tooth. Replacement of #15 would be impossible without a complex surgical sinus lift, allograft and artificial tooth. Thanks for your conscientious care CHRIS! Best wishes to seekers of truly qualified dentists.

Hi-ho all. On Dec. 15th or there about, Dr. Dermody preformed a procedure on me at the Pittsfield, MA 'Aspen Dental' clinic. The surgery was for the removal of my BAD bottom teeth- all of them!... followed by the shaving down of the left and right sides of my jawbone to 'level out' the line from left-to-right, due to my middle area having lost quite a bit of bone due to my non-care, followed by the implantation of two standard size stems, or rods, that eventually my new bottom plate will SNAP onto. Oh_ be sure to stock-up on your favorite soups and crackers that easily go soft in the soup, cause you are NOT going to be using any teeth right away. I was sedated (LOVE MY DRUGS!) so I have NO recollection of the whole ordeal. I woke up a bit loopy, and eventually got my self safely home. Now that I have gotten past the OWE factor (they gave me oxy-something that REALLY helped the pain!) and the god-awful bruising that was ALL THE WAY down my throat on both sides, I can say that all went well. Yup, once ya' get past the pain-days and that bruising period... totally gone in about eight-to-ten days... it DOES get better. The reason for this posting to to let others know that Dr. Dermody has given me the impression that he really cared about the questions and concerns I expressed, and he took the time, that he could (seems someone or some agency dictates the time-frame regarding his interactions with patients), to explain to me things I asked about. I also noted that he did not once, at least not that I could see, give the impression that he needed to hurry things along and get on with his next whatever. And, while I really have no clue regarding anything other than what I have personally experienced, I would feel 100% confident in his being THE ONE to preform any other procedures that my mouth might need in the future. I guess the bottom line is_ I like him! Any of you contemplating having a procedure like mine, please ASK QUESTIONS if just starting your dental journey, regarding having drastic procedures done on you. As for 'Aspen Dental', don't do as I did, waiting for things to be spelled-out for me. No one there took the time to EXPLAIN what I was in for, regarding the PAIN and that darn BRUISING. I personally think patients should be shown the typical results that they might see in the mirror one-to-three days later. My surgery was on Monday, and until I got in the car the next Wednesday for a follow-up visit, I had NOT looked into a mirror to have a look-see; just stayed in bed or down to the kitchen for some soup. Oh, the bathroom on the third floor where the bedroom is does not have a mirror where you can see your face when passing by it. Any who, when I went to adjust the rear-view mirror Wednesday, it almost shocked the poop out of me when I saw the bruising!!! I wish the 'crew' there had been as understanding as the doctor who did the deed. Don't get me wrong regarding 'Aspen'... really nice folks there and all_ just wish SOMEONE had told me more of what to expect after the procedure. Thank you, Dr. Dermody! :-) Michel J. Gaudet