Blooming Smiles Pediatric Dentistry

The WORST pediatric dental practice I have ever experienced. Do NOT bring your child here. This experience was absolutely terrible for my son. My son was seen for an emergency exam due to a chipped tooth that was actively causing infection. During the exam, Dr. Arpita also diagnosed additional treatment needs that were less severe, alongside the chipped tooth and infection. Instead of clearly reviewing all treatment options, she immediately pushed general anesthesia sedation and proceeded to schedule my child for it without discussing or offering less invasive alternatives. I am a pediatric dental assistant and based on my professional experience, my own research, and the cooperation of my child, I chose to proceed with in office treatment under nitrous oxide, which is significantly less invasive. I contacted the office multiple times to update my son’s treatment plan to reflect this. Each time, I was dismissed, given the runaround, and treated as if my concerns did not matter. The office then attempted to prioritize non urgent treatment before treating the emergency chipped tooth that was infected. They wanted to treat the chipped tooth last, which is unacceptable. After further advocating to treat the chipped tooth first, we were told the treatment plan had been corrected to fit the treatment, so we made an appointment only to arrive and find it was still incorrect. I had to insist they fix the plan. During treatment, Dr.Arpita was absolutely horrible toward my child. She did not acknowledge him, speak to him, or provide any reassurance while he was in the chair. She used two cartridges of anesthetic, but it was poorly applied and failed to properly numb the area. She even attempted to delay treatment, claiming my son was gagging, when in reality the isolation device was repeatedly pushed too far back into his throat, which directly caused the gag reflex. She then forcefully pulled the tooth, causing my child significant and unnecessary pain knowing he wasn’t numb. This should’ve never happened, especially after administering that much anesthetic. After the procedure, Dr. Arpita abruptly left the room with no post op instructions, no follow up, and no concern for my child’s well being. Instead, she stated that remaining treatment must be completed under general anesthesia sedation and refused to continue care in office. At every step, she prioritized her own frustration and feelings over providing appropriate and compassionate patient care. This doctor showed no patience, empathy, or professionalism toward my child. This practice claims to provide holistic care, but nothing about this experience reflected that. The care was aggressive, dismissive, and heavily focused on pushing general anesthesia sedation rather than what was truly best for the patient. As someone who works in pediatric dentistry, I can confidently say this level of care was unacceptable. This was hands down the worst pediatric dental office I have ever encountered.

This office was recommended to me in a local Lake Norman moms group as a good option for getting a second opinion for my 3-year-old. My concern was being rushed into putting her under anesthesia just to take scans and do a filling. I work in healthcare, and I am very intentional about getting second opinions before making decisions like that for my child. When I called, I explained my daughter was having pain in a back molar and that I wanted a second opinion before moving forward with sedation. The receptionist was pleasant and willing to schedule until I asked one question. I asked if the practice accepted Medicaid because another mom in the group had asked me, not because my daughter is on Medicaid. The tone immediately changed. I was told they do not accept Medicaid, which I said was fine. After that, she refused to schedule my daughter at all. I explained multiple times that my daughter is NOT on Medicaid and that we would be self pay. She then stated word for word that it would be “illegal” to schedule my child because “Medicaid would find out we accepted her.” That statement is false and frankly concerning. To be clear: my child is not a Medicaid patient. I was asking for someone else. Had I never asked that question, my daughter would have been scheduled without issue. The refusal was based solely on the mention of the word “Medicaid,” despite us being self-pay. I’m not leaving this review to attack the practice, but this interaction was unprofessional, inaccurate, and inappropriate. I hope the office addresses how these calls are handled, because parents should not be dismissed or denied care for asking a simple question. It is absolutely normal for a Medicaid patient to seek private care by the way.

Dr. Arpita and her staff are simply the best. They are attentive and caring, always making my daughters comfortable at their cleanings and procedures. Dr. Arpita is knowledgeable and considerate. She will make suggestions and recommendations for her patients, but is not pushy or overbearing. I highly suggest the practice!

Dr. Arpita is the best . I would highly recommend her to anyone with kids . She goes above and beyond making kids feel safe and comfortable. My daughter had terrible anxiety from another dental office before we found Dr Arpita. but she changed that for us and we are grateful. Her front desk staff are amazing too. Always polite and professional.

Dr. Patel and the Blooming Smiles staff took my traumatized child from difficult visits filled with anxiety to calm relaxed visits. Her staff is very attentive and caring which reflects the very spirit of Dr. Patel. She’s more than a dentist, she’s a loving parent taking care of our kids. We are so grateful to have Dr. Patel.