Lakewood Endodontics
Lakewood Endodontics
Dr. Sean Wittmer, DMD
I recently went to see Dr. Wittmer after a referral from my dentist to get a root canal. Note: this is the 2nd time I've gone to see him; I went to him for a separate root canal in 2018, which he successfully treated. However, this 2nd appointment I had with him was a totally different experience: Unfortunately, I have genetic periodontal bone loss issues, but with regular treatment & maintenance, I've been able to keep all my teeth. Therefore, I knew ahead of time from my dentist, that getting a successful root canal done on this particular tooth would be more challenging than when Dr. Wittmer did a root canal 8 years' ago on a different tooth. The 1st thing I noticed when I walked in was their almost rude insistence I pay for any Xrays they'd need to take before I left their office, vs giving me a pleasant, normal greeting to their office. My Xrays were very expensive b/c they had to do specialized 3D Xrays to properly see the amount of bone loss / find out if there was sufficient bone available for the root canal to be done. After viewing my Xrays, Dr. Wittmer was extremely curt & totally unempathetic in bluntly telling me I did NOT have enough bone available for him to do a root canal. He also didn't give me any kind of helpful or encouraging follow-up advice or information, with regard to best next steps, or what other possible options may still be available to me to save my infected tooth. As I was headed back to the front office, the woman at his front desk again promptly reminded me about paying for the Xrays before I left. It felt like ALL they cared about was getting paid immediately for their overpriced Xrays, instead of showing any empathy & concern for me, the patient. Leaving his office, I was thoroughly demoralized & upset, & unsure of what to do next. To kick it off, the very next day, I received a 2nd bill in the mail for additional Xray charges, which was the icing on the cake.
To summarize: Not wanting to lose the tooth, I persevered & found a wonderful Tacoma periodontist, Dr. K, who after a complete examination, was able to get me an immediate referral to "her" endodontist Dr. Elias, a highly skilled, competent & compassionate endodontist; due to Dr. Elias's prior consultation with Dr. K, she already concurred there WAS enough bone for her to go ahead with a successful root canal, so my tooth could be saved. I ended up paying almost $300 for Dr. Wittmer's Xrays, which were a complete waste of money, as they can't be RE-used by any other dental professional. Fortunately, I found out there are much better qualified AND much more compassionate endodontists out there than Dr. Wittmer - I definitely do NOT recommend him.