Dr. Ken Cirka, DMD - Gentle Dentistry

Requires illegal/unenforcible contract. I need a new dentist and was about to Try Dr. Cirka - but have read all of these reviews AND the Ars Technica article about him requiring patients to sign away the right to comment on their experiences there.

The thing is, it;s not legal to do that nor is it enforceable.…

don't go to dr. cirka!. So, I went to Dr. Cirka because I needed a new dentist after changing insurance plans. I filled out the usual forms...HIPPA, basic info, allergies, etc. Then came the form where I was supposed to sign away my right to ever write something like this. Of course I'd never signed one of these when going to other countless doctors and dentists. So, I asked the office manager if this was really necessary and she was incredibly surprised anyone would have an issue with this. She brought be back to the office, since other people were in the waiting room who must have signed this form. Anyway, I left, feeling really confused and annoyed...I'd taken off of work, wasted my time, and didn't get to see the dentist. I was made to feel like my refusal to sign this was unreasonable.

Then, tonight, I was reading the Huffington Post, and I read this an article about this same doctor, and another patient who had a similar experience (but is clearly a journalist and more informed than me when it comes to these legal issues.) I wish I could insert the link, but Yelp won't allow that. Just google "dr ken cirka ars technica" and you'll find the article.

Remember, each of the below positive reviews is unbalanced by the other side...because Dr. Cirka could sue them if they gave anything other than a raving review.

Dr. Cirka: get rid of this form before you get rid of all your patients.…

BE WARNED: UNTRUSTWORTHY SALESMEN! USE SEVERE CAUTION. Checking out all the mixed reviews I took a chance and made an appointment, actually telling them that I had not been to the dentist in a couple of years just to see if they were really going to attempt to sell me something (when actually I have good upkeep with my teeth and my last dentist has never claimed any problems).

First off, when you come in you can tell there is something a little flaky about the staff’s personalities and that their ‘kindness’ is not really genuine. I go get my cleaning done and the hygienist mentioned that I haven’t been to the dentist in a few years and that she can tell because she feels I need a lot of periodontal maintenance, possibly a night guard. Dr. Cirka came in to repeat the message only to make me realize the reviewers were right, this place is shady. To make matters worse on my way out I overheard the front desk talking to another patient who asked where a former doctor and receptionist was- they replied “Oh, we make changes to our staff often” which goes to show if Dr. Cirka can’t even commit to his own staff, how trustworthy can this guy really be?

I was then sent to pay my bill to which they then made me discuss my “treatment plan to get me healthy” as well as the overwhelming amount. Not only was this itinerary of procedures total b.s. but also the phony and abrasive office manager made me feel really uncomfortable with her high-pressured sales tactics as well as her ill-fitted outfit that kept flashing her unappealing lady parts (barf)!

Overall you can tell that they only care about the money and will make bogus evaluations just to empty your wallets. If you really want to take a chance on this place (which I really don’t recommend) then do what I did, tell them that you haven’t maintained good upkeep and see what they say to you... with any place it's always good measure to get a second opinion before signing any agreements or putting any money down. But save yourself the awkwardness and go to a legitimate dentist who doesn’t ask for their money upfront.…

Be careful, very Deceiving. I always dislike going to the dentist and after I went to Dr. Circa’s office, I hate it even more. My first visit was expensive. I’m a new patient and they didn’t offer me any discounts rate. I have to pay around $200 just to get my teeth check. I wish they could’ve told me the cost before doing anything to my teeth. I regretted going to this place, because now I have to live with what is left from the procedure I had done awhile back. At my first visit, I was very impress with the staff and the place. After seeing the hygienist, she said I have periodontal disease and will need scaling done to take care of it. The overall cost for that is $1500. I hesitate after she mentioned the cost because I don’t even know if my insurance will pay for it. They said that my insurance would probably pay 50% of the cost. Unfortunately, when I get the bills, my insurance only paid $125 out of the total cost because they never send a complete x-ray to my dental. This makes me very upset. Not just that, ever since I got the scaling done, my teeth become more sensitive to the hot and cold weather / food. They also created a small gap between my teeth and gum. The little gap wasn’t there before. I feel a lot of pain now. Overall, I not satisfied at all. I would NOT recommend this place to anyone. Yes, they are nice but they are deceiving in trying to get money from you. Instead of giving you time, they want to see you asap because they don’t want you to go elsewhere.

After I got the scaling done, they said I have to go see a periodontist to get another check-up on the gum disease. So I did what I was told. After seeing the periodontist, they found more issues with my teeth and gum. They said I will need to get the laser treatment and the cost for that is truly expensive. As much as I want to get my gum treated and to obtain a beautiful smile, I will have to wait until I have the money. What makes me extremely upset is that, I could’ve saved $1500 from the scaling. If I’m going to need to get the laser treatment, why then I need the scaling? See, Dr. Cirka and his staff didn’t give you that option. They said that scaling will take care of my periodontal disease but that is not what the periodontist said.

I can’t express how upset I am. I work hard for my money and here I am, paying for something that my money is not even worth paying for. I feel like I’m being scammed. Only if I wasn’t that easy to be manipulated, then I could’ve saved myself a grant. Only if I waited and see a periodontist first, then I don’t have to blame myself for not being careful enough. Dr. Circa and his staff don’t let you know more than what you should know. They didn’t let me know that after the scaling, I might have to get another treatment. They only tell you what they want you to hear and know.

I find it hard to find a dentist who is honest about the health of the patient. I don’t even know where should I go or whom should I trust, but definitely not Dr. Circa and his staff. They are nice people but the service is way too expensive. They speak the truth but they exaggerate your condition so that you can get whatever needs to be done. I was feeling pressure. Not to mention, the scaling hurt like crazy.

Be careful. Make sure you ask them a lot of questions before getting anything done. Do your research first before making your final decision. IF you don’t ask them, then you will never find out!…