Dr. Yukti Gulati

12-17-24 On Nov, 7th, 24, I had an exam with Dr. Yukti Gulati at 4300 4th St No, S-A, St. Pete, FL 33703. After the exam & partial x-ray, it was determined I had a cracked #20 tooth, needing a crown. As I left, I confirmed for the 2nd time that I would see them again on Dec, 18th for my 2nd cleaning, which they ok'ed. I do not accept emails due to being bombarded by them in prior months, & my phone does not notify me of incoming. I do not have an answer serv because your office avoided speaking directly to me, letting the phone ring once & going to voicemail. The answ feature doesn’t work properly, & the messages are impossible to hear. Thus, I agreed to call to confirm appt. This seemed to aggravate your CS personnel, who used it in their explanation of "standard of care." I had also verified the appointment in Oct, as the CSR, had written Wednesday, 11-18-24, when I knew it was for Dec, pointing out that Nov, 18th was a Monday. So, I verified my appointment twice. I called 12-17 & was told, "We will have to cancel your appt, as Humana will not pay for a cleaning without an annual exam & x-rays," reiterating that my last was done in Sept, 2023. This was a lie as confirmed not true while speaking to Chris at Humana. Let's backtrack to Nov, 7th. After advising at the desk that I did not believe Humana would cover another major crown since they had just done a bridge, I did not make another appt. About 1.5 weeks later, I received a call from your office asking if I intended to proceed with the crown, as Dr. Gulati was leaving the country in two weeks. I advised against it, fearing being stuck with a temp, for too long & doubting Humana’s coverage. A week later, another CSR called, confident the crown would be covered, & asked if I wanted her to confirm. I questioned the need, given the doctor’s impending absence. She insisted another doctor would be available, & I reluctantly agreed. The pre-determination arrived, showing a $500.00 co-pay & partial coverage. I called Smile Design & was reassured that "the notice of denial of gingivectomy" would be included & covered. I started to scheduled the procedure, but was then told the filling-in doctor could only place the temp, crown & couldn’t guarantee completion, & Dr. Gulati will not finish another Dr's work. I was infuriated, wondering why they initiated this process. Meanwhile, my tooth began aching, forcing me to find another provider. I went to Klement Family Dental Old NE, seeking assistance with the crown before year-end due to pain. They initially agreed, but required another pre-determination, despite having one for a different doctor. Miscommunication led to further delays. By Dec,17th, I had to call Humana. Chris expedited the pre-determination, which was mailed on Dec,14th, 2024. I asked her to fax it for scheduling, which she did immediately. Afterward, Smile Design hung up during a conference call when I spoke loudly to get the CSR to answer Chris’s question. The CSR ended the call, citing my volume. SMILE DESIGN talks about their "standard of care," requiring annual exams & new x-rays, but allowed me to make & confirm appt, only to cancel them. What kind of "standard of care" is that? I made the appointment in July after the first cleaning, giving them nearly 5.5 months to address any needs. When I called & spoke to Amber, she blamed the situation on me for not accepting email or text, ignoring the fact they could call. They called twice about the crown (for big bucks) but didn’t inform me of any requirement, leaving me to face a canceled appt, because Dr. Gulati was out of the country. This shows their lack of concern or "standard of care." They should have called me or made an exception since I was recently examined by Dr. Gulati & held that appt, for over 5 months. As the saying goes, "When the cat’s away, the mice will play." It’s a shame these young hypocrites don’t understand the challenges Doctor's face representing insurance companies. They should all be fired.

First dental visit with Dr. Gulati and the staff on Central Ave in St. Pete. today. Everyone one I interacted with were pleasant and knowledgeable. I received excellent feedback about the condition of my teeth and what I could do to make the next visit better (Start wearing my night guard again). I highly recommend Smile Design Dentistry St. Pete if you need a new dentist.

The best dentist I ever had .. very knowledgeable, kind and honest