1 /5 Sarah Tidd: I recently visited the hazel dell dental office, with Dr. Tony Bassili. Unfortunately, it was one of the most stressful and painful experiences I’ve ever had. The dentist displayed terrible bedside manner and seemed more focused on money than patient care. Simple gestures like saying “hello,” “hold on a moment,” or “good job” would have made a huge difference, but instead, his communication was blunt and dismissive.
A year ago, I couldn’t afford treatment and had been dealing with pain since then. When I asked if I could just get a filling, he abruptly said no and offered only two options: pulling the tooth or a root canal—without any explanation. When I returned for treatment, he was equally blunt, saying, “up, still need a root canal. Finally ready to take care of it? Considering I had to pay over $2,000 out of pocket, his attitude felt rude and insensitive.
The assistant, Laura, was kind but seemed inexperienced or unprepared. She struggled with the chair, bumped into me multiple times during the procedure, and didn’t have the necessary tools ready. The dentist himself scared me by abruptly moving the chair without warning and administering shots in my mouth without saying a word. He was rough, and one of the shots was so forceful I nearly threw up. Afterward, he left the room without a word, only to be blunt with another patient across the hall, which I could overhear.
When he returned, he didn’t check if I was numb before starting to drill. I had my eyes closed and didn’t even realize he was there until he began. Throughout the procedure, he barked at Laura constantly, creating a tense and chaotic environment. At one point, someone entered the room to talk to him about another patient, and he stopped working on me entirely to address them—without even acknowledging me.
I have severe anxiety, which I had informed them about, and I paid extra for nitrous oxide to help manage it. Despite this, the experience was overwhelming. At one point, the dentist grabbed my chin and throat area for leverage without warning, adding to my discomfort. My husband, Gerald, was in the room with me and was appalled by the entire ordeal.
This was the most stressful dental experience I’ve ever had, and the pain was unbearable. I know good care is possible because my previous dentist at another location was gentle, communicative, and made me feel at ease. This office, however, fell far short of those standards.
