Phinney Ridge Dental

Update 7/19: Upon checking my husband’s billing account it appears the office has appropriately removed the double service billing. No email or phone call has been received to apologize or inform us of the correction. Original Post 7/17: My husband and I were loyal patients at Phinney Ridge Dental for four years and truly appreciated the care we received from the doctors and hygienists. However, our experience with their billing and front desk team has been deeply disappointing, and it’s the reason for this review. In February 2024, my husband received a filling from Dr. Bryant. The service was covered by our insurance, with a $68 copay due at the time. We had Aetna insurance, which is listed on Phinney Ridge Dental’s website as a plan they accept. We had also previously confirmed directly with the office that they accepted our plan. Unfortunately, we later discovered that Dr. Bryant was not credentialed with Aetna—a recurring issue at the clinic. Claims submitted under his name were denied as out-of-network, while those under Dr. Bickel were accepted. As such the February 2024 filling claim under Dr Bryant was denied by our insurance and the clinic insisted we owed them the remaining amount in addition to our copay paid at the time of the appointment, totaling $268 for a service covered by our insurance but denied because it was sent under Dr Bryant. After much back and forth with the billing team (who were difficult to communicate with), and despite my husband clearly explaining that the service was covered, we were repeatedly pressured to pay for the service “because it was not covered by insurance.” Dr. Bickel eventually stepped in via email and promised to resubmit the claim under his name so it could be properly processed. The clinic even sent an official communication to patients acknowledging the credentialing issue with Dr. Bryant and assuring us that claims would temporarily be submitted under Dr. Bickel until the matter was resolved. We believed the issue was closed—until this month, July 2025, when my husband received a $268 bill in the mail. Upon reviewing our insurance claims and billing history, we found that the office had resubmitted the February 2024 filling under Dr. Bickel in July 2024, and the claim had been processed and covered by insurance at that time. My husband had a routine cleaning in July 2024 with Dr. Bickel, and the February filling was tacked onto that claim. He was not asked to pay a copay in July because he had already paid it in February. Now, the clinic is trying to bill us again for the same filling—effectively double-charging for a single service—and refuses to acknowledge the error. They are not returning phone calls, and the billing team continues to state we owe $268 simply because “insurance didn’t cover it,” even though insurance did, in fact, process the service in July 2024. Essentially, they are trying to collect both the unpaid balance from the original February 2024 claim (denied under Dr. Bryant) and the copay from the reprocessed July 2024 claim under Dr. Bickel—for the exact same service. My husband initially paid the $68 copay again earlier today in an effort to resolve the matter before we realized it was for the same service already paid for. We are now owed a $68 refund and have reported the charge as fraud to our credit card company. Aside from the clear issue of attempting to receive double payment for the same procedure, it’s also concerning that the February service was re-billed in July, because this will delay future coverage for work on that same tooth. We’ve tried repeatedly to resolve this in good faith, but the billing practices here are, at best, negligent—and at worst, intentionally deceptive. It’s left us feeling taken advantage of and extremely disappointed. I truly wish this wasn’t how our long-standing relationship with Phinney Ridge Dental ended. Patients deserve honest, transparent billing, and when mistakes happen on the provider’s side, it should not fall on the patient to pay the price—twice.

I honestly don't know how this practice is getting such good reviews. I would put 0 stars if I could. My husband and I recently switched to this clinic and they have messed up our billing and claims 4 times! I can understand once, but the ongoing incompetence has me finding a new provider. When my husband was seen, they did not charge him for his regular cleaning, but also forgot to send the bill to insurance. When i had my cleaning and then fillings done, they told me I had to pay over $800 for my appointment. I said "that seems like a lot" and they said that they had estimates from insurance for what I would owe and would refund the difference later. Come to find out when I get home that I should have 90% coverage and even with the estimate, I should have paid only $150 for my visit instead. They explained that they had never billed my husband's routine visit, so they had me pay 100% of it, which is why the bill was so high, but alas we have 100% coverage for routine work. We made sure the claims were filed and now have accurate numbers for what we owe and they owe us over $500 after all is said and done, but they have not refunded our money back after multiple calls, texts, and emails. TODAY, they laughed on the phone when called and don't seem to care that they have $500 of our money for services we should not be out of pocket for. I'm sorry, but $500 is significant and makes a difference. I don't appreciate the lack of professionalism, explanation, and mockery for normal dental procedures. I have had many dentists in my life of 39 years, but this is the worst handling bills I have ever had and would not recommend anyone goes here.

Every time I come for an appointment all the office staff are incredibly welcoming and friendly. Just as important in this current environment, I feel incredibly safe and comfortable when entering the office, due to the safety procedures they have put in place. Dr. Bickel creates an atmosphere of calm, especially for my young children, when you are in the chair and is sure to explain everything that he is doing especially when further treatment is planned. I am confident that all work that is scheduled is because it is necessary and it has always been done to a very high standard. The front office are also generous with their time in answering any questions that I have had and helping me understand insurance and out of pocket costs. I thoroughly recommend them