Dr. Andrew Brown Orthodontics - Fleming Island

1 out of 5 stars★★★★★

“Don't judge this office by your first visit—judge it by your LAST. Everyone is nice when they're trying to earn your business. Our experience changed dramatically once my son's Invisalign treatment was paid for and nearing completion. At his previous visit, my son said he was unhappy because his bite/jaws did not feel properly aligned and he was experiencing tightness. His concerns were essentially dismissed and we were expected to sign off that treatment was complete. At today's final appointment, my son brought up the same concern again. From that point forward, the interaction with Dr. Brown became extremely uncomfortable. He appeared irritated, and my son later told me that the doctor's demeanor and the way he was working on him made him so nervous that he actually considered asking for someone else to finish the appointment. My son is normally NOT afraid of the dentist. What concerned me most was the removal of the Invisalign attachments/adhesive. Material was being removed with a rotary instrument, creating debris/powder, yet for most of the procedure there was no suction being used and no intermittent rinsing despite my repeatedly asking about it. My son has asthma. He told me afterward that he could feel pieces and powder in his mouth and felt material going toward/into his nose. When I asked several times if he could rinse, I was told that he would rinse at the end. An assistant eventually came over and began using suction near the end, after she apparently heard me expressing my concerns. What disturbed me even more was how his pain was handled. Each time my son reacted or cried out, Dr. Brown repeatedly told him what he was feeling was just “vibration.” My son was very clear afterward that he was experiencing sharp, nerve-like tooth pain—not simply vibration. His gums were also struck/pulled multiple times. At one point the instrument slipped and hit another tooth hard enough that I heard the impact and my son cried out. I sincerely hope there was no damage to his enamel, tooth, or gums. By the time we left, my son told me that his stomach hurt and that the entire experience had made him extremely nervous. I spent the appointment repeatedly expressing concerns and felt that they were largely disregarded. I was also shocked to see a large dog freely roaming throughout the open-concept dental treatment area, approaching and licking people. I like dogs, but a healthcare facility performing dental procedures is not the appropriate environment for an animal to be wandering through patient treatment areas. Dental offices are subject to infection-control and sanitation requirements, and I genuinely question how allowing a roaming dog in this environment is consistent with those standards. I also have to mention that Dr. Brown has had noticeably unpleasant breath on multiple visits. When someone is working inches from a patient's face, particularly in the dental profession, that is extremely uncomfortable and should not be an ongoing issue. The assistants and the staff have generally been pleasant. My disappointment is specifically with Dr. Brown and how my son's concerns and final treatment were handled. I cannot say what motivated the change in attitude, but once treatment was paid for, we certainly felt like getting us finished and out the door mattered more than listening to my son's concerns. After completing an entire Invisalign treatment, I expected my son's remaining concerns about his bite to be heard and his final appointment to be handled carefully and professionally—not for him to leave anxious, hurting, and telling me he wished someone else had treated him. Our final experience was hugely disappointing, and unfortunately it completely changed the impression we had formed earlier in his treatment. So my advice to prospective patients is simple: don't judge this office by your first appointment. Judge it by the last one. Everyone can make a good impression while earning your business. What matters is how you are treated after they already have it.”