Please Read if Your Kids Are Patients of Kids Teeth, LLC

[Anonymous]

The purpose of this forum is to share information - to see both sides of the story. I feel this has been done quite well. There are people who obviously love Dr. A and have had great experiences at his practice. On the flip side, there are people who have had some terrible experiences and feel cheated for their children.
Please poster 4/29 at 17:09 - don't accuse people of making up stories. People here have absolutely nothing to gain from this (I don't believe anyone here to be a pediatric dentist out to steal patients) and are merely trying to inform others - the purpose of this thread.

[Anonymous]

Jeff, I believe that there were two separate posters (and I swear I am a third, and not the same) becasue I also received Dr. Alalouf's letter this week--as did my neighbor to whom I recommended the practice. We both feel betrayed by the letter. I agree it must be hard, but feel that he should have at least acknowledged that there was more than his pursuing "education" and "family time". I am assuming that at the time he wrote the letter, perhaps he did not know that the facts would get out. I highly respected Dr. Alalouf for the last two years that I've taken my children to him. As one previous poster said, I could add to her case about Dr. Paryavi (also an area pediatric dentist) She initially insisted that my daughter would need to go to the hospital to treat "several cavities" and get x-rays done. I then took her to Dr. Alalouf, who was able to get x-rays without the trauma. I don't trust many pediatric dentists right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not a patient of Dr. Alalouf nor Dr. Barren, but this seems fishy to me that there is this much hype in the media and on these sites.

Dr Alaloof, I have a friendly piece of advice for you.

Subpoena the DCURBANMOMS website dedicated to you (Your attorney CAN do this), check these postings:

4/22 14:25

4/24 22:16

4/25 17:54

4/26 23:33 especially (you should have records, dont you think?)

4/27 19:17

4/27 19:51

4/28 11:44

4/28 14:18

4/28 16:26 especially (since so recent)

4/28 22:25

4/28 14:55

Make sure these are indeed patients of yours (and no one else), check out what they are saying, compare to your charts, there is something called SLANDER. If ONE of these postings are not true my friend, you are a very lucky man. Good luck.

I'm the poster from 04/28/2008 16:26 . My kids have been seen by Dr Alalouf for more than 2 years. The xrays and records are sitting on my kitchen counter right next to my toaster. I was considering getting a third opinion about my son's alleged cavities, but enough is enough. I was also trying to figure out if there is any point in reporting this to the dental board, since it seems like they already know what's going on. I expect it's the right thing to do.

[Anonymous]

I am the poster of two of the other posts and also have the records in my house. Good luck with your slander theory!

[Anonymous]

I LOVE HOW THE SECOND OPINION IS ALWAYS THE RIGHT ONE. IS THAT BECAUSE THE SECOND ONE IS WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR? I WOULD THINK IF YOU HAVE 2 DIFFERENT OPINIONS YOU WOULD GO FOR A THIRD.

[Anonymous]

"In 2000, then-Surgeon General David Satcher called tooth decay the most common chronic childhood disease in America, and experts say that's still true. Five times more common than asthma, it is estimated to affect more than half of all children before second grade. And decay hits poor children the hardest. Beth McKinney, a dental hygienist in Montgomery County's public health dental clinic, calls the tooth decay she sees "rampant."

Last year's death of a 12-year-old Prince George's County boy from an untreated dental infection called attention to the difficulty of finding care in poor neighborhoods. The boy's mother did not have dental insurance, and the child's Medicaid coverage had temporarily lapsed."

This is a few lines from Mary Otto's recent article.

I commend Dr. Alalouf, I'd rather be safe than sorry.........but go ahead and get that second opinion, save a buck or two.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I LOVE HOW THE SECOND OPINION IS ALWAYS THE RIGHT ONE. IS THAT BECAUSE THE SECOND ONE IS WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR? I WOULD THINK IF YOU HAVE 2 DIFFERENT OPINIONS YOU WOULD GO FOR A THIRD.

4/29/2008 19:05 Poster here. Setting aside the shouting, this is actually a good question that I've been thinking about. As I said, I was wondering if I should get a third opinion. I decided that if there were any really bad cavities the second dentist would have seen them. So at worst there might be some very small ones. Those (if they exist) could wait until the next checkup in a few months. From my own experiences as a child with bad teeth and adult with so-so ones, waiting to get a cavity filled isn't the end of the world. Perhaps I'm completely wrong -- any dental professionals care to comment?

[Anonymous]

I have been taking my oldest 3 children to Kids Teeth for 5 years and will soon be taking my 4th one too. I wouldn't dream of changing. Dr. A. and his staff have taken excellent care of my children. Dr. A. has seen us for emergency visits and he has always recommended and performed the highest quality treatment with integrity. He has said more than once that treatment is NOT necessary, when I thought that there may be a problem. My children actually look forward to going to the dentist thanks to his practice. He has given my children a start to a life time of good dental health without being afraid. Despite all this craziness going on, we have no plans to ever go anywhere else. To those thinking of changing, remember there are 2 sides to every story. You probably have not heard Dr. A's side as I believe he is not at liberty to completely discuss it due to confidentiality rules. Personally I called the office myself to discuss the situation and I would urge you to do the same before making a decision. If you have a problem or concern go to the source and handle things in a respectful and professional manner, just as you would appreciate the same type of treatment in return. To new potential families, I can't recommend this practice highly enough. Shannon L.

[Anonymous]

4/29/2008 19:05 Poster here. Setting aside the shouting, this is actually a good question that I've been thinking about. As I said, I was wondering if I should get a third opinion. I decided that if there were any really bad cavities the second dentist would have seen them. So at worst there might be some very small ones. Those (if they exist) could wait until the next checkup in a few months. From my own experiences as a child with bad teeth and adult with so-so ones, waiting to get a cavity filled isn't the end of the world. Perhaps I'm completely wrong -- any dental professionals care to comment?


It's me,the dental hygienist from page (4-5?); once again I will state my kids will continue with Kids Teeth! Your questions about 'waiting' on filling cavities. You can wait, that is your choice. But waiting on filling baby teeth is much riskier than waiting to fill adult teeth. Baby teeth decay much faster, so if you have a cavity it will 'grow' larger much faster and can become infected much easier. Besides the fact that it can be painful or sensative.

[Anonymous]

It is very helpful for me to learn that Dr. A indeed had 9 complaints against him at the board and he is on probation for what he did. 9 compliants is not a small number. Our whole family works in medical field. We know how hard it is for patients to know that something went wrong and it is even harder for them to prove it. There are probably many times of cases of unneccessary treatments than the 9 confirmed ones.

I will not take my kids to that office again.

[Anonymous]

I am a registered dental hygienist with 25 years of experience in dentistry. Twenty of those have been spent in pediatric dentrisry with various doctors depending on where I was living at the time. I have also spent some time in the manufacturing end of dentistry so I have alot of product knowledge. I have known Dr. Alalouf for a number of years and have always been impressed with his enthusiasm for dentistry, exemplary treatment of his fabulous staff, and caring attitude toward his patients and their parents.
I wonder how many of you are aware of the many beneficial things he does in his practice that are not discussed here and that the board didn't bother to inquire about. For example, how many of your dentists would spend thousands of dollars on a dental water line product that would prevent biofilms from forming in the handpieces and suction lines in their offices? Well, guess who did? Dr. Alalouf wanted to be sure that the biofilms were not an issue for the children that he treats.
How many of your doctors have ceased using Formocreosol (a known carcinogen) to treat teeth that require pulpotomies when biocompatible products are available and also reduce the treatment time for the child (the latter being of significant importance)? The alternative treatment having the same success rate as Formocreosol.
Dr. Alalouf attended a three-day CE seminar a few years back where the emphasis was on minimally invasive dentistry. He said, "those courses changed the way I do dentistry". Dr. Alalouf idolizes the dentist who presented this course, because it is so important to conserve tooth structure whenever possible. How many of your doctors have placed a stainless steel crown on your child's tooth when a more conservative filling might be acceptable....assuming it is age appropriate and there isn't a history of interproximal decay? Dr. Alalouf does very few crowns to be as conservative as possible. He could make alot more money if he did the crown. In addition, the crown procedure would take less time, but the conservative, more time consuming filling prevails. I find it difficult to believe that Dr. Alalouf would go to great lengths to be conservative and at the same time fill teeth unneccesarily.
Have all of your doctors switched to digital radiography to reduce exposure to radiation? Dr. Alalouf is on top of this, as well.
Dr. Alalouf uses the highest quality products rather than opting for cheapest stuff out there as many dentists do to increase their profit margin. He is very meticulous with his dental procedures and techniques and that is of utmost importance for the longevity of a restoration.
In pediatric dentistry there are many differing treatment philosphies regarding general anesthesia, sedations, nitrous oxide, local anesthesia, etc. Also, the dentist may question him/herself. Filling? Crown? Pulpotomy? Sometimes you don't know until you "get in there"....especially on a 2 year old that you are unable to get x-rays on. Nothing is wriiten in stone, as the say. In addition, every dentist knows that dentistry is NOT an exact science.
I have practiced in a few pediatric offices where we saw "second opinions". One of the docs would say to the parent, "don't tell me anything ...I want to come to my own conclusions". Guess what? The two treatment plans were not always identical. The reality is...it happens. I applaud the poster whose comment was, "why is the second opinion always the right one"? It's not. An educated person would get the third opinion if they are that uncertain of the information presented.
I would entrust my own dental care to Dr. Alalouf, but I am too old for his pediatric practice! What a shame!
For those of you who have concerns about Dr. Madani......your child will be in excellent hands. And, don't forget, Dr. Alalouf's wonderful staff is still there to care for your child in Dr. Alalouf's absence.
I applaud all of you with open minds and also those who realize that these situations are very difficult for all involved. I look forward to welcoming Dr. Alalouf back into the office at summer's end.

[Anonymous]

So, Dental Hygenist, you work for Dr. A?

[Anonymous]

I learned that WJLA is running a story on Dr. Alalouf tomorrow on the 5:00 news.

[Anonymous]

RDH from 22:15 here. I am not employed by Kids Teeth, but I am very familiar with the office and it's practices.

[Anonymous]

It's disappointing to hear about WJLA. I'm sure the segment will be VERY skewed, as are most media stories.