Smile Cascade

Maurice Townsend

A Nightmarish Experience at Smile Cascade Dentistry in Grand Rapids—Please Beware! I can’t even begin to express how utterly horrified and frustrated I am with my experience at Smile Cascade Dentistry in Grand Rapids. I came to this practice hoping to give my kids the best care, but instead, we’ve been met with nothing but neglect, unprofessionalism, and callous disregard for our time and well-being. It all started when my 16-year-old son was scheduled for a crown procedure. The office canceled the appointment due to a winter storm, which I completely understood. However, I never heard from them again. I thought they would follow up, as they had in the past, to reschedule, but no one ever did. Despite my busy schedule as a mom of five, I trusted them to take the lead on this, and I regret that decision more than anything. Fast forward a few weeks, and my son ends up with a horrific infection in that tooth. His jaw swelled to THREE TIMES its normal size, and he could barely eat for days. The infection was so bad that the urgent care doctor told me it could’ve been life-threatening if it spread further. I immediately reached out to Smile Cascade, desperate for help. But when I called, the woman on the phone was rude, dismissive, and downright callous. She told me they couldn’t schedule anything for him because “there were no emergencies,” despite my son’s condition being severe and clearly an emergency. When I insisted on speaking to a manager, I was finally told we could come in later that week.

We showed up on time, expecting the procedure to be done quickly. But instead, we were made to sit in the waiting room for nearly an hour and a half—no one said a word, no updates, no apologies. When the doctor finally came in, it felt like they were scrambling. My son still hadn’t been numbed, and they hadn’t even taken the necessary scans or pictures. No communication, no updates, no explanation. At this point, I was beyond frustrated. I had been there for over an hour, and we still hadn’t even started the procedure. I walked up to the front desk, hoping for some kind of answer, but instead, I was met with more rudeness. The same woman who had dismissed me earlier came up to me and told me I had no reason to complain because “the appointment wasn’t even two hours long yet”—despite us being there for nearly TWO HOURS with no care being given. I couldn’t believe how rude and disrespectful she was. Finally, the doctor came in, realizing our frustration, and explained that my son needed a root canal and would be referred to an endodontist. But guess what? The referral never came. No call, no email, no follow-up. My son’s infection started swelling up again, and I had to turn to urgent care to get him more antibiotics, just to manage the pain and swelling.

I followed up with Smile Cascade repeatedly, begging them to send the referral, but I was met with more delays, unreturned calls, and empty promises. A full WEEK went by before they even sent the referral to the endodontist, and by then, we had already lost precious time in treating my son’s infection. Two weeks later, I’m still dealing with the fallout from this nightmare. I have had to chase them every step of the way, while my son’s health has been on the line. I am beyond frustrated, exhausted, and angry at the lack of care and professionalism shown by this office. This could’ve been a great place for my kids’ dental care, especially because we were excited to have a Black dentist they could relate to. But now, I’m seriously reconsidering whether this practice is the right fit for us. The dentist who treated my daughters was great, but the behavior of the staff—especially the rude scheduler—is inexcusable. I’m sharing this in hopes that no one else has to go through the same dreadful experience. If you value your time, your health, and your peace of mind, stay far away from Smile Cascade Dentistry in Grand Rapids. You deserve better.

April 25, 2025

Alyssa Riemersma

All the staff I have interacted with have been the best. My daughter started off being nervous about going to the dentist, this last cleaning she didn't have a single worry and was very comfortable coming in. I am certain her positive experiences here are the reason why.

I have witnessed how the handle extremely anxious and nervous patients and have noticed they are extremely patient and kind, and do not push things further if a child is very clearly having severe anxiety. We have also gone to their partner practice daydreams and also had an amazing experience.

January 27, 2025

Hope Anderson

Very kind staff. I wished I had a dentist as a kid that was as great as the staff at smile cascade. My son is actually excited for dentist appointments! And wishes he could go back sooner.

He has had crowns and dental work done but is still excited to go in for appointments. They go along with the tooth fairy stuff and make my son feel like #1 when he's there! I recommend for anyone wanting to find a pediatric dentist. Waiting room is fun and children are able to explore while waiting for their appointment

March 7, 2025

Missy

Arrived for my appointment 15 mins early & was taking back within 5 minutes of waiting. Huge plus! Nice staff, clean facility. I love how they have tvs on the ceiling so the kiddos can watch something during exams. During my child’s appointment everything was explain thoroughly & answered any questions I had. Highly recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

May 12, 2025