Dr. Ferlito = Great. Dr. Badalamenti = Not Great.
Our experience with Dr. Ferlito was excellent. She took the time to explain a clear treatment plan, answered our questions, and was very kind. We were told our daughter would need teeth removed, followed by an expander, and then braces.
We followed that plan and had her teeth removed. At the follow-up appointment, we saw Dr. Badalamenti instead. He briefly looked at her teeth, spoke mostly with his assistant, barely acknowledged my wife, and then told us to come back in nine months. There was no explanation for why the treatment plan had suddenly changed or why the expander was no longer being recommended. We left the appointment frustrated, confused, and wondering why we had just gone through the extractions if nothing else was going to happen.
At our daughter’s next dental appointment, our dentist asked whether she was seeing an orthodontist. When we explained that we had been told to wait nine months, our dentist was surprised and recommended getting a second opinion.
We did—and it completely confirmed our concerns.
Both Dr. Ferlito, our dentist, and the new orthodontist all agreed on the same course of treatment. The new orthodontist was actually shocked that our daughter had not already received an expander. She is now starting that treatment immediately, with braces to follow.
It was astonishing that three different professionals independently reached the same conclusion, while Dr. Badalamenti’s recommendation was completely different and left us without any explanation.
My advice to anyone is simple: if something doesn’t feel right or a treatment plan suddenly changes without a clear explanation, don’t hesitate to get a second opinion. It made all the difference for our family.