Patients: LaGrange dentist owes money, isn't showing up for appointments

TROUP COUNTY, Ga. — A Troup County woman says she can’t locate her dentist after paying for a surgery that’s been rescheduled multiple times.

On Monday, Channel 2 Action News found several more patients and an ex-employee who say the dentist either owes them money or hasn't shown up for scheduled appointments.

“I’m hurt and I’m disappointed by him because I’ve never had this type of issue,” patient Janet Patillo said.

Patillo told Channel 2 investigative reporter Nicole Carr that she'd been a patient of Dr. James Tyrer for about a decade.

Patillo was in an accident that caused her to lose a bottom tooth. She says her surgery with Dr. Tyrer has been canceled and rescheduled five times since June 20, and she’s tried to get more than $700 in co-pay funds back since then.

Patillo told her an office assistant at Tyrer’s practice off Greenwood Street said she wasn’t authorized to issue the refund, and Tyrer has been in and out of the office with “personal issues.”

"I’m still a consumer and you owe me, you know, services that I paid for and if you’re unable to fulfill the agreement, just give me my money and go on,” Patillo said.

On Monday, Carr found three other patients and an ex-employee who say Tyrer either owes them money or did not show up for scheduled appointments.

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“I’ve been sittin’ here about 30 minutes waitin’ for someone to answer the door,” said Connie Folds, whose daughter drove her a half hour into town for Monday’s appointment. “They didn’t call me to let me know the appointment was canceled or anything.”

“I’ve had this crown in here for four months,” said another patient who did not want to be identified. That man said he was “mis-sized” for the crown and it needed to come out, but Tyrer wasn’t there for an afternoon appointment.

Another man said he was scheduled for a crown procedure, but found the doors locked and an ex-employee told Carr she was owed three weeks’ worth of pay.

When no one would pick up the phone at the practice and Carr found the locked doors, she headed to Tyrer’s home. A young man said the dentist was not home, and took a message.

There were no state dental board licensure or complaint issues against Tyrer recorded online, nor any civil matters recorded in the Troup County magistrate court where Patillo said local police told her to take her complaint.

She is now scheduled for her procedure with another dentist.

“I pray that all is well if he’s going through something serious; however, what’s going on with me is business and he’s making it personal now," Patillo said. “Just to release my funds and let’s go about this the correct way.”

Cox Media Group