Hi there,
I want to share my personal experience with Raga Ortodoncia, a well-known orthodontic clinic in Valencia, because I believe that when we are talking about dental treatments and expensive treatment plans, it is important to be able to read real experiences before making decisions.
During a temporary stay in Valencia, the wire of my fixed retainer broke after I had completed my orthodontic treatment years earlier.
I decided to look for an option to solve the problem and at that time I only read the positive reviews.
I contacted several clinics making it clear from the beginning that I needed a quick solution because it was an emergency, I was leaving the country a few days later, I did not live in Spain, and I was not looking to start a new orthodontic treatment or become a regular patient.
From the very beginning I clearly explained that my only intention was to replace the broken wire, get a new retainer made, and nothing else.
However, the consultation ended up developing in a very different way from what I expected.
During the visit they started taking photographs and doing a very extensive evaluation even though I had clearly explained that I was only there because of a problem with my fixed retainer. Personally, this surprised me because I felt that the consultation was starting to focus on a much broader evaluation than what was necessary for the specific reason I had gone there.
Later, the doctor reviewed my case and one of the options suggested was to leave the broken wire as it was and simply monitor the situation later if my teeth started moving. In other words, leave the broken wire in place because apparently that was what he did with his patients, and if the teeth moved, then I would need orthodontic treatment again.
What logic does that even make?
That made me feel very insecure because I had gone there specifically looking to replace a damaged wire. From my point of view, if the fixed retainer had originally been placed to keep the teeth in position, the logical thing would be to replace it properly and not wait for the teeth to move and potentially have to spend 4000 euros on a new orthodontic treatment.
From that point on, the conversation started focusing on other aspects related to how horrible was my bite, the position of my teeth, and the certainty that I would need orthodontics again in the future. Honestly, the whole situation felt surreal to me.
After hearing all of that, I personally felt that they wanted to leave the broken wire in place on purpose so my teeth would eventually move and I would then have to pay for another orthodontic treatment.
Eventually, after I insisted on changing the broken wire, they told me they needed to prepare an estimate and that I would need to come back another day.
This happened after I had made it very clear — repeatedly — that they needed to replace the wire and make the retainer on the same day. The only reason I had gone to this clinic was because they had confirmed over the phone that they could do it.
When I saw the estimate, I was honestly shocked by the total amount and the different charges included.
According to the document they gave me:
- the removal and replacement of the upper fixed retainer cost 250€,
- the upper removable retainer cost 190€,
- and there was also an additional charge of 200€ for “doctor visit costs.”
In other words, a consultation intended solely to solve a broken wire problem was going to cost 640€.
Supposedly, those 200 euros for “doctor visit costs” included a one-year guarantee. Had they not understood that I did not live in Spain?
Some time later I posted a review explaining my experience and received a response from the clinic stating that the 200€ corresponded to the total of the necessary visits with the doctor and not to a single individual consultation.
But how many visits were actually necessary for the doctor to replace the broken wire and make a retainer?
Obviously I never went back because I felt they had misled me by saying they would replace the wire and make the retainer the same day, they had wasted my time with photographs and other things, they had not solved the actual problem, and on top of that they had given me what I considered an absurdly expensive estimate.
Later on I also reviewed the Raga Ortodoncia reviews on Google Maps more carefully and found several negative reviews from other users describing unsatisfactory experiences.
Some of those reviews mentioned alleged difficulties keeping certain negative reviews published or claimed that the clinic encouraged patients to leave positive reviews through promotions or benefits related to teeth whitening treatments.
Reading those types of reviews reinforced my feeling of distrust and made me feel more comfortable with my decision not to continue there.
Shortly afterwards I noticed that my review had temporarily disappeared from Google Maps. At the time I had the impression that it had been reported, although obviously I cannot know exactly what happened internally or who initiated the process.
I decided to appeal the removal because the review described a real experience I had personally lived as a patient. Eventually, the review became visible again on Google Maps.
After that I also received many phone calls and later an email from the clinic. In that email, Javier Raga once again explained their version regarding the estimate, said he regretted that my experience had been negative, and politely asked me if I could “tone down” the review because it made the clinic seem “like the worst.”
Personally, I found it quite surprising that even months later there was still so much concern over a single negative review, especially considering that it was simply my personal experience as a patient and the clinic already had many positive reviews.
Even so, I appreciate that the tone of the email was polite and respectful, although my general perception of the experience did not change.
After all of this, my personal recommendation is:
- Always read the negative reviews. Depending on the content, sometimes one negative review is worth more than many positive ones.
- Always ask for detailed orthodontic treatment estimates.
- Ask for clear explanations about every charge and make sure everything is put in writing so later nobody can claim there was a “misunderstanding” or “misinterpretation.”
- Compare several dental clinics before accepting treatment.
- Keep all documentation and emails.
- Do not make decisions under pressure or in a rush.
- Finally, based on my personal experience, if they promise one thing over the phone and then try to do something completely different during the consultation, that is the biggest red flag.
Dental treatment involves time, money, and trust, and I believe every patient deserves to feel informed, listened to, and comfortable throughout the entire process.
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