In early September, Jo Trizila received an unexpected call from Park Hollow Orthodontics, prompting her to question the whereabouts of Dr. Sarah Pollan, who had abruptly ceased communication with her patients since July.
Having initially provided exceptional care to her daughter, Kate, Pollan’s sudden silence left many baffled.
Dr. Pollan had established herself in the affluent Preston Hollow community, earning the trust of numerous families as a leading orthodontist.
However, as time passed, it became increasingly difficult for clients to reach her.
Former patients recounted numerous attempts to connect with Pollan regarding braces adjustments or clear aligners, only to be left without any response.
They were often told by receptionists that Pollan was tied up with various commitments, leading to a sense of confusion and frustration.
Pollan would sometimes cite medical mission trips or maintenance problems at her office as reasons for her unavailability.
For months, some patients faced emotional distress and financial strain as they struggled to recover funds already paid for treatments that were never fulfilled.
The Dallas Morning News spoke with ten former patients, most of whom had seen the orthodontist as a reliable healthcare provider until her outreach simply vanished.
Many clients had prepaid for their treatment plans and felt they had been defrauded, leading some to escalate their complaints to the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners.
One patient successfully won a fraud case in a Dallas court against Pollan, who was already grappling with substantial debts.
Pollan faced mounting legal troubles, including unpaid judgments from a court ruling against her for not compensating an orthodontic device company and defaulting on a significant business loan exceeding $200,000.
By December 2023, Pollan began seeing patients at LVL Orthodontics after being evicted from her previous practice in March.
The Dallas Morning News attempted to contact Pollan to discuss allegations against her, but each attempt resulted in evasiveness from staff regarding the orthodontist’s availability.
After leaving a note for Pollan expressing the desire to discuss the situation, The News was met with further silence.
Pollan initially expressed a desire to address allegations but subsequently rescheduled multiple interviews before ceasing all communication.
The relationships Pollan nurtured with her patients were deeply personal, as she not only provided dental care but also engaged with families about their lives.
As a highly regarded orthodontist, Pollan charged premium fees but many felt her services were worth the expense.
She developed a loyal client base, largely due to her unique offerings like lingual braces, and many mothers in the Dallas area viewed her as the optimal choice for their children’s orthodontic needs.
Beginning in July 2023, patient complaints surged, leading the Texas State Board to initiate an official investigation into the orthodontist’s conduct.
Investigation notifications went out to patients, reassuring them of ongoing inquiries into Pollan’s practice.
By September, patients raised concerns over her licensure renewal amidst growing investigations and complaints.
Turkan Bayulken, who sought care from Pollan for her own orthodontic needs, highlighted her confusion about Pollan’s continued practice despite the troubling circumstances.
The Texas State Board’s protocol for handling valid complaints involves thorough reviews and investigations, but the timeline is often disappointingly long.
With less than ten percent of complaints resolved in the previous fiscal year, many former patients are left frustrated as they await outcomes.
Bayulken’s experience serves as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by patients struggling to secure refunds and services amidst the chaos created by a provider’s negligence.
Pollan’s staff reported instances of her being frequently late or unresponsive, compounded by her personal struggles, which ultimately contributed to the decline of her practice.
For Bayulken, who had visited Pollan with the hope of addressing specific dental issues, the absence of care led to a mounting sense of urgency as treatments stalled.
Pollan often deferred commitments, leading Bayulken to doubt the legitimacy of the treatment she was promised.
Carina Villafana, a former dental assistant at Pollan’s practice, recounted a workplace environment fraught with stress and mismanagement.
She noted that Pollan would regularly arrive at work cheerful yet would switch to being irritable, often leaving her employees scrambling to handle an increasingly frustrated patient base.
Villafana witnessed first-hand as Pollan neglected necessary orders for orthodontic materials, a decision that she believed was driven by financial concerns.
Frustrated and overwhelmed by the mounting stress and workload, Villafana left the practice, feeling that Pollan had abandoned not only her staff but her patients too.
Families like Trizila’s, who once celebrated Pollan for the positive transformations in their children’s mouths, began feeling the sting of neglect as communication dwindled.
A broken bracket left Trizila’s daughter in pain, and after numerous attempts to reach Pollan for assistance went unanswered, the family was left to grapple with multiple charges and incomplete treatment.
Trizila recalled receiving a call from Park Hollow Orthodontics, leading her to seek a refund for the money spent out of pocket, only to be met with empty promises from the staff.
Natalie Walters, another former patient, described her journey with Pollan, from the initial excitement of starting treatment to being left in limbo as her needs were overlooked.
After a failed attempt to connect with Pollan regarding a broken bracket, Walters found herself relying on another orthodontist in Georgia, only to face hurdles in transferring her treatment.
After requesting a full refund, Walters’ legal process revealed further neglect, as Pollan failed to respond to court notifications.
A district court ultimately ruled in Walters’ favor, acknowledging Pollan’s wrongdoing; however, the reality of receiving compensation remains distant.
By the early months of 2024, Pollan had accumulated unpaid debts through multiple court rulings, with judgments against her for negligence regarding both patient care and business contracts.
Additionally, a former supplier had successfully sued Pollan for unpaid debts, culminating in further financial repercussions for her practice.
The Orthodontics community has been rocked by these allegations as Pollan’s fall from grace continues to unfold.
As families grapple with their dental health futures, former patients are left questioning the trust they once placed in Pollan, seeking new orthodontists and resources.
The story of Pollan’s practice resonates as a cautionary tale in the healthcare sector, where patient trust and protection must remain paramount.
As investigations continue, former patients hope for resolution and justice in a system that has, for many, fallen short.
The fallout of Dr. Sarah Pollan’s actions leaves a significant stain on her career and raises broader questions about accountability in healthcare practices.
image source from：https://www.dallasnews.com/business/local-companies/2025/05/30/park-hollow-orthodontist-ghosts-clients-leaving-debts-and-recrimination-in-her-wake/
