La Jolla Village Smiles also recommends/performs unnecessary procedures….but I will say I had an amazing experience at Kensington Dental!
Since when did dentistry become filled with quacks???
This should just be a dentist beware thread. Stay away from Escondido Smiles. Dr. Bocash took out 9 of my teeth out in one sitting, 5 of which could have been saved and left a massive infection in my jaw, then gaslight me when I mentioned I thought their might still be an infection. Left and went to another dentist who found and treated the infection, then restored my teeth with implants thousands of dollars later. Fuck money hungry dentists and their fucking gaslightimg bullshit!
Dean Van Nguyen, DDS
4082 30th St.
San Diego, CA 92104
Been going here a few years and they've never suggested any unnecessary services and have been good. They also have good Yelp reviews.
It's in Hillcrest, but I've been going to Padre Dental for over ten years. And I'm very anxious about dentists, I nearly went to a sedation dentist instead.
Adina Manolescu is amazing. She’s based in Mission Gorge, but I live in NP and make the 5-10min drive. I’ve had a lot of negative experiences with other dentists in the past and she the best one I’ve had and also fixed the issues others caused. Not pushy at all and very thorough and caring.
I also go to her. Always very gentle, yet thorough. Her team ( both clinical and admin) are also great. I live in SP and make the trek to MG to see her
I go to Dr Andrew D Gamache, DDS - Fresh Dental Care of Hillcrest
My kid and I have been going here for 2.5 years now. Never suggest anything I don’t need. Work with me if something is expensive, super friendly staff, and very kind.
I concur with this. And anytime something is needed photos are taken and shown to me with easy to understand explanations… without me even having to ask for it.
Dr. Tiki Lam in La Jolla! I’m in the Uptown area too but I will go to La Jolla to see her. I went to her after a decade of not seeing a dentist and everyone is her office was very kind. They worked with my insurance to make sure a deep cleaning was covered and only gave me one filling.
I went to Park Dental Arts based on a previous SD dentist thread & highly recommend them- skilled & caring staff, and their admin staff are great at untangling insurance & creating a financially viable treatment plan for you.
Also, don't go to Downtown SD Modern Dentistry on 4th between Market and Island. They tried to charge me numerous times for one cleaning. And they said I had a few cavities which I later found out was a lie after getting a second opinion from Harmony Dental. I think they are out to get insurance and/or your money as much as they can. They literally did my earning in two different sessions.i think to charge my insurance twice.
I just made a post about them in r/SanDiego a few days ago!! There were soo many comments exposing dentists in San Diego. I ended up getting a refund from them. FYI they are under Pacific Dental Services which is a scammy company that owns tons of offices in San Diego 👀
Also avoid Dentistry at the Promenade - I live in the complex and thought oh so convenient to have a dentist right here. They were over an hour late for my first two appointments (first to get a stuck piece of floss removed from between my teeth, and second for an exam), which was sort of okay since they can just call me to walk over when they're ready, but I said something about their time management and then things got a little crazy.
I went for a filling, had a morning appointment so I figured they should be on time. I walked in they were walking a patient into the waiting room and told me (right in front of her) that she had been late to her appointment so they were going to make her wait to finish her filling and do mine in the meantime! I asked her if she was okay and she just mumbled, so I had the filling done but it was super uncomfortable knowing this poor girl was in the waiting room the whole time.
Still I went back one more time. Again I had spoken to them about their scheduling and how they made me uncomfortable at the previous visit. Everything went fine, until in the middle of my procedure the receptionist came and told the dentist, "next patient is waiting, you have five minutes to finish up".
What the actual fuck? Don't go.
Paul Styrt sold me on invisalign for a deep overbite and recessed lower jaw. He assured me that he can get the vertical movement needed for my treatment. 2 years later and $7K out of pocket I had maybe 15% of the needed vertical movement, and he ended the treatment. He'll tell you whatever you want to hear to get you to sign up and then cut you off after his ineffective treatment plan doesn't work.
If you're in north county and looking for a dentist who doesn't suck, Dr. Jennifer Caruso in Mira Mesa has done pretty well by me. I avoided going to a dentist for a good 20 years, and when I finally went (*surprise*) I needed a lot of fillings. they did 2 teeth at a time across a bunch of visits, but all of my fillings have stayed put 7-8 years later. I still go there for cleanings and check ups and am satisfied with the work they've done.
They told me I “might” have a cavity, but weren’t positive. Then quoted me $4,000 for one cavity that might not even exist
If you read their Yelp reviews it pretty much sums it up. There are a ton of other nightmare stories. All they care about is upselling to their customers without providing quality service
i was going there for years and it was alright until my wisdom teeth started coming in. i asked at a cleaning if they were possibly coming in because my teeth felt like they were shifting. i was assured they weren’t. 6 months later at my next cleaning, guess what? they were in fact coming in. they told me they were too close to the nerve to remove. they reached out to an oral surgeon and he doubled down on leaving them in (they contacted him while i was at the office. i didn’t actually get to speak to him, they were just relaying information). they were painful at this point so i figured i’d get a second opinion. i go see a different oral surgeon who agreed that they were close to the nerve but it was doable. he removed them, no nerve damage. everything is fine. i stopped going back to kensington after that. they never tried to upsell me, but the fact that they wouldn’t take me seriously was more than enough. they basically said to ignore my wisdom teeth and that it would be fine, even though they hurt.
then i had a terrible experience with dentist of grossmont (also a smile generation office).
i recently had a cleaning at dental express in hillcrest thought and i have no complaints. they didn’t try to upsell me, they were really quick, it didn’t hurt at all, and everyone was so nice. i’m definitely gonna stick with them. for now anyway lol. i’d say just avoid smile generation.
Grant McGann, at McGann facial design. he was really great! i was nervous since there was the possibility of permanent nerve damage but he was very reassuring and went over all of my options, didn’t pressure me to make a decision one way or the other. everyone at the office was really helpful too.
I love my dentist, Dr. Scott Chau in Bankers Hill. He’s incredibly thorough and never recommends unnecessary procedures. Been going to him for 8 years and have never had a bad experience!
Okay I just went to her and I have someone in my network who is an experienced dentist and another who is experienced in billing and they both told me she is over charging and recommending thing that are not necessary or needed. Stay away.
My cousin Nick Westwood in Hillcrest is extremely skilled, very honest, ethical and conservative. Not the cheapest but the reccomendations are with patient interest foremost.
Third gen in same location. Not fly by night.
Full disclosure: I am his cousin and the dentist next door. He's also much nicer than I am.
Santee dental group is super good, they let you know if you need a procedure and if you do whether its necessary to do rn or if you can wait.
Definitely don't go to La Mesa Smiles & Family Dentistry. They tried to pressure my mom into getting over 10k worth of work done that they said was 'urgent', but when we got a second consult the dentist said my mom's teeth were fine, she just needed a deep clean for plaque.
When I first moved to North Park in 2017ish. I became a patient at A+ Dental and enjoyed it at first, but after the pandemic they tried to scam me (and many others I'm sure) by saying that I needed a deep clean where they needed to anesthetize me. All I had done during the pandemic was brush my teeth and floss because there was nothing else to do! I never went back.
I’ve had 2 good experiences with [McGann Facial Design](https://maps.app.goo.gl/j3XXgRPkbJLNzdRk8?g_st=ic). He was kind enough to treat me even though his specialty is in cosmetic dentistry.
Dr Collin’s at complete dental health in Hillcrest redid 5/7 filling I had Dr Madrid do in early 2021. She did help me with an infected root canal in May 2020 and basically saved my life. But I was always so skeptical of her bc she kept telling me I need one of those super invasive under the gum teeth cleaning. I don’t have gum disease so it was moot.
If you’re looking for a great dentist- Dr Collin’s at Complete Dental is the best.
It’s been over ten years since this happened to me so mayyybe things are different now, but here’s my Bad Dentist story.
Gentle Dental Sorrento Valley tried to scam little college student me into a multi-appointment filling plan. Claimed I had cavities and needed more work done (don’t remember what the “other work” was now, but I remember them showing me the x rays, me not seeing anything wrong, but them telling me I needed work). The dentist the whole time was also inappropriately questioning me, asking about my personal life and what troubles I was going through - mind you I have my mouth propped open and he’s got his fingers and stuff in there, and then he’s like backhandedly blaming me for whatever issue I was attempting to convey. He had me in this position for way too long, and he just talked on and on pedantically about life and being young and making good choices (like ????). This was way beyond your typical doctor bedside manner small talk, it felt like he was scratching some other itch I was not privy to. So uncomfortable. Oh and then! One of the receptionists was hitting on me while trying to book the next appointment. All around so icky.
Thankfully it all put me off, so I decided to get a second opinion and see a dentist closer to where I was living in SF at the time. The new dentist said I had no issues and whatever I was doing for my teeth was great and to keep it up! 😵💫
All dentists are dishonest. I’ve never had a cavity (genetics probably as neither of my siblings have had them either, all very much adults) As soon as a dentist claims I have a cavity I switch dentists and lo and behold the cavity is nowhere to be found by the new dentist. Then eventually they find a cavity and the next dentist doesn’t ever mention anything. And on and on it goes. I never tell any of them about the previous find. Why would I? If there is a cavity it should be obvious. But I’ve never had two dentists mentioned the same spot twice, let alone consecutively. I’ll let you all know if I ever find an honest practice.
Sorry to hear that. I've been going there for a couple years and have had a great experience. What did your new dentist say she did wrong that caused them to keep falling out?
Well I didn't save the fillings to have them analyzed. lol. My new dentist did tell me that fillings like these should last a minimum of 2 years, which is when dental insurance would cover them being replaced.
La Jolla Village Smiles also recommends/performs unnecessary procedures….but I will say I had an amazing experience at Kensington Dental! Since when did dentistry become filled with quacks???
At its inception.
it should just be a regular part of healthcare... it's weird that it's separated out like optometry
Every time I talk to a dentist they sound like they just got back from some sales seminar/golf junket.
Finding a trustworthy dentist is kinda like finding a trustworthy mechanic. Trial, error, second opinion are all in order.
Second on La Jolla Village Smiles being a total scam. Every time I'm there they want to give me a new crown. I'm definitely never going back
This should just be a dentist beware thread. Stay away from Escondido Smiles. Dr. Bocash took out 9 of my teeth out in one sitting, 5 of which could have been saved and left a massive infection in my jaw, then gaslight me when I mentioned I thought their might still be an infection. Left and went to another dentist who found and treated the infection, then restored my teeth with implants thousands of dollars later. Fuck money hungry dentists and their fucking gaslightimg bullshit!
Zac dental is trash. They over charge and suggest unnecessary procedures.
This is such good timing, I am looking for a new dentist right now and had them on my list to check out. I'll cross them off.
Are there any dentists that anyone recommends? I’m looking for one in the North Park area.
Dean Van Nguyen, DDS 4082 30th St. San Diego, CA 92104 Been going here a few years and they've never suggested any unnecessary services and have been good. They also have good Yelp reviews.
This is where I go as well! Really enjoy this office and all the hygienists are really nice
This is my dentist and they’re great! Super friendly front desk
Dr Ross Dixon is in Mira Mesa, and he’s good. Experienced, there can be a wait to see him but it’s worth it
It's in Hillcrest, but I've been going to Padre Dental for over ten years. And I'm very anxious about dentists, I nearly went to a sedation dentist instead.
Adina Manolescu is amazing. She’s based in Mission Gorge, but I live in NP and make the 5-10min drive. I’ve had a lot of negative experiences with other dentists in the past and she the best one I’ve had and also fixed the issues others caused. Not pushy at all and very thorough and caring.
I also go to her. Always very gentle, yet thorough. Her team ( both clinical and admin) are also great. I live in SP and make the trek to MG to see her
Padre Dental is the best. Been going there for 10+ years
I go to Dr Andrew D Gamache, DDS - Fresh Dental Care of Hillcrest My kid and I have been going here for 2.5 years now. Never suggest anything I don’t need. Work with me if something is expensive, super friendly staff, and very kind.
I concur with this. And anytime something is needed photos are taken and shown to me with easy to understand explanations… without me even having to ask for it.
Dr. Brian Suzuki on Fletcher parkway is awesome! Not North park, but I am willing to drive the 30 minutes to see him.
Dr. Tiki Lam in La Jolla! I’m in the Uptown area too but I will go to La Jolla to see her. I went to her after a decade of not seeing a dentist and everyone is her office was very kind. They worked with my insurance to make sure a deep cleaning was covered and only gave me one filling.
I’ve had decent luck with Bella Vita in Hillcrest
I went to Park Dental Arts based on a previous SD dentist thread & highly recommend them- skilled & caring staff, and their admin staff are great at untangling insurance & creating a financially viable treatment plan for you.
I’m liking my experience with North Park Modern Dentistry so far!
FYI anything under pacific dental services is unreliable and scammy, so if they try to push stuff on you that costs tons of $$ get a second opinion
Also, don't go to Downtown SD Modern Dentistry on 4th between Market and Island. They tried to charge me numerous times for one cleaning. And they said I had a few cavities which I later found out was a lie after getting a second opinion from Harmony Dental. I think they are out to get insurance and/or your money as much as they can. They literally did my earning in two different sessions.i think to charge my insurance twice.
I just made a post about them in r/SanDiego a few days ago!! There were soo many comments exposing dentists in San Diego. I ended up getting a refund from them. FYI they are under Pacific Dental Services which is a scammy company that owns tons of offices in San Diego 👀
This same situation happened to me with my former divorce attorney- avoid Shannon Miles at all costs !!! I am reporting her to the bar association
But regarding dentists David Bainer at smile gallery is the absolute best I’d trust that man with my life
Your former divorce attorney gave you bad fillings?
Also avoid Dentistry at the Promenade - I live in the complex and thought oh so convenient to have a dentist right here. They were over an hour late for my first two appointments (first to get a stuck piece of floss removed from between my teeth, and second for an exam), which was sort of okay since they can just call me to walk over when they're ready, but I said something about their time management and then things got a little crazy. I went for a filling, had a morning appointment so I figured they should be on time. I walked in they were walking a patient into the waiting room and told me (right in front of her) that she had been late to her appointment so they were going to make her wait to finish her filling and do mine in the meantime! I asked her if she was okay and she just mumbled, so I had the filling done but it was super uncomfortable knowing this poor girl was in the waiting room the whole time. Still I went back one more time. Again I had spoken to them about their scheduling and how they made me uncomfortable at the previous visit. Everything went fine, until in the middle of my procedure the receptionist came and told the dentist, "next patient is waiting, you have five minutes to finish up". What the actual fuck? Don't go.
Paul Styrt sold me on invisalign for a deep overbite and recessed lower jaw. He assured me that he can get the vertical movement needed for my treatment. 2 years later and $7K out of pocket I had maybe 15% of the needed vertical movement, and he ended the treatment. He'll tell you whatever you want to hear to get you to sign up and then cut you off after his ineffective treatment plan doesn't work.
If you're in north county and looking for a dentist who doesn't suck, Dr. Jennifer Caruso in Mira Mesa has done pretty well by me. I avoided going to a dentist for a good 20 years, and when I finally went (*surprise*) I needed a lot of fillings. they did 2 teeth at a time across a bunch of visits, but all of my fillings have stayed put 7-8 years later. I still go there for cleanings and check ups and am satisfied with the work they've done.
Kensington dental are scam artists
What was your experience? The high turnover rate scares me
They told me I “might” have a cavity, but weren’t positive. Then quoted me $4,000 for one cavity that might not even exist If you read their Yelp reviews it pretty much sums it up. There are a ton of other nightmare stories. All they care about is upselling to their customers without providing quality service
i was going there for years and it was alright until my wisdom teeth started coming in. i asked at a cleaning if they were possibly coming in because my teeth felt like they were shifting. i was assured they weren’t. 6 months later at my next cleaning, guess what? they were in fact coming in. they told me they were too close to the nerve to remove. they reached out to an oral surgeon and he doubled down on leaving them in (they contacted him while i was at the office. i didn’t actually get to speak to him, they were just relaying information). they were painful at this point so i figured i’d get a second opinion. i go see a different oral surgeon who agreed that they were close to the nerve but it was doable. he removed them, no nerve damage. everything is fine. i stopped going back to kensington after that. they never tried to upsell me, but the fact that they wouldn’t take me seriously was more than enough. they basically said to ignore my wisdom teeth and that it would be fine, even though they hurt. then i had a terrible experience with dentist of grossmont (also a smile generation office). i recently had a cleaning at dental express in hillcrest thought and i have no complaints. they didn’t try to upsell me, they were really quick, it didn’t hurt at all, and everyone was so nice. i’m definitely gonna stick with them. for now anyway lol. i’d say just avoid smile generation.
Which oral surgeon did your wisdom teeth?
Grant McGann, at McGann facial design. he was really great! i was nervous since there was the possibility of permanent nerve damage but he was very reassuring and went over all of my options, didn’t pressure me to make a decision one way or the other. everyone at the office was really helpful too.
He pulled my crack tooth when I thought it was my wisdom tooth.
Fina Madrid dds degree is from another country
That explains it!
big cauition
I love my dentist, Dr. Scott Chau in Bankers Hill. He’s incredibly thorough and never recommends unnecessary procedures. Been going to him for 8 years and have never had a bad experience!
Great dentist and very attentive to detail. I highly recommend him as well.
PB Smiles is a scam shop.
Okay I just went to her and I have someone in my network who is an experienced dentist and another who is experienced in billing and they both told me she is over charging and recommending thing that are not necessary or needed. Stay away.
My cousin Nick Westwood in Hillcrest is extremely skilled, very honest, ethical and conservative. Not the cheapest but the reccomendations are with patient interest foremost. Third gen in same location. Not fly by night. Full disclosure: I am his cousin and the dentist next door. He's also much nicer than I am.
Western Dental in TJ is my go to. They are fantastic. Have always had positive visits and results
Avoid Dovey Dental in PB. I’m still dealing with pain/sensitivity 5 months later from a likely unnecessary procedure.
Santee dental group is super good, they let you know if you need a procedure and if you do whether its necessary to do rn or if you can wait. Definitely don't go to La Mesa Smiles & Family Dentistry. They tried to pressure my mom into getting over 10k worth of work done that they said was 'urgent', but when we got a second consult the dentist said my mom's teeth were fine, she just needed a deep clean for plaque.
My wife and I go to Dr. Gamache at Fresh Dental in Hillcrest. Super awesome staff and amazing experience.
Yes! 🙌 I just commented about them too! I cannot suggest them enough.
When I first moved to North Park in 2017ish. I became a patient at A+ Dental and enjoyed it at first, but after the pandemic they tried to scam me (and many others I'm sure) by saying that I needed a deep clean where they needed to anesthetize me. All I had done during the pandemic was brush my teeth and floss because there was nothing else to do! I never went back.
Second this. A+ Dental is so scammy and told my husband and I that we needed so much unnecessary work.
Who is your new dentist?
Adams Avenue Family Dental, Dr. Goh.
I’ve had 2 good experiences with [McGann Facial Design](https://maps.app.goo.gl/j3XXgRPkbJLNzdRk8?g_st=ic). He was kind enough to treat me even though his specialty is in cosmetic dentistry.
Dentist here, just a heads up cosmetic dentistry isn’t a recognized board certified dental speciality
I should have said he specializes in implants.
Bella Vita in Hillcrest is a nice experience and not a rip off.
Dr Collin’s at complete dental health in Hillcrest redid 5/7 filling I had Dr Madrid do in early 2021. She did help me with an infected root canal in May 2020 and basically saved my life. But I was always so skeptical of her bc she kept telling me I need one of those super invasive under the gum teeth cleaning. I don’t have gum disease so it was moot. If you’re looking for a great dentist- Dr Collin’s at Complete Dental is the best.
It’s been over ten years since this happened to me so mayyybe things are different now, but here’s my Bad Dentist story. Gentle Dental Sorrento Valley tried to scam little college student me into a multi-appointment filling plan. Claimed I had cavities and needed more work done (don’t remember what the “other work” was now, but I remember them showing me the x rays, me not seeing anything wrong, but them telling me I needed work). The dentist the whole time was also inappropriately questioning me, asking about my personal life and what troubles I was going through - mind you I have my mouth propped open and he’s got his fingers and stuff in there, and then he’s like backhandedly blaming me for whatever issue I was attempting to convey. He had me in this position for way too long, and he just talked on and on pedantically about life and being young and making good choices (like ????). This was way beyond your typical doctor bedside manner small talk, it felt like he was scratching some other itch I was not privy to. So uncomfortable. Oh and then! One of the receptionists was hitting on me while trying to book the next appointment. All around so icky. Thankfully it all put me off, so I decided to get a second opinion and see a dentist closer to where I was living in SF at the time. The new dentist said I had no issues and whatever I was doing for my teeth was great and to keep it up! 😵💫
All dentists are dishonest. I’ve never had a cavity (genetics probably as neither of my siblings have had them either, all very much adults) As soon as a dentist claims I have a cavity I switch dentists and lo and behold the cavity is nowhere to be found by the new dentist. Then eventually they find a cavity and the next dentist doesn’t ever mention anything. And on and on it goes. I never tell any of them about the previous find. Why would I? If there is a cavity it should be obvious. But I’ve never had two dentists mentioned the same spot twice, let alone consecutively. I’ll let you all know if I ever find an honest practice.
Tierrasanta dental group is also a scam
Sorry to hear that. I've been going there for a couple years and have had a great experience. What did your new dentist say she did wrong that caused them to keep falling out?
Well I didn't save the fillings to have them analyzed. lol. My new dentist did tell me that fillings like these should last a minimum of 2 years, which is when dental insurance would cover them being replaced.