Gentle Dental Palo Alto

Joanna J. 

on Yelp

17 years ago

Upshot -- Dr. Lotfi and Dr. Tajadodd are awesome. I don't know about other people's experiences here-- the reviews definitely made me nervous, but this was one of the few places near my work that was covered by insurance, so I went. And yes, it's not the most esthetically pleasing over on the dentist side, but it seems efficient for the assistants, and looks are not what I'm paying for. Dr. Lotfi -- My experience with PREVIOUS dentists was that a hygienist would do all the actual teeth cleaning and such, then the dentist... read more

Melissa Y. 

on Yelp

17 years ago

I went in to the dentist expecting the worst based on the reviews, and to be honest I'm not sure what all the fuss was about. This was my first visit, so I just had a consultation and x-rays, and he dentist and her assistant were very friendly and pleasant. After they took all the x-rays, the dentist explained where I had cavities and what she recommended, and then she set me up with someone to make an appointment and walk me through the billing. This lady broke down each procedure for me (filling by filling... unfortunate... read more

Rachel G. 

on Yelp

17 years ago

My experience of them was pretty middle-of-the-road. I went in for a cleaning and X-rays, followed by having a few fillings done. Everything went fine, but I decided to stop going to them because of the general vibe there. When I went there back in 2005 (perhaps the setup has changed since then), it was one large room filled with a row of dental chairs, which felt kind of cold and definitely not very private. It wasn't what I was used to - I grew up going to a dentist with his own standalone office for doing exams, fillings,... read more

josefine b. 

on Yelp

18 years ago

My boss recommended Dr. Sakola (spell?) at Gentl dental to me. My first impression was how clean the office was. Her two female assistants were super friendly and warm. The doctor was kind and TRULY gentle. She was extremely thorough. She took her time and explained all the findings to me. She even showed me how badly cracked one of my tooth was with a mouth camera! She explained gum disease to me. I finally understand why my gums were bleeding all the time. I was worried about the cost, but no pushing extra services her... read more

Toby L. 

on Yelp

18 years ago

i have been going to Gentle Dental for 7 years - before it was Gentle Dental. The administration was absolutely awful back then. Now, both my son and I have regular dentists and we really like them. I thought they were aggressive about the x-rays at first but what they do is offer you the preventive services that are covered by most dental insurance plans. I do not by any means want to judge any of the reviewers but I have known several people - people who I am close to - who absolutely hate it when a dentist says their sil... read more

H G. 

on Yelp

18 years ago

I liked my exerience at Gentle Dental. They took their time explaining what I needed to have done. Though I spent a lot of money, there was financing interest free and they explain your pricing with the insurance coverage. The hygienist was nice and calm and attentive too. There's plenty of parking. The receptionist was nice too. And they have blankets (only two to go around though) and glasses to block the glare from the light. The office is really cold in temperature so bring a sweater or ask for the blanket. 

JAYCE B. 

on Yelp

19 years ago

I give a lukewarm review because I'm just glad to have gotten my wisdom teeth out and over with. But definitely listen to the other reviewers! If others have had worse visits than mine then I'd really be worried. Gentle Dental is a misnomer because they mangle your mouth. My surgeon was in fact very personable and up front (despite the fact he looked like the losing end of a knife fight and no I'm not saying that just to be mean.) GD was the only oral surgeon close enough that my insurance covered. If you go, I recommend yo... read more

Sara S. 

on Yelp

20 years ago

I don't feel like I got totally screwed over by them like the other reviewers, but I would have picked a smaller, more personal office if my insurance had given me that option. I had Dr. Lotfi and I could recommend him. He is certainly competent and when I told him I had a problem with a filling he totally listened and fixed it. You do need to watch the billing--- make sure you get receipts so you can look it over afterward too. They made a mistake on mine, but to my advantage. 

M O. 

on Yelp

2 months ago

Do NOT go here!!! This place is awful! We went there because it was in -network with our insurance, but not worth it. They made us wait 45min after our scheduled appointment the first time and 75min after the second time. They rushed through my son's crown, starting to drill before he was fully numb, he cried the whole way through his procedure! Then his crown is crooked, sticking out of his lip! (We are taking him to another dentist to fix the crown.) Not sanitary - the dentist touches the keyboard with her gloves, t... read more