Gentle Dental Community San Francisco

I used to be a regular patient at this office. I liked the dentists, the assistants, the people in general. The care I received was always good and I never had any complaints about the work. The reason I stopped going to the office though was communication and a breakdown in the process. Phone calls stopped getting returned, messages are never answered. The couple times someone actually answered the phone, I sat on hold for so long I hung up. It's disturbing that there are SO MANY complaints about the exact same problem and nothing is done to fix it. If they would clean up the appointment handling/call returning/general competence of the front office process, the place would be amazing. Now, I have to deal with getting used to a new dentist (I don't WANT a new dentist, I want MY dentist!). Not happy. 😠

(Honestly, if they would call me and actually schedule an appointment, I would be happy. I don't like having to change dentists. I REALLY like everyone at Gentle Dental!).

When I initially scheduled my appt with Gentle Dental, I was a little concerned because the reviews under my insurance were great but when I came to google they were not so great. I also have a bit of a fear of the dentist, so I had an added layer of anxiety. However, the staff has been super kind and helpful to me and my dentist is really engaging and thoughtfully explains what she's doing and checked in with me every step of my filling procedure. My one critique of Gentle Dental is that the cleaning and exams are scheduled as separate appointments, but overall, I have had a great experience with them.

The first time I made an appointment everything went smoothly and they were friendly and professional. My two most recent follow up cleaning appointments have both been cancelled on the day of the appointment after I had already taken a day off from work and despite multiple confirmation emails, calls and texts from them. Since it takes months to get a rescheduled appointment it has now been over a year since my first cleaning. I'm going to change dentists so I can actually get my teeth cleaned.

This place is a train wreck. Avoid at all costs.

My first appointment was delayed by two hours, so I rescheduled. My second visit, I waited another 40 minutes and ended up not even seeing the doctor.

They are disorganized, unprofessional and a waste of time.

The front desk staff were kind and polite. The dentists and medical staff were also clear, gentle and present with me. I’ve had grouchy dentists in the past. Gentle Dental was consistently friendly. They helped me feel at ease when I was anxious about some dental pain and now after a crown I feel better. Very gentle. Totally professional.

I was a little put off going to this office because of the reviews here, but my insurance plan (and a fallen filling) led me to their Mission office. Despite my trepidation, I was very impressed by how warmly everyone treated me. The front desk staff, particularly Linda, were so professional, proactive and good-humored. I felt very much at ease and cared for. I'll be going back next week for a follow-up, and feel no trepidation at all.

Only good experiences. Personalized care and attention from the dentist, hygienist, and staff. The hygienist went over my teeth gently, and went back through 2 additional times to be sure they were fully cleaned.

I took my son for his first appointment for braces that he needs, I felt really happy with the doctor. He was very professional, and not in a rush like most, and he took the time to explain everything to my son and myself. Mind you this was the 5th place I had taken my son to see where we would go for services, and we liked this doctor. Unfortunately the person that was to give us the information, of how much the insurance would pay and how much I had to pay out of pocket was out due to a family emergency. I was told I would hear from her in a couple of days, so I called after a week that I didn't hear and I was told she just got back that day, but I would hear from her soon. After 3 days I called again and was told she was waiting to hear from my insurance. I called after a week and I was told she would call me back, and they were surprised when I told them no one had called me back with any information. We were seen on 12/15/21 and I told the doctor my son had been waiting 8 years to get braces and finally got insurance to get them. My son was hoping to get his braces before Christmas and the doctor told us he had appointments on 12/20/21. Unfortunately that never happened, sure they were nice and accommodating for your first appointment but nothing after that. The people that work there suck and phone etticate is even worse. Too bad because we really liked the doctor, after a month I called back and was told the person would call me back. I said forget it because if this is how they treat a possible patient, I can imagine how they treat you once you become a patient. I told I didn't want anything to do with them and to forget it.

TLDR: DO NOT GO HERE

First off, I want to acknowledge the friendly reception staff and x-ray technician—they were fantastic. However, my first experience at Gentle Dental (GD) was wrought with confusion, disorganization, ineptitude, and negligence.

I initially called GD in mid-January when searching for a new dentist that was compatible with my new insurance (effective 1/1/22). I explained that I had just had a cleaning and X-rays while visiting my family in Wisconsin at the end of October, and discovered that the discomfort in my #19 tooth was due to a crack in an old filling. I immediately scheduled another appointment to fix it, but due to a COVID infection, my appointment needed to be canceled. Unfortunately, I was due to be on the road for two months, and therefore I had to wait until I returned home to SF to get it fixed. After this explanation, the scheduler found me the earliest appointment available for a filling on 2/2/22. I was instructed to contact my previous dentist and have them email the current X-rays to GD. I called back one week later to confirm that GD received them, but was I was told they did not. So I called my previous dentist again, and they confirmed that they had sent them to the correct address. They offered to call GD to ensure delivery, but upon leaving multiple messages, no one at GD ever called them back. Then on 2/1/22, I received a phone call telling me that my cleaning appointment was going to be bumped back to a later time the next day. I corrected them to clarify that my appointment was not for a cleaning but rather for a filling. They said that was impossible since they don’t do fillings on the first visit. I was incredulous, and explained about how I was instructed to secure the X-rays to help with the filling replacement, in an attempt to prove that I wouldn’t have been asked to do that if I wasn’t having my filling replaced. Additionally, I explained that I was leaving to be back on the road the next week and it was imperative that I get my tooth fixed as promised. I was transferred to talk to a woman at reception who was very understanding, kind, and helpful and she found an earlier appointment the next day that would help to secure more time to allow for a consultation and a filling.

The next day, after checking in and having my x-rays completed, I was summoned into the back to meet with the dentist, Dr. Randhawa, but he did not seem to have been apprised of the situation at all. He seemed to think I only needed a cleaning, and when I explained the situation to him, he said he couldn’t do a filling. I further explained all the details I’ve just shared above, and he sent me back out to reception to see what could be done. Not long after that, I was called back into the same chair, where Dr. R told me how lucky I was that he could do it for me on the same day. This did not sit well with me, since I had made the appointment 2-3 weeks prior and I had had multiple follow up calls with the staff when trying to secure my other X-rays—and at no time was it suggested that I was coming in for a cleaning and not a filling. He then proceeded to administer a numbing agent, inject Novocaine, drill, and replace my filling in under 15 minutes. It was rushed, not gentle at all (as the name of the establishment suggests), and I have had actual pain (not simple discomfort) in that tooth ever since.

Prior to my visit, I would have sensitivity in that tooth if I ate or drank something hot, but now I have shooting pain every time I eat anything on that side of my mouth. I have never been treated so poorly by a medical professional, and I will NEVER be going back to that dentist. I was truly horrified by my experience.

Stay clear from this dentist office. As an existing patient, I’ve had my appointments ghosted and they never pick up the phone. I’ve been trying to get a hold of someone for *over a year* to simply get my dental records to move on to another dentist and no one picks up the phone. It either rings forever, cuts out, or (my favorite) you hear someone pick up the phone and then immediately hang up on you. It’s actually the most unprofessional experience I’ve ever had with any medical office in my life. I suggest if this is the kind of service you plan to offer, you’re better off shuttering your doors so folks don’t bother having to deal with the headache that is interacting with this office.