Gentle Dental Bend

My second biggest fear has always been going to the dentist. I have had terrible experiences full of pain, dismissal of my wishes and values, dentists not listening to me, lack of numbing meds, and lack of explanation of procedures. I went into gentle dental due to a painful tooth that I had been putting off for way too long. They took a X-ray and performed some pain tests. I was shaking and crying and full of anxiety, just for the consult. They were so kind and explained every part of what was wrong with my tooth and determined an extraction was necessary.
Obviously this freaked me out, when I came in for the extraction appointment I was incredibly panicked. Dr Andrew’s and Emily made me feel safe, allowed me to take time to try to calm down, helped me feel in control, and gave me ample laughing gas and novacaine. When they pulled the tooth I felt nothing. This was the first time I have ever had a truly “no pain only pressure” experience at a dental office. I am really satisfied with the extraction team at gentle dental. Although the dentist still feels scary for me, at least I know this office will help me through that stress and trauma.

Have been a patient for three years and have phoned 6 times for an appointment and crickets! Left 4 messages. Not impressed.

VERY DISAPPOINTED. TOTAL SCAM!!!! Finally after over a year of trying to dispute a bill, I was told that the charge I received for *no work done* was for a consultation. I was never told this was a consultation. To my understanding I went in on April 2020 to get my wisdom teeth removed, but was told by the dentist that he wanted to reschedule due to COVID. He also told me that he would have rescheduled the appointment over the phone but that he forgot. So you can see why I was surprised to receive a bill for $170. I had also previously been in for a cleaning and regular checkup... which I would have thought was the better opportunity to check out which teeth needed to be pulled. I have since been to a local dentist that told me exactly which teeth needed pulling during my cleaning, and did not charge me a consultation fee for it.

The nice woman on the phone took $50 off my bill, but needless to say I will never go to this company again. Plus, I had to call almost 10 times to finally get someone to call me back. VERY DISAPPOINTED!!!!

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Update: I called back and asked them to provide proof that I signed an agreement. They couldn't find any documentation because I never agreed to their "consultation". Thankfully that hurdle is passed and I no longer have to pay.

Nothing scares me more than going to the dentist. I’ve always had bad teeth because of a mix of genetics and not the best dental hygiene as a child. Every time I come to dental gentle I’m greeted by Edith who is as sweet as can be. She instantly helps put my nerves at ease. My wife loves to talk to her about books that her and her niece are currently reading. Any time I have had a schedule conflict or an emergency arrive, she is understanding and helpful.
I recently had a 6 month exam and cleaning with Alicia and Dr. Montgomery.
Because of my fear of going to the dentist, I’m not always able to ask the questions I want to. When I finally build the nerve to asks question, and sometimes it’s not fully answered, I’m quick to give up. I’m not sure if Alicia could read my anxiety or is just an amazing human being (probably both!), but she made sure to tell me exactly what she was doing and WHY. She explained everything to the tiniest detail and made sure I understood and made me feel safe to ask any type of question. It has seriously changed the way I view my teeth and how I approach them. I’m 30, and this is the first time I’ve actually felt like I know why and how I need to take care of my teeth. She’s also incredibly talented at what she does. My teeth have never looked better nor felt better.
I’ve been getting fillings done with Dr. Montgomery for the past 6 months or so, and before she even started working on my teeth, she asked what would make me more comfortable: do I want her to explain what she’s doing every step so I know what’s going on or would I like to just listen to my music blissfully unaware of the complicated process going on in my mouth (she worded this better, of course). Every time I see her, she makes sure I’m comfortable and works with me to have a healthier mouth.
Everyone at Gentle Dental has been so amazing in helping me feel safe and comfortable while also doing amazing work. Shane cleaned my teeth a year ago, and I still remember his name because of how incredibly kind and hard working he is.
I talked to Mindy, who is in charge, and told her how incredible everyone is, and wouldn’t you know that she was also incredibly kind. I believe my wife and I sat in her office discussing not only dentistry but life, and I’ve never felt so not afraid at the dentist.
There aren’t enough words to express my gratitude to all of these wonderful human beings, so for now I will just say thank you. Thank you so very much

Unfortunately, Gentle Dental is the only dentist in Bend my insurance covers "in network." They are terrible for a number of reasons.

1) For the first 2+ years I went to Gentle Dental, both my husband and I were always given estimates for our cleanings/exams and asked to pay up front. Each time we would respond that our insurance should cover the costs. The person would leave with the estimate, and magically come back with a new estimate of $0, saying that "oh yes, it is covered." Are other people paying this each time assuming it isn't covered? My husband even called the corporate office to complain, and they found $80 of charges we hadn't caught that were incorrectly charged to us. He was given a refund, but it took over 4 months to receive.

2)The waits are SO LONG. After being taken into the exam room on my latest visit, I waited 45 minutes for someone to come take X-rays (which took about 5 minutes), and then had to wait ANOTHER 45 minutes for the Dentist to come review the X-rays with me. In total, I was there for about 1 hour and 45 min and was sitting alone in a room for about 1 hour and 30min of that time. This is not my first experience of this nature at this location.

3) Ive had a dental tech clean my teeth in a manner that was the most painful experience of my 39 years of getting my teeth cleaned, and when I complained, she told me it was my sensitive gums. I don't have sensitive gums. IT. WAS. HORRIBLE. When I requested not to have her again at the front desk, the ladies responded "Don't worry, you aren't the only one who has made this request"....I guess everyone knows she is brutal at the office, but they don't see a need to suggest that she change her technique?

4) Training seems to be an issue (alongside computer issues). Ive had two experiences where Ive had to move rooms because of computer problems. The techs seemed completely perplexed by the situations, with seemingly no knowledge of how to resolve them.

5) I have also requested that X-rays be emailed to me multiple times, as my job requires a copy for me to go to work. Each time the front desk assures me Ill have them by the end of the day, and each time I have to call them multiple times on different days to get someone to send the email.

Overall, if I had any other options, I would never choose to go to Gentle Dental.

Absolutely horrible the manager is beyond ridiculous. Don't waste your time or money There are several dental offices that would value you as a customer

If I could leave negative stars I would. First the women at the front conter could use a tune up on customer service and representation (she also couldn't get the paperwork right, I was handed forms 3 different times). Second, I had called to be seen for swelling , bleeding/ulcers and to establish care with a new dentist as my financial situation changed. I was scheduled just a couple days out at 8 am. I arrived at 7:31am and started paperwork. I was informed at 8:15 after taking my blood pressure that there was not enough time for my exam. Only x rays and we would have to reschedule. Talk about poor service and scheduling practices. It's ridiculous these people think their time is more valuable than others, while neglecting my dental health. I left today with swollen gums and jawline. People need to call these hacks out on poor practice. Overscheduling your clinic and getting multiple appointments/charges is absurd. How would you feel Dr.M??? I'm a full time student. I work on the side and have children. I will dispute any charges with my insurance. These people don't deserve to be paid. 0 accountability.

After working half my life in the medical industry I thought I’ve seen it all but, never have I seen a level of unprofessionalism until today. Even if this is the only dental office your insurance covers please try to find any other place to do your dental work. They have the worst reviews of any dental office in central oregon for good reason!

I had a pretty large filling fall out of a back molar so I made a consult with Gentle Dental. Thursday Dr. Montgomery suggested my tooth’s cavity cannot be repaired with a filling since it has decayed past the gum line and that a root canal would not be suggested. That pulling it and getting an implant be the best option.

Ok - Naturally I wanted to get a second opinion. It has been broken for nearly a month (that’s how long it takes to be seen) and I didn’t experience any substantial pain until she applied silver fluoride to the tooth. A tooth that had a cavity so deep the gum was exposed. After that I’ve never experienced more tooth pain in my entire life. The next 24 hour was absolutely miserable. I called to see if I could just get it removed like she had suggested. So they set me up with the soonest available appt with the same dentist for following Tuesday to have her pull the tooth otherwise they literally suggest I “go to the emergency room”.

The pain was unbearable I found another dental office in town that had raving reviews to help me late that evening. They didn’t have time to pull my tooth so they filled it with a temporary filling. I was told by that dentist its a contraindication to apply silver fluoride to a deep cavity which is why I was in so much pain. After my appointment I did some research - lo and behold you can find that mentioned in nearly every article ever written about silver fluoride.

Tuesday comes around, mind you this doctor is about to pull out my tooth so Im not about to be rude but - I did respectfully mention that I had to see another dentist due to the extremity of the pain. I noted to Dr. Montgomery it was mentioned to me (by the other dentist) that it’s a contraindication to apply silver fluoride to a deep cavity.

I said this as respectfully as you would imagine ANYONE would to another person (let alone a doctor) who is about to pull a molar from your mouth. I was not short with her or disrespectful in fact I thought about not even mentioning it at all but, it was quite obvious that I had some minor work done to my tooth in between visits.

This is what she said, was capable of pulling out the tooth but she didn’t want to anymore and suggested I go somewhere else or be put on another doctors schedule - she kept repeating that the patient and Doctor trust was broken because of what I mentioned and tried to twist it to make it sound like I had a problem.

You guys, like I mentioned above if you have any experience working in the medical field you know a GOOD doctor will tell you to speak openly and honest about your concerns. A good doctor builds confidence in a patient and doesn’t shame them because they have any concerns. I didn’t get angry with her or upset but walked right out after she told me multiple times I should go see someone else.

I’ve been seen here a handful of times by other doctors and quiet honestly it’s all been pretty rotten experiences but this is the one that made me write a review.

My first 1 star review, that deserve a zero.

Re: Update
Below is my original review and 2 years later I stand by it. I was supposed to get a root canal two years ago and just haven’t had any way to afford it so my tooth basically fell apart and really started to hurt. I went to urgent care on a Thursday night and called them Friday morning. They saw me same day and said the tooth needed to go and basically numbed me and pulled it. I didn’t have to jump any hoops, reschedule, get a cleaning. They immediately addressed my issue and though I have never had to have a tooth pulled it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. They did a great job the pain was minimal and it was great to just have it dealt with and be done.
I would recommend them highly! I was very numbed and I appreciate that fact they made sure it was super comfortable and gave me time to get my pain pills and not suffer.I feel way better today and it’s been like 24 hrs.

Original:
Awesome staff! Everyone is very nice and understanding. My dentist seemed really knowledgeable and gave me a great treatment plan.

Gentle Dental is amazing! I have been treated well. The front office staff person is courteous, beautiful, & professional. Everyone I've met on the Dental team is fantastic! Their knowledge about financial limitations and what they could do to try and save my smile is FAR more than what I had expected or hoped for! I had to have a tooth pulled and the Doctor was in and out, literally almost no pain during anesthetics, didn't rip my jaw around getting the tooth out and in 10 minutes ... I was done. That was amazing! I had been up all night worrying, but these folks took care of me. From my experiences thus far, I would give a 5 out of 5 EASILY to Gentle Dental and I am NOT one to give good reviews (and rarely give reviews at all). Highly recommend them. Don't understand why people are complaining about phone contact. Sure, I've had to dial a couple times, sometimes it takes two calls. Just be patient!