Sunflower Dental, LLC

Dr. Fay is the BEST period. I have been to a lot of Dentists but she takes her time explains everything and did a great job with making me feel better about the implant that she skillfully inserted. There is no better dentist in the Northwest and I should know.

I've been going to the dentist regularly my whole life. I recently moved to Portland and purchased dental insurance through the health care exchange. The only dentist that was on my plan nearby in downtown Portland was Sunflower Dental.

The visit started off just fine. The dental hygienist was very friendly and personable. She took her x-rays and then the dentist came in to do the oral evaluation.
One of the first things the dentist said to me was that I asked a lot of questions. She must have overheard my conversation with the hygienist. I told her I was just trying to be informed. She was not very friendly or conversational with me at all.

During the evaluation she was having the hygienist record information about each tooth in the computer as she went along. She wasn't explaining to me what she was finding so every so often when she took her hands out of my mouth I would ask her what that meant and she would briefly say something about what she found. But she didn't keep telling me in plain language what she was telling the hygienist in dental code as she went, only when I asked. It was kind of frustrating because I felt like she wasn't really addressing me.

So after that, she told the hygienist that I need to have deep cleaning on my lower teeth. In addition she said I needed 2 fillings. I was a little surprised at this, since my previous checkups have all been good. I had never had a deep cleaning, and I hadn't had any fillings since I was a child.

I asked the hygienist if I could get the cleaning done today and she said yes. She said deep cleanings could only be done on one side at a time because it require numbing the gums. So she could do one side today, and then I would come back to do another deep cleaning on the other side.

I asked her what if I just wanted a regular cleaning. She said she couldn't do that because it would be against the law. I asked her what law and she said she couldn't remember the name of it. Then she said she would check with the dentist to find out the details about the law. She came back and she told me it would be a case of negligence if they didn't do the deep cleaning. This made no sense to me since it would seem like I should be able to choose my own treatment even if they recommended something different.

Shortly after this discussion she abruptly told me she had another appointment and she couldn't do any cleaning today after all. So she had me scheduled for a cleaning later on in the month.
After leaving I started thinking more about my experience and I just didn't feel very comfortable with things. The dentist wasn't very personable and didn't take really any time to explain things to me. So I decided to get a second opinion.

At the second dentist, I asked him to do an oral exam and let me know if he agreed with the treatment plan provided by sunflower dental. After he examined my teeth, he said he would NOT recommend a deep cleaning on the lower teeth, but only a regular cleaning instead. As for the fillings, he did say that one of my fillings was cracked and probably would need some repair, but he did not find anything wrong with the other tooth where Sunflower Dental said a filling was needed.

In summary, I feel Sunflower Dental doesn't do a very good job of explaining things and in my case, recommended more expensive treatments that were not actually needed. I was told there was some legal reason why they had to perform a deep cleaning rather than a regular cleaning. This is clearly false and it makes me question their integrity and ethics.

I would not recommend Sunflower Dental to anyone.

Chris Mandeville

I had the same experience as Chris Mandeville. I too asked a lot of questions on my first visit and Dr Gyapong was very put off. I've been getting my teeth cleaned every 6-12 months all my life, and my dentists have always praised my at home care, and healthy teeth and gums.

Dr Gyapong, was very critical about my teeth on the first visit, and was not friendly. The entire experience felt like a scam to get me to pay for deep cleanings, and to come in every 2-3 months for more cleanings.

The hygenist said I HAD to get a deep cleaning on the upper teeth, and she shot me up with novocaine faster than I could question the decision. Dr Gyapong is not only scamming patients but the state of Oregon. My first visit amounted to over $850. Thats highway robbery, and Oregon tax payers are footing the bill. In addition Dr Gyapong charged me out of pocket for $65 for the deep cleaning. If she does that to all her patients, she's pocketing a lot of money.

I found out she dismissed me as her patient due to the fact that I wasn't cooperating with her "care plan". Thats unprofessional, and highly unethical. Clearly she only wants uninformed patients so she can continue her bad practices. If you're on Medicaid, or the Marketplace don't choose Dr Gyapong, find another dentist.. one that's fair, ethical, and honest!

A family member recommended Dr. Gyapong because she knew I had anxiety issues. I will always be grateful for this referral. I came needing a lot of work, but too scared to allow it. She quickly put me at ease by still showing me respect, a sense of calm, and her promise to work with in my comfort level. I trusted her enough to "open my mouth" and allow the work to begin. The first being root canals. It is not an easy task for me to trust, but I soon did as she kept her promise, proved to be very good at pain free shots, and even checked up on me after the procedures. I still have much work to be done, but it is HUGE for me to CONTINUE coming!! I still have anxiety issues, but she continues to "work with me" through them. This sounds totally unprofessional...but I love my dentist!!

Thank you Sis for telling me about Dr. Gyapong!!

Worst Dental practice I have experienced. Seemed to be more interested in running up my bill, rather than me and my Oral Health. My Dental Insurance in the past has always covered 100% of charges at dentists in other locations. Not at Sunflower. I had to pay a large sum just for a routine check up.

The hygienist was very nice, but I had a big problem with the dentist herself. It seemed as though she was a salesperson rather than a dentist, trying to upsell me on services. Among other things, she said I needed a root canal despite having very, very limited sensitivity in that tooth. As another reviewer stated he did, I ended up going for a second opinion. I went to a specialist who said that I absolutely did not need a root canal. I'm not sure whether it's her competency or her ethics, but it seems as though she's getting a lie if diagnoses wrong.

The dentist was also dismissive of my questions and, in my opinion, made some strange and disparaging remarks. I just don't think she has very good interpersonal skills and probably shouldn't work with people. I certainly wouldn't go back.

Dr Gyapong (sorry, I'm an old-school patient, pre-dating Porter) is superb - comfortable, no-pain procedures, all expertly delivered with personality and compassion. Even after briefly moving away, I would come back to Dr Gyapong for my dental needs. Cannot recommend highly enough!

I have had so much work done over the course of 20 years with this wonderful dentist, I realize that what I'm about to write will sound to some like hyperbole, but the truth of the matter is that I'm alive today because of the quality of care I've received from the first visit up to my most recent appointment. I was referred to this dental practice by a good friend of mine, and I consider it one of the best gifts any friend has ever given me.

I had a cleaning done here and they used nice, modern equipment and when I had technical questions about the procedure they didn't treat me like I wouldn't understand. Now I have a better understanding of how anaerobic bacteria is much worse than aerobic bacteria between my teeth! They also rounded off the edges of the scraping, so I wouldn't cut my tongue on my front teeth, unlike the last two places I went to. Good job.

100% thumbs-up!!! Each member of the team is spot-on. Dr. Gyapong goes waaaay above and beyond for each patient; she takes time to get to know her patients and their individual wants/needs, and is more than willing to explain the hows and whys of recommended procedures and is willing to go the extra mile to come up with best solutions. Plus she's an artist and it shows in her dentistry! One of my sons lost half of his two front teeth (ie sheared in half); after the root canals, she reconstructed two GORGEOUS teeth - absolutely no way to tell that they aren't real! Shakiba and Eunice complement the team perfectly - Shakiba has been cleaning our teeth for about a decade and the two work in perfect concert. She's gentle, patient, and with a great sense of humor. Eunice is ready-to-go with insurance info and coverage, is prompt with billing and can answer any billing questions - a rarity given the complications of insurance cos. We love this team!!