I've been a patient at Affinity Dental of La Mesa for many years and have had all types of dental work done there over time, so I can speak from a lot of firsthand experience. Dr. Michaels is excellent -- gentle, skilled, and always takes time to explain options clearly without pressure. I've trusted his care for everything from routine visits to more involved procedures, and the quality of the work has always been outstanding. Mirna, the office manager, runs a truly organized and welcoming practice. Carmen, the X-ray tech, is kind and patient, and Kathy and Zaira at the front desk are consistently friendly and helpful with scheduling and insurance -- they make every visit easy and stress-free. What keeps me coming back year after year is the consistency and genuine care from the entire team. You're treated like a person, not a number. After many years as a patient, I can confidently recommend this office to anyone looking for a trustworthy, long-term dentist in La Mesa. read more

Please check out the complaint with the Better Business Bureau. I myself am having issues. They insist that you pay in full upfront and they overcharge you. They tell you that a procedure is not covered when it is! They take a long time to bill your insurance. They will incorrectly bill your insurance. All of this to delay you from getting your refund and them holding onto your money. Some of the front and back office individuals are very rude. The dentist was talking to me and said that he was going to shut up because the dental assistant, who was standing behind me, was giving him the signal to do so. This is extremely rude. When he walked away, I had one more question she would not allow me to speak to him. She wanted to answer the question, she's not the dentist. I'm still waiting for my refund it's been almost 3 months. read more

Amazing group. Makes going to the dentist an easy,pleasant experience and I had a crown done!

I cannot say enough great things about Affinity Dental in La Mesa! From the moment I walked in, I felt completely at ease. The front desk staff greeted me with a big smile, checked me in quickly, and even offered to help me with some insurance questions I'd been putting off. The office itself is spotless, modern, and has a calm, welcoming vibe that immediately takes away that "dentist office anxiety." The technology they use is top-notch, and they took the time to show me what they were doing so I could actually understand my treatment plan. read more

I've always had bad experiences when it came to dentists, I always felt judged when I would be assessed initially for the work I needed, and I would feel rushed during my procedures... But at affinity dental, I always felt calm and at ease to know that the dentists here put a lot of time and effort not only into their procedures but also in making sure that I felt assured when I would have any anxiety. They really take the time to explain all the details with me and no question goes unanswered. I am in my late 20's, and I am so happy to have finally found a great dental office for me after all of these years. read more

One of the worst places anyone could go to the office staff is awful they have attitudes galore and they sit there and lie to you thank god for email proof no one in office seem to have a clue what is actually going on. I wouldn't waste your time or money with people like them they don't care about the patients they only care about money. The fact that you are putting a patient's diagnosis recommendations on the internet for others to see is not ok and when I asked to talk to someone I was given every excuse in the book not only if the staff unethical but it seems like the owner is as well read more

Update (in response to Dr. Alan's reply below): Dr. Alan, I appreciate your response, but what you wrote does not reflect what actually happened. I was told I could not receive a covered extraction unless I paid $500 per tooth for bone grafts. I was never told this was optional, nor was I provided a written treatment plan or ADA billing codes. There was no diagnostic explanation of why grafting was needed. Once I said I couldn't afford the $1,000 out-of-pocket, I was dismissed from the office -- no antibiotics, no pain relief, and no follow-up. The next day, I received the covered extraction from another provider under the same DeltaCare plan, with no out-of-pocket cost, no bone grafts, and no mention that they were medically necessary. That dentist confirmed the grafts were not needed. Since posting my review, I've read many others describing nearly identical billing experiences with your office. I stand by my complaint, and I've submitted it to the Dental Board and BBB. I hope others are treated with more transparency and compassion than I was. read more

1) Office staff and office manager refused to allow work to be scheduled or performed for agreed insurance amount unless I paid much more. 2) Office staff and office manager refused to let dentist know about concerns - said dentist does not talk to patients. 3) Have yet to meet dentist during or after initial and followup visit-staff said he was too busy. read more

I have been visiting this office for years. Their motto "treat you like family" is true! Dr. Michels "jr" is a family man and not always in office but rest assured his team and associates will uphold the same pillar of values. My favorite thing is the time they take to explain the procedure to you and discuss billing to ensure you know what you are getting. I look forward to my appointments and seeing the friendly staff every time! read more

I love the friendly staff, hello Kathy. I have been with them for almost 30 years. I always get quality service with very compident dentist and staff. Tim who cleans my teeth and makes me laugh when doing my numbers is irreplaceable! Thank you for your exceptional service. Kathy Rosenberger read more

I'm so grateful I found this place. Everyone has been so caring and kind. My annual check up took a turn for the worst when I found out my tooth was bad. I was given a treatment plan unknowing that my next step would be losing my tooth. The assistants explained everything so well, I felt at ease as a super anxious person because I HATE going to the dentist. I was informed what was to be expected cost wise and was able to finance with a super generous no interest plan. I understood what was covered and (unfortunately) being in the insurance industry I expected there'd be some loophole to what wasn't covered. I hesitantly called another office for a second opinion and they stated the same thing but ultimately wanted to charge me $950 for grafting. I spoke with my husband and decided to go back to where I felt most cared for and I'm so thankful I did. Thank you for treating me with compassion, I know I cried a lot my husband scheduled his next appointment as is going into the office next week for his exam and cleaning read more

I was traumatize as a child. Dr Paul list to me and he is very caring l now like come to see him. He is Such a Wonderful Caring Person. I wouls give him a Thousand Percent rating if l could.. THANK YOU DR PAUL!!!! r read more

If you are looking for somone with an eye for cosmetic dentistry and a dental implant bridge - do not go here. This review is long overdue but my conscience has convicted me to write and show others what happened to me so you do not have to go through the same thing. This timeline with Affinity Dental occurs over several months in 2023. BEFORE the $10,000 work I had done at Affinity Dental, I was happy with how my teeth looked cosmetically. I have never had great teeth; but up until visiting this office, I was happy with how they looked after years of investing in them. My long time dentist of nearly 30 years, always did an amazing job. We moved to California and unfortunately I experienced two dentist in a row who I feel really let me down. Dr. Michels being the latter dentist who fixed a failed bridge I had done less than a year prior by the first dentist I encountered in California. Dr Michels assured me he could fix what the last dentist had done and I would be happy. I needed a dental implant bridge, a front crown, a couple teeth pulled and some other work done to correct the work of the last dentist. After Dr. Michels work, I now have a very uneven, almost whimsical smile I am not happy with. In voicing this, Dr Michels said he would remake the dental implant bridge to repair the curve you see in the "after" photos below - He assured me that on other occasions with other patients, he had the lab remake things when they didn't look right. This as you can see, doesn't look right. He later changed his mind, saying he would not remake it. I wanted to have it remade before it was permanently cemented. That was the plan. But he came up with the proposal to instead, have my other side done, shave down my front teeth and place crowns to match what he had just finished....I did not go through with that plan. I was shocked and upset. I wish I'd advocated more for myself. As you can imagine, quite devastating after thousands of dollars to walk away looking like what I call a freaky smile. It could've been remade to elongate one tooth and all would've been fine. Also worth mentioning: Dr Michels and some staff were back and forth on a few things during my treatments, convoluting the process and confusing us. Everyone seemed so nice and sincere at first then the astomphere changed. My husband and I overheard and saw other things that made us wish we would have gone elsewhere. I am embarrassed to smile and not happy at all with the dental implant bridge Affinity Dental gave me, nor am I happy with the front crown I have had issues with from day one. May 6th 2025: I made few revisions to this review to make my prior dental experience clear. I also wanted to say there were a few outstanding staff members that were very kind and helpful. A front desk person, an Xray tech, a female dentist and an assistant. For them I was very grateful. read more

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Been going to Affinity Dental since 2014. I was in between jobs/benefits and found them on GroupOn. When I secured benefits and they were still in-network; I stayed. The practice is exceptional. Drs. Michels (Sr. & Jr. have seen me) and Dr. Coleman. The office is a well-oiled machine. From reception, to X-ray (she is hilarious); to RDA, hygienist & DDS- the experience does not disappoint. I have used their lab for my night guard. I have requested fluoride and sealants. I have requested warmed up water (sensitivity of my teeth). Their newest addition to the team offered me a numbing gel, which I appreciated. Highly recommend. The office works well with insurance and Medicare equally. I have no need to look elsewhere for my dental needs. read more

Affinity Dental is a fantastic office to have your dental work performed. My teeth were cleaned and polished by Tim. I have never had my teeth cleaned so thoroughly. He was the best! The office staff is also very friendly and helpful and the office itself was decorated very nicely for the fall season. If you are looking for a new dental office this is the perfect choice! read more

There are kind people who work here. However, the care I received was poor. The dentist does not focus on preventative care, but only solving existent problems. I have also had multiple issues with scheduling here, which is unfortunate. I went in for a cleaning and I was there for over 2 hours and they completed X-rays but not the cleaning, and I ended up having to leave for work and come back another day. When I came back, they started my appointment 15 minutes late. read more

Terrible office experience. They did not inform me that my insurance was terminated from their records until I walked into the office and was unable to get updated information. read more

Yikes. So, I've now had many experiences since my initial experience. Not that great. Like another patient mentioned, I was seeing Dr. Olson too, and on my cleaning appointment today, find out he's gone now. I agree, that is highly unprofessional, at best, that I wasn't notified either. I super love my hygienist, but everything else has totally sucked. I was nickel and dimed on every visit. They just wore me down. The front desk is always super unpleasant. They don't acknowledge you when you walk up when that is literally their job. The other main hygienist, Veronica, is a nasty, horrible and offensive person. I need to reach out to my dental plan, as I'm fairly sure I was charged a copay I wasn't supposed to pay today. I'm 100% done here. I moved to SD too, so it's not even worth the drive. Rude princesses in the office, shady billing, hostile atmosphere. What is good here? My hygienist. Absolutely nothing else, and I can't justify that. Next! read more

This place saved my tooth. I got some bad dental work done in TJ, and I needed an immediate crown. The receptionist was super kind and was able to fit me in the schedule the next day, I felt so relieved because I was in so much pain. Definitely recommend this place to anyone who needs dental work. read more

Everything. Great service. On time. Angelina, Carina and Dr. Coleman were awesome. Love the interior design and set up of the office and super clean too read more

I went here once and it was fine, so I went back. The second time, I gave them my two retainers to clean. When I got home, there was one dirty retainer (ie clearly not cleaned), and the second one was nowhere to be seen. Ugh. I called but they couldn't find it. They apologized and said I could come in the next week to get fitted for new retainers. Really annoying: it's half an hour round trip plus the fitting, my teeth move after a couple of nights without retainers, I work full time, and I have two toddlers (yes, two). But whatever, people make mistakes and I try to give grace. THEN this woman called me back. I answered, excited, thinking that they found it. Ha! Instead, the receptionist told me in an extremely rude tone that the hygienist told her I only gave her one retainer (for starters, I didn't even give the retainers to the hygienist), and she basically accused me of lying. She told me she guessed I could still come in to get fitted for new retainers but their equipment is apparently so crappy that "we can't guarantee the fit." I can't tell you how how many times she repeated these two ideas (me lying and their equipment sucking). I was so taken aback I barely said anything at all. It was totally bonkers and kind of impressive how quickly she worked herself up arguing against no one. I've never talked to such a rude receptionist before. I can only speculate what's going wrong in her life to make her act so insane. By the time they got me in, I explained to them that my teeth had moved. They brushed me off and only replaced the retainer they lost. Now that I've been wearing my old retainer and new retainer for a few weeks, my teeth don't line up anymore and it's causing me a lot of pain. So now I'm going to have to go somewhere else to get this fixed. It's going to cost me a lot. Anyway, to summarize: they lost one retainer, didn't even clean the second one (which they admitted when I brought it in to the fitting), severely inconvenienced me, essentially accused me of lying about it, told me that their equipment sucks so bad that they can't guarantee it will do its literal job, and then misaligned my jaw. Does that sound like a reliable dentist office to you? I'll let you make that choice. read more

Amazing experience. The staff was so friendly, and the everyone was gentle and professional. I'll definitely be coming back!

Had a cleaning today by Tim. He's new to me at this office and I will say he is superior to the prior hygienist. He was friendly, deliberate and efficient. Extremely thorough, explained what he was doing and made sure I was comfortable the entire time. X-Ray tech, Dentist, and office staff were great as usual but lucky to have a gem like Tim added to their staff. Many thanks! read more

The Office Staff and 2 Doctors I met were all very nice and knowledgeable. The Office and Back examining areas were immaculate and seemed to be high-tech, state-of-the-art, and smelled simply of fresh air. The overall atmosphere of AFFINITY DENTAL of LM was friendly and cheerful, the office just had good vibes. My only issue was as a retired senior on a budget, what I needed done was out of my price range. I'm still looking read more

I finally found a good dental office close to home. I went to another office who was giving me issues with my insurance but i thought that was odd since i have good insurance. When i came here they verified it over the phone and had no issues when i came in. I like that they explained the treatment plan well and they were honest about the work i needed. Best cleaning ive ever gotten and my wife got fillings. Will keep coming here since all the staff was nice to us since the beginning read more

Please, read the reviews before even call them for your dental needs. These people will rlp you off by taking money from you prior to presenting the treatment plan . They will try to convince you that your insurance is not applicable to your bill when in fact it is. Please read other reviews! read more

Please think twice before going to this office. -Dental cleanings were painful. I was never afraid of having dental work done until going to this office. -I was told that I had bad insurance that wouldn't cover much. When in fact, my insurance wasn't being billed at all. -Rather than billing my insurance, they were charging me directly. -After multiple unsuccessful requests for the billing department to file claims with my insurance, I had to file a grievance. Fortunately, my insurance reimbursed me, but it took over five months. -I should have paid attention to all the red flags, but let fear get the best of me, and went ahead and had a crown when I don't know if it was even really necessary. When I write a review, it's usually for positive experiences with a company, but in this case, I feel it's necessary to warn potential customers - especially those who may have an HMO dental plan. Please consider going elsewhere. read more

Okay so this is place is definitely in the top for me. Dentist are scary even if you take 100% great care of your teeth. I had a eating disorder growing up that had destroyed my 6 front teeth. They were becoming see through on the bottoms and you could see the dentin part receding. It affected my talking to potential jobs and just made me become extremely introverted. I'm applying to nursing school in September and I knew if I didn't fix my teeth I wasn't going to cut it through classes and progressing in my career. So we took the plunge and went to dr. Michaels. He was extremely up front about everything. He was honest, took the time to answer questions and was very caring. The hygienist were amazing and the front desk ladies are very helpful. I made the appointment for 2 weeks later and saved my money. Day of appointment: they put me in a calming room, were extremely caring and attentive and helped keep me calm through everything. I got all 6 front teeth caped. I had temporaries put on that no one could tell were fake. ( temporary teeth suck so bad but it's only temporary and it does get better) lived off mortrin and smoothies for a week. I had the dental hygienist Michelle that put them on and she took her time making sure my bite was perfect. Nothing worst than hitting teeth when you're numb. Last appointment: go back in for my permanent set. My goodness my gums are killing me but they got the temporary out fast and once again Michelle took her time with me and made sure everything was perfect for me. She even offered to put on temporary glue so I could make sure if the color was right. ( I didn't; the color was perfect already) So here's what you need to take from my experience I paid $3259.00 for 6 front teeth to be capped. I have Dental insurance but this is considered cosmetic. The worst part is hearing the noise as they grind the teeth for placement ( you're numb it's just so loud) but as of now I feel like I can finally take my life back. I can finally accept that I've truly healed from my eating issues because this closed the book on having to see the reminders each time I would smile before. I'm so happy to finally have some of my life back. You don't realize how much of your personality sits right in your smile. 100% would do it over again if given the chance. read more

Affinity Dental of La Mesa - Before/durning/ after ( I was still numb in the last 2 so my smile is off) - Cosmetic Dentists Near Me - La Mesa, California

I had an appointment with Dr. Paul Michel, to put on a crown. I have a terrible fear of dentist/dental work. His assistant/technician Carmen was kind and made me feel comfortable the moment I sat in the chair. Dr. Michel came in, introduced himself to me, told me to let him know if anything hurt (raise my hand) during the procedure. He and Carmen have a great rapport which made me feel comfortable. It's been two days since my procedure and I haven't had any pain since the numbing and sedation wore off. I have more dental work to be done and I'm grateful that Dr. Michel will be doing all of the work. read more

Just wanted to take the time to recognize Affinity Dental in La Mesa. My mother is a disabled senior citizen, and visits to the dentist are not always days that I look forward to. All of that changed with my recent visit. First off, the hygienist Veronica was very professional and extremely knowledgeable. You can tell she loves what she does. To me the stand out was her assistant Judith. She was so caring and gentle with my mom, I had never seen anything like it. My mom was instantly at ease, and made the experience for both of us extremely pleasant. Nice to come across people who love what they do, but more importantly, people who care and treat the elderly like important human beings. I will be bringing my mother back. Thank you Veronica and Judith read more

This place cares about making money, not their patients. I have severe tooth pain and they wouldn't work with my schedule for me to be seen for an emergency appointment. The conversation ended with them letting me go as a patient which is absolutely fine with me because I wouldn't go back here anyways, nor will the rest of my family. I would much rather receive dental care from a dentist that is willing to help and work with me when I call about tooth pain. I would always wait AT THE LEAST a half hour to be seen even with an appointment. I wish I would have seen the SEVERAL OTHER ONE STAR REVIEWS THIS DENTIST HAS before I decided to become a patient. There are much better options for dental care but if you want to be treated POORLY then affinity dental in La Mesa is your place. Fortunately, the caring team over at El Cajon Family Dentistry understood the severity of my situation and was able to get me in for an emergency appointment at the soonest time I was able to come in. HIGHLY recommend El Cajon Family Dentistry! read more

Affinity Dental of La Mesa - El Cajon Family Dental arranged emergency appointment for me as a new patient! Highly recommend them! - Cosmetic Dentists Near Me - La Mesa, California

Another amazing experience with this clinic I have been with them more than 10 years and today I did cleaning They're professional team, super clean extra caution very friendly and very affordable charges Veronica was the hygienic and all her assistance where excellent I'm very happy with the service and I recommend this place to all my family and friends read more

I have visited Affinity a few times and the service has been fast and efficient from the girls at the front, the ones assisting with x-rays, assistants and the young lady explaining cost in detail. The doctor is also great! I've had to return because of one little incident and they managed to take care of me the next morning. This place is very helpful and my teeth look and feel great! read more

DO NOT GO HERE!!! I have been a patient of Affinity Dental for many years. Recently had an appointment because of an issue with a back tooth. My last appointment in this office was in January 2023 and no concerns were expressed about this back tooth at that time, or any other teeth except for one. At both of these appointments, the one in January and the last appointment, I saw different dentists, dentists I had never seen before. At the last visit, the dentist I saw told me that I needed extreme work, an extraction, implant and multiple crowns. He did a very cursory exam and his whole demeanor was such that I did not trust him. The kicker was that when the office staff came and gave me the run down of what the expenses would be, the amount that would be covered by insurance was minimal (my insurance covers 80%). When I asked why the insurance covered so little, she said that they would not cover the procedures unless there is decay. The total for all services, depending on what I was to have done was $4000 to $6000 out of pocket!!! In discussion with the dentist he told me that he has been a dentist for 40 years and still figuring out if he can retire (Hmmm). He said he was hired at Affinity to do exams because Dr. Michels only does implants now (Hmmm). Funny, my husband was just in there last month and an implant was recommended for him as well (Hmmm). The whole process, just felt wrong. I have lost any faith I had in this dentist office. I used to have an HMO dental plan with limited dentists that would accept my insurance, but now have a PPO. I was with Affinity Dental for many years because they did accept the HMO. Since I have more options now I went to another dentist recommended by a friend and it is amazing the difference. The new dentist was very thorough in his examination and is actually sending me to an endodontist to determine the best way to proceed with my back tooth. The new dentist is recommending a crown and possibly a root canal. His opinion was that there was no question that the tooth was able to be saved. In addition, when I was at Affinity Dental a week ago, I had a cleaning. If the cleaning was 10 minutes, that would a long time. The new dentist asked about when my last cleaning was because it appeared that it had been awhile. He showed me pictures of the back of my teeth and yes it appeared a cleaning was needed. He was kind in not wanting to diss the other dental office, but said it was unlikely that that much stain would be present in less than a week (my last supposed cleaning). Needless to say, I am moving dentists. I would not recommend Affinity Dental to anyone unless you want to have a lot of unnecessary dental work done and limited maintenance on your teeth!! read more

DO NOT GO to La Mesa Affinity Dental. They are very unprofessional. The first time I walked in I had bad vibes. They told me my insurance would not cover all the work I needed done so I would have to pay out of pocket. I walked out and am looking for another dental office. read more

I don't know where to begin because there are so many issues with this dental office. Let's start with the receptionist: extremely unprofessional, rude, not knowledgeable of front end receptionist procedures. If you are not medically training don't attempt to give me dental advice but be familiar with insurance protocols! Doctors vs Hygienist: If I have a toothache they can get me in with a doctor to reccomend a few crowns or a root canal that will cost a $1,000+ within a day or two with no problem. If I want to do routine maintenance with a hygienist to prevent needing $1,000 work-up "ooh no, were booking two months out for cleaning ". I vote for more hygienist to accommodate the high demand of routine maintenance needed! Michels vs Per Diem Doctors: If I am apart of the "Michels Family " and suppose to be treat like so then inform me that one of the "Michels" will not be available the day of my appointment but you have this other GREAT doctor! I previously discussed a whole different care plan with one of The Michels and this float doctor doesnt know what it is! Back-office Medical staff: I have had cavities filled, crowns put on and other work and was never offered to rinse the blood out or particles. I would go into the lobby and spit in the trash can near the water dispenser so I can speak to make my follow up appointment. One day I finally asked the medical assistant in the back where is the old school little spit /mouth rinse dish she said eww that's nasty we dont have those! Normally patient ask to go to the sink! Excuse me I never got the memo those were obsolete! Respect for patients: You call me for a same day hygienist appointment, "oh my lucky stars" I am so grateful. I rearrange my work schedule, ask my boss if I can take my lunch at a certain to make it to my dental appointment. My appointment was booked for 3pm. I clock out at 240pm. I'm in the next building so sign in for my dental appointment at 245pm. 320pm I haven't been called back! The receptionist said, " you haven't been called back yet, you were here before the last family"! I was livid, you wasted my time and energy! I left without my cleaning that is a year overdue. Over due because this office has no respect for their patients time. This is the third time this has happened to me and I had to cancel because my time was irrelevant to them! read more

Is it strange to say that I actually look forward to my dentist visits? I love coming here not only because of the excellent service but because they truly care for their patients! Everyone is friendly and professional and I truly trust the quality of their work. I have been to many dentist offices in my lifetime and Affinity dental has by far been my favorite and I can't recommend them enough to my friends and family! read more

Affinity Dental of La Mesa - Cosmetic Dentists Near Me - La Mesa, California

Staff is friendly and helpful. Appointments are easy to make. Will come back to do a few more procedures.

Awesome Dental team at Affinity Dental My husband & I have been coming here for years Great service every time. Very professional staff especially Cathy at the front desk. I would highly recommend Affinity Dental read more

I can't believe that I'm saying this, but I had such a good time at the dentist! Cathy and Joselyn at the front desk are so sweet and Karmen cared for me & was so cool taking my x-rays and Dr. Olsen & his assistant Myrna were so great! The vibes here are pleasant and they're gentle. Biggest bonus - they didn't try to oversell me. Honest as the day is long! Ha ha ha....who would've thought I'd enjoy my visit to the dentist office?!? read more

Affinity Dental of La Mesa - Karmen, DA, is phenomenal! She puts a smile on my face at the CT Scanner with her cheerful & extraordinary customer service. - Cosmetic Dentists Near Me - La Mesa, California

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