My wife went here not me which is why I didn't give it a one, however I got front row seats to the reason behind the rating (And let me state that the girl I spoke to over the phone was quite nice): -1st this place seems incredibly busy, especially if your looking for a weekend booking you could be waiting for 2-3 months. -My wife was charged 40% over the estimate. A few dollars..pfft whatever, but this was far from a few dollars. -They only did half a cleaning...HALF, then told her she had to book another appointment for the other half?? "They didn't have time on her first booking"?? Get ready for ANOTHER payment. Neither I or my wife have EVER had to go for two sessions for a cleaning & x-rays. Nor have I ever heard of this.. -An email she received in response to a query about the price was a little patronizing and that was the final nail in the coffin for her.. The short story: She's a masters student & we are both covered by her plan. Even with the coverage Alma is still quite expensive, and the estimates are quite inaccurate as is the process once you get there. I will now pay 1/3 of what she might have paid for the EXACT same thing at Kingsgate Dental & the estimates are always within a few dollars as well. The waits are also 1/3 compared to Alma (they also open on the occasional Sunday). Alma should also get someone else to reply to customer service emails lol. The bright side..?? The bottom half of her mouth is pretty clean :) read more

Dentists get a bad wrap. Why? Because we are scared of them as kids, and it just sticks. Kinda like Polident. Well, have no fear, cause Alma Dental is here. For your most important part of your body. Well... one of them at least. One of the hygienists hums a lovely little ditty throughout most of the cleaning and I gotta admit. It's kind of relaxing. They are under the UBC extended health plan here, so it is quite cheap to keep your smile looking like a million bucks if you are a student. I paid around $25 last visit. I gotta say that for the dreaded dentist visit, this place is nearly as good as it gets. Perhaps if they offered laughing gas in the waiting room I would give em 5 happy/dizzy stars. read more

I had a case of a front tooth that was giving some pain when drinking anything that was not at room temperature. Not so bad, but just like a stone in your sock that just doesn't come off no matter what, it becomes unbearable prompting a quick visit to the dentist. Dr. Sidhu came to check my problem. He is a very professional no-nonsense dentist, very down to earth and direct. He was suspecting there was something wrong inside that would need a root canal treatment, but he wanted to be sure.I really appreciate how he just didn't go all drilling and all expensive treatment for just a tooth ache. Recommended a toothpaste for sentive teeth and sent me home. But after a week, suddenly the pain became uncontrollable. Worst tooth ache in my entire life. And it just didn't go away. It's those kind of feelings where it would be better off to be in a deep comma. Fortunately, Alma dental could take a look the next day. Just as I came, Dr. Sidhu knew that a root canal was needed ASAP and he began right away. First, it was the temporal post inside the canal. Then, I would come back to get the permanent post. Everything went just well. I am VERY impressed at the work of Dr. Sidhu and his professionalism. Been more than a year and had ZERO problems with the root canal. No more pain at all, no infections, no reworking, no nothing. The price is pretty much the same you can find as any other dental clinic, but totally worth it for their work. It is a shame I am not in Vancouver anymore, but I would have been a permanent customer if I had stayed. read more

I have been coming here for 10 years and have had mostly a good experience. I didn't know how good until I took my business somewhere else, closer to where I live and work. I really missed the level of care and service the people at Alma Dental had given me. I like going to Dr. Sidhu because he tells me like it is, rather than sugar coating anything and he doesn't suggest unnecessary procedures I don't want. So sucked it up, and drove 45 minutes from Burnaby/East Van and I came back to Alma Dental Center. My only small complaint is that in the past, I have found the dental hygienists scaling procedures here to be painful. The end. read more

Dr. Sidhu came highly recommended by a friend of mine... and now I am highly recommending his services to you. This is a well-run clinic, with a friendly service and they do a good job at keeping your teeth in tip-top shape! They front-desk ladies are always on-top of the insurance papers, the bookings and exceptionally helpful at looking into things for me. Dr. Sidhu is efficient with his work, causes minimal pain and uses the newer technologies to do things. As someone else said, will always look you in the eye, maintains a friendly, welcoming and consultative approach to explain procedures, etc to put you at ease! Whether you need an emergency appointment or just a standard check-up, they're always great at sliding you in without a long-wait period. Check'em out and recommend to your friends. read more

I have been going here 15 years; since moving to vancouver, and even still go after moving out to Langley! Dr. Sidhu and his team are fantastic- friendly, professional, with the best advice. read more

TL:DR Me and my father both had experiences with very pushy dentists/hygienists who exaggerated our dental conditions. Very, very expensive: I am now switching dentists. I went in recently for a cleaning, as it had been around a year without one, and I was having severe aches in my back molar every time I ate. I had had problems in the past with that tooth, but every time I came in, they told me that there was a crevice in the tooth, and that I didn't need any work done. The pain would leave and then return, but they never told me I had to get work done. December 2018, I came in before my winter break for a routine cleaning/x-rays, and when I saw the x-ray I saw strange marks on the back molar where the pain was, and on the tooth next to it. The hygienist chides me for my dental hygiene, and granted, I am not very consistent with it, so I expected as much. Any time beforehand, they cleaned my teeth and sent me on my way, and I stress, always told me that I had no problems, except lack of consistency in my dental hygiene. This time she told me I had 9 cavities that had just randomly appeared in my mouth. I found this shocking, as I had never had cavities before, and I don't really consume much that would cause intense decay. The dentist tells me that I have to get a root canal on the back molar-- I show up on the next week, he says it's actually not necessary, gives me two fillings on the back molar and the tooth. I proceed, without giving my x-rays to a second dentist (which I now fully regret), to get nine fillings. My dad covers it, and it sets him back approx. 1800 dollars. Everybody in my family is confused as to how I've gotten all these cavities, and upset over cost. I finally finish with the ordeal, feeling guilty and dumb as hell, and they text my father saying that I'm overdue for a cleaning. They hadn't finished the first one, and now they wanted more of my money. I asked my dad about it, as he had switched dentists from Alma to Mid-Main, a non-profit dental centre. He said that while at Alma, the hygienist scolded him and said his teeth were in terrible condition and that he would need work done, and when he went to Mid-Main, the hygienist said his teeth were fine. I then come to this page today, and see how many people had the same experience as me. I am planning to have the x-rays sent to my new dentist, and see what condition my teeth were in. Hope that I didn't make a mistake getting all the fillings done, as I see so many people in this comment section who were cheated. read more

I've been coming here for regular check up for 4 years. Dr Sidhu and all the staff and super friendly. The front desk always greet you with a smile. Hygienists are attentive and caring. The place has been renovated last year. They have new technology cleaning gadgets. My son loves the ceiling TV. It keeps him occupied during cleaning. read more

WOW, first of all let me just say, I had almost exactly the same experience that previous poster Victor had. It was late 2010 and I had UBC student health insurance and found them through ihaveaplan.ca. Sure they had state of the art equipment and they tried to use it to intimidate me! He told me I had 6 cavities! I found that really hard to believe as I didn't see anything on my x-rays and I didn't have cavities for the past 8 years! I refused to believe this 6 cavities assessment and sought out TWO DIFFERENT OPINIONS and guess what the other dentists discovered? NO CAVITIES! The dentist was PUSHING all sorts of services that I didn't need, maybe he's got an orthodontist friend and get some referral % or something. The dental hygienist was very condescending! Every five minutes she would give her TSK TSK TSK of disapproval and how I would need to book A FEW appointments just so she can clean all of my teeth. And on top of all this, I got a way more pricy bill than I got under the same insurance after I went to a different dental clinic. Anyways, I'm really glad I didn't go back to this clinic for this was a terrible experience. If you want to give this place a try, do make sure you are mentally prepared as to not allow this dentist to bully you into making the wrong choices regarding your dental health! If anyone is looking for a really friendly place with honest and careful dentist (who also does the cleaning and really know her stuff), check out the dentists at Enhance Dental Centre. read more

I have never had a cavity in my 28 years of life thanks to genetics, sealants and general good care. My last checkup was 6 months ago and since then I have moved to Canada and needed a new dentist. I went to this place for a cleaning and they said I had SIX cavities! Naturally I emailed the films to my old dentist back home, who admittedly is a bit conservative in his care and prefers to watch and monitor a potential cavity rather than just get in there. He said he saw NO decay except for one spot that could potentially become a cavity. So, not 6 cavities, but one place to watch. Stay away from this place unless you enjoy getting your teeth drilled for no reason. read more

Growing up, my mother was a dental assistant, so I never had to hop around from dentist to dentist in search of a decent one. When I moved to Vancouver a year ago, I began my first quest to find a dentist here in Kits. I went to the first one I saw, and, remarkably, it worked out great!! I didn't have cavities growing up, but after working at a coffee shop for two years, and drinking high sugar beverages, I knew my teeth were in need of some help. At first, I went for a few cleanings, and the hygienists and dentist let me know that some cavities were forming and I would have to fix them sometime in the future. I really liked the honest, yet no pressure feel to this office. I wasn't scared into getting expensive and intrusive dental work done before it was needed. Everyone is super kind and caring here! In addition, you don't have to book appointments too far in advance! Definitely recommend this dental office! read more

Dr. Sidhu and the staff are great but why do all dental offices (mostly the hygenists) make you feel like a criminal? I floss 1-2x a day and use a $200 toothbrush and can't help it if I have bad teeth. I'm doing all I can but they make me feel like I'm doing something very terrible if i'm a couple months late for my cleaning. Dr. Sidhu has been extremely compassionate and helpful. read more

Everyone in the office is very friendly, the appointments always start on time, and they have very convenient hours. The hygenist is just lovely and the dentist who sees both my partner and I is a good man, and thorough. If you are searching for a great dentist in Vancouver, go here. read more

I've been coming here for almost ten years for my twice-a-year cleanings and also my wisdom teeth removal. Dr. LeClair and Dr. Sidhu are two extremely professional individuals with a top notch staff. I've never felt deceived or pressured (my co-workers dentist asked him if he has any interest in Botox treatment, wtf??). On my most recent visit I went in for a checkup because I was feeling numbness and pain over the weekend. Dr. Sidhu and his assistant listened to me and did everything he could to find a problem (including X-Rays). It was $52, which I consider to be extremely reasonable. read more

This recommendation is long overdue. Living on the westside of Vancouver, my wife and I have been going to Alma Dental Centre for over 10 years now and have never had better dental care. Dr. Sidhu is a really nice dentist and honest - the staff and hygienists are super too. No sales pitches, no up-sells or unnecessary procedures. Dr. Sidhu has handled various fillings and restoration work for me. I never get the freezing done now because of how skilled and efficient he is. The other thing that is cool is that if you ever have a dental emergency, they always seem to find time for you. If you are in Point Grey / Kitsilano, I highly recommend Alma Dental - easily one of the best dental clinics around. Can't say enough about them. read more

I am not sure why people really like this dentist. I went to this place to have just a cleaning but instead I got out of there with a diagnose of 7 cavities in my mouth! I was extremely surprised since I never had cavities in my entire life. This dentist seemed at first very knowledgeable so I trusted him and he quoted me that it would cost around $800 - $1000 with my UBC insurance. The price scared me so I decided to ask for my x-rays so I could look for a second opinion.... That was when things started to get really strange; first they did not like that I asked for the X-rays that I payed, then it took about 3 weeks for them to release it to me... and when I went to get them, they only gave me some X-rays. Conveniently the x-ray of the exactly side where most my cavities were, got stuck in the machine and therefore they couldn't give it to me. Well, I took all the other X-rays and went to a dentist that is friends of my parents for decades and guess what.... I did not have any cavities after all!!!! None! Zero! Nada! and even if I had, this dentist said that his quote was way OVERPRICED! To be fair, the cleaning girl there was super nice and did a good job; that is why I am giving it a 2 stars. But DO NOT trust in what the dentist there says!!! If he tells you that you need work in your teeth, I would highly recommend you to look for a second opinion! read more

I went to this clinic twice for cleaning. The first time the work was on average but the second time was just too bad. I had severe pain after cleaning. If you have sensetive teeth, avoid going there! read more

My quest for a dentist started in the wonderful world of yelp. finding a dentist is like finding a hairdresser. One wrong cut (painful filling) can result in never coming back. Alma Dental gets a lot of things right. The receptionist is friendly (which should be expected) but also takes care of insurance papers. She will send you the cost ahead of time so there isn't any awkward "oh my goodness, I have to pay HOW MUCH?" discussion. I wanted a "nice" place to go to, but not to the extent that my dental dollars are going to herman miller furniture, flat screen tvs, and granite countertop. Alma dental was clean and had small tvs and a typical dental office cleanliness. The hygienists are gentle yet thorough, and actually make me want to get my teeth cleaned more often! The dentist himself was young yet professional as I had to get some major work done. My only negative probably comes from myself in that I hate going to the dentist (who likes it in the first place) and I believe the next big thing could be creating a new experience for dental patients altogether. The world is full of collaborations, looking forward to the first dentist that makes the shift. read more