Dr. Kim was my primary dentist for over 10 years. Hands down the most patient, kind, and thorough dentist in NYC! I've survived broken teeth, root canals, wisdom extractions, fillings, and implants -- all under his care. His office is conveniently located in Midtown, and his staff feels like family. I highly recommend! read more

I've come here for a few years now. I've never been here for anything than a regular cleaning, but I find that I get good care, everything is clean, and the office runs on schedule. read more

Excellent dental care across a comprehensive array of services. My family has benefited from general dentistry & cleaning, implants, and dental surgery. My family has relied on Dr Kim's gentle care for years. Across three family members, we're pleased with his implants, crowns, bite guards, and consultations over tooth aches. He's so good that I schedule my trips from the Midwest around my check-ups with him. Even his office staff are wonderful to work with. And never had any insurance issues. I'm a demanding patient and have cut off several average dentists in the past. So I was glad when my father discovered Dr Kim. Thankful for Dr Kim and Dental Life in our lives. read more

X-Rays are state of the art equipment as it's all computerized using Patterson Eagle Soft Advanced Imaging. The dental hygienist and Dr. Richard Kim properly diagnose one's aliment(s) and any potential problems as proven with my recent visit. Staff is professional, courteous, respectful, and attentive to serving clients. Dr. Richard Kim, a general practice dentist is attentive to detail with his work to provide treatment and proper medical care to ensure my ongoing healthy teeth. N.B. Lateness can result in loosing the appointment time allotted as patients are not seen and/or induced with a late fee. read more

I have not been to the dentist in 2 years because of a really bad experience at a previous dentist. My husband recently went to Dental Life and recommended it. I was dreading this appointment and as soon as I sat in the dentist chair I started getting anxious. However, that anxiety was for nothing! Dr. Kim and his staff were wonderful! Dr. Kim was so calm about everything. Great bedside manner. My old dentist got onto me every visit about my wisdom teeth. Dr. Kim did acknowledge that the ones on my left side will need to come out at some point but the ones on the right were good. I was seriously always badgered about my wisdom teeth at my old dentist, so this was great news. The cleaning was very thorough. It's going to be so nice not worrying about going to the dentist any longer! I might actually go every six months like you are supposed to now lol read more

outstanding dentist. perfect job w my implant and everything else. the best I had over many decades in many places. office is efficient kind and pleasant! read more

Dr. Kim is always professional, kind, explains everything, and excellent technically. He always provides perfect level of pain control for procedures. So is hygienist Katrina. I have been going to Dr. Kim at Dental Life for many years. I go for check ups, cleanings, fillings, root canals, and so does my husband. Office staff is professional, efficient, provides helpful information Re insurance, costs, appointments, etc. Extremely convenient location. Minimal wait time to be seen. I highly recommend. read more

Expertise, equipment, advice, treatment all first-class. Dental hygienist Aksana is uncommonly thorough: She will scrape, floss, or rub every speck of foreign matter from between, on, and around your teeth. read more

Very trustworthy! The best dentist in town. I feel like I found gold when I met him.

Dr Kim is so gentle and kind. His dental treatment was really good. He explained everything that needed to be done - I recommend Dr Richard Kim DDS to all. read more

Lady at reception is terribly condescending to patients. It's too bad a good doctor loses patients because of rude staff but we seriously don't need the extra layer of stress at the dentist. read more

Part 1 A couple of years ago I finally dragged myself to a dentist in the Times Square area. He was very young and friendly and his name did not match the name of the dentist with whom I had made my appointment. This should have made me suspicious but I just wanted to get the whole thing over with so bad that I let someone who could have easily been a sadistic dentist killer-and-then-impersonator operate power tools in my mouth. At the end of the appointment, I was told that my mouth was in dire trouble. Not only was one of my front teeth about to fall out, but I needed a ROOT CANAL. :( I walked out of the office in a daze with a bag of mini-toothpastes, but it did not take me long to decide that the whole experience had been sketchy, and that I wanted a second opinion. Enter Dr. Kim. Like the Times Square "dentist," Dr. Kim was also young and friendly, but his office assistants did not try to push me to "apply for a payment plan" when I was leaving the office. And most importantly, Dr. Kim did NOT think that I needed a root canal. Of course, the cynics among you may wonder: Perhaps he just said you didn't need a root canal to gain your trust, and actually you DO need one, you mouth-rotted fool? And to you cynics, I am happy to report, *years* after Dr. Kim gave me the no root-canal diagnosis: no mouth rot! :) Part 2 So, I'm sure you are aware that root canals make dentists a lot of money, and that's why unscrupulous dentists will over-prescribe them. It's the perfect "crime" because it's not like you will ever find out that you didn't need one after all. They are like the cesareans of dental care. Not only was Dr. Kim ethical enough to refrain from root canal-ing me once, he actually declined me a root canal a SECOND time when, more recently, I went in with severe tooth pain and practically begged him to dig a trench in my gum and fill it with roots (or whatever). Instead, Dr. Kim looked at my x-rays with me and patiently explained to me that in his opinion, I didn't need a root canal, what I really needed was to stop grinding my teeth at night. Then he sanded down a couple of my teeth so that my bite was more even, and told me to come back for a week if I was still in pain. Well ladies and gentlemen, guess what --I never went back. Because I was no longer in pain! :) Pain that was simply a function of my type A personality needing something to work on while I slept. :( To me, these two incidents demonstrate that Dr. Kim is the most ethical and honest dentist a patient could ask for. Part 3 Also, did I mention that he is a terrifically *skilled* dentist? First, he fixed a cavity for me that was very difficult to do, but which saved me from that first root canal diagnosis. Second, as sketchy as he was, the Times Square Sadist had been right about one thing --one of my front teeth was on the cusp of falling out and it needed to be replaced. Although a dental surgeon did the actual implanting of my new titanium tooth, it was Dr. Kim who created my new fakey tooth for me. He made it match the rest of my teeth so perfectly that not one single person has been able to correctly answer my question, "Guess which one of my teeth is fake?" And believe me, I have asked a lot of persons. Part 4 The office assistants are always friendly and organized. If he's available, they'll put Dr. Kim on the phone, and they were also really nice about fitting me in as an emergency appointment one time. And that concludes my dental memoirs. Hopefully. read more

I am long overdue in writing my review about Dr. Kim. I think that this review will weigh heavily, and in a good way! I am undergoing,basically, an entire mouth restoration. (Well sort-of) Yes, I am the friend or person you have heard of who has the worst teeth. I mean the stuff you hear stories about. No it is not because I am a pig. It is not because I am poor, and it is not because I am lazy or don't brush my teeth! It is genetics. Simple as that. Yep, them 'darn' genetics. My father's side of the family have bad teeth. My 2 sisters inherited my mother's teeth. I got my father's. Um yeah....:( Not cool! So here is the laundry list of what I had, did not have, and what the good doctor has helped me with: -I began my work about 2 years ago. I needed 6 caps, 2 root canals, and a bunch of fillings. And more. Dr. Kim is an awesome dentist, very professional but yet a very cool guy. Did I say that a dentist is cool? You bet I did! A dentist that does not act snooty, but yet is very professional? You betcha (Sarah Palin style) Dr. Kim is a dentist especially for people like me who are terrified of going to the dentist! Dr. Kim explained to me that I cannot have epinephrine, when I have had the same reaction in front of other doctors before who never said anything! I am glad Dr. Kim truly cares about his patients. By knowing this my heart is thanking me to say the least. Dr. Kim has seen me on a last minute and returned my calls at night. He is great. Dr Kim's office is very clean,and the folks who work with Dr. Kim are extremely friendly. The office is very easy to get to and practically right outside of the subway and bus stops. Dr. Kim does not do unnecessary work and does not over-do xrays at all. Dr. Kim answers all of my questions and addresses all of my concerns. I fully trust him and look forward to completing my dental work in time for my birthday. And I forgot to mention: Dr. Kim recommended the Sonic Care toothbrush. I wish I knew how great it was long ago. I really am thankful to have a great dentist, and like I said: if you are like me, definitely go to Dr. Kim! Signed, -a very unique dental patient whose teeth do the darndest things even a dentist wonders why (he he) A++++ read more

He is a God send, so professional and efficient. His work is just perfect. He will not waste you time or money. He doesn't recommend extra treatments, only what is necessary. He is not greedy. Dentists like him are rare, very rare. I have been gong to dentists since I was a kid and I have never had such an excellent dentist. Love him. Will recommend him to all my friends. His estimates were exact to the penny. read more

I am absolutely terrified when it comes to seeing a dentist. For my first visit, I made sure to get there early to fill out paper work. After I was done, I was seen RIGHT away. Literally. I didn't even get a chance to sit down to catch up on my series on my phone. I could get use to this! Dr.Kim made me feel really calm although deep inside I was terrified and anxious. Perhaps it's his demeanor.. But I can sense that he genuinely cares and that he definitely knows what he's doing. Maybe seeing the dentist wont be so bad after all... read more

I too have that crappy DHMO plan (dental HMO--you have to pick a primary care provider) and was assigned to this office (they're also known as "Dental Life"). I wasn't enthralled, but in the process of looking for a new dentist who would accept my insurance, it appears that you all have it much, much worse. The place itself was fine--it's in one of those big building with little offices that reminds me of a sterile hotel or something. They did x-rays (I think they might have given me a small tumor--I've never had that many taken at one time. Maybe 18? It's not like I even have a big mouth!). I saw Dr. Kim himself for all of maybe 4 minutes. He was nice enough, but didn't really do anything. He took a cursory look at my mouth and the x-rays, essentially said everything was fine, and then left. I thought he'd be back, but nope--the dental hygienist did the actual cleaning. After she was done (they use the ultrasonic cleaning combined with manual scraping), I went to the bathroom to take a look--and there were still stains on my teeth! Past dentists have told me that I have tough stains, but seriously, if they're still visible in your patient's mouth, you're not done with the job. I spoke with the receptionist, and the hygienist did agree to work on me again (I suppose they could have said no or rescheduled me). I checked again afterward, and while better (no stains on the directly visible parts of the teeth), it still wasn't perfect. I had to get back to work and didn't want to deal with this a third time though, so I just left. Anyway, I'm going back sometime next month for my six month checkup (II haven't been able to find anyone else in the meantime), so we'll see how it goes. Tip: This office keeps a random office schedule. It's M 3 - 7 p.m., T 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., W 9 a.m. - 7 p.m., Th 8 a.m - 5 p.m., Su 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. (Closed on Friday and Saturday). read more

My friend who's deathly afraid of dentists referred me to him so he MUST be good. Removed 3 of my wisdom teeth seamlessly! Cynthia, the hygenist is great and super sweet too. She was able to make the scaling cleaning a 'comfortable' experience if you can believe that. TIP: Check which dentist you are assigned to because think 2 days of the week, there is a female dentist, NOT Richard Kim. read more

I'm terrible at the dentist--anxiety, problems with the drill, the whole nine yards--so I'm always apprehensive about going. Luckily, Dr. Kim and his staff are excellent at putting patients at ease. I'm in the process of getting a bunch of work done (root canal, fillings, crown, etc.), and so far so good. Dr. Kim is very patient about answering a ton of questions, explains what he's doing before he starts working, and is nice about taking breaks when needed. The hygienists are really nice, thorough, and helpful with explaining how best to care for your teeth. And the front desk staff are also great, answer any questions, and even recommended a way that I could save on my dental work (I'm uninsured, wheeee). Overall, it's been a great experience. I've had two parts of a root canal done with no pain, and I'm anticipating that the rest of the work will be similarly easy. read more

I selected Dr. Kim based on the reviews on here and they're all correct---his front desk personnel were professional and he is a wonderfully calm and extremely nice dentist. I don't think anyone likes going to the dentist but I've always found it to be extra stressful---Dr. Kim is as good as it's gonna get. He did everything he could to make it a calm and positive experience. read more

Dr. Kim is the best dentist in Manhattan. I have seen many dentists but he is a dentist that really cares about his patients and he always the suggest the best possible solution with the least amount of pain. I cannot recommend him enough . Although this also worries me because then it might become tough for me to book appointments haha if he becomes any more popular. But seriously the staff is very nice and professional. Hi Evelyn and Sharmaine. I acually look forward to my dentist visits. A read more

Dr. Kim is extremely nice and professional. Accommodating and has a conservative, practical approach. I have recommended him to many of my colleagues and everyone is very satisfied. If you need a dentist he is an excellent choice. read more

dentist looks good. front desk is horrific. likes to blame everyone else when it's apparent she drops the ball. dentist is definitely losing business bc of it. wasted months trying to get work done here before finally giving up to go elsewhere. read more

Simply the best! The most caring and knowledgeable dentist one can find in New York. And I have seen many! If you want to feel like your opinion matters and find a dentist who has both extensive experience and a wonderful personality, Dr. Kim is your man :-) read more

Dr. Kim and his staff are very professional and I would recommend Dental Life to anyone looking for a new regular dentist. I have been going for a little over a year and am very happy with the service. When I moved to NYC I was worried about dealing with a sketchy practice, but I am very happy I chose Dental Life. read more

Every time I went I was called in pretty quickly. This office is clean and so far they seem pretty efficient. I was never there more than an hour, even when I had my fillings replaced. Dr. Kim was a professional. read more

I love my dental hygienist, Cynthia! She's super nice and friendly, and her stories about her nephew make getting my teeth cleaned a little less excruciating. read more

I saw Dr. Kim for the first time today and just HAD to write a review right away. I went in for a second opinion since another dentist had recommended that I have a root canal because of the location of a cavity - a diagnosis that terrified me and lead me to perform a frantic search on Yelp. Thanks to my fellow Yelpers I now only need a filling and will be able to sleep again tonight. Dr. Kim was very professional, had excellent bedside manners, and saw me right away. 5 stars! read more

Dr. Kim is very knowledgeable, patient and good at what he does. He's very friendly and always answers my questions to the fullest extent. He's extremely thorough and quick, which is a plus for someone like me! His staff is wonderful and the dental hygienists are great too. What more can you ask for?! read more

Dr. Kim is the best. Calm demeanor, professional, expert technician. Friendly professional staff too.

Finally found a good dentist. Dr. Kim was knowledgable and honest. He explained what I needed without trying to sell me something. Highly recommended. read more

Hands down best dental experience. The check in was a breeze, the staff was incredibly professional and Dr. Kim is efficient, knowledgeable and very gentle. Can't imagine a better experience at a dental office. Would highly recommend read more

Really pleased w Dr Kim. Calm demeanor and a thorough approach really eased my anxiety of going to the dentist. First time was great and I hope the filling Saturday is pain free so I can report positively in my follow up. Front desk staff person was super kind and explained insurance coverage soup to nuts. Great office vibe. Stay tuned for floor up. read more

I've been going to Dr. Kim for a few years now and I feel like he's one of the best dentists in New York. I had to switch for a year because of my insurance but I couldn't wait until my year was up so I could go back to Dr. Kim. His staff are extremely nice, helpful and very competent. The hygienists are also friendly and efficient and when I had to get fillings for a few cavities, it was a breeze - in and out, and the fillings have been in tact and have not been cumbersome at all. I would highly recommend him to anyone! read more

Just want to say that Dr. Richard Kim is by far the best dentist I have seen in my life. My husband and I have been going to him since he was in practice on the upper east side. Dr. Kim is so mild mannered and nice! In addition, it is really hard to find a honest, reliable dentist who isn't trying to charge for unnecessary procedures. You can really trust his recommendations when it comes to your teeth. We recommend him to all our friends and to all the yelpers out there. Book your appts with Dr. Richard Kim. He won't let you down. I like him so much that even though we moved to Boston, I try to wait to book my appts to see Richard when I am in nyc! read more

This is the first Yelp review I have ever written. I am doing so because I feel that strongly on giving a good review for Dr. Kim and his practice. I have been twice thus far, a cleaning and then needing to go back for a cavity filling. I am someone who did not go to a dentist for over five years. I have taken good care of my teeth in part to justify avoiding a dentist for all the reasons familiar to everyone. However, I decided it was time, and after doing some research, opted to schedule an appt. with Dr. Kim. I cannot tell you how great everything has been with them; from the moment I went to the office just to talk to someone at the desk, to walking out the door after my second trip. Both Dr. Kim and his staff have been kind, gentle, calm, professional, knowledgeable, and helpful. Really, I can't say one bad thing, and I am telling you, I am someone who was nervous about having a check-up, let alone the filling, and no hygienist or dentist could have treated me any better or put me more at ease. read more

I've been a patient of Dr. Kim's for nearly a decade, have referred many coworkers, friends and family members to his practice, and adore Katrina, the hygienist. However, when my husband chipped his front tooth and needed to be seen urgently, we were both told that it wouldn't be possible to see the doctor for nearly three weeks. We asked if there was another dentist we could be referred to given that Dr. Kim's schedule was so tight and were told by the receptionist that they don't refer business to other dentists. While I understand that things get busy, it doesn't seem reasonable that, when we have an actual dental emergency that, our dentist can't help in any way. read more

No one likes going to the dentist, but I've been coming here for several years and find Dr Kim extremely knowledgable and the staff efficient. Routine cleanings and check ups are quick and complete. Not sure what others are looking for, but coming from someone with not so good dental genes, I've been to various dentists a bazillion times in my life and I find this office really good, convenient and I always recommend to friends. read more

I have been visiting Dr. Kim's office for two years now. He is incredibly professional, responsive and efficient. An example? After breaking a tooth during a trip I called him (on a Friday) and left him a voice mail message telling him that I would have returned to NY on Sunday night and needed the tooth fixed before a client meeting the upcoming Monday (at 11.00 a.m.). He called me back 10 minutes after the message and scheduled an appointment on Monday at 9.00 a.m. On Monday I walked into his office without a tooth and left at 9.45 a.m. showing a perfect smile, ready for the meeting. Thank you so much Dr. Kim!!! read more

From the one time I've been to Dr. Kim for a routine check-up/cleaning, I left with a very positive vibe. First, I was seen prompt and on-time. Second, the cleaning was thorough and not rushed. Third, and most importantly, he was honest with his recommendations. read more

Honest to God truth, Dr. Kim and his staff are hardworking and friendly. They are the real deal. I made an account JUST to write this review. I've been going to them for over 5 years and have referred many friends and co-workers (who also consistently go to Dr. Kim). They are just honest people who do a great job and I'm so grateful. I've been to over 20 (yes TWENTY) dentists in my lifetime and nobody tops Dental Life. read more