Once again I had another fantastic Dentist appointment today with Dr. Joe. He is a very honest and…read morepassionate Dentist and does fantastic work. Today I went in for a broken crown that was covering an implant I had done 10 years ago. Unfortunately the crown broke and he was able to offer me a great consultation and referral to the best Implant Dentist in the county to have the post removed so he can make a new crown with his great in house technology. By doing this it saves extra cost and time having an outside service do the crown that can often take many weeks. I would recommend Dr Joe Nguyen to anyone looking for professional honest Dentist!! Oh and he is also a great musician!! : )

Based on all the other reviews, I found Dr. Joe. His office is clean, with ample parking in front…read moreand behind. Masha and Jennifer were both really friendly and patient. All the dental hygienists I've had were great. Dr. Joe is able to make many kinds of night guards through his office, and he was really excited to show me one that is so durable that a car can drive over it haha. Hoping he does not retire for awhile :D The only thing that is confusing is that there is another dentist with almost the exact same name in Poway. Make sure to read the address very carefully when plugging into GPS!

The staff were very friendly and professionally. I had my deep cleaning session here and the…read moreexperience and care was excellent.

I've been going to Dr. Cho for many years, and I can't say enough about how professional and…read moreknowledgeable he is in the field of dentistry. He has done amazing work on my teeth, especially when it comes to any surgical procedures I've needed. Dr. Cho is by far one of the best dentists in Scripps Poway. Sara, Dr. Cho's dental hygienist, is incredibly sweet and very knowledgeable at what she does. From the front desk receptionist to the doctor himself, the entire team makes it a great place to go if you need a good dentist. I highly recommend Dr. Cho.

Dr. Javaheri is incredibly smart and well experienced dentist. I have had very bad experiences with…read moredental appointments/procedures at several places and finally I found a place that i can trust, rely and feel comfortable about. Dr. Cohen is amazing too! I had procedures with both Dr. Javaheri and Dr. Cohen. The entire office staff is extremely welcoming, caring, and helpful. I have referred about 5 friends here and the list will keep growing. Thank you very much Smiles by Design for truly caring for patients! Your clean and neat work is well appreciated and acknowledged. Thank you for being by far the best in your profession.

I had some cavities taken care of by Dr. Cohen yesterday and was very happy with my experience. The…read moreconsultation was very thorough and informative which made me confident to book an appointment right away. Erica did her best to fit my schedule and was so nice and helpful all the way. The treatment only took an hour and was pain free, Dr. Cohen and his assistant made sure I was comfortable every minute of it and done an amazing job! Thank you Smiles by Design

I had a great experience with this dental office and the entire team. I came in with a broken tooth…read moreand needed urgent treatment, and Dr. Rafik Riad truly did his best to help me. I was very stressed and nervous, but he was calm, responsible, patient, and very professional throughout the whole process, which made me feel much more comfortable and relaxed. Dr. Rafik Riad was extremely supportive and handled everything very professionally. The entire team was kind, caring, supportive, and professional as well. The office is very clean, organized, and honestly has such a positive and welcoming energy. I'm truly happy that I chose this dental office, and I'm genuinely very happy and grateful that I had the chance to meet Dr. Rafik Riad and his amazing team.

The staff was very kind, helpful Dr Riad was patient and…read moreexplained everything that needed to be done and spent the time to get to know me as well as help me free safe. Thank you After many years of high anxiety and stress with dentists from the past it was a much better experience.

Dr. Miner is a great, highly experienced oral surgeon. i can't even begin to express enough of my…read morefeelings of graditude that i have for him. I had not been to a dentist since my husband was in the military quite a few years ago. I had a bad experience and after that vowed to never go back. I was frightened!! as a result, my dental health declined terribly, broken teeth at gum line etc. In 2024, my husband died, we were married for 54 years, he was a retired 20 year Army veteran. In my grief, I found a miracle , named Dr. Miner. On a whim, I went in to see him, to this day, I can't figure out where I got the courage from .He was a blessing!! He was kind, honest and very professional. I trusted his words and recommendations.He took the fear out of me getting my teeth pulled and now, he has restored my faith in dentistry again.In my opinion, he is the best of the best!! My name is Dawn C. and I stand behind my comments! Thank you Dr. Miner again.

I just had two infected wisdom teeth removed yesterday morning. I was in pain and desperate for…read morehelp. I called Dr. Miner's office on Monday afternoon and the doctor agreed to see me Tuesday morning for consultation and possible surgery. He was able to do the surgery and remove both teeth with the speed I comfort I never experience before. It was just "top, top and pull" and the tooth was gone. Wow, it was amazing and Dr. Miner is amazing and absolutely the best! Today, I'm still doing great, no pain and no bleeding! I think Dr. Miner is the best oral surgeon in the San Diego area. He is also supper nice and made me feel comfortable and safe before and during the procedure. I was very, very scared but he was able to calm me down and still performed the surgery without sedation. In fact, the whole team in doctor Miner's office is super nice and welcoming.

My second review for Dr. McGrady and her wonderful staff. My 23yo cognitively impaired and autistic…read moreson can no longer be seen in a hospital setting for his dental procedures. His whole life, we have had to have him under general anesthesia I'm rider to get any and all dental done: day, cleanings, fillings, etc.. because of his sensory issues and flight/fight fears. In the past year, McGrady has been the first and only dentist who has managed to do cleanings in her office, winning my son's trust with her patient, calm and non-condescending manner. Today, she managed to have two cavities filled, without general anesthesia, in her office --- and my son did wonderfully. They are true miracle workers and I'm forever grateful!!

Dr McGrady was so calm, patient, and kind to my son & I. My son is 1.5 years old, and the visit…read morewas his 1st dental visit. I was having trouble getting my son to let me brush his teeth, or getting him to try himself. Dr McGrady was able to keep my son calm in the chair and remove the buildup on his molar. She gave me a lot of great advice that quickly led my son to becoming a willing & sometimes even happy participant in the brushing of his teeth 2 times a day! She also spent extra time sending me info on different toothpastes & ingredients that I was worried about due to him having bad reactions to a popular ingredient. We will definitely be returning here for my son's next appointment in 6 months!

I had a very disappointing experience with Mod Squad Dental regarding charges that were never…read moredisclosed in advance. As a new patient, I relied on the office to verify my insurance benefits and provide an estimate of my financial responsibility before treatment. I went for a routine regular teeth cleaning, which is 100% covered under preventive care (in and out of network). Afterward, I received an unexpected bill for a service I did not request or approve. The office manager, Beth, repeatedly insisted that the charge was a "copay." Preventive care has no copay, and even if it did, it would be a clearly defined amount like $50 or $100 --not a made-up charge or random dollar figure. When I asked for documentation that they had confirmed coverage with my insurance PRIOR to my visit, Beth said they were too busy and cited HIPAA as the reason they could not provide a recording. I did not request a recording; I simply asked for proof that the call had been made in advance, which they were unable to provide. All I received was a screenshot of call that was made to my insurance company on Feb 17, 2026, which is 3 months AFTER my visit and it was their attempt to get my insurance cover the unapproved charge that's not related to my regular cleaning. My insurance also confirmed they had no record of any call from the office prior to my visit. The office's explanations were inconsistent, initially claiming they had contacted my insurance, then later stating they don't have time to call every patient's insurance to confirm coverage. They also claimed they don't have access to the fee schedule because they are out of network, but my insurance confirmed that this information is available on their website and would have been provided if the office had actually called. The conversation grew increasingly agitated, with Beth repeatedly insisting she was too busy, and ultimately ended with her hanging up on me without any effort to find a constructive solution. I'm not sure why I should be penalized for their staffing or time constraints. As a patient, I have no way of knowing procedure codes or coverage details. That's the dentist office's responsibility to avoid issues like this one. In my 20+ years of seeing dentists or doctors across the U.S., I have never received an unauthorized or undisclosed healthcare bill. Transparency and informed consent are basic expectations in any business, and unfortunately, Mod Squad Dental failed to meet that simple standard. Based on this experience, I cannot trust this office and would not recommend them. It's clear from prior reviews that I am not the only patient facing this issue.

If you want the TLDR version, avoid this business because the billing department is horrible. They…read moremisrepresent the out-of-pocket price of services and are unapologetic about it. I was billed an additional $1800 (out of pocket) two months after services were rendered. I would recommend going to a business that is more upfront about what you're actually going to pay. I made my initial appointment for a check up on July 30th. I provided my insurance information during that appointment. Nobody made any issue of my having humana insurance. They just said "yes we accept that". On July 30th I was quoted roughly $1100 out of pocket expense which needed to be paid directly to mod squad dental to fill 4 cavities and do a deep cleaning. I agreed to this pricing and scheduled the services. The appointments were made for 09/22 and 10/06. At the end of my second visit on 10/06 they told me the out of pocket was actually $831.00 great. I paid it happily. Early December, I received a bill stating I owe mod squad dental $1858.00. I had already made an appointment to repair a filling which was too thick so while I was there, I asked them what the $1800 was regarding and the receptionist told me it "well, it's because you have Humana insurance". Ok, what does that mean? She then clarified it's because they're not in network. To be clear, my insurance pays the exact same for in network coverage as it does for out of network coverage. I'm thinking to myself, you knew you were out of network when you gave my good faith estimate. So, what would that have to do with anything? I told her that's a substantial difference and she said she'd speak to Beth the billing person. After my visit I spoke with Beth, the billing person at Mod squad and she basically reiterated that my insurance didn't cover as much as they thought. She didn't offer any other explanations and didn't really seem interested in doing so. I asked for itemized versions of my bill and explanations of what the codes referred to which she provided. I asked where my payment of $831 was reflected and never got an answer. I asked for a copy of my initial estimate and never got an answer. (I threw mine out after the $831 was paid). I disputed the bill with Humana insurance and filed a claim with the California Department of insurance. My dispute was dismissed and I was told by both parties that the billing was much higher than standard rates. I received my estimate from mod squad dental in July and had made my decision to go forward with treatment based on the estimate that was given. Mod squad dental had MONTHS to figure out their estimate was short. They did not turn in a bill to Humana insurance until all services were rendered (after my last visit on 10/6). It's not my fault that they didn't check in with the insurance carrier for 3 months. If I make an appointment with an imaging center they tentatively schedule it pending my insurances approval. Same with my allergist and ENT. Nobody does anything without approval. However, I see a dentist and I get stuck with a bill that's 300% higher than my initial estimate? Absurd I don't have any problem with mod squad dental charging whatever they want for services. That's fine. But if you do this for a living, you know roughly what insurance pays and you know if you've had issues with a specific carrier that you need to tell a client that ahead of time. If you don't want to deal with insurance, cool! Just SAY that. Don't act like it's all good and then just send a bill for 300% more after all is said and done. And to be clear, the issue isn't that they're out of network. As I stated, my insurance pays the exact same amount for in network as out of network. The issue is that they bill above standard rates. This was reiterated by a representative from the California Department of Insurance. This isn't a case of Humana just being hard to deal with or denying coverage. And considering the receptionist's response of "oh it's because you have Humana" when I asked about the extra fees, they are WELL AWARE of the pricing being out of line and they should have told me that before showing me an estimate that reflected a third of what the actual price was. There's a million ways this could have been handled and just sending a bill for 300% of the initial agreed upon price is not one of them. it deserved a phone call or at least an email saying "hey, sorry I was wrong, can we work something out?". I would have absolutely paid the difference to meet the original estimated price. But I am not paying 300% more. I have no intention of paying this bill. I will file a complaint with the department of consumer affairs and the dental board of California and If they can't help me I guess I will have to pay a collections agency because I am not paying this business. Being totally honest, if the estimate had gone up 20%? 30%? I wouldn't have had any issue with it. 300% is completely ABSURD.

Dr Coleman and staff are the best..Ive been coming here for 5 years...I wouldnt trust anyone else...read more

I went to Dr.Coleman with a dental emergency. He is extremely skilled and knowledgeable! He did an…read moreincredible job. He is now the only dentist I will visit and the only dentist for my family. My teeth are ideal now. Dr. Coleman is safe and trustworthy! His experience and skills are invaluable! BEST dentist in the county! The staff in the Poway office are kind, professional, I cannot say enough good!

Dr. Verma is the true dentist that every dentist is supposed to be, but is almost impossible to…read morefind nowadays. My dentist, whom I had trusted for years, retired, and my whole family became nomads. I finally gave up and went to a dentist recommended by one of my friends, only to be told that a tooth in the back was severely decayed and needed to be extracted. I panicked. "What about a root canal? I don't even have any pain!" He told me I didn't need that far-back tooth, with no explanation for why there was no pain. I left and looked for another dentist for a second opinion. I found Dr. Verma on Yelp. Her rating was great, and the reviews themselves felt genuine. Through my search, I learned how to read Yelp reviews about dentists: ignore reviews about how nice the office is or how friendly the staff is. I don't want a rude dentist, but a nice office? I'm not staying at a hotel. I also don't care about top-of-the-line machines -- dentists take out huge loans for those, and they tend to upsell unnecessary treatments. I'm also cautious about young dentists: they have loans to pay back, which often means higher quotes, and they don't yet have the long-term experience to see how their treatments hold up over time. I tried to find Dr. Verma's website, but she doesn't have one -- which suggested to me that she doesn't need one to attract patients. I was convinced she must be the one. She examined the tooth and told me it didn't need to be extracted yet. She even said she might be able to save it without a root canal. She was upfront that she couldn't guarantee anything until she opened the tooth, but she gave me hope. In the end, she saved my tooth! She also cleans teeth herself . I have never met another dentist who does that. Now my entire family sees her. She is a doctor who genuinely wants you to have good health and keep your teeth for a long time. There are far too many dentists who act like car salespeople. If you're looking for a real dentist, she is the one. Her dental office is called Stowe Plaza Dental, and she shares the space with another dentist. I think he is great too.

We have used Dr. Anita Verma for many years now and have recommended her to several friends that…read morealso switched to her and are very happy there. Big difference to all the other Dentists we have been before that want to charge you for something else every time you go and tell you, you need this or that done. etc.... Dr. Verma is all about patient care and educating you about dental care etc.. so your teeth and gums stay healthy or become healthy again. She also does the teeth cleaning herself so it is done properly. We can highly recommend Dr. Anita Verma and her staff. Thank you, Dr. Verma for providing such excellent care.

Friendly staff and friendly dentist! We bring our family here. Would recommend Dr. Lazaga and team!read more

The best service in the area. I've been to other private practices and large franchise type like…read moregentle dental. Nothing compares to the service I've received here. Everyone is friendly, professional and skilled at their job. I recommend them to everyone I know. I believe this will be my 8th year now and I plan to continue coming here with my family of 6 without any expectation to stop.