In my opinion, the most valuable part of the dentist visit is the cleaning. Maleia is my dental hygienist, and she is phenomenal. She takes her time, is extremely thorough, and is a great partner in helping me figure out how to take even better care of my teeth. I will continue to go to Encinitas Smiles for as long as Maleia works there. The staff is super kind, and my dentist is good. read more

Best Doctor (Dr Lao) and best staff (nice polite and fun!), period. This is a very efficient practice that has been taking care of my teeth for the past 6 years now. I relocated from Solana Beach to Vista and still drive there for dental care. They are always on time, provide detailed status and advice before treatment. I have never had any issue with billing or coverage, their estimates are always on point. They also helped my foreign mom for a dental emergency during her trip to the US with a custom pricing (no insurance). She was very happy with the service and treatment. Highly recommended! read more

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Wow, great dental office, Kent is quite a skilled and professional dentist. The office is outfitted with the latest technologies for imaging and 3d printing of dental restorations. Taniya was great and thorough with my cleaning. Office staff quickly coordinates with insurance. Thanks read more

I like Dr Lau just fine, but the rest are shady as hell. I went in last year for a routine cleaning. I'm good with my teeth - I regularly floss, mouth rinse, etc. The new woman dentist (I've blocked her name from my memory) told me I needed an expensive mouth guard since my teeth looked worn down from night grinding. I have NEVER ground my teeth and in fact, wear an invisalign retainer every night. She also told me I needed a deep cleaning, in spite of the great report I got from the last visit 6 months prior. Not only a deep clean, but antibiotics and special "bone growing" shots? HUH??? I left as fast as I could and got a new dentist office. One that takes Saturday appointments. Smiles has a big sign in their window that says "convenient Saturday appointments" but they actually are CLOSED on Sat. UGH. I can't say even one nice thing about this business. read more

I was a patient, got a root canal and had appointment to get crown on root canal tooth the following week. I asked why there was a difference in price since the first appointment and they told me to contact my insurance. I contacted my insurance and they informed me there is no change in my insurance and filed a grievance with the dental office. I went in the following week to finish the root canal/crown and after much discussion they refused to finish my procedure because of the broken trust with the filed grievance. So the initial quote was $1,080 for the crown, then it went up to $1360 and insurance gas informed me it should be $589. When i posted on Nextdoor I received 15+ responses all confirming bad business and crooks. Please be careful and stay away from Encinitas Smiles Dental on Santa Fe. read more

Very friendly staff and clean office. Excellent cleaning from Andy! Love that they have fluoride that isn't gooey and actually tasted ok.

I had a great experience at this dental office. I had some sudden tooth pain and needed to get in asap, which they were able to accommodate. I scheduled a root canal and crown and the day of I was seen almost immediately, and every person I spoke with from reception to endodontist was very kind and caring. I've had the opposite experience elsewhere so I am very grateful I found this dental office. I have a high tolerance to the numbing medicine but they didn't hesitate to inject more and wait patiently until I was completely numb to complete the procedure. They also seem to have the newest technology so I was able to get measure for a crown, get a root canal, and get a permanent crown placed all in under 2 hours. Amazing. read more

i'm really disappointed with my experience at this dental clinic. I expected professionalism and respect for patients' time, but that was definitely not the case. Despite having a scheduled appointment, I was left waiting for a long time with no clear communication or apology from the staff. The overall atmosphere felt disorganized, and the lack of urgency or courtesy was frustrating. It's unfortunate because I had high hopes, but this visit made it clear that patient care and time management are not priorities here. I won't be returning and wouldn't recommend this clinic to anyone looking for a professional, reliable dental experience. read more

Rude front office staff, talk you into unnecessary treatments and frequently cancel last minute. Not recommended.

This is a quality dental office, with good professionalism from entry through procedures! This office fit me in when I needed emergency help! From Alondra up front, to Dr. Deagle and Dr. Lau, who did my work. I would recommend this office highly! read more

Avoid this place. They are a bunch of greedy people more interested in what they can get from you and your insurance rather what they can do for you. Some weeks ago one of my teeth was hurting and my regular dentist advised me to have it checked by a periodontist. The tooth was not hurting anymore but to be sure there was nothing serious , I went see the periodontist at this facility. I had an eight o'clock appointment but they did not take me in till almost nine and their excuse was that they had to verify my insurance coverages. I have a full PPO coverage and since this was just a consultation visit, it was fully covered. And even if it was not fully covered, I would have paid them my share of copayment. But their motive was something else. They wanted to find out the extent of my coverage so that they can milk as much money from my insurance by doing excessive and unnecessary work. When I went there, I already had some X-ray shots from my other dentist that I took along with me so there was no need for them to take any more x-rays. Because X-rays have harmful radiation that can cause serious damage to the healthy body cells . The effects of x-rays are also cumulative on the body and does not wear out or go away during one's lifetime. Having this concern, I specifically told them not to take any more X-rays but only if it was absolutely necessary, they may take one PA shot. Instead, they subjected me 1000 times X-ray radiation of a single shot by doing a full 3D Catscan of my upper and lower jaws and scull without telling me and against my consent that made me very upset. And to add insult to the injury, they also botched up all the images they took. It was completely useless and extremely harmful with no value whatsoever. Then after all this they had the audacity to bill my insurance for a very big amount to cover for their foul-up and unnecessary work. What was supposed to be a simple check-up turned out to be a money grab for them. read more

Avoid this place by all means, they just want your money for unnecessary treatments! The front desk and assistants are super friendly, but the rest of their operations are a joke. I went for a basic cleaning and examination at 8am and I was only seen by 9am and after the examination was left for 20 minutes in the chair while they went to check my insurance and get me an estimate, so I just walked away. Besides they tried to scam me saying the cleaning that the insurance covers wasn't enough for me and tried selling me a $400 cleaning (with insurance). This is a ripoff dental office, be aware! read more

I was very happy with my service here! I came for a teeth cleaning and they honored the first time fee of $59. The front desk was very kind and welcoming, the tech talking my images was very professional, and I received a thorough cleaning and exam by Angel Chen. I will be back, thank you! read more

I have been going to Encinitas Smiles for years. They are wonderful and I have always had great service. I have extreme dental anxiety and they always help me with my options to ease the anxiety. read more

great customer service, and very easy to work with. Needed to be seen asap and Alandra made sure to help fit me into a busy schedule. Really appreciate the effort made to help! read more

Amazing experience! My dental hygienist was Maleia Rix and she was fantastic! She was fast, efficient, and sensitive to my concerns. My dentist was Dr Kent Lau and he was so great. He was very helpful and communicative! The x-ray tech, Lakota, was professional and very nice. Big fan of this place and will be returning regularly. read more

Never in my life have I had a dentist put me in the chair, roll in a computer and make me listen to all sorts of unnecessary add on treatments on top of having to sign an agreement before getting my teeth cleaned. Additionally it feels very much that they are volumes based. It's all- open your mouth/work work as fast as they can, zero bedside manner skills. Just very cold and not friendly. Finally the constant last minute changes to our booked in advance schedules are all just too much! Look elsewhere! It's all about the money here!! And my complaints are all with the doctors here!! read more

I've been coming here now after being recommended by a past employee and have been more than impressed with the level of friendliness and professionalism at this establishment. Dr. Lao is always patient and doesn't make me feel stupid for asking too many questions and Tiffany always manages to put a smile on my face with a friendly conversation. Highly recommend! read more

I had a crown fall out. On 11/17/22, Encinitas Smiles quoted 785 dollars for the dental work. After three years of getting ripped off at Encinitas Smiles, I decided to get a second option. The next day, 11/18/22, I went to Oasis Smiles, the same franchise, same problem, same insurance. The final bill was 15 dollars. Oasis Smiles, located in Vista and Rancho Bernardo, has a friendly professional staff that provides quality dentistry. Thank you, Dr. Bhor! read more

I have been taking my family of 4 to this office for about 2 years. Dr. Lao is always friendly and professional. But, I will not be returning to this office. I schedule my family's appointments 6 months in advance and they cancel them with a week's notice. They change their office hours without any notification and do not offer afternoon appointments. The office always smells like sewage which is concerning. They also push expensive additional procedures on you while you are sitting in the cleaning chair. Aside from all these reasons, the ultimate reason why I am never going back to the office is because of the rude receptionists. They are unprofessional, condescending, and rude on the phone. They do not appear to care if you are treated kindly and obviously do not care about return clients. read more

I don't recommend them or trust their selling process. They try to get you to sign for thousands of dollars in work (literally putting the bill in front of you), before beginning to do even the teeth cleaning that you came in for. Very sketch, will not go back read more

Always seems a bit off and ready to suggest one more procedure. Clumsy and heavy handed...not great for a dental cleaning. Not a comfortable office. read more

I have had great service with Encinitas Smiles Dentistry. My dentist, Dr. Feldman is wonderful and very thorough. I had the regular six month teeth cleaning and x-rays all done swiftly and professionally. The staff are all great too. Thank you. read more

long wait for nothing except a long list of charges that are double for other dentists. worst ever. isn't there anything less than a one star?? read more

Just returned from a wonderful general dental cleaning at Encinitas Smiles. Everyone from check-in staff, X-Ray tech, Dr. Canessa and Darin who polished my teeth were friendly, courteous and professional in their demeanor. read more

New to this facility I transfer my whole family from another . They accept my family and I right away as a patient's and had cleaning appointment that same week. Despite the other reviews other people left. So far I'm happy. read more

Sales people. They scheduled my 'cleaning' to get me in the door and sell me on services only to tell me there isn't even a dental hygienist in office today and I had to schedule out so I wasted my gas and personal time. Always always trying to scare you into more procedures unnecessarily. read more

My first visit to Encinitas Smiles was on an emergency basis -- but I did my research beforehand and specifically chose this dental office. Everyone at this office has treated me with kindness, courtesy and professionalism, and I am very happy to have found Dr. Lau and his colleagues. The pandemic didn't do me any favors -- I neglected dental care out of Covid concerns -- but I am confident that Dr. Lau and his staff will help to restore my pre-Covid smile. Unlike many people who leave reviews on Yelp, I'm not going to complain about costs, as I'm the one who delayed coming in -- and it is worth it to me to have the necessary work done by professionals who are committed to doing the best job they can for their patients. I have been treated with kindness and courtesy from day one, and I am confident that Dr. Lau will continue to provide me with the best care possible. I'm very glad to have found this team of professionals! read more

I seriously question the legitimacy of any positive review left for this office and/or dentist. In my experience, this organization and their dentists are dishonest, unethical and possibly participating in rampant insurance and consumer fraud. I plan to file a grievance with both the BBB and the American Dental Association. They claimed to accept my Cigna PPO insurance (I found them on Cigna's directory of dentists) but then they refused to offer basic services, like a routine cleaning, so they could upsell other services they said were 'medically necessary'. They also claimed I needed two crowns, along with a special deep, deep cleaning for a gum infection. Nearly $7K in dental work, and almost $3K out of pocket. When I asked for a routine cleaning, they refused... even though that's covered by my insurance. Very shady! What dentist refuses to do a routine cleaning?!? I quickly got a second opinion and was told by a trusted dentist that I didn't need crowns, didn't have cavities, didn't have a cracked tooth, and didn't have a gum infection. I just needed a basic cleaning. Everyone in this office should feel ashamed for participating in this scheme of dishonesty and fear-mongering manipulation. The dentist actually implied if I didn't get these issues fixed it might lead to serious physical illness and even death. I've already filed a formal complaint with my insurance carrier and hope they soon stop listing this office on their online directory. read more

My first experience with Dr Lau and his team was a few weeks ago and unfortunately at that time I had forgotten to post my review. Now, 2 weeks later, I am back, and I will make certain that my review is seen. The practice is conveniently located right off of I-5 in a plaza right on the far corner away from the traffic of the grocery store and shops. There is plenty of parking. The office itself is clean and bright. Every single staff member that I have encountered, from the office staff, to the dental assistants, to Dr. Lau himself, have been super nice and have made we feel comfortable and welcome. They are all very personable and easy to talk to. Scheduling has been a breeze. Both times that I have called to schedule Shawna has accommodated me on the SAME day! I know that this is not always possible, but being that I was in significant pain both times, it was nice to know that they were able to make time for me in the day. After Dr. Lau's initial consult, before any work started, Katie came in and reviewed my coverage with me as well as my out of pocket responsibility. She informed me of different financial arrangements (including Care Credit, which I am thrilled that they accept). Anthony was my dental asst for the first visit and Miguel on the second. Both of these guys are very easy to talk to, and were very gentle when taking X-rays and getting me prepped for my procedures. Dr Lau himself is fantastic and is extremely knowledgeable and gentle with his work. He also engages you while he's working, whether it be to explain what he's doing, or to warn me about pressure, etc. I'm very glad that I've picked Encinitas Smiles as my dental practice. read more

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Kate at Encinitas Smiles scheduled my appointment the same day, as I was in severe pain. Initially the appointment was scheduled late in the day, but they were able to reschedule me early afternoon due to a cancellation. Dr. Lau quickly diagnosed my pain was due to a fractured tooth, so I would need a crown and potentially a root canal. Yikes! Fortunately, Dr Deagle, an endodontist who is only at the dental office once a month, was available on the very day I was there. After consulting with both doctors, I decided to do both the temporary crown and root canal that afternoon. This was quite a big decision for me to make on the spot (and a little scary), but after the decision was made, I could tell I was in good hands. Dr Deagle, Dr Patel and Natalie were absolutely outstanding in how they walked through each step of the root canal. They work together really well. You can see this from their movements and succinct verbal communication. Almost like a dance. I just knew I was in good hands. Afterwards, Dr Lau fitted me with a temporary crown. He is always very gentle and caring, despite having multiple patients at the same time. This was not my first experience with Encinitas Smiles and most of my dental treatments have been relatively basic. With this most recent procedure, I can honestly say I am very happy overall. And just how many people can say that after a root canal?! Oh, and the office manager, x-ray tech and lab tech who did the crown scanning were all extremely professional too. Choosing a dentist and dental office is all about trust. They certainly reenforced my confidence in them today. I felt I needed to share my experience. On Yelp, likely more people will complain about dental service than post praises, so please keep this in mind. read more

I highly recommend this dental group. The hygienist is amazing. I have never had a better cleaning and I have had a lot! I just had a crown put in and it wasn't too bad. The staff is very upbeat and they are really helpful and seem to be very knowledgeable. I would recommend Encinitas Smiles Dentistry to anyone who wants good dental care read more

Excellent staff. I went in for a root canal was so painless. I transferred from another facility where I had a terrible experience with my root canal.I recommend this facility. Thank you for your excellent patient care. read more

I went there just to get a cleaning and end up paying almost US600, I feel like they just wanna take advantage of you offering whatever they can and make you feel that's what you need, obviously I was a little innocent because I thought they were being professional but at the end I realized they only care about selling the most they can. Not coming back at all read more

My experience with my doctor was great. I voiced to him prior to the procedure that I was very nervous and he reassured me. He was efficient and kept me comfortable. What ruins this office is the front office staff, specifically the manager. Prior to payment the new girl at the front desk read my cost to me which was higher than I remembered. I explained the cost I remembered and I totally understand why she pulled the manager to the front since she's new. The manager before asking me any questions stated "you're wrong it's $x". I told her the amount I remembered because it was such a large amount. Which she replied "if you don't have the money we don't need to do it". My response to her was "I don't like the way you're speaking to me". She then was able to explain the quote and I understood where I was confused. I felt talked down to and an inconvenience. Not a great way to demonstrate how to speak to costumers and show compassion. The medical assistant who roomed me was the nicest person there. read more

I started going to Encinitas Smiles in 2020 and it has always been a great experience! Dr. Lau is very quick and efficient. I really appreciate that he NEVER tries to scare me or shame me into additional dental work. I trust him and he is my favorite dentist I've ever had. The office manager Kate is also very welcoming and knowledgeable. I have recommended several friends to Encinitas Smiles and will continue to do so! read more

Dr. Lau and the staff at Encinitas Smiles are professional and gentle. My cleanings and crown replacement have been pain free. When I had a tooth emergency, they fit me in immediately. Dr. Lau replaced my crown in under an hour. Half of that time was waiting for the replacement crown to bake so I did not need a temporary crown nor did I need to return at a later date for a permanent crown. read more

I had an awesome experience at this office! They were able to schedule my appointment at the most convenient time for me. They looked up all of my insurance information, so I didn't need to waste my time figuring it out. Before any of the work was started, I had an estimate of the cost of everything after insurance. The pricing was upfront and very reasonable. Everyone who works there was very friendly and professional from the moment I walked in, to the time I left. Aside from the administration, the actual dentist, hygienist and benefits coordinator were among the best I've had. The office uses a lot of new technology, and I felt that the dental work was far superior to my previous dental experiences (at other offices). The dentist was very knowledgeable and excited about explaining everything to me. I felt he had chosen his career path wisely. The hygienist did a fantastic job in a deep-cleaning, and made sure I wasn't in pain or uncomfortable throughout. Honestly, I hadn't been to the dentist in a couple years from getting pregnant with my second child... I ended up only needing a deep clean, but I was nervous. They assuaged my fears and made this a great experience. I highly recommend this office to anyone needing dental work, or just a regular exam and cleaning. The best dental office I've found in North San Diego County! read more

I came to ESD for a root canal and must say the procedure from start to finish was very pleasant. Dr. Deagle was very thorough and explained every single detail as he was doing my root canal. Very pleasant & professional & if ever I need another root canal, he'll be the first to call! read more

My second time at Encinitas Smiles. The team was great! I went in for the basic check up/cleaning. Doctor Lau was quick and knowledgeable. He gave me advice on possible future issues which I appreciated. Dental assistants were very friendly and the manager Kate explained my insurance and made the process easy. Very appreciative to have them as my local dental office! read more