I saw Dr. Avera for about 10 years before moving out of the area. He's very meticulous and skillful at what he does! I had a jawbone graft and two gum grafts over the years, as well as many maintenance cleanings. I'd had some bad experiences with dentists up to that point, and unfortunately avoided the referrals I'd gotten from my dentist(s) before setting up a consultation. The ladies in the front, one does the scheduling and the other does the billing / insurance dealings. Their names escape me at the moment, but both of them are great, and frequently went the extra mile. I can tell he chooses his assistants very carefully; they did most of my periodic cleanings, and I've never had a bad experience with any of them. Dr. Avera is very pleasant, calming and works gently and efficiently. In his free time, he likes to make cool photography/art that is hanging around the office, he's also a pretty great classical guitarist! read more

The front office staff is the worst. Rude and uncaring is the standard here. They also seem to be extremely impatient and unwilling to take any time to understand what is needed. To make matters worse, Dr Avera is a prima donna. Avoid this office at all costs. read more

This office was the best dental referral I have ever had. Not only is Dr. Avera a great dentist but also a very kind and gentle human being. Dr. Avera and his assistant were very patient with me since I get quite nervous in the dental chair due to the fact I grew up with an extremely rough and cruel dentist. I found the office staff to be extremely nice and felt that the office was very organized. I would highly recommend Dr. Avera! read more

Although I have only been there twice, the staff was friendly & helpful, and Dr. Avera is kind, & compassionate( I get very anxious, like many, having any sort of dental work). The procedure was pain- free and both he and his assistant explained things well, so nothing came as a surprise. It was much better than I had anticipated(as it usually is) & they made sure that when I left I knew what to do for home care and to stay comfortable. Hopefully, I need no further work, but if I do, would definitely go back!! read more

Took my aunt in to see Dr Avera. My review is for the front office staff and billing/financial coordinator. The atmosphere in the office is full of apathy, laziness, and indifference. These front office ladies need to retire and let some happy people who want to work and help people take their place! While sitting in the waiting room while my aunt saw the Dr I heard nothing but complaining out of their mouths, rudeness to the people on the phone and to the patients coming out of treatment. Setting a good impression for any Dr or Dentist starts with the person who answers their call and I can imagine how many people have decided to go elsewhere due to these unprofessional front office workers. I know I wont be referring anyone to this office and thankfully my Aunt didn't need to go back for anymore treatment. read more

Great service, highly competent. Nice staff. Thanks. What more is there to say? Yelp wants me to write more. More.

Great dentist, and fantastic bedside manner. Staff was very friendly and professional. Go back in a heartbeat,

Staff has terrible Customer service- Jen was very rude said she was to busy to call or look up my pre-authorization for a procedure- Rude customer service - all i needed was pre- auth but she was busy then she called me to tell me the doctor felt it was beter to go elsewhere - i said oh this must be Jen " your rude and terrible customer service skills!! I said i would yelp her my horrible experience with her!! she then argued over the phone!! I'm going elsewhere! To a beter office who care about patients and Pre-auths are important to people who need to know if a surgery is covered!! ** Dont waste your time by going here!! read more

Dr. Avera stepped in as emergency back up for my Periodonist Easter weekend, one week after I had surgery. He was referred to me as my periodontist who was out of town the weekend. Saturday morning before Easter, I placed a call to him and received a call back in 15-minutes. After explaining my emergency situation (not a fault of my periodontist), he offered to meet me at his office at 2:00pm (having to drive up from Monterey). I arrived at 1:30 when he also drove up. Though it turned out to be a pretty major issue (grinding and new stitches), Dr. Avera did a masterful job is saving my Easter (by himself - no assistants). A consummate professional with obvious decades of experience, I cannot recommend any higher than to say - you will find no more thoughtful or knowledgeable expert periodonist - they just can't exist. read more

Dr. Avera was a pleasant experience for me. He took care of a painful condition that I had put off for years due to "fear of the dentist". I wish I had gone sooner! There was no pain at all! The recovery was fast without any complications. Very happy with Dr. Avera and the whole office and staff. Thank you! read more

My orthodontist recommended I go to Dr. Avera when I was 18 years old for trimming of the gums so I made an appointment. It was a $2,000 procedure that my dad was paying for. On the day of the procedure I had asked if it would be a problem to trim the bottom gums as well so the braces would fit on my teeth. He said no problem and didn't say it would cost extra. The procedure went well.. but a few weeks later we got a bill charging my dad $800 for the bottom gums. He never said I had to pay extra for those when I asked and even if it was going to be extra he should have talked to the person that was paying for it. My dad refused to pay it and then I got a letter in the mail threatening to send the bill to MY collections if I didn't pay it when I wasn't even the person paying for it originally. I gave them a call to ask why they're charging and that Dr. Avera should have mentioned it costing extra and should have notified the person paying for it. The receptionist was extremely unprofessional, rude and provided the worst customer service. After I explained everything to her she replies "well maybe you should make your dad pay it already." We had already paid $2,000 for the upper gums but still get treated so horribly. I was in shock by what she just said and raised my voice asking "Are you kidding me?" She then hangs up on me. Luckily, they cleared the $800.. but that doesn't make up for how they treated me. They are extremely unprofessional and Dr. Avera will pretty much just scam you. My main complaint goes out to the receptionist though. No one should ever have to deal with such disrespect. Let's hope you lose your job and never seek a career in customer service again. read more

I first had gum grafts done in Watsonville on the upper and lower, 4 areas, 25 years ago. Within 10 years of the first grafts they turned white (dead tissue) and I needed them redone. This time I went to Dr. Avera. He did 4 gum grafts and to this day, 15 years later, the grafts are pink and healthy! Over the last 15 years I have looked at them in amazement for being so healthy and lasting! I have always been so grateful! I now have two different areas that need grafts. I was ecstatic to learn that Dr. Avera is still in his location. I called and spoke with Cindy. I live out of state so my case is complicated. Cindy was so kind to spend a great amount of time on the phone with me figuring everything out. At the end of our call she took a list of questions and went and asked the doctor on my behalf. She called me back and went over all of the answers. She was very kind and very helpful! As she spoke with me I could tell she was smiling. I could hear it in her voice. After reading the other reviews, it is important for me to share actual results. I have always kept Dr. Avera in the back of my mind. He did a wonderful job with my gums and I have always been so grateful! 15 years ago I thought his staff was great. Today, I don't know if they are the same staff, but I doubt another office would have given me the time and help that Cindy did. Especially with such a nice demeanor. My experience has never been forgotten...that is why I am going back! read more

My wife and I have been in this office several times in the past 10 years or so and have had a positive experience every time. Dr. Avera and his assistants treat us kindly and do excellent work. We have no complaints. Granted, we pay our bills and take good care of our teeth and gums; I can see how those who don't do these things might want to cast blame on the staff. But, that is not a fair or balanced way for this office to be judged in a public forum. UPDATE: CHANGING my review to 4/5 due to billing issues. The office staff failed to submit paperwork to my insurance in a timely manner, resulting in a lengthy process, several calls, and some frustration. Hopefully, this won't happen again. If it does, I'll update again and lower the rating. read more

Dr. Avera and his staff have been wonderful. I was referred by Dr. Kong, who is also great, along with his staff. Dr.. Avera decided I needed a deep cleaning which worked perfectly. The front desk has always been friendly and helpful. The dental hygienist who worked on me, Kay, is the best I've ever had. Unfortunately, for me, great for her she is retiring this week. Enjoy your retirement, nobody deserves it more. I'm sure whoever replaces her will continue the high standards. read more

My dentist sent me to Dr. Avera to repair a receding gum at the base of one tooth. His first graft failed to take. When I asked him why, he said "Biology." He did a second graft several months later and while it was healing, one front tooth shifted position, opening up a gap between my front teeth that I never had before. After months of waiting for the gum to heal -- his insistence -- he argued that my x-rays from my dentist show that the tooth was out of place to begin with. My dentist said this is not true. In fact, it was Dr. Avera's graft that caused the gap to form. Avera offered to apply a filling but I went to my dentist instead because that's his specialty. Dr. Avera is glib, unprofessional and despite all his fancy credentials, his work is lousy. Worse, he refuses to take responsibility for his own bad performance. I'd avoid him if you have a choice. read more

I've gratefully gone to Dr Avera for periodontal services for many, many years, and hope to for many more years to come. His work is excellent, and my teeth and gums, which have always been problematic, are in the best shape now than any time in my life. I highly recommend him and his hygienist staff. I've always found the front office staff to be quiet - maybe this is a strategy to keep nervous patients calm - and exceedingly polite, while Dr. Avera is quite humorous. Perhaps the other reviewers didn't appreciate his dry wit (the guy seriously cracks me up). read more

Dr. Avera did an excellent job with my lower gum grafting and this is the second time that I have used him in the last six years. I had my uppers done over six years ago, and he did a great job then, so I decided to have him do the surgery on my lowers when the time came this year. He is very knowledgeable with vast experience in these surgeries, and would refer him to a friend. The office environment is very comfortable along with the staff being very friendly. read more