Our children have been receiving care with Dr. Mendoza and Dr. Negron almost since they first sprouted teeth. Overall the experience has been good in terms of regular check-ups. However once my 2 older children had issues requiring procedures (fillings or extractions), the experience has been not always so great. The main concern is that their level of pain control was sometimes suboptimal and treatments seemed rushed at times, which led my older two children to ask to see a different provider (which we arranged and the kids are both pleased with their new dentists) However our youngest child has expressed interest in staying with Dr. Mendoza-Sobel, but the office discharged us from the practice and will not allow my 8 y/o son to continue with the practice because of the fact that my older 2 children wanted to leave. I spoke to Dr. Mendoza-Sobel a few minutes ago and explained that we have nothing against her as a provider and asked if my youngest could stay....but she flat out refused, saying "it is our policy that once one family member receives care at another dentist the rest of the family can no longer be seen here" Now I have to figure out a way to explain to my 8 year-old son that he has to give up the only dentist he has ever known and go someplace new because "Dr. Leti" won't allow him to come back. I have nothing against the dentists, they are both nice enough to the children, but I am feeling a bit sad and betrayed by the practice and their ridiculous policy that does not honor patients as individuals, that seems to take an all-or-nothing approach to treating family members. I like Dr. Mendoza-Sobel and Dr. Negron and wish I didn't have to write a negative review, but I feel this could be useful feedback for them. I wish them wellness and continued success. read more

Awful. She said she would only fill my super-cooperative and mellow 3-year old son's tooth if they did conscious sedation or strapped him to a papoose board. Thankfully, I got a second opinion from Dr. Katsura who said that he could fill the cavity with just a little nitrous. He was 100% correct and the procedure was flawless. My son was fine and the filling was perfect. I realized at that point that there are dentists who have confidence in their ability to do work on young children and those who don't. She (like so many other dentists) either wasn't willing to do the hard and stressful work necessary to save a kid from being traumatized or didn't care. So happy we got away from her before she had a chance to inflict emotional and physical harm. The only good thing I can say is that she was very nice during the checkups. read more

My husband and I took our 16 month old son to see Dr. Mendoza-Sobel sometime last month. And the visit went as I expected being that my son isn't to keen on strangers, but even with my son not wanting to have the "strange" lady look at his teeth, she was very warm and gentle in her approach. And when it was all over, she gave him a sticker and some little packet that had a little stuffed animal in it, that of course made everything all better. We will definitely be taking him back there, but after having read some of the reviews about the other dentist in the office; I will be making sure we get in with Dr. Mendoza-Sobel. The rest of the staff was also warm, welcoming, and friendly. read more

I went to Dr. Mendoza-Sobel for as long as I could (until I turned 18) because I always enjoyed our appointments. She not only cares for every single one of her patients, but forms friendships with all of them. She works magnificently with children, and has the right attitude with them to set them at ease without seeming fake and cheesy to their parents. I used to get late afternoon appointments with my sister, and since we were always the last people in the office she used to let me watch her as she worked on my sister. I learned all about gingivitis, calcified plaque and all those other nasties. With her, I learned to respect my teeth and gums (I would like to keep them my whole life, after all) and to take proper care of them. If you are looking for a dentist for your child, go to Dr. Mendoza. She will aptly assist your kids in maintaining good dental hygiene and developing healthier habits. "I respect teeth and gums, particularly gums." -Scarlett Johannson in 'Scoop' read more

Not for those who fear dentists! Not for hippies! I have bad teeth, and always get a guilt trip when I go to the dentist. It's a circular problem -- the more I fear going, the longer I wait, and the worse the news. So...now I'm a bad mom and just didn't have the courage to take my daughter, even though I knew she was getting cavities. It took a tremendous amount of courage, but I did it. Well, from (what I call) the "Questionnaire of Judgement" to the "Whiteboard Checklist of Shame" it was made clear to me over and over what a horrible mom I was, and all the terrible and shameful things I had done. Dr. Mendoza-Sobel's finger-wagging-like attitude amplified this shame and guilt treatment. The guilt-poster across the office says, "heading to school and still no cavities!!" -- shame on all parents whose kid has one or more cavities! She had the usual, "you're entitled to your wrong opinion," when it came to some semi-hippie decisions I had made (eg nursing to 2.5yo.) Aside from that, she did not read my daughter well at all. She dived in with some well-rehearsed and weird jokes. For instance my daughter was so confused when she asked about "Mattie" (our dog's name, asked for on the application) and ashed if she were a rat. A handful of bizarre questions like that just left my daughter non-plussed and confused and off-balance. She never did warm to her, but because she's a great kid, she had no trouble with the exam and X-rays. Speaking of X-rays, there was a box of lame "prizes" that all looked well picked-over and dirty. The box was behind the X-ray room wall, but one kid picking through was in view of the X-ray camera while Charlotte was actively getting X-rays! Moving the box more toward the corner would have prevented this. Charlotte uses an electric toothbrush, which I'm proud of. But though I knew better, I let them give her a new, baby toothbrush. Now she won't use the electric one. I got scolded that Charlotte brushes her own teeth on her own. Fair enough, maybe I should add that back to my busy list of chores. But her last dentist said she was doing a great job. I asked for disclosure tablets and tried them that night (with her new non-electric toothbrush she insists on) and, sure enough, not a single spot of pink! She really *is* doing a great job brushing her teeth! I had been looking forward to the usual dentist stuffed animals with life-sized teeth so she could experience brushing from a hands-on level. But the assistant hurriedly showed her how to brush, didn't give her a chance to try it, and when I said she used an electric one, she glossed over, in less than 2 seconds, the difference with an electric toothbrush. Totally useless. We had been 5 mins late. I called on the road to tell them -- and I do mean 5mins, not more than that -- so they said they couldn't do the cleaning. 5mins? Really? Which meant a second appointment for the cleaning -- more courage needed. My theory is that if you're paying rent for a business in Piedmont, you are rushed because you have to push the patients through. Everything was so rushed -- not even room for a 5min buffer. The appointment was at 10:40, the worst possible time -- too early to drop off at preschool, late enough to require lunch then too late for afternoon dropoff. So my whole day was taken up. In trying to schedule the second appointment, the *only* times available were slightly-after-10am slots. They offered me a 10:10am slot the following week, but I had another appointment elsewhere. So they said they'd have to discuss with the doctor and call me back. They did and offered me the same slot! I asked them to send me the hires X-rays via email. I didn't get them. I had to call them to ask them to send them. Just got them now and all 8 were only 600K total. So maybe my phone has better resolution. Lastly, both times she was offered stickers and tattoos, they said, "oh, you must want the princess sticker!" or "Butterfly tattoo!" Twice, I had to say, "um, do you have any *other* stickers, so she can choose for herself??" I have nothing against princesses, but I do want her to have a wider view of the world. (She chose Winny the Pooh, Dora and a tattoo of fish.) I was crying by the end of the appointment. I asked if I could have a moment to calm down, but the whole office was permeated with guilt propaganda that the only way I could stop crying was to escape. Still, the receptionist dived in to explain the $5k of treatment that was required. Not the best time to swallow that. In summary: Guilt treatment Rushed explanations and demonstrations Fake and cheesy rapport Girls are not offered choices Bad choice for crunchy types like us I've been trying to think of something good about the experience, but it was just totally full of fail. read more

Dr. Mendoza is quite cold and punitive. We have been working on our daughter's dental hygiene very fastidiously since our last visit. However, we received no praise for the improvements. Instead, we were talked down to very harshly because my child's rear right molar has some weakness, "possibly caused by problems or malnutrition during your pregnancy". Unacceptable. Poor bedside manner. Rude. Insulting. If you want this treatment, come see this witch. Good bye. forever. read more

Dr. Sobel and her staff are like family. She always has a smile and a joke - is fantastic w/ the kids. A smooth operation that is well thought out - and makes my kids happy to go to the dentist read more

The best pediatric dentist in town. Love this office!!!

We saw Dr. Letty this morning for our first time. She and her assistant, Anna, were so great with my 3-year-old son. Anna showed him all the instruments, told him exactly what they were going to for his cleaning. They also have a video screen they can look up at while being cleaned. Great distraction. Dr. Letty had clearly read his file and asked him about his favorite things. She was kind and really "gets" kids. They both took a lot of time and care so that he would feel extra comfortable - which he did. I highly recommend Dr. Leticia Mendoza-Sobel. read more

This place is awesome, took my 2 year old last week because he was in pain and Dr. Mendoza was great with him. The staff is very friendly and make all the little ones feel comfortable. Too bad they don't take my insurance =( read more

My children have been going to Dr. Leticia Mendoza-Sobel or as my kids fondly call her "Dr. Leti" since the age of two. She is excellent and I highly recommend her. My daughter recently had to have two of her baby teeth removed. I was troubled about her having the procedure. I held my daughters hand the entire time while she watched her favorite cartoon. Dr. Leti was so good that after the procedure, my daughter had no idea that she had removed them both. She kept asking "When is she going to take them out". read more

Very happy with our experience at Pediatric Dentistry Piedmont. My three kids have been with them for over 10 years. Professional, courteous staff. Great with kids; lots of entertainment options to keep them distracted. Light, bright office; easy parking. We've seen both dentists in the practice and love them both. Highly recommend. read more

My son- 8 year old - had 2 of his teeth extracted with Dr Mendoza. I was so concerned because this was hist first such experience with a dentist. We've been going to Dr Mendoza for several years now and very happy with her approach to kids dental care; today we were totally wowed. My son went through the experience without hesitation because they made him feel so relaxed and comfortable. After the morning teeth extraction we received a call by the doctor herself in the afternoon checking on him .. how nice. Would only recommend her to people we like and care for. read more

Both of my sons (7 and 4 years old) have been patients of Dr. Mendoza-Sobel for several years based on the recommendation of our pediatrician, who also brings her kids to Dr. Mendoza-Sobel. My kids' experience (and my experience) have been positive in each visit. The office has the right environment and she has the right communication style for kids with warmth and kindness. My sons actually enjoy going there and watching cartoon during procedure (with my permission). Dr. Mendoza-Sobel is very thorough, she gives full attention to all details, talks about holistic approach to dental health starting with diet. She has been a great source of information for our family. She encourages and praises my children for taking good care of their teeth and eating healthy food options. She discusses different approaches and treatment options with great patience and helps us make informed decisions. She cares about serving the child's dental needs with the best quality and the right timing. She does not push treatments on us unless really necessary, which is really important to me. When improvements needed e.g. a touch up for dental sealant, she provided that without any pay, so that my son's teeth are fully protected. My children received excellent care from her and I highly recommend her to my friends with kids in our neighborhood. read more

My 11 year old son has gone to Dr. Mendoza Sobel since he has had teeth. She has a calm demeanor that has helped him never be afraid to go to the dentist. She is kind, and firm about dental hygiene dos and don'ts and he and I have both learned a lot from her. About a year ago he developed a chronic cough. His pediatrician didn't know what was causing it so sent us to an allergist. No significant allergies that would cause the cough. No ideas from the allergist or pediatrician and I was in process with the pediatrician (again) about what to do next when it was time for a regular check-up with Dr. Mendoza Sobel. I mentioned his cough to her and in doing the exam she noticed he had some erosion of tooth enamel. She wondered if he might have reflux (GERD) and noted that if stomach acid was doing that to his teeth, imagine what it would do to the soft tissue in his throat. 4 months after pediatrician and specialist visits and his dentist provides the insight into the diagnosis that turned out to be correct. She really thinks about his overall health and how that informs what goes on with his teeth/mouth. When we saw her a month ago I was so happy he had chosen sparkling water as a drink of choice instead of begging for soda. Dr. Mendoza Sobel warned me of the high levels of carbonic acid in many sparkling waters (I told her I was going to get one of the machines to make it at home and she said those have terribly high levels of acid) and had one of the hygienists bring over a bottle for me to see of what has the lowest levels and would be best for him. Dr. Mendoza Sobel is terrific and I am so grateful to her! read more

Our son has been to see Dr. Mendoza-Sobel twice, once last year for a cleaning which my son loved bc they have dvd players above the chairs. The staff is all super friendly and Dr. Mendoza had was able to engage our son with her warm and funny interactions with him. Today , I brought him to have 2 baby teeth extracted. My six year old's permanent teeth came in almost 2 months ago and the baby teeth were being stubborn and had super long roots. Dr. Mendoza-Sobel thoroughly explained the process to me which put me at ease. She put a topical gel on his gums to get a little numb was able to distract my son with a fun animal noise game so HE NEVER EVEN NOTICED THAT SHE GAME HIM A SHOT. It was amazing. No tears, minimal bleeding and no pain post the novocaine wearing off. Dr. Mendoza-Sobel even called this evening to check in and see how he was doing. Her assistant Elizabeth was also great. The office is colorful, bright and engaging for any child. My son also enjoys getting to select a prize once his cleaning/procedure was complete. Highly recommend! read more