The billing issues are the worst I have ever encountered with any business. They continue to harass with emails, calls and bills when you have already paid. When I have called back to discuss my bill my voicemail goes in answered. They can't keep their records straight. They have told me the records were switched over to a different system and several accounts were not accurate so they would look into the issue. I didn't hear anything for over a year. Then out of the blue they decided to start calling and asking for payment. I would not recommend going to this dentist based on billing alone; it's a nightmare. Update: No need to provide you with any of my personal information. My advice to you as the business owner: you need to clean house in your billing department. You claim to be on a recorded line during every phone call, so you can start there. Start my listening to all the voicemails and phone conversations I have left/had with your employees regarding your error in all the billing issues from several years ago. read more

I had a good experience up until the billing aspect. I wish I would have seen these reviews prior to going here. I was quoted a bill that was basically then re-billed by almost a 100% margin! This was after I corrected them on their original bill, which was off by more than $100. I am new to going to the dentist by myself, so I am disappointed in the whole experience and now feel even less desire to go. I don't enjoy being ripped off and I don't enjoy having to go through a whole ordeal to get things sorted. I will be more wary when choosing where I get treated. read more

THE WORST unless you enjoy getting a bill 2 years after service. This office's billing practices are absolutely terrible- disorganized, gave false information (told me the service was covered by insurance which it was not) and sent me a bill 2 years later. BEWARE!!! There are plenty of other great options in SB! read more

Great team. Love the dentist, hygienist, and office staff. Would highly recomment if you are looking for a new dentist.

The worst dental experience of my life. Over 18 months I encountered inept dental assistants, questionable and non-transparent billing practices and an practice that seems to put profit ahead of patient care. Stay away. In regard to Sten Ericsson's predictable response below: It is a fact that for six months I asked for and never received a statement of account with a running balance. It is a fact that my insurance company and I were double-billed on seven occasions for various procedures. It is a fact that a dental assistant once asked me "what tooth are we working on today?", after another mistook me for a different patient when I was in the chair. It is a fact that my tooth fractured and had to be pulled after a dentist in the office replaced an existing crown instead of sealing it as an endo-dentist recommended. It is a fact that that procedure was more costly. read more

Go elsewhere if you want avoid a never ending billing headache. They're still contacting me about a bill that was paid in full at the time of service from 2017. Worse still -- when I reply back to their emails and letters, explaining (over and over again) their billing error, I hear nothing back -- that is until it's time to send another bill. read more

I just saw the response from Jennifer P at Ericson from Jan 2018. I have notes/dates/names and emails of all parties involved in my review from Jan 2018. If Jennifer P. believes my statements are false, I invite her to contact me to discuss. While I do not believe I have misrepresented ANYTHING in this review I would certainly be more than happy to discuss with Jennifer, or any other manager at the office and happily correct anything that has been misstated. read more

Wow. From the moment I called for my wife who broke her tooth, until the moment we left, nothing but smiles. Dr Brugnone was friendly, professional and did excellent work on my wife's teeth. I can not recommend him enough. He wowed us. Tara was also a joy to have help. The whole office was run well and they really care about their patients. Mikayla (I think that is the spelling) at the front desk was so sweet! This is the dentist office to go to! read more

I would like to give Dr Ericson and staff a few stars but what used to be a great dentist and staff is now mediocre. I have been a client for 12 years and even pre Covid found it impossible to book the simplest appointment. After waiting a year for a scheduled cleaning in May I've been cancelled twice and now rescheduled at the end of August. I'm moving on. read more

Awful! The work done was crappy, and now they have apparently place a collection on my credit report for the crappy work I already paid for. You cant call the office to resolve anything - can only send emails. I'm reporting them to the dental board. Stay away from this place! read more

I was referred by friend here .. I went because of the Hygienist we liked.. she saw something on my last visit and told me she will speak to the dentist and they will call for apt... she told the doctor but the front office never called me... now 2 years later I am getting bill for last year and we never went to see them... been calling and leaving messages and still no call back Worse customer service, front desk, dentist place ever don't go there.. and plus they are overcharging you... read more

I was meant to be a new patient and when I called back in the early spring they made an appointment for a Friday, which I asked for. I was actually surprised that as a new patient, they still made me wait 6 months for my appointment. Three weeks before my appointment was scheduled, I get a voice mail saying that my appointment had been cancelled as the office would not be open on Fridays. Can't say whether the dentist is any good as I am turned off by their office management. Make a new patient wait 6 months and then cancelling appointment 3 weeks before it was meant to occur doesn't make me think they need my business. read more

I hate leaving this review as I really really liked everyone... However, this dental horror is something I live with every day... In fact, every single time I eat. For some unknown reason, Dr. Dudley decided to make my crown the size of a kernel of corn. Seriously. When I complained, he said he had to make it small so it wouldn't break... Ummmm... the 9 other crowns I have are all normal size and haven't broken... Now, not only does it look horrible, but every time I eat food gets stuck around this wretched crown and hurts like hell. Avoid this place at all costs if you value your teeth. read more

The staff, especially Zaina Alhinn, are extremely friendly, knowledgeable, and explain the procedure from start to finish to help ease any anxiety I had during my appointment. I have had a longtime fear of the dentist due to a previous bad experience. I cannot say enough how wonderful my experience was. I will definitely be going back! I really enjoyed being checked in by Grace James, who made the process very easy. read more

Wrote two reviews. This review has been updated by my other account at top of Ericson's reviews. Do not recommend this practice. There are plenty of other dentists. Basically, went to new dentist b/c of pain in recent filling and he said that not only this filling needed to be redone but 2 other fillings were done incorrectly. Also had to take new xrays as previous ones through ericson had "coning" in them. I myself could see the difference in the xray quality. I feel misled and very dissatisfied. read more

I was recommended this dentist by a family member and since they are part of my health plan it seemed like a good match. My first appointment went well and I had made a follow up appointment for a teeth cleaning. My appointment fell on a Tuesday and on Saturday I was told I would need to work on the following Tuesday. I called on Monday (the first available day to change my appointment) and was informed I would have to pay a $100.00 fee for canceling the appointment. Will not be returning to this dentist. read more

I'm usually scared of the dentist, but I always feel so safe and welcomed here! The staff at the front desk makes me feel taken care of, and the doctors and assistants are always looking out for me! Best dentist I've ever been too read more

Was referred to Dr. Sten Ericson by the the much beloved Dr. Michael Thompson and couldn't be any happier with the quality and professionalism of the whole of Sten and his staff. The friendly pros behind the counter (secretaries and assistants/hygienists) coupled with the modern and comfortable suite are relaxing as well as accommodating. I had out-of-house root canals with the awesome Dr. Lawaty, whom I was referred to by Dr. Ericson, and finished the crowns with Ericson and couldn't be happier; they did an outstanding job no pain whatsoever and no complications! read more

I've honestly never been as impressed with a dental practice as I have been with Ericson Dental. Such a professional operation it's refreshing. I had 8 cavities that I had postponed having filled for a couple years due to insurance issues. I finally upgraded my insurance and was able to be covered by Dr. Ericson. I scheduled my appt very easily and had all 8 cavities filled in one day and in less than an hour. Everything went smooth. Next day, Jennifer called and emailed to see how everything was feeling. I did have a little sensitivity in one of the fillings. They immediately scheduled me to come back in to check it out. Since they couldn't fix the issue with a standard check-up, Dr. Ericson insisted that I come back in to have it re-filled, free of charge. I gave it a week to see if the sensitivity would go away, and when it didn't, I scheduled an appointment again to have it re-filled. Again, super easy and they got me in within a couple days. Dr. Ericson, re-filled the cavity and everything feels great now. Dr. Ericson himself, called me today to make sure the filling fixed the problem, which it did. A level of service, rarely seen in dentistry. Simply blown away by the care of professionalism this practice has for their patients and I highly recommend them. Thanks Ericson Dental!! read more

Dentists are good: their technical knowledge is good and their customer service is great. Hygienists are mostly good as well. The front office needs to do a lot better with their interactions with clients; please improve your customer skills. read more

I'm very disappointed in this dental office. I came in for a cleaning and they told me they accept my insurance, Delta Dental which covers 2 cleanings per year, so I scheduled an appointment. About 3 months later I receive a bill for the cleaning. When I called they tell me they don't take my DD plan. I never would have scheduled an appointment here originally had known that they do not accept my insurance plan which I pay out of pocket each year. Just leaving their office after paying an additional $199.96. Will be visiting another dentist that is upfront about which insurance plans they accept. read more

Saw this dentist for approximately 5 years. In the beginning, I saw Sten and he was great - I really felt like he took into consideration my health, well being, etc, etc. As he grew his business I couldn't see him b/c he didn't take my insurance any longer. So I then had to see other dentists in his practice. Over the past 2 years dental care went to sub-par. Had a crown fixed that the put on. That crown needed repair b/c it chipped. The dentist said he could put a "cap" on it as a temporary fix so that I could wait so my insurance could cover it. The cap came off later that evening. The dentist didnt even clean the area/tooth before putting the cap on. April of 2018 I had a filling done and about 2 days later there was severe sensitivity to pressure. I went back to have them "fix the bite". The dentist said it would fix the pain and it didn't. The pain was worse. I ended up going to a dentist in Santa Ynez, where I live, and when I saw them, they had to take new xrays. They mentioned that the tooth I was having issues with was done improperly as well as two other teeth! Over the past 1-2 years I'd give Ericson dental a poor rating on Yelp. My coworker also goes to Ericson and said she was switching dentists as well from poor experiences. There are plenty of other good dentists out there. Learn from me and use another dentist. The hygienists at Ericson dental are great, though. No complaints with them. Update: I ended up having to spend $488 to fix the filling Ericson dental did incorrectly. Insurance would not pay for a filling that was "already fixed". read more

Had pain from a chipped tooth. Dr. Brugnone (pronounced: Brug-ghown-e), is the man. Great cleaning. Friendly and comforting fix. Affordable. Mini fridge was empty but it was a friday. Highly Recommended!!! read more

I found Ericson Dental on Yelp and decided to give them a try. I had my teeth cleaned and was very pleased with the level of detail. During my cleaning I mentioned some sensitivity that had recently developed and was scheduled to see a dentist. About a week later, I went back in and saw Dr. Brugnone. He found the issue and discussed options. He then did the work that I decided on. Sensitivity is gone and I am a happy camper. I was very impressed with Dr. Brugnone and his level of customer service and his chair side manner. They will definitely be my go to Dentist in SB! read more

Reception area was clean, front desk staff were nice. X-ray assistant was kind and proficient. But my review is for the male dentist (not Erickson). I had an inflamed area of my gums that caused a hard bump to form. He told me it would not go away for 5-10 YEARS unless I got a gum repair treatment... he also told me I needed to replace all of my old fillings. They gave me a $1,700 estimate for these services. At the time I didn't have insurance and was just going for a second opinion since they had a package deal for exam/X-rays without insurance. I was skeptical bc no dentist has ever suggested replacing fillings if they are not troubling me. And I started using a listerine/alcohol based mouth wash instead of fluoride and my gums healed and the bump went away in like a month... so basically he tried to scare me into spending an outrageous amount for unneeded services. I went to SB smiles a few months later and my fillings are fine, gums are good, no treatments needed!! BEWARE... read more

I agree with all the comments about billing problems. A complete nightmare. The billing office is incompetent, rude, and downright dishonest. They repeatedly failed to bill my insurance correctly. I had at least five separate phone conversations with the billing office - during each they grew increasingly rude and it hit the point that they were straight-out LYING to me. I know this because I spoke with my insurance company about it. Just stay away - all of the comments about the billing office being problematic are 100% true. You will end up getting harassed over a bill and no one at the practice will help you. At a point, and with this number of highly negative reviews about billing issues, it's totally and completely unacceptable. read more

Dr. Ericson is definitely the best dentist that I have ever had. His skills are superb, his attitude is outstanding, and he is just a great man! I'm happy I came across his practice, and even happier that I can call him my permanent dentist. The work he has done on my teeth is long lasting and he has showed me the path I need to take to maintain a white and bright smile. read more

I agree with the sentiments voiced in this thread around billing and the SB office. They appear contradictory and disorganized when it comes to billing. A medical office is only as good as how their money is managed. I'm going to be changing dentists now, reluctantly; although I did give this office another chance. The dental hygienists are very friendly. This is a good place to visit if you need basic cleanings periodically and never need dental work done, mainly due to the billing confusion. My husband is a patient and is experiencing the same issue with his bills. Keeping a good dentist you can trust is important, you can't buy back time with your teeth if you receive poor dental care over a long period of time. For that reason, I'm looking elsewhere. read more

I have been a patient at Ericson Dental since my previous dentist, Dr. Michael Thompson, passed away unexpectedly in March 2014. I was a loyal and happy patient of Dr. Thompsons' practice from 2008 through 2014. Following his passing, Dr. Ericson (whose business is in the same building) bought out the business/patients. Initially I was happy with Ericson Dental as my previous hygienist, Shirley, and the previous receptionist (forget her name) stayed with Ericson. They were both wonderful ladies. However, over time, they all left employment with Ericson. I now have a lovely hygienist named Lisa. While I adore Lisa, I have had issues with the following experiences: 1) Unclear billing practices. Note that I work as a Finance Manager at UCSB and I am usually proficient in reading ledgers, reconciling billings, etc, but I will be darned if I can understand their bills. 2) Related to point #1 is over billing. I always pay more than my Dental Dental Explanation of Benefits (EOB's) list. For example, Delta said I only owed around $50 for my deep cleaning of 2 quadrants. Instead, I paid $169 for each deep cleaning. Note that the deep cleanings are typically performed in 2 sessions, so I paid $169 per each deep cleaning. I had signed the estimate beforehand and paid for the work at each appointment, however it wasn't until 1 month or so later when I received the EOB that I realized I was paying for some items such as the laser therapy completely out of pocket. I wish that had advised me of this, and told me that my EOB would *not* match. This caused a big loss of confidence in them for me. It also took awhile of calling and emailing to get clarification on this discrepancy. 3) My boyfriend, Andy, had a negative experience with a hygienist named Christian. Note that he had not gone to the dentist for about 3-4 years beforehand. I recommended Ericson Dental, and he was scheduled for a routine cleaning with Christian around November 2016. Apparently it was the worst pain he has experienced in his life, and he teared up (ie. cried) during the cleaning. I was shocked to hear about this afterwards. Apparently Christian did not take any breaks, stop to offer him a tissue, or show any acknowledgement of his pain and tears. 4) As of 2017, their office is now requiring payment up front (at the time of scheduling) for any procedures. I have already prepaid $70 for my upcoming cavity filling at the end of this month, however I do not plan to return after this appointment. 5) I am concerned that they might be advocating for more procedures than necessary. I was quite surprised this week when Dr. Dane Dudley (who has very nice warm hands btw) suggested Invisalign to me recently. I also question if I truly needed those 2 deep cleanings last fall. I suppose all of this questioning is related to their billing practices. I am not confident in their recommendations as a result. 6) Apparently they hound you when you stop going in to see them. My boyfriend has received numerous texts, calls, and emails asking him to come back to their practice. Positive experiences include: hygienist Lisa, Dr. Erin Baer (she does my fillings and I like her), covered parking below the building (it's a tight fit, be careful with your car), the massage chair in the waiting room, Mrs. Meyers hand soap in the bathroom, fancy machine that takes a full view of your jaw, and somewhat nearby McConnells on Mission so I can get ice cream afterwards. read more

I started going to this dental office in early 2017. The dentists and hygienists were great but the concern is their billing department! I was being billed for in network and out of network claims even though I signed on to this dental office solely because it was an in network provider. I was recently surprised by a bill this dental office placed to collections without first sending me an invoice. After contacting their billing office, the dental office stated that because of their new system, my account showed a balance which they forwarded to the collection agency. According to my insurance company, the money I owed was already paid to the dental office, and that they had already cashed the check. Further investigation by my insurance showed that the dental office actually owes ME a refund. They eventually paid me after my insurance companies fraud division got involved. If I hadn't been proactive with my insurance company and the collection agency, the dental office would have damaged my credit and I would have continued to over pay them. If you are a patient or thinking of becoming one, think again. I will not be going back and warn others to pay CLOSE ATTENTION to what they bill you!!! It it extremely concerning and disheartening that a healthcare entity will take advantage of patients whom they are suppose to help and serve. We as patients put our trust in you, and in return you take advantage of us!! B. Wallace read more

Awesome staff, awesome service & view. Will be coming back regularly. Thanks again! New toothbrushes make me happy:)

We have had great attentive care with Ericson Dental care. Their new office on State Street in SB is more convenient than ever. They are gentle in their care, the techs do excellent cleanings. The techs and the dentist explain everything they are doing while they are doing it which puts us at ease and they continuously check on our comfort level. They also have good insurance plans and for newly retired people, without a work dental plan, this has helped a lot. We have had many good dentist over the years.... but it is the first time we have ever had a dentist (Dr. Baer) call in the evening to assure everything was fine, that we were feeling fine OK and ask if there were any questions...a crown had been replaced. The appointment and care had been flawless so our answer was an emphatic yes. We highly recommend them. read more

I wanted to like this office but apparently no here knows what they are doing I paid for one treatment multiple times and keep getting an invoice with amount owed I am not worried about money and will pay for what is owed but for the desk clerk to tell me everything is paid for and not to worry. Then every week I get a invoice saying I owe them again is terrible business ethics and anyone that has a normal work schedule you don't have much free time to have to audit a dental office that should know how much you paid and when I go in to ask what's going on no one knows anything they just say I can have a manager contact you because your account looks funny. read more

Still dealing with this office trying to reconcile a *second* random bill just received in June 2019, stating services were rendered in 2017 which are unpaid (no description of services, no detail, just a random amount for over $300). I was told today via phone that "no one manages billing" in any of their offices. There is an office manager, but she "does not take calls directly" and "is not in the office every day" or readily available to help resolve the issue. Every time I call, I'm told they will "look into the issue" and call back, but here we are 5 months later with no resolution. If you want to avoid a billing nightmare, go to a dentist elsewhere. read more

My permanent retainer was really hurting my mouth, and I was able to be seen and taken care of so quickly! Everyone was so nice, and they explained everything really well too. Will be coming back again!! read more

i've been getting my cleanings done here for a while now and thankfully they have done a wonderful job with my teeth because I haven't had to have any serious procedures done in all my time that I've been coming here. Ericson Dental has definitely established itself as my permanent dentist! read more

Best dental office ever. The staff is so kind and the procedures are easy. If you are someone who is not a fan of the dentist, this place is defiantly the spot to go. read more

I take all my teeth to Ericson Dental. There's a reason they have five star reviews all over the place - the service and care is the best in SB. The office is extremely clean and full of modern equipment. Dr. Baer, Kristian, and Paola have consistently done great work. They make dreading the dentist a thing of the past! read more

Don't even bother trying to get an appointment for a cleaning with a dental hygienist here. My latest appointment with a hygienist has now been rescheduled three times; my appointment that was supposed to be in January is now scheduled for April. I had other hygienist appointments rescheduled twice before that. (This despite being a patient of this office for years.) Each time I was told that the hygienist was unavailable either due to a vacation or a family emergency. So sorry, but not my problem. Office manager was out of the office when I asked to speak to whomever was in charge. The office should find a way to have adequate staffing to accommodate its patients. Will have to find a new dentist if this happens again. read more

This dental office rocks! Love the staff and dentist Sten Ericson. Office is calming, staff positive, you get to watch tv or sit in massaging chair in lobby. And coffee machine! Elegant and zen! Been going here for a few years and I look forward to my appointments! State of the art technology! Best dental office ever!! read more