Aurora, Maria, and Dr. Rai are lovely! I'm so grateful for the referral from our friends who have been going to Santa Barbara Dental Spa for years. I suffer from extreme dental anxiety and have a surprising amount of dental issues lol. Dr. Rai not only heard me, he was so very compassionate and kind. I love being able to see my xrays digitally which helps me understand visually. Dental care is a necessary in life, and feeling comfortable is so vital for me. I definitely recommend them! read more

Had a great experience here. Valerie the dental assistant was SO helpful leading up to meeting with Dr. Rai. What a excellent dental practice. You all are so kind and our family will be back. Thank you. read more

Hands down one of the best dental offices I've ever been to! As soon as you walk in everyone is so welcoming and professional. Patrick is so understanding and will try his best to get you seen right away. Gamyn is the hygienist and is so delicate and loving with the way she works. She will do everything in her possession to make you feel satisfied! Dr Rai is an incredible doctor! He's so passionate about his work and goes above and beyond with all of his patients! The staff here at Dental Spa are incredible I highly recommend this practice to everyone! read more

Most dental offices in the area were closed due to the holidays. I was really happy that they were able to get me in with such short notice. Aside from the convenience I was very satisfied with the service provided at this dental office. The staff was very friendly and personable. They did an amazing job with my cleaning and X-rays. They used a fancy new machine to examine my wisdom teeth. I felt like a million bucks when I left. Aside from the service, the ambiance was spectacular. Now I know why they call it the dental spa. It truly is a spa for your teeth! read more

Dr. Rai and his staff are first rate, caring professionals, and I look forward to visiting this office, even for surgery, made painless by Dr. Rai who excels in everything he does. Charges are as reasonable as possible, and, comparatively, they're fairly low. Highly recommended. read more

A very warm and inviting place. Perhaps the most friendly staff I've ever encountered at a dental office. And Dr Rai is quite kind and obviously values ensuring his patients understand what is happening with their teeth. He took time to answer all my questions and didn't rush me. The dental hygienist also did a fantastic job with my teeth, working quickly and calmly, in a manner that put me at as much ease as one could expect when visiting the dentist! At the same time, some of the equipment felt rather dated and clunky. The X-rays were particularly unpleasant and actually fairly painful. I don't think I've ever been in pain while getting X-rays but in this case, I did. Not only were the archaic digital sensors excessively large, uncomfortable, and clunky, but the X-ray machine was so stiff and heavy that the aid could hardly move it. Each time she repositioned it, I feared it may come smashing into me since it required such force to move. Needless to say, that wasn't a pleasant process. Other things that were sub-par include the TV service (some online service running on Windows) and the massage chair pad which proved to have the opposite effect, making the chair less comfortable. In the end, staff was great. Teeth are great. Some of the equipment, not so much. read more

Dr. Rai is an exquisite artistic sculptor! Having not taken very good care of my teeth as a child, I was having problems with major decay and Dr. Rai crafted a work of art for my mouth and I LOVE smiling again! He is a very warm, friendly person and patiently (no pun intended) explains causes, symptoms and recommends various treatments for any and all dental matters. His staff are all very friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable which makes for a calming and soothing atmosphere. Michelle, the dental hygienist there, is deft and gentle but very thorough. She gave me sound, practical advice on the care and maintenance of my teeth. Since I and my mouth still have a ways to go, I'll be happily taking advantage of The Santa Barbara Dental Spa for all of my dental needs and will highly recommend them to everyone! read more

I did my research when I moved to this area and I think it says something that other dentists choose to come up from LA to have Dr. Rai work on them and their families. 6 years later and I still feel that Dr. Rai and his staff are the best around. Yet somehow they're always identifying the little ways they can improve your experience even more. Let's be frank, whatever you call it it's still the dentist so it's definitely the little things that count: like fresh flowers when you come in, the ability to have neck and shoulder massages when you'll be in the chair for a while (cavitiy -ugh!), just the soothing spa-like sites and sounds upon arrival set you at ease in a way you don't get elsewhere. The thing I've always been most impressed with by Dr. Rai is his commitment to education and continually advancing his skills. I learned that he meets up with a group of other dental practitioners from around CA to discuss advances in technology and best practices. Making sure to keep his skills relevant and his dentistry skills top notch. read more

Check out the hygience practise. They cut corners and reuse stuff they should not. Dr. Rai and his staff will purposely misguide you on which insurance they accept and which they do not. After confirming that many people with similar insurance as mine come to their clinic so they are pretty certain the annual checkups are fully covered, they sent me an invoice after 2 months. After speaking with them, I am being told that its your duty to find out and not theirs. Agreed and I would have, if there wasn't a "professional" on other end confirming that she is pretty sure my insurance is valid. Ever wondered if their appointment makers are on a commission? They almost always coerce you into making next appointment or go for the treatment recommended which may not be necessary. Never going back here. read more

I love coming here! I had my wisdom teeth removed last year and had a great experience. Juanita, who works the front desk, is so friendly and motherly, she made me feel at home. She even called to check up on my recovery. Great place to go and feel relaxed, especially since Dentists can be scary at times. read more

Dr. Rai and his staff were fantastic. I was feeling pain on both sides of my mouth. I called and they were able to get me in the following morning. They put me at ease and did a great job. I would highly recommend Dr. Rai. read more

Dr. Rai is the best dentist in Santa Barbara. Dr. Rai is always so gentle and explains everything when he performs his dentistry. So glad to recommend him to friends and family. Staff is very friendly and prices are right. Thank you Dr. Rai! read more

Dental care - whatever is needed - is at its best here. Dr. Rai is a world class dentist for general care and surgery, his staff is highly professional and caring, prices are reasonable. I even look forward to visits! Highly recommend. read more

Without doubt the Best Dentist / Dental work that I've ever had! In my 37 years I've NEVER had a Pain-Free dental experience, until now. I kept waiting for the pain (like lightning-strikes to my nerves, that is what I'm accustomed too when having my teeth worked on) to begin, and then Dr. Rai was done! There is nothing better than having resigned myself to unpleasantness, and then not experiencing it! Also, everybody at the office (which is calm and comfortable environment) was very pleasant and informative, which further put me at ease. On top if all that, the prices were the best I've (or my wallet) has seen. I will be referring everybody I know to Santa Barbara Dental Spa and, needless to say, ALL of my future dental needs will be conducted there by Dr. Rai. read more

Dr. Rai easily made me feel zero pain during my 3-hour & 4-hour appointments. I left Johnson Family Dental after too many mess ups on their part. I came to this new dentist hoping for a good change. It has been. Personable, honest, and a perfectionist. His staff is very kind as well. read more

Santa Barbara dental spa is as good as it gets! Their attention to detail is fabulous and they make you feel so welcomed.

My family and I haven't been back to the dental spa several years. Dr. Rai was nice enough but he used to have a very difficult receptionist. I believe she is gone now. He recommended he adjust my bite because after having dental work done over many years, my bite wasn't closing so great. So after filing down several molars, he filed down my front tooth! I had absolutely no problem with my front bite!!! It has been chipping away and I have had to get bonding over and over again on this tooth with another dentist for more than 3 years!! Dr. Rai blamed it on me, saying I must be grinding my teeth while I slept! (???) I can't bite into food anymore as the bonding cracks and I have to cut up food I shouldn't have to such as fruit and veggies. I know it is scary to go to a new dentist but please keep looking! I wish I had! read more

Yes the x rays were exceedingly uncomfortable...should have read the reviews before I booked. I made a written request to have my dental records transferred to another local clinic 3 weeks ago..that is right 3 weeks. By law they have 15 days to complete the requests. They wanted $50. I found this charge to be excessive i asked for an itemized receipt., which according to the california dental board i have a right to. They have refused to provide me with such nor release my x rays to the new dentist-who charges nothing to transfer medical records to colleagues! The dentist made an attempt to valid the charge by telling me he had to personally make the copies.The reason for this is that his secretary lacks the skill /knowledge how to do do her job .Sorry then he should hire some one more competent and not charge clients his fee to do clerical work. Final insult is that they have taken the path of if we ignore her the problem will just go away... think again I am filing a complaint with the Dental Board of California. Here the law: The law regulating patient right to access to medical records is found in the California Health and Safety Code Section 12300-123149.5. It gives patients the right to: Inspect records during business hours within five (5) days of presenting a written request. Receive copies of records within 15 days of presenting a written request. Receive x-rays or tracings within 15 days of presenting a written request. The law gives the dentist the right to: Charge a reasonable clerical cost for locating and making the records available. Charge $.25 per page (or $.50 per page for microfilm copy), as well as reasonable clerical costs, for copies. *Charge reasonable costs, not exceeding actual duplication cost, for x-ray copies.* Prepare a summary of the records as an alternative to providing copies or allowing inspection. SO RED FLAG WARNING BEWARE OF LAW BREAKERS EXTREMELY POOR HMM LETS TRY NON EXSISTANT CUSTOMER SERVICE read more

Let me start out by saying that I hate going to the dentist and was very anxious about my appointment. I have never been more satisfied with a dental office in my life. The staff were all extremely friendly. Dr. Rai was funny and kind. Michelle was very gentle cleaning when cleaning my teeth, which is usually my largest fear about the dentist. Overall I had a great experience and will be returning. read more

This is the best dentist in Santa Barbara!! I am genetically prone to cavities, so I've had my fair share of dentists. In fact, I used to be terrified of them, but Dr. Rai is so pleasant I actually don't mind going to the dentist anymore. He is always asking how I'm doing (like every 5 minutes), and he never makes me feel like a horrible person if I forgot to floss. They have a massage chair, and a TV that you control that sits right in front of your face to keep you distracted. I've also had my wisdom teeth removed by him, and I had NO swelling. I also never feel like he's trying to make extra money off me and pressure me into something I don't need. Seriously, this guy is the best. If he takes your insurance, then I wouldn't go anywhere else. read more

The staff was very friendly and the office was clean and relaxing like a spa! The hygienist did a great job cleaning my teeth.

Dr. Rai seems to be pleasant enough and knowledgable as a professional however I can't fully comment on his hands-on skills since I've only gotten a 15-20min consultation with a price tag of $76 and that's why I'm giving him 3 stars as an "A-ok", but not for the overall experience. His receptionist Kathy or Katie on the other hand can use a customer orientation training. When I got bogus charges for services I did not receive I politely asked to verify the accuracy of records and instead received rude, condescending attitude and no acknowledgement or apology for the mistakes made on their end in addition to snooty comment "well, that's just the price you pay for living in Santa Barbara". In my opinion "living in Santa Barbara" should not mean poor treatment for high prices, regardless of the high overhead business expenditures hardships that shouldn't spill into irritated desperation for eager customer billing but rather serve as an encouraging guideline to be more customer conscientious, especially in this competitive market economy. To make story short, I paid the account under duress after receiving follow up handwritten note of encouragement that stated, "please clear this account, will be sent to collection agency" on my bill and shall happily never return to the office ever again. Other then that, they did a great job with office renovations that I found to be esthetically pleasing, reminiscent of a spa-like environment and fresh flowers definitely added a nice touch. However, beyond the home-improvement facade, it is the formation of relationships with clients that will continue to bring recurrent business where a secretary/receptionist plays a crucial role as the face of the company. read more

I have been a patient of Dr. Rai for 10 years now and he is very empathetic and a great listener. He makes me feel very important and is very respectful. He is very attentive to your dental health. Edgar the Treatment/Benefits Coordinator does a superior job at getting me in appointments that are convenient for me including a day when I was free I called to see if I can get in for a check up and he let me know that someone just cancelled their appointment so I was able to go in their place. Edgar designed a treatment plan for me that worked well with my busy schedule and coordinated it with my benefits to work out for me financially as well. Michelle Seibenberg the Dental Hygientist helps you to relax and not worry about a thing and she assures me that she will treat the urgent matter and also the appearance of my teeth. Michelle is very skillful at her job and very knowledgeable. Very caring and compassionate. Dr. Rai and his staff are helping me to achieve goals that I didn't realize where possible in regards to my dental health. With that I give great thanks. read more