I had such a great experience at Smile Dental Lakeside. From the moment I walked in, the customer service was excellent and everyone made me feel welcomed and comfortable. I went in needing a root canal and I was in the worst pain ever, but Dr. Ayala was amazing throughout the entire procedure. He constantly checked on me to make sure I was okay and not in pain, which really helped me feel comfortable during the treatment. He was patient, caring, and made me feel at ease every step of the way. The staff in the front office were also very kind, professional, and helpful. After dealing with so much tooth pain, I finally feel relief and I'm truly grateful for the care I received. I definitely recommend this office to anyone looking for a dentist who genuinely cares about their patients! read more

Absolutely not!! They lied to me saying i had 9 cavities. I didn't. relieve it because I went and got them taken care of a while ago , and then recently I went somewhere else and they said I had none! They were extremely rude towards me and when they were taking x-rays they told me "if you don't do it right then we will be here all night". I do not recommend this place at all whatsoever. They are liars and only want money!! read more

Absolutely hate this place, worst experience of my life, I called and called and left messages no one got back to me, never got the medication I asked for, when I went in for my appt the dr ignored my request and I ended up with a massive infection that I ended up needed 2 surgeries for and was in the hospital for 2 weeks, they broke the root of the tooth they did the root canal on and I ended up having to have it removed because of the damage. Will NEVER go here again and I tell everyone I know to STAY AWAY! read more

Terrible service, appointments cancelled, and charging the insurance company before or when dental work hasn't been perform. I wouldn't leave any stars if I could. read more

Great staff. Very communicative and always working with my schedule. I needed a lot of work done yesterday and they were able to get it done on the same visit. Very happy with the doctor and all of the staff. Was able to get my crown in the same day since they are made in house. Thank you! read more

Extremely unprofessional service does not return calls have been waiting over a month for a response about a pre-authorization claim with our insurance something that should've been handled and take care of them in a timely manner read more

Incase of emergency don't go here!!! Made an emergency appointment explaining the whole problem and paid $190 to sit in their chair for 5 minutes and be told they can't help me. But if I want to go through with their dental plan they will apply it towards that. They could have told me I couldn't be helped without the appt just by the details I gave of the emergency. Feel it was a ploy for a new patient and I will never recommend them!! Will never recommend them read more

Had an amazing visit with Smile Dental this morning. They were very professional and worked with my credit. I have not been this excited about getting my smile back in a long time. Tran the hygienists was a very calm and relaxing can't say enough will definitely be back and recommend 100% read more

Smile Dental Lakeside - Cosmetic Dentists Near Me - Lakeside, California

I got a root canal here,the staff was super friendly and talked me through everything it made me feel safe. my mother went here with me and she's very hard to please but somehow they did it. definitely recommend this dental office wonderful people. read more

Smile Dental Lakeside - Cosmetic Dentists Near Me - Lakeside, California

The entire staff is amazing. I wish I knew everyone's name but from the two receptionists to the dental technician to Dr. A who worked on me, I could not be more appreciative and blessed by the friendly, kind and professional work they did. I had a root canal and a crown as well as two fillings and a cleaning. I was in an out. Great job!! Thank you so much. read more

I have been to Smile Dental twice now and had a fantastic experience. My appointments were on time, the receptionists and technician's were friendly and professional, and Dr. Santos has phenomenal bedside manner and is really good. I had a wisdom tooth removed and some cavities taken care of and I felt zero pain before, during, and after the procedure. It was quick and well done. Dr. Santos communicated every step of the process, what he was going to do, what he was doing, and the next steps in my treatment plan. 100/10 recommend. read more

I would highly recommend Dr. Ivan Santos for all your ortho needs. I was not happy with my smile and after seeing Dr. Santos he explained all the benefits of braces and clear connect. He was very patient with all my indecisiveness. He made a personalized treatment that complimented by lifestyle and smile goals. read more

I've now had multiple fillings crowns and root canals done here by basically every doctor and I'll I can say is wow! I needed some good work done and still have a ways to go but I can't tell you these guys are artists! They are fast efficient VERY gentle and I've never had to go back for the same job. I'm not a fan of doctors and have had a phobia of dentist for years but with these guys I'm always happy to go back. Thank you staff for working so hard to fix my smile! You guys truly are the best In San Diego. read more

My experience with Smile Dental is mixed. I went in for dentures. They took x-rays and set an appointment for tooth extraction. I told Dr. Ivan that I was very anxious about going to the dentist. He was very understanding and explained everything he was going to do before he did it. His assistant, Raul was very kind and professional as well. Very good bedside manner. I had previously gone in for impressions and this time got my teeth pulled and walked out with dentures. The doctors are very courteous but the front staff at the time was very rude and when I told them I wanted to speak with a dentist, they wouldn't let me. I complained and finally got a call from Dr. Ivan. He took care of all of my concerns. Now, my wife also went there a little while after I got my dentures. She got a filling which ended up falling out. She scheduled an appointment for another filling and had problems with that one as well. Her teeth were really hurting her, to the point of terrible headaches. I called to see if they could see her immediately because she was in so much pain. The lady on the phone said the doctor wasn't in and my wife would have to keep her appointment that was a week away. I reminded her my wife was in pain and she said she was sorry but couldn't see her immediately. This was very unkind of her to do. A particular dentist may not have been in but surely someone was working there that could have seen her. Otherwise why bother being open? Drs Arthur and Ivan were raised right and are very good dentists. Raul is very down to earth and professional. The front counter people need better training though. read more

The Santos Brothers are the best! Their office is always impeccable and with the latest technology. Never had an issue with them. I love the reminders and how on top of everything they are. I am even happier now that they have another location in National City, which makes it easier to visit them. Thank Arthur & Ivan Santos!!! read more

I cannot say enough about how great this place is. It is so clean and modern. I love the fact that it is clear that they care enough about their patients to invest in up to date technology. I made an appointment for my entire family all on the same day and the staff was so patient and sweet with my toddlers. We were all able to get in and out promptly and the service and care from Dr. Santos was exceptional. I highly recommend them. read more

This place is horrible I only came here because someone referred me and so I trusted them. I have been here for 6 months now and let me tell you I have been her 12 times out of the six months because my fillings keep falling out and I'm here on my days of which are once a week!!! Iv had to spend my days of here getting what they keep f****** up. Right now I'm in so much pain I take 2-4 ibuprofen a day for another filling that has Fallen out. My boyfriend says I pretty much live there now. And every time im there the doctor leaves me hanging to go see another patient and my appointment will take 2-3 hours just for fillings !!!! It should only take 30 minutes at least for 1 filling!!!!!!!!!! Also they make you so many appointments like I said iv been here for 6 months just to finish my fillings and to correct them I think they just want you to come for more appointments for the money .! read more

I made an appt with the front desk. I told them the dentist I wanted to see because he came highly recommended. I was also told by the gal on the phone they would do a check up and cleaning. When I arrived 10 min early I was told I was not scheduled with the dentist I had asked for so they would have to bump me bk to 2:30. They also said they could not do a cleaning per ins. It's now 3pm. I've been sitting here 80 min. After getting in things went smooth and fast! Doc Arthur santos is very nice! read more

Smile Dental in Lakeside CA is a great place to get dental work done. All the staff are amazing and give quality service. And if your not happy or have issues they will fix the problem. I've had lots of bad luck at alot of dentist in San Diego and finally found home. I'd like to give a special thanks to Dr. Savala! Not sure if it's spelled right but that's how you say it lol. She's Amazing and makes you feel comfortable and is compassionate about her work and loves her clients health and safety. Thank you Smile Dental. read more

I had this outfit do my dentures. The dentures dont fit will mot stay in place. Imposible to bite and no matter how much of the dental glue I use the do fall out even while I am talking. I been back trying to get it fixed. All he did he put some silicone like caulking and told me not to much of that glue, but as I said no matter how much of it I use - little or lot the dentures are good only to place on the vanity in the bathroom. Cant even use the as for regular wear. Not even to chew on candy. read more

I haven't even stepped foot into this place yet and it's a complete sh*t show. I called last week for 2 cleaning appointments, the guy that answered the phone had asked me the same questions atleast 5 times. Birthdays, insurance, address, phone number repeat!! I called back on Tuesday this week to confirm the insurance and was told everything was fine. Great! Now it's Thursday, less than 24 hours before the appointment - already requested time off of work. I get a call at 9 to confirm 1 child's appt - I ask to confirm the other since we are already on the phone, they say "Yes! No problem!! Both appointments confirmed!" I ask about insurance again-everything is great! Not even 20 mins later I get another phone call, confirming the first appointment again - ok? I ask to confirm both appointments- yes! They say again. Awesome! 1 hour later I missed a call, call back, no one knows who calls. 1 hour later another call missed call but this time they call back again - confirming appointment for 2 child.... Seriously? It's now 415, the day before my 2 appointments I've confirmed multiple times, yet another call to let me know they - in fact - do NOT take my insurance and that I can pay $320 out of pocket - for an exam to decide what kind of cleaning my children need. Like a routine cleaning for children. Do not recommend! read more

I rarely write reviews on yelp but Smile Dental warrants praise and a handful of thanks from the bottom of my heart. I needed a lot of work done with my teeth and I have an awful phobia when it comes to dental work. Every. single. one. of my encounters with this clinic is just superb! The dentists stepped up to save all of my teeth!! I'm so happy with the work that was done (extractions, root canals, etc.) I can't thank everyone enough for the work that was done to save my entire mouth! I've been so afraid to see a dentist for years due to the costs related to dental care and also the uncomfortable feeling of sitting on a dentist's chair. But when I cracked my tooth, I didn't want to lose any more of my tooth!! Everyone is so nice and the ladies are so sweet! You guys saved me and I am deeply thankful for everything! read more

They are pretty good. Very Nice People. I can say that as long as you keep your appointments and are on time that they get you in quicker and out faster. read more

I've been coming here for a year and always have great service. I just had my cleaning with Sarah and she is so sweet and gentle. She also did my husbands deep cleaning and he was also happy with his experience. Thanks again! read more

So far so good, I made contact with the dentist today and I'm excited to start working with them on my dental treatments. Every time I have gone in has been a good experience. I totally recommend these professionals! read more

I really wanted to love this place. It's just blocks away from home & the staff is so friendly but my experience here has been a roller coaster. I came in needing extensive work and had extreme anxiety to go with it. I'm terrified of the dentist due to a very traumatic past experience but I gave them a shot. I was very open about my worries & they seemed to be understanding & caring so I continued with visits. Fast forward to the procedures: I unknowingly had a root canal done on a front tooth where I've now had a temporary crown since early January. I had to call the office after panicking when I saw my tooth at home. I was under the impression I was getting a filling that day. It was hideous & Dr. Santos never explained anything about having a temporary crown until I called. He also performed root canals on another tooth & let me tell you, the filling is horrendous & to say it's badly done is an understatement. He didn't even fill it enough to be smoothed & even with the top layer of the tooth. He basically left a hole at the top. I recently also had an infected tooth extracted. Within hours of the procedure I began to experience excruciating pain. I was in the ER shortly afterward due to how unbearable the pain had gotten. The ER doc was appalled that the only pain medication Dr. Santos sent me home with was ibuprofen. I had an infection with a fever & later would come to find out I also have a dry socket. I go into the office the next day to get it checked out by his brother & the whole thing lasted maybe a minute with no real explanation on his part at all. I had to ask him & in fact, he said it was healing fine. Then, they send in an assistant to scrape & pack the dry socket WITHOUT any anesthesia. FUCKING BRUTAL!!!!! & I'm sent home without clear instructions on how to continue caring for it beyond the typical "don't smoke or use straws" I'm sitting here getting more aftercare instructions from YouTube than I ever have from anyone at Smile Dental. It's day 3 after the extraction & I'm still feverish with severe pain beyond what hydrocodone can help with, I've reached out to their emergency line numerous times today with no return call or text. I'll probably be back in the ER in a few hours again, this is so horrible! I'm beyond angry at the lack of genuine care I've had to endure. The staff is amazing, the ladies are just the sweetest! but the doctors need to learn better communication & bedside manners. They need to stop overbooking and leaving anxious patients like myself waiting with their mouth open while they try to squeeze in other procedures & appointments. (No joke, I've been left mid procedure for prolonged periods of time & can hear him with other patients) I've also NEVER gotten a clear consultation regarding my long term plan, treatments or options. I know I have a lot of work ahead & I really wanted to find a dentist who truly cared. Sadly, I've had enough, will not be returning & will be filing complaints with State Board & the BBB. read more

I setup an appointment a week ago for both of my kids. I followed all the requirements, brought a photo ID, insurance cards, and arrived at least 30min early. I put my kids on the arrival list at 230pm and our appointment time was set to 3pm. I went ahead and finished all paperwork around 2:45pm. The clerk said we would be seen shortly, so we waited. I noticed a lot of walk-ins started to show up and be seen, so by 315pm I asked If we could be seen next. They they said we would be next. By 3:25pm another person was being called by our dentist. I asked again and the same answer. At 3:31pm I realized this would conflict with another appointment so I went to the front desk and requested to cancel my appointment. How ironic is it to be asked to arrive early, and be told there is a fee if we no show, yet clients have no recourse when left waiting. For me, my time is important and I arrive early to make sure I'm never the cause of delay. read more

Dr. Ivan Santos was very professional, patient, and skillful in dealing with my teeth. I am usually very anxious while visiting the dentist, however, Dr. Ivan Santos made me feel very calm and confident by thoroughly explaining the procedure and walking me through all step of my visits. I felt no pain and discomfort, and thanks to him, and all of his staff, my smile is healthier than ever before. The front desk staff and dental assistants were friendly and helpful. Thank you very much, Dr. Santos and everyone at Smiles Dental. read more

Dr. Santos has been amazing . I've been coming here for a few years now and I'm am super satisfied with the service I've gotten. Everyone is very progressional and super nice . read more

After 10 years finally took the time to get my teeth fixed! I highly recommend this place, they work hard and make sure you get everything taken care of so that your comfortable! Hygienist Sarah was amazing!!!! I absolutely loved how comfortable she made me feel and went above and beyond to make my teeth beautiful again! I will smile all the time now thanks to her, and all the funny and friendly Dentists that do what they love at Smile Dental read more

Do not go to this place! Every single thing they did in my mouth they messed up on! All I wanted was a crown, they insisted I get two fillings done first, and when they did they gave me a horrible infection! Now I need a root canal! When I got my crown it was huge! So big none of my teeth could touch, so I couldn't chew or eat. The dentist was rude to me and the whole procedure seemed really forced. He insisting I was wrong and that my teeth where touching, I just had to bite down really hard. He also said my teeth would grow in to fit the gap. Then I was sent away anyway. I had this done early in the morning, so I starved an entire day, unable to eat or even close my mouth properly. I demanded to come back the next day for it to be fixed, and was lucky enough to get the other dentist Ivan who was actually competent, painless and nice. However, to fix it I had to have my crown perforated, so now I'll probably need another new one making that whole endeavor useless! The first dentist also didn't care that I was in pain for two hours when he gave me the first botch job on the crown. (When I was given the shot it just numbed my cheek not my gums, I first turned down another shot because I didn't feel any pain just slight pressure, then when I was in pain I explained why I originally turned it down, and he knew I was in a ton of pain, so I expected to be offered another shot, I was not. Instead he told me passive aggressively "That's why you listen to your dentist." It was only much later into the 2 hour session of suffering that I was given some numbing cream instead that didn't last long.) The female dentist told me I had eleven cavities that need fillings and the receptionist tried to get me weekly appointments. I ended up getting a second opinion by my actual main dentist and turns out I only need three. Three of the teeth Smile Dental said I had cavities on my dentist says he sees nothing, and the rest where either so small that they didn't need anything, or where so small my insurance wouldn't take care of. They also gave me a cleaning and now my teeth have marks on them that I never saw before. I completely regret ever going to this place and would never recommend anyone to go here. read more

I have been going to Smile Dental Lakeside for years. From the clean, nice, modern location and equipment to the world class customer service by the team, the experience at Smile Dental Lakeside is the best! Professional in all aspects of your visit and the services they offer. I constantly recommend my family, friends and clients to use Smile Dental Lakeside. Thank you Smile Dental Lakeside! read more

My family and I have been coming to Dr. Santos for over a year now and I can only say wonderful things about him and his staff. Dr. Santos always goes above and beyond in all his procedures. He's seriously our favorite dentist. He's patient, gentle, makes you feel comfortable, and you don't have to be embarrassed if it's been a while since you've been to a dentist. My husband and I needed a lot of work and he's made sure to get it done in a timely matter. I recently had an emergency with an old crown that broke and he immediately squeezed me in and even stayed after closing to finish the work. I couldn't be more thankful. All his assistants are very knowledgeable and friendly. The office is always very clean and I've never had to wait long to be seen. I highly recommend Dr. Santos and his staff. read more

If I could give zero stars I would. I had been a patient at this office for years. Like the other reviews have stated they overbook and make you wait in the waiting room for a long time. It's not why I'm writing this review though. I needed to have a tooth replaced because it had broken. They submitted my claim to Molina but did the work before they received any notification from them figuring that it would be denied so I paid full price. After the work was done they notified me that Molina had approved the work but I only got a partial refund. I should have spoken up at the time but I did not because I was already unhappy with the work they had done. I had told them to please make sure that the tooth matched the color of my other tooth because it was the front one. When they got it I looked at it and thought it was darker than my other front tooth. They put it in and I said I still did not think the color matched. I felt very pushed into keeping that tooth as he had many other people in the office look at it and tell me they thought it was the same color but it absolutely was not. Every time I look in the mirror I am very self-conscious and I feel like I got ripped off. I called and told them I was dissatisfied and they set up an appointment after ignoring my calls for 5 weeks. It took me calling eight times to get them to set up an appointment to look at the discolored tooth . When I finally made an appointment they ended up canceling it the day before and they never called me back to make an appointment. Basically they wanted me to go away so they didn't have to replace the tooth and make things right. I honestly can't believe how I was treated it was absolutely awful and now I am so self-conscious every time I smile. They don't care about their patients they only care about saving a few dollars. read more

Great Dentist!! I have been going to this location for around 20+ years, just had to go in on 4-16-18 to have a wisdom tooth pulled and was treated very well. in and out within an hour. I had no pain during or after my procedure. Thank you Dr. Santos. read more

This is April 2019. The last time I was at Smile Dental in Lakeside was in December, 2018. I had a tooth pulled in December which was the worse experience I ever had. The Dr was very nice, and kept giving me numbing that I needed, but it was my worse experience ever at a dentist. That's why I didn't go back. Smile Dental called me the first week of April wanting to know why I hadn't been there, so I told them because of that bad experience. The receptionist was very nice, again I explained what happened, and I went ahead and made a new appointment which was for today, Thursday April 21st. Smile Dental called me last night changing my appointment to Monday the 25th, I was told due to a meeting that came up at the dentist. I contacted Smile Dental Lakeside today because I need amoxicillin due to a bad infection. Smile Dental refused me amoxicillin which I need, so I had to go through my Dr to get it. The reason I started going to Smile Dental is because my dentist I've had for years had retired. Today I'm canceling my appointment with Smile Dental and going elsewhere due to no concern for taking immediate attention to my tooth infection and needing an antibiotic. read more

Excellent 25-30 yrs coming here Dr. Santos the dad Dr. Santos the older son Dr. Santos the younger son In the past most of my work was done by Dr. Santos the dad This past year Dr. Santos the older son did a lot of work and my smile looks great More recently Dr. Santos the younger son has been working with me and from what I can tell he seems to be doing good work. Since 1994 at least i've been coming here The first thing you'll notice if you go into their bathroom is that they have THE WORLD'S CLEANEST BATHROOM... Simply amazing!!! The entire staff is very friendly and the dentist usually has enough time to answer your questions before and or after your visit TRUST ME you will get more and better dental work done here than most places... They go out of their way to somehow make it happen for you no matter what insurance you have. I've noticed some really bad reviews but most of them I could tell they just have an axe to grind like they were a competitor or something. After 25+ years I can tell you with great confidence that this is a safe and reputable place to visit but don't be afraid to make notes and ask lots of questions.... This is helpful for you and the Dentist. The only complaint I have is they won't let me put my feet up on the coffee table in the waiting room....Smiling!!! But since they have THE WORLD'S CLEANEST BATHROOM...I'll let that go. After 25+ years I still highly recommend Smile Dental!! Excellent!!! read more

WOW PLEASE READ BEFORE GOING TO THIS DENTAL OFFICE- WORST DENTIST I'VE EVER BEEN TO! My first appointment 6/9/2020 I went in for a teeth cleaning. I don't mind going to dentist & have always had good dentists my whole life luckily. They did x rays & an exam, then said I need to come back for teeth cleaning & 1 filling. I've never been to an office where they don't do the cleaning that day. Very Inconvenient but thought whatever. Went back today, 6/19/2020, for cleaning & when I'm in the chair, the Hygienist (who was very nice) says the Dentist needs me to take ANTIBIOTICS BEFOFE MY TEETH CLEANING since I have a mild case of Mitro Valve Prolapse, which I've had since I was a teen. I said I have NO heart issues it's very mild & they said I needed to take antibiotics before my teeth cleaning & "3" fillings, even tho at my last app they said I only had "1" filling! I HAVE BEEN TO DOZENS OF DENTISTS & NEVER HAD TO TAKE ANTIBIOTICS FOR CLEANINGS OR FILLINGS! I am a Certified Health & Wellness Professional, & am shocked they would prescribe a couple rounds of antibiotics during the Covid-19 pandemic (antibiotics drastically lower the immune system). Needless to say I will never go back here & want to make others aware of their policies & inconsistent information (my fillings changing from 1 to 3). I also believe they were having me make so many different appointments to take advantage of my dental insurance. I hope they do not try to take this post down & people become aware. read more

My dad has been going to this dentist for a while now and has always had excellent experience with the staff and the dentist Dr. Santos. He is very gentle and you can't feel the shots in your gums when he does them. He is a very great dentist and we will continue to come back as long as he is there. read more

I can't say enough about the staff at Smile Dental! Every single one of them has been friendly and courteous. I have been there several times now and can say without a doubt that it has been the best dental experience I have ever had. I'm a massive baby and I like to complain a lot, but I have been so happy with their work and positive attitudes that I have nothing but great things to say. My visits were fast, friendly and most of all virtually pain free. I would recommend them to everyone! read more