Had no dental work over ten years due to my work long hours. Finally I'm retired. I had full dental check up. Had deep cleaning on my teeth. Awesome experience. Then 2 weeks later. I got my first ever cavity's drilled and filled. Teeth feel good now. Love Tender Smiles. Thank you staff and doctors there. read more

My 7 year old was dismissed from the practice because I refused a root canal on a tooth that showed no progression of worsening, she was not in pain, and there was no infection. This practice fear mongers and pressures you into unnecessary "recommended" procedures and then drops you from their practice if you refuse. This is considered unethical and patient abandonment, it is also illegal. read more

afternoon I had my 6yr old daughter's first dental visit at Tender Smiles for Kidz in Freehold NJ. And beyond my wildest dreams, I was humiliated and my HIPPA RIGHTS were violated by the staff at this office. Mind you this is a children's dental practice. I was brought in a room and was told I was "DISMISSED "from their office from years prior. I was in shock. I explained that they must have the wrong person, but about 6/7yrs ago I explained My son was a patient for a short period of time, the last of his visits the dentist gave me options to distract his baby teeth or just leave them be. So I chose to leave them be. The office assistant at the front desk brought me in a dark room n insisted I cancelled various appointments. I still have no idea what she was talking about. Then the she took my drivers license & daughters health insurance card and proceeded to discuss this all of the other employees and dentists, to where other people and their children heard all of my private health business and my daughters. I was in total disgust and shock of what was going on. I'm hiring an attorney. . read more

Parents BEWARE of Tender Smiles in Freehold. This place has been a problem for years. This business is understaffed and managed by some truly incompetent individuals. Quite often the staff screws up billing, scheduling and then attempts to point the finger at someone else for their incompetence. It is so hard to get an appoint for my kids due to the fact that they're so understaffed, but then management attempted to blame me for not making appointments. There are so many other dental places in the area that offer better service and are more cost effective than Tender Smiles. As soon as my son's braces come off, i will be taking my two kids to Eastern Dental where the fluoride doesn't cost $60 but instead $15. read more

This place is supposed to be great with children on the spectrum. The doctor was very rude and disrespectful. He would not allow me in the room with my 3 year old child who was terrified and needed a cavity filled. He ridiculed him for crying "like a baby" I was shocked. I stayed outside the room the whole time. Then I witnessed them strap him down and the Dr yelled at him for giving him a hard time. This is a 3 year old child!!!! They had to use the laughing gas and the "silly juice" on him and neither worked because he was so upset. Then they went ahead and charged me for the gas that was barely on him at all and didn't work. I refused to pay for this monster's services. I fortunately found a dentist who restored my son's fear of dentists. But I will never forgive the man who shamed my 3 year old for crying and wanting his mom. He is on the spectrum, but I would be outraged if he was neurotypical as well. read more

this place is a factory. my son got a cavity and was quoted more than 3 months to repair until I complained and got upset, then suddenly there were next day appointments and we got dismissed from the practice. I've since found a beautiful office that is thoughtful, slow, attentive, private, and compassionate. if you don't care if yr doctor makes eye contact with you or your child, or walks away midsentence, Tender Smiles is for you. if you want to be some place where folks seem to care about more than making as much money as possible as quickly as possible you'll prob want to look elsewhere. read more

The first experience is awful. They drug your kids then Strap them down like some type of crisis patient and tell you as a parent you have to leave them being your child out in a wheelchair cryin. The Dr look me in my face and lied sayin it's just the medication making him emotional and she didn't do anything to make him feel pain. not even a needle Once he calm down he told me he did have a needle so I called the office to double check if he was telling the truth and they confirmed he did have one but I didn't understand why the dr lied saying he never had one. Dr Liyah is very untrustworthy and you don't know what they are doing to your kid in that room while they are helpless and I do not recommend this at all! read more

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I really hate this place. It used to be warm friendly and kid oriented. Now it's formal and rough. Zero communication or explanation to parents. They give you a bunch of forms without conversation. And they use sedation as a crutch. They don't even try to ease your child into feeling comfortable and cooperate without such an extreme measure. Theyre incredibly impatient And they make kids feel like they're bad for being afraid. When i realize the extent i as the mom feel anxiety when i come here i am definitely switching out read more

when I got my teeth drilled I felt NOTHING but when I went to my diff docter I felt horrible and when I finished I wanted to go home and sleep for the whole day but with my new dentist when I finished I got to pick a toy and it felt like I did something good read more

I took my kids for a cleaning and they said my daughter had a cavity and at her next cleaning they could fill it. Fast forward to 6 months later we go back for a cleaning and a fill and the dentist said she looks fine . So here we have one dentist saying she has a cavity and the other said she's fine . To make matters worse I go to book another cleaning apt and they have a new "policy" that if the child is under 5 they have to be seen in the morning ONLY because they say kids are calmer . ( my daughter is 4 1/2) . Who are you to say when my child is calmer and how does that a accommodate the working parents who can't make morning apts . You guys are not open on the weekends so how do you possibly want us to bring them in . You're a pediatric dentist if you can't deal with kids then simply don't . read more

I have taken my children here for years and since Covid hit, rather than be patient and kinder then ever; instead this business has without warning dismissed not only myself, but other's after speaking with family and friends who also attended. I will say I did miss an appointment and did not call, which I take full responsibility for. But to dismiss my family, without warning? Cancel an appointment that was set for next week. Clearly the kids are not their priority! If the policy since Covid has changed on attending etc, then everyone should of been notified. I was dealing with sick kids, I did not just say screw it I wanna be a no show. Dr. Max needs to take his arrogance down and find more compassion. read more

My 7 year old has had cleanings here before with no problem, but when it came to his very first experience with dental work it was horrendous! The dentist and her assistant had no skills in talking to my son to reassure him or address his concerns. They never even explained to him what they were going to be doing. If he didn't ask, he wouldn't have even known what to expect. Instead they just held him down and pried his mouth open. No compassion at all! They are not in this business because they care about dental health in children in the least bit. I will never return to this office again! There is nothing tender about it! I'll take my chances with a new dentist that has people skills. read more

Brought my son in today for his first visit and I can't believe how Amazing everyone was! From check in to check out, everything went so smoothly. With a child with special needs, any type of appointment is feared. Sure my son screamed the entire time ( hes 3 and on the spectrum) but Dr. Scott and the tech were so patient with him!!! Thank you so much!!! read more

After 11 years, this place has just become a factory. There is little to no bedside manor for the children. The dr. was snappy, rude and suggested a completely inappropriate treatment. She did not have her facts straight while speaking with me, the parent. With so many amazing pediatric dental practices that actually care and listen, please don't choose this one. I do not normally rate for a bad experience, but I'm shocked at how Dr. Liya spoke to my kids and myself. More unbelievable was what she suggested subjecting my child to. A second opinion proved otherwise and I'm glad I went with my gut instinct. read more

I have been taking my children to Dr Max for many years. Have always had an amazing experience here. Dr. Max is a knowledgeable skillful dentist and he is wonderful with kids and always makes them laugh. My children really look forward to their yearly checkup which is pretty unusual when it comes to kids seeing dentists. The office looks great with lots of colors, toys and cartoons. The staff always go out if their way to be helpful. Coming to Tender Smiles for kids I always feel like my children are in great hands. Five stars all the way read more

Brought my son here after filing out all the forms online and sending them my insurance card the day before. I called the morning of the appointment to confirm everything was good. I was told everything including the insurance looks good and I am set for the appointment. I drive almost an hour to get there and I was told they don't take my insurance. very disappointing experience with them. Don't recommend at all. read more

My son went last summer for a checkup and was told that he had cavities. At 2 yrs old they would have to fill them. After reading another parents review I took my son to another dentist for a second opinion and was told there is some decay but nothing of concern. Thankfully knowing that I didn't go through with the procedure. While the office staff is wonderful I'm a little cautious with what the dentist says about my sons teeth. I will be looking for another dentist. read more

Superb experience for 13 years, several locations visited with both my girls. Since day 1 of my kids dental visits, this established pediatric dentalo has always been top notch and super friendly. One of my girls is super afraid of needles, since she was a little kid, the doctors are TenderSmiles are always understanding and accommodating. They never over work or neglect any issue, whether it's a cavity or something more serious. Always recommend our friends and relatives. read more

ive been going there since i was probably ten. they have were good at first but i went in for my last cleaning and the girl was so rude and disrespectful. she was not friendly and did not speak to me directly for most of the cleaning. she gossiped with her coworkers and held conversation with one of her coworkers for five minutes before taking me for an X-ray. she was sloppy and didn't care for what she was doing when applying things to my teeth. she berated me for having a cavity and being nervous to get it filled. she had no respect for me or my grandmother that came to my appointment with me. i wish i got her name so i could make sure i didn't see her again. read more

DO NOT TRUST THEM WITH YOUR CHILDREN. THEY DO NOT TRULY CARE ABOUT CHILDREN. My son has been coming here for years. Last Friday, he had an appointment but when I picked him up from school, he was sick(asthma). I called about 30 minutes before the appointment and asked if they could ask the dentist if it was a good idea to bring him in since he was sick and was going to get two teeth pulled. The dentist said if I wasn't comfortable with it, I could cancel, so I did. The next day I took my son to urgent care, and he had a 102 temperature. On Monday I took my son to the doctor, and he had 103 temperature and had an ear infection. He had been coughing and running a fever since Friday, the day he was supposed to have the dental work done. That same Monday(today) I called to reschedule his dental work and was told by Rose or Rosie (the office manager) that my son was dismissed from the office because I had cancelled an appointment in 2019, 2021, and now 2022 and it was office policy. I explained that he has asthma and like most children, he gets sick sometimes. Why would anyone want a sick person in a dentist office? Rose or Rosie called me a liar. My son has an underlying health condition, and this is discrimination. Rose or Rosie had no compassion or understanding. If you work with children and have half a brain, you'd know that they get sick at the last minute so you can't always give 24 hours' notice. At this point, I'm feeling that my child has been discriminated against. Since I have proof that he has been sick and to the doctors, even though Rose or Rosie called me a liar, I might pursue legal action. The owner is heartless and irresponsible for having a policy that encourages people to bring sick children in for appointments for fear that they'll be banned from the practice. DO NOT WORK WITH CHILDREN IF YOU HAVE NO COMPASSION AND DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT THEY GET SICK. Now I need to consult with a lawyer to make sure this does not happen to any other parents for kids in the future. read more

I just read the other reviews and can not disagree more. My daughter had two teeth pulled today(last of her baby teeth) and three fillings. Dr. Sulla was not rushed nor rude, even though he had a full house. The assistant (short hair) was a wonderful, patient woman. My daughter was comfortable and left not hating or scared of her dentist. I have nothing but awesome things to say about Dr. Sulla. I'll continue driving from Woodbridge to Freehold because I know my daughter will be well taken care of. read more

WORD OF CAUTION: Services ADDED to bill for services NOT PERFORMED!! This is such a shame, how the doctors and/or dentists in the office could be the best and unfortunately the FRONT Line (front desk/billing) can cause wonderful dentists to loose patients!!! My kids have been coming here for several years and every time when we receive the bill there is a "surprise" of overloaded services which my child did not receive, whether it was sealants, nitrous oxide and/or fluoride...EVERYTIME I have been overcharged whether it was 40.00 or 200.00! If I was not so diligent in looking carefully line by line at my bill I would have paid them thousands of dollars over the course of the few years!!! Every time I say let me give them another chance, and every time mistakes are found on my bill. Then it takes months for the billing dept. to correct. Then when I speak to billing they say I am trying to help you....will put me on hold forever...then i have to call back and they tell me we got disconnected. Its because they don't know how to handle the overcharges constantly found after every visit and they are so unhelpful with trying to "fix" things and next thing you know I am in collections over services not rendered!! Be very leery with Tender Smiles!! I reported this issue to my insurance carrier!! Tender Smiles may longer be smiling because my insurance carrier stated they may no longer be a "preferred" service provider because apparently they received other complaints! Sadly, for my kids they like the dentists but for me it's too aggravating waiting for that "surprise" bill. read more

Not recommended. I used to take my son until recently. I called to make an appointment for my son six months cleaning, the front desk gave me three months for a date ? I was thinking in one week, two weeks maybe, but for sure not three months. I even made it clear that I would look for another dentist if I had to, but to my surprise the lady did not seem to care. What a great way to keep a client !! I am glad that I left because I found the best pediatric dentist ever, very clean office, the latest and greatest high tech equipment, very nice people that treat you like family and most importantly great with kids. I would never ever recommend Tender smiles 4 kids to anyone. read more

Absolutely awful!! When I had called to make the appointment I told them what insurance I had and asked if they accepted it, they said they did. Then I get hit with an over $200 bill. When I called to ask why I was getting this bill they said oh we do accept your insurance but our dentists are not in your network and that is your job to know the difference!!! This is not the first time they've gotten me for money but it is the last! And I will definitely be telling my friends and family not to go to this dentist!!!!!!! read more

Awful! They perform unnecessary procedures on children and then overcharge for them. For almost 2 years they have been sending me a bill for $1600 and telling me that my secondary insurance has not covered it, but not to worry about it. When I ask to talk to billing they won't put me on the line. read more

Overbooking. Going in for a scheduled and confirmed appointment only to be told we had to reschedule because someone didn't put it in their book at the office. Mischarged/ overcharged. Two cavities were filled and my child now experiences chronic pain in one of those teeth. No X-rays were taken at any point. Now having to find another dentist to correct the problems from Tendersmiles. Absolutely horrible. read more

I will never return to this office again!!! I met with Dr. Cherish Im. She looked in my daughters mouth for less than 3 minutes. Said she needed extensive work, my daughter is 3 years old. Dr. Im did NOT take any xrays only counted her teeth. They did not clean her teeth, seal, absolutey NOTHING but look. The office is booked and over booked with appts. I was in shock and felt that something was wrong. I tried calling Dr. Im to discuss another plan for my 3 year old who also has medical issues. She took days to call back. We tried to discuss another plan for my daughter and she would not budge!!!! Her answer was "go to a hospital if you don't feel comfortable with the nitrous oxide" The DDS wanted nitrous oxide AND a sedation medication for the dental work (WTF?) My motherly instinct said get a second opinion which thankfully I did and was told that Dr. Im was OVERLY AGGRESSIVE with her diagnosis. I will never walk in there again. They are a business and looking to make a big buck. Very little compassion and do not work well with the parents. She seemed to miss a class in compassion!!! When I got the claim from my insurance I was billed for "comprehensive dental exam", 3 minutes of looking into a persons mouth is not comprehensive. read more

A huge thank you to Dr. Liya and Tender Smiles 4 Kids in Freehold for taking such a great care of my daughter! Dr. Liya was able to take care of my daughter's teeth with such an ease. My seven year old had a bad cavity and needed a crown. She was really afraid and extremely anxious before her appointment. Dr. Liya was able to quickly calm her down to the point that my child didn't even realize what was going on. Dr. Liya told her stories and had her totally relaxed the entire time. My daughter keeps asking: when are we going back to Dr. Liya? read more

This place is awful! And should be ashamed that they are supposed to be a PEDIATRIC office, yet they seem to not have much patience with kids. My 2 daughters went for fillings on Monday... my 1 only got 1 filling and my other needed crowns and fillings... Well, one is already loose and she is petrified to go back there! As far as my other daughter who only needed 1 filling, we chose to do laughing has for her, the first few minutes in the room she was crying a little and was nervous and the dr immediately said she would prob need to be sedated!!! Like he didn't even give her a chance... she didn't get sedated but if it were up to him she would have. My other daughter did get sedated since she needed more work, and we were not allowed in the room with her, which we didn't know until we got there. Now she is traumatized since they weren't nice and because one is already loose and she made us promise she would never have to go back there again! I probably should have read other reviews before making appointments here. But lesson learned... I hope no one chooses to go here cause you will be disappointed Update: One of my daughters caps fell out on Saturday!!! We got them done on Monday! That's bullsh** if u ask me! Please don't put your kids thru the torture of going there!!! read more

We have been going to Tender Smiles in Freehold for over 2 years. They have taken great care of my son who has had issues with his teeth as soon as they started to come in , from enamel deterioration to falling face first on a slide and 2 loose front teeth. My children have never been resistant to come to the office and look forward to their cleanings ! Today we took my son in for the exciting moment! A few months ago he had a fall and damaged his front teeth. Tender Smiles Dr Scott and his amazing staff pretty much held our hand every step of the way. From pulling his teeth at the age of 4 to making the decision to get him a partial! After today's visit we couldnt be happier how his new teeth look. They are outstanding!!! He was so obsessed he couldnt stop looking in the mirror and we couldnt stop taking photos. If ever you are looking for care , compassion , family oriented and people you can really connect with , Tender Smiles 4 Kods in Freehold is where you need to be. Thank you to all the staff and Doctors we appreciate you read more

Tender Smiles 4 Kids - This is right after we had to pull his front teeth - Pediatric Dentists Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

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The dental factory review is very accurate in my opinion. The office staff can be nice at times. My daughter had a great experience and even did X-rays for the first time. My son is 3 1/2 and unfortunately, the staff wasn't having much patience for him. If you had to wait 45 minutes to an hour for the dentist to look at your teeth you would be grumpy too. I had enough of waiting and decided to take my son to the car. That is when my husband got screamed at and a lecture. If anyone in this office should get screamed at and a lecture it's the staff especially the dentist. Try not making kids wait an hour. I get the impression they were overbooking which is why we had to wait so long for the dentist. Who takes a total of maybe 30 seconds. We will be going somewhere else. Looking into a pediatric dentist that is actually child friendly. I'll make sure I can share this experience on every website possible. I'm not sure they deserve the one star. read more

I have been bringing both my girls to Dr.Sulla for many years. Can't say enough great things about the doctor and his staff. My kids love going to their dentist which is very unusual for the kids. I highly recommend this office and you will not be disappointed. read more

Very busy. Hard to get appointments. Otherwise the staff and dentist are very friendly and good.

I really don't know what people talk about when they give bad reviews!! I've had nothing but good vibes on them!! My kids love it here & my daughter got her braces here, she thinks Dr Butler is awesome & he's very good with the kids!! I will recommend this place & keep coming here!! Very satisfied read more

They are only interested in money from you and insurance! and via cheating! I had my daughter an emergency appoint to pull two teeth out. After the procedure,we only talked out to plan to have a space maintainer next year. But they immediately billed the insurance for $260 for the space maintainer which was not done yet. we called them many times, then they promised to refund the money to insurance, but they never do it. Due to the max amount of insurance coverage of $1750, we lost $260 insurance coverage for my daughter's other dental visitings. Moreover, the insurance only covers one space maintainer every 24 months, we cannot get the insurance coverage when we are going to have the space maintainer next year, and we have to pay $260 by myself. So we lost $520 due their cheating! Please never visit their office if you have any other dentist around! read more

If you don't want your kids suffering , please stay away from this terrible office ! My 3 years daughter went there for a dental surgery , she end up stayed in hospital ICU room 4 days . She went there for crowning and filling her teeth but instead , she got PNEUMOTHORAX which she had to do another operation to put a tube on her chest to let air out . All because of their medical malpractice ! Curse of your guys to let a 3 year old kid suffering such a huge pain . Now she is afraid of any other people outside of family member after this nightmare ! Beside pneumothorax , her teeth kept bleeding for 3days after put on the crown which was awful !. After my case , I found two of my friends they also had problem with this office . One was charged for the service her kids hadn't done . Another's daughter suffered 2 weeks pain after they pulled out her tooth . They only want to make money ! Don't get cheated by their beautiful office ! STAY AWAY ! DON'T GO ! read more

I take my two kids to the office in Pondview Professional Park and have nothing but wonderful things to say about both the dental side and the orthodontic side. Was given an excellent deal on braces, and as a single parent with only one income I could very easily pay the cost the way it was arranged for me. I have already finished paying off one child's braces, and they continue to work excellently with him as they are not off yet. My one son who has Aspergers gets very nervous for dental work and has had to have teeth pulled, but the staff was wonderful with him. read more

Place is a rip off & doctor is a crook. They said my 6 year old daughter had a handful of cavities & needed teeth whitening-type work. It would involve needs & pain, so took her for additional options....& she is fine! She doesn't have any cavities currently & doesn't need any "work" done. Beware...& do your research before having additional work done! read more

I would not recommend this Pediatric Dentist. My daughter's doctor referred me to Tender Smiles, so I trusted they would be good. I looked up reviews before my daughter's (first) appointment and read some very unsettling things. I informed my husband, who would be taking our daughter to the appointment, of what I read (sedating children for cleanings, procedures without permission from parents, not letting parents in the room once their children were sedated, and a money trap). We decided to go to the appointment anyway. Upon our arrival, we witnessed a father arguing over not wanting his child to be sedated, children screaming in horror, and an overall unhealthy atmosphere. This place was literally a zoo! We did not go through with our appointment and will never return to Tender Smiles. Thank you to the parents who gave honest reviews! I should have trusted my intuition after reading them and cancelled my appointment. read more

I have never written a review before but I feel I have to warn other parents. I brought my daughter to Dr Mark Caplan for orthodontic treatment. We were referred to him as someone that handles special needs children. He said that he would pro-rate the charges if for any reason he was not able to treat our daughter. The good news is that we found another orthodontist who did a great job. The bad news is that I ended up having to pay twice for the same service. You learn a lot about a person after they have your money ... read more