Two years ago Dr. Solivan placed a crown on my lower right first molar. Later I found out he did not remove all the decay and I ended up losing the tooth. Now I need a dental implant. That crown was a was of money. read more

Universal smiles, Dr. Sullivan and staff the best dentist a in San Diego . Always looking after my best interest informative on top of things. I wouldn't put my trust and faith, in no other than universal smiles for the past 12 years. dr. Sullivan has been my. dentist his work and dedication towards his patience at least towards me has been outstanding, and I feel he does care about each person he does see he's the best I wouldn't see anyone else if you haven't tried seeing Dr. Sullivan. You're missing out on one of the best physicians in San Diego county and and if not the best in all of California, I lived in northern central, and southern California always had a fear of dentists all my life until I met Dr. Sullivan and he did major dental work on me and got my trust. I am so grateful for his work and proud to call my dentist. Thank you Dr. Sullivan and your excellent staff Kenneth Peck read more

There are two people you need to find whenever you move to a new city... an honest mechanic and a good dentist. Dr Solivan has been my dentist for more than 10 years. He is honest and sincere in efforts to care for patients. He spends a couple of weeks every year traveling to the Philippines to donate his time and skills to people in need. His team of dental assistants, specialists, and office staff are friendly and skilled. This is, in many ways, a family practice. He is the best dentist I have ever had and I highly recommend him. read more

Ok so first of all, The office is very clean , bathroom is clean , the receptionist are nice as can be and very professional when they speak to you , dr soliven is very gentle and a good listener , he actually cares about your own unique situation , been going here for 9 years now , my whole family comes here for dental work . And will continue to do so. read more

One of the best dentists in California . Doctor Sullivan really cares for his patients and will work to make you happy . He is honest and very good at his job . His staff is also excellent! It is painless and your teeth look so good after. Thank you! read more

Today is July 28th 2022 and was able to pick up medical supplies for Ukraine. Thank you so very much Dr. Soliven for this donation I will be delivering it to the house of Ukraine today. Thank you also for giving me the best dental service I have ever had. Always, making me feel comfortable and being gentle. You're the best! read more

See all

I've been a patient of Dr. Soliven for nearly a decade, and I could not be happier with his care. In my thirties, when i first visited to Dr. Soliven's office, I hadn't been to dentist in about 15 years. I had loads of carries/cavities, and few teeth that were more than ready for crowns. He took excellent care of me then, and has since. Check out the crowns he recently placed on what were my chewed up lateral incisors. Excellent work! :) Thank you Dr. Soliven :) read more

Universal Dental Smiles - General Dentistry Near Me - San Diego, California

Wow,wow,wow!!!! Dr. Solivan did restorative work on my upper teeth! I've been horribly embarrassed of my teeth since the day I was born. He was so kind, efficient and really knows his trade! I couldn't I have picked a better dentist. God was looking down on me. I get so many compliments on my new smile. Keep in mind that I could eat corn on the cob through a picket fence before seeing Dr Solivan! Quick, kind, painless and efficient! read more

Universal Dental Smiles - General Dentistry Near Me - San Diego, California

This place so far is pretty damn good I gotta say nice customer service and very friendly people read more

Universal Dental Smiles - General Dentistry Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Love this dentist. He takes his time with his patients and explains things well. I've never in my years of coming here got the impression he's recommending things that I don't need. I moved away from this location and still make the drive to stay with this dentist. read more

Great Dentist! I've come here for years and Dr. Soliven does a wonderful job. He is a good listener to any concerns and is equally good at explaining any work that needs to be done and why. He has a kind and helpful staff and overall I've just always had a consistently positive experience at Universal Dental Smiles; they really help you meet your dental goals. read more

This Dr. is so kind and caring ! My husband, myself and, my son go to him. He doesn't over sell by any means. I read where one review stated The Dr. cancelled her appointment due to his vacation. His vacation was a visit to another country giving pro bono service to the children in disparate need of dental work. His staff is kind and on top of insurance and patients needs. They have always called us back when they said they would. I truly believe that this office tho not huge or fancy will be a great experience for you. read more

All my years at dentist this has been my best experience. Like who likes going to the dentist it's one of those things we put off. Don't put off tomorrow what u can get done today. Professional as they come I would recommend anyone who needs anything done to come in. I won't change dentists ever again. Thank you universal smiles. read more

Universal Dental Smiles - General Dentistry Near Me - San Diego, California

My experience with Universal Smiles (and dr. Sulivan) was fine. I was a customer for just under 2 years and when I first came, had not had dental work in a couple of years. So I did have a decent amount of work done by him. I believe him to be more than competent and he was definitely motivational in getting me to improve my oral health (mainly to get me to floss more than once a month). He's a nice guy and makes an effort to be conversational but I still never really felt comfortable with him. He just seemed artificially nice (a bit like a salesman). His staff are very friendly and were very pleasant to work with. My only issue with the experience is similar to another review, in that I felt the Dr. suggested that I needed more work than necessary. Primarily, when I first visited the office he told me I had 5 or 6 issues that needed addressing. I was definitely pushed toward getting some of them done that day, at which point I found out that 3 of the issues were actually cosmetic chips, etc. At least one of those chips had been there for years and no dentist had thought it was a problem before. He also required me to get a deep cleaning (which I may have actually needed), and after which he required me to have 3 month appointments. Having done my research on some of this now, I don't suspect that I need 3 month checkups or cleanings, because I never had issues with my gums, but I don't doubt that his intention was to improve my oral health. Overall, He is a competent dentist, and did provide me with the treatment I needed. If not for my recent move I would still be going to his office, alas, I'm not overly disappointed to be leaving. read more

Dr. Sam Sullivan is the best dentist I have ever used. I admit I let my teeth get unattractive through unhealthy life style. I didn't have much of an expectation because I smoked for 7 years and became a heavy coffee drinker on top of years of substance abuse. At the age of 35 wanting to reverse all the obvious damage I caused he was my first active step towards repairing the physical aspect. When my top row was done I was ecstatic! It only got better! There are second goes at life! I want to thank him and his staff! L.M.M read more

Dr Gamboa removed my wisdom teeth and is currently taking care of my children's teeth. The office staff is very friendly and professional. read more

Universal Dental Smiles - General Dentistry Near Me - San Diego, California

Dr. Soliven is one of the few people in health care services that goes way and beyond in extending his services. Very family-oriented fellow that it transpires how he dedicates himself to his patients also. read more

Wow I can't begin to express what a great experience I have had at universal dental smiles .Like most I don't feel comfortable with the whole dentist deal and them doing the whole pull this fill that,long waits and not to mention the dirty dentist office and rooms.Well that's what I experienced from other dental office's.Thank goodness I was recommended by a good friend.I have had nothing but a good experience and I noticed that I'm not all tense with anxiety when Dr.soliven is working on me,that says a lot .I can tell u he has rebuilt my confidence in my smile,Thank you Dr.soliven read more

I found this doctor from the denti-cal website. My. First impression of the service was good, they were quick. However with dentical the dentist has to submit their findings and make sure the insurance company will cover it before you can go any further. The dentist told me It would take up to 6 weeks (Keep in mind I had cavities which were very painful). It had been over 6 weeks when I called to see the status of my approval, but the receptionist told me she looked in my folder and someone forgot to submit my paperwork to the insurance company. Therefore I will have to wait another 6 weeks. I find it completely irresponsible for this office to forget to submit the paper work right away. I will never go here again or recommend them to anyone else. Find a different dentist who actually cares about the care they are providing. read more

Dr. Sullivan, IS THE Best !! I had a huge fear of dentists, And actually had panic attacks and canceled appointments due to my phobia. That all changed when i met his staff and Dr. Sullivan. They really cared about me my fear, and walked me through every step of the way . Before I met Dr. Sullivan, I covered my mouth when talking to others, Now my confidence is back,and today when im in public i dont have to cover my mouth when talking to others. I can look in the mirror,and like what i see. Dr. Sullivan gave me my smile back. Thank You ,To everybody at Universal Smiles . You are The Best !! read more

Dr. Soliven has been my dentist for about the last 5 years, he doesn't hurt you when he gets the work done, and his work holds up. I'm happy that he's my dentist. read more

Had an appt. showed up 15 minutes early to find every door locked. Couldn't find a way in. Walked around the entire building. While doing so I called 3 different times not one answer. So I left this terrible place & called to have them cancel my appt. will never return. read more

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE!! This is honestly the most RESPECTABLE, HUMBLE, HONEST, CARING dentist you will ever meet. Dr. Soliven is an incredible dental professional and human being. He composes himself with such humility and confidence that it is impossible to feel uncomfortable in his presence. I felt totally at ease and comfortable with him and the suggestions he made for my teeth. For the FIRST time in my life, I am able to say that this dentist GENUINELY cares about what his patients truly NEED...Not what they want or what they don't really need, he looks at each of us uniquely and doesn't try to up-sell or add anything that is unnecessary to the invoice or procedure. As I was in the waiting room, I met Ken, one of Dr. Solivens regulars, and he was telling me how he was always deathly afraid of dentists up until he came into Dr. Soliven's office. Ken told me that he has never been able to go any other dentist and thanks to Dr. Soliven's calm countenance and professional talent, Ken has overcome his fear of the dentist!! Now Ken only feels safe and comfortable going to Dr. Soliven for all of his oral needs. That story really compelled me to publicly praise and applaud Dr. Soliven and his whole team at Universal Smiles. The cherry on top was Joy. Joy is the most amazing dental assistant you will ever meet! She brings light and happiness to any room she walks in, she is truly an integral part of my experience and I hope that everyone can be greeted and assisted by someone as special as Joy! Awesome job, keep up the amazing customer service - Luiz read more

All employees at this office are very kind and helpful but I have never felt so gypped. X-rays were taken and Dr. Soliven barely went over them with me saying to just keep an eye on my back molars where a cavity may be forming. I also got a "cleaning" where an assistant basically brushed my teeth and that was it. My old dentist I moved away from spent at least 10 minutes physically checking each tooth and scrapping off any plaque or whatever present. That never happened here. My exam took less than 5 minutes minus the x-ray and I left with toothpaste in and outside of my mouth because they couldn't even take the time to rinse my mouth. Friendly but they clearly didn't care about my dental health or business. read more

I hadn't been to the dentist for years before I came to see Dr. Soliven. Naturally I was terrified of what they would find and of the process itself. The staff is very nice and they make you feel comfortable right away. They seem very knowledgeable which is something I admire. Dr. Soliven is amazing. I had to get a few fillings and I was definitely scared of the numbing needle (as usual) but he calmed my nerves and the whole thing went smoother than I thought it would. He is fast and very efficient. My fiancé and I have made appointments at the same time for the last two visits and he always magically gets us done around the same time as each other so it's really nice not having to wait very long! I have to go back for one more visit and I am not dreading it like I was the last few years! Hahah. read more

My experience with this dentist was not great. On my first visit the dentist was so rushed, he did not even take the time to introduce himself before poking around in my mouth. The discussion I tried to have with him was very hurried and pressured and I did not feel like my questions were welcomed. I had never experienced this in a dentists office before and did not feel like a valued patient. I went in with only one tiny cavity on my back molar. I specifically sought out this dentist because he does not use mercury-silver amalgam. WHICH IS AWESOME...BUT... The dentist tried to tell me I had two other cavities forming that he would like to fill. (Well the other dentist that had identified my primary cavity just a week before did not think these other two areas were a problem....in fact they had been pointed out to me about 20 years prior and had not advanced in that time).....so no....I do not appreciate his opinion on this and did not have the extra fillings. The one I did have filled was as small as the tip of a ball point pen. The dentist filled it and I went home. I looked at it in the mirror and everything looked fine (I could see the new white filling and the black dot was gone). But the tooth was sensitive... ...after a few weeks this sensitivity seemed to have increased so I looked at it again. To my surprise I had a black dot and pit right on the border of where the new filling was. (My teeth are very healthy otherwise with only 3 fillings at age 40) When I called the office to speak to the dentist I was told the dentist does not speak with patients on the phone. I still requested he call me. I never received a call back from him after relaying my concerns to his staff. To me this is very unprofessional and every other dentist I have worked with has been happy to speak to me on the phone. It turns out there was only something caught in a pit at the border of the new filling and another dentist removed it for me - so no new cavity...but I really did not feel comfortable with this dentist and will not be going back. read more

My first time I had to find a Denti-Cal dentist. Dr. Soliven is friendly and knowledgeable. His staff is helpful and friendly as well. They are well organized and better than my last dentist. Clean office and exam rooms with modern equipment. read more

This is the best dentist I have ever had. He is not only a great dentist but he really cares for his patients. He is the easiest dentist and he has so much compassion for everyone. I would recommend him to anyone. Bless you dr Sullivan. You are one in a million! I also want to thank Joy for her kindness and patience with me read more

I was a little hesitant since he only had three reviews. However, I was desperate so I decided to give it a try. I am glad I did, Dr. Sam is very professional and his office looks nice. The only downside about the office were his employees. They were listening to the radio station and the sounds was very loud. The music was not appropriate for a dental office. Yes, I do recommend this Dr. read more

Dr. Soliven is the BEST! I am so fortunate to have found him, and appreciate the excellent work he has done.

I have now had a an exam and 2 treatments completed. I can say that I have been extremely happy with the service and treatment I have received at this office. Dr. Soliven has been fantastic as has Joy and the rest of the staff. I was unhappy with my previous dentist and at this point can say I have no reason to go elsewhere. read more

Would have been a first time patient. Haven't been to a dentist in years and needed to get some work done. Made an appointment but they didn't have any available appointments till two weeks after I called so I schedualed the appointment. Got a call this morning, a week and a half later that they had cancelled my appointment because the dentist was going on vacation and the next available appointment isn't for a month and 4 days? UMM NO. They would have already known the dentist was going on vacation, and for a month no less! They only have one dentist in that office to boot! I have a wedding to attend, a trip next month planned, and I need work done well before then. Why would you wait to tell someone the doctor was going on vacation after a week and a half and not have another appoinment available for a month?? POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!! They have lost me and as a prospective patient to be held off that long and dropped without warning. I doubt they treat their patients much better. The dentist may do good work, but their office has major customer service issues!!!!! FAIR WARNING!!!! read more