Sadly it's one of the only places that took Medi-cal/cencal so we were stuck with coming here or another place that is far worse. Finally moved my daughter to a new dentist and thats how we found out that they hadn't been cleaning my daughters teeth properly. She was surprised that the new hygienist used the scraping tool and floss as all her past cleaning had been the flouride and tooth brush only.Luckily it seems they did properly take care of any cavities so that was a relief. Besides this, appointments tended to be all over the place. Sometimes on time and others very late. They seem to book as many back to back kids as possible and if one thing goes wrong then you're stuck waiting. We had one specific instance where my kid woke up sick, the day of, and we called to let them know and the receptionist very rudely said that our kid could not be seen for 6 months because of this and hung up. If I could re-do it again, i wouldn't bring my child here but when choices were limited it was the better of 2 places. It wasn't all bad but far from being good. My daughter never experienced pain so at least that was good. read more

Friendly office. The dentists are thorough and personable. If you have children, they prefer that mom or dad stay in the waiting room during X-rays. That's different for me from past experiences in other offices. They take HMO and PPO but make sure you double-check. The office really helped me with my Blue Shield HMO who kept saying they did not see Zen Dental as a HMO provider in their network. It was Blue Shield's issue and Zen went the extra mile to work it out on my behalf. Dr. Ha and Tang are UCLA grads and they're an asset to this community. I highly recommend them. read more

Zen Dental Group - Nice fountain with their logo - General Dentistry Near Me - Santa Maria, California

See all

The worst experience ever. Before securing my dental plan my son, along with a representative from Delta Dental called the office and was told they accepted ALL PLANS offered by Delta Dental. Less than a week later I was told they no longer take Delta Dental. I now have a plan they do not take after being charged nearly $300 for my initial consultation (which other dentists in the area do not charge). If you don't have a PPO don't even bother. Now I'm curious to compare what my new dentist's suggested treatment plan is so I can compare it to what was recommended at (not so) Zen Dental. read more

IF YOU DONT WANT TO SEE YOUR KIDS IN PAIN DONT GO! SO UNPROFESIONAL! After waiting for nearly 2 years to get my daughter to get a treatment for baby bottle syndrome. She had gone with 2 FRONT CAVITIES AND 2 moler cavities and sever moler pain. As a 1 year old that doesn't eat candy or drink soda that soon became into 2 broken teeth 2 broken molars 6 fillings and 2 extractions (according to her RECENT TEETH X-RAYS at dentistry for children). Since the first visit she wasn't done X-rays. No pain medication was given and nothing to stop the spread of the cavities. 2 years of being on the "waiting list" I finally got a surgery appointment on February 8th for her surgery to be done on April 28th. They said if I wanted to secure the date I had to go pay the " anesthesiologists fee" and that would secure the date. I was informed it was Fcfs so I left work to go pay that fee considering my daughter can't even eat without being in pain. 1 week before surgery on April 21 I was supposed to take my daughter to get a physical exam by her provider (which I HAD TO CANCEL AND PAY A CANCELATION FEE for not canceling 24 hrs before ) because apparently when I called zen dental to ask the time of her surgery they didn't have her scheduled for any surgery. Giving 2 versions 1. To me: "she's not scheduled to any procedure she has to wait for an available surgery date once your INSURANCE authorizes the procedure the request was sent TODAY April 20 2021" 2. To husband: " her appointment was canceled" (after insisting of who cancelled it and when they told him they didn't know why it was canceled by "plaza" and they don't know when it was canceled and they don't know when they will have another date and most importantly THEY DONT KNOW WHY NOBODY CALLED TO INFORM US.) Considering the fact I had paid "cash 175$" to secure HER SURGERY DATE we asked for a refund and they refused to give us cash back said they had to give us a personal check and they have to request it 1 day before. . A personal check that I had to pay 2% to cash. When my husband picked up the check they still had the audacity to tell him "you need to find a new provider she was dismissed from our patients". read more

Zen Dental Group - General Dentistry Near Me - Santa Maria, California

Pretty clean office nice receptionist the Wait it's still a bit long but ok .. Just you would of think that when the 2 Dentist walk in the front doors and their patience sitting waiting .They can say hi to ppl waiting for them but No they ignore that .. read more

I took my daughter to see Dr. Ha for a failed root canal and necessary extraction. The tooth cracked fully in half the day before and has been in excruciating pain. Dr. Ha did not express any level of care or concern, coming across as dismissive. He directed us to schedule an appointment with him to remove the tooth in the coming week. Looking at the doctor and gesturing toward my now teary-eyed daughter, "Is there anything you can give her for pain?" Dr. Ha responded steadily, "rTylenol or Motrin." I looked at Dr. Ha and asked, "Do is th o address her level of pain?" Dr. Ha replied, "No"while refusing to make any changes to her care plan read more

Awesome, Honest, Kind and especially patient Dentist! I stumbled upon this Dental Office and have become a patient, my family too!, of Dr. Carmen Ha. I am the worlds biggest baby when it comes to dentistry, (bad trama, as a child) Stephen King like Trama! Anyway, she was very very nice and made me feel so comfortable. I brought my daughter in (2 years old) they, the office staff, could not have been more perfect. They put Dora on and she was in her element! You can bring a movie to watch or music on cd to listen to while their making your smile bright and healthy. Nothing feels as good as CLEAN Teeth! Save your coupons for your oil change! You won't find another dentist in town as honest and caring as the Zen Group! I haven't had Dr. Tang yet, but I met him and he seems to be as kind and gentle as Dr. Ha! Get in there and get checked out! you owe it to yourself! read more

This is a review written after 2 and a half months of observation, so I know what I am talking about. ;) Two and half months ago one tooth felt extremely sensitive, my husband and I found a highly rated dentist through Yelp in Santa Barbara, where we were traveling through. The assistant took a photo of my tooth, not very clear quality, the dentist came in and suggested me right away to see a specialist the next day, to see if I needed to get a root canal, all within 1 and a half minutes!! They helped us to make an appointment for the specialist the next day at 4pm... Walking out of their office I felt like I was becoming a file number on their folder only, my husband and I looked at each other, no comment for what we just experienced... Then my husband said let's take a drive to Dr. Ha in the morning and see where we go from there! Thinking of Dr. Ha ad her nice family and office, I got energized right away. Yes Let's go! We made the appointment explained our situation they fit us in no problem. They took a photo of my teeth and IT WAS A MUCH CLEARER PHOTO than the one in Santa Barbara, I actually got MORE "dark spots" than what it showed the day earlier... She explained there were two possibilities for the dark spot and she preferred to try to fix it for the possibility of lit being less severe instead of talking about the root canal the first thing, knowing my age, she thought the root canal would be a bit too premature to be carried for the rest of my life. AND...2 and half months later!! I am happy as ever with her nice fix!! The pain and sensitivity has not come back since... Thank you Dr. Ha!! We love you and would recommend you to anybody we cross paths with! read more

In terms of dental care I have no complaints but the staff it's another story. It's probably the worst run office that I have been to! The only office that charges you $75 just to make an appointment! They are rarely right with the amount that you owe. And be aware they don't check their messages on weekends so if you have an emergency and cannot reach them 48h in advance they will charge you $75 per hour!!! They really are not understanding and don't want to build good relationships with their patients. My husband and I decided to look elsewhere for great dental care and friendly staffs. read more

So I came here one time because my wisdom tooth were hurting and my cheek got really swollen so I go in and I saw a girl dentist and she looked at my teeth and referred me to oral surgeon to get my wisdom teeth pulled, she didn't even care that I was in pain and one side of my face was swollen! I had to ask her to give me antibiotics because I knew I had an infection..point is she wouldn't have given me any if I didn't ask even tho my face was swollen..so if a patient goes in with the same problem as me but doesn't know its an infection she wouldn't of prescribed an antibiotic if that patient didn't ask for it..? Its their job to know not the patients.. I was a little disappointed in the dentist she didn't even talk to me a lot just asked me like 3 questions all the other staff were really nice..so I think I will give this place another try and we will see.. read more

I started going to Zen Dental through other patient's recommendations. I am a happy patient. I have been going for couple of years now. I am there for routine check ups and I take my two children there too. I also had a new crown and filling. So far, no problem. I love Dr. Ha and her mom who works there as a dental assistant; Very friendly professionals. read more

I've been to Zen Dental several times since my first review. They continue to do an awesome job. I don't like going to the dentist (who does?), but the experience at this dentist is so personal and friendly that my wife and I look forward to the visit. I'll be moving out of the area soon and will have to find a new dentist. I will be lucky to find this level of care in another city. read more

I've been going to Zen Dental for the past 4 years and have had positive experiences, with the front desk, with staff, and with the dentists every single time. I usually get cleanings from Dr. Ha. She is conscientious, thorough, and efficient in her job. She usually takes the time to explain what is going on with your teeth and if there are any issues, she'll talk through your options with you and make recommendations, but never pressure or push you into doing anything. They're also great at scheduling late in the day appointments to accommodate my work schedule. This is a professional and conscientious dental practice - highly recommended. read more

This is probably the worst place to go for a dentist I went to this office for a crown and not only do not know how to do their job also they look for any excuse to make you more charges. They do not inform you about the charges and at the end they said they have done jobs they never did. They are not profesionals . They're only going to take your money. Please don't go to the clinic you will regret it. read more

Started out good, but went to hell. For a crown they could could not get it right in the fit, took repeated visits. Then they start making you pay money to make an appointment out of the blue. Then after give money for appointment three days before appointment they call and say they no longer billing secondary insurance. I need to give them about $600. So I tell them to cancel my appointment and reimburse my money. Next day I call to check if they have my money ready, they say they'll check 4 hours later they call me back and say that it's only new clients they will not bill. So I go in for my appointment and they tell me I need to pay $600. What a joke these people are. read more

I only went to this dentist because it was covered by medical, recently I was told I needed a crown by them and they were going to charge my 1300, after doing my research and visiting a highly recommend dentist he informed me a crown was not needed and it simply needed a fill .. I saved myself $1100. The front desk manager I believe is extremely rude over the phone. Save your money and go somewhere else. read more

The front desk girls were rude and they over charged for a buildup on a crown. We had a filling fall out on my wife and my daughter just 2 months after they were done. I am very disappointed with this dentist office read more

I am new to Santa Maria so used Yelp to narrow down the choices. This is one of three places I chose and the second one I called. The office staff sounded intelligent and was able to get me in that day. I am glad they did. The entire experience was smooth and professional with a minimum of waiting (very important for me). Carmen was very attentive and patient, explaining what she was doing and why. There was no distracted running from one room to another forgetting where she was and what she was doing. Great care was taken to make sure I was comfortable and numb. I was looking for a second opinion because the previous dentist came off as more interested in business generation than serving ME. The work previously recommended was not causing me any issues and Carmen explained what she saw was normal with old work and watchful attention to it was likely better than the trauma of removing old crowns, etc and replacing them. (One crown I have had for 20 years and has never given me a lick of problems, excuse the pun!) We agreed to just keep an eye on stuff on a regular basis. she showed me better cleaning techniques to help prevent any problems. Two small fillings and an hour later I was out of the chair for $500, including the exam. A far cry from the $8,000 the other dentist wanted! I am very pleased with Carmen and the staff that fully informed me of all my options and cost and highly recommend them! read more

Travelling through town, (eating a Date of all things) I broke the bonding on my Front Tooth. Dr Ha had an opening the next morning. The office was meticulous and new, fresh and modern. The office assistant polite and Prepared. There was no waiting, Her Technician took a quick low impact Xray, and the work that Dr. Ha did on my tooth was pain free with a very natural outcome. She explained everything and really took time to see that this tooth flowed evenly with the rest of my smile. My wife and I felt like we were with family. I would travel back even if it took more than an hours drive to re-visit this Dr., her Staff and comfortable office.Thank You Dr. Ha and Family! read more

Pretty and modern location. A major plus? The actual dentist does all the cleaning- not just the hygienist. Will definitely be back in six months. read more

Dr. Ha is great! They were able to get me in for an appointment on the same day I called! Unheard of!

If I could give it a negative review I would . Please go with your instinct and if it doesn't feel right leave . Worst dental group ever In my experience and opinion . Awesome front desk but the "Dr" is something else. Look at the google and yelp reviews , very interesting how they only respond to negative reviews and feel people aren't entitled to an opinion . I won't get into detail because Ifs draining . And if the admin wants to defend their dental office go right ahead you're entitled to what you feel like saying just as much as I am . read more

I called to make an appointment with the dentist and the receptionists were so unhelpful. First one said they needed a phone number for my insurance and refused to even schedule me until I called my work and got it. Called back and the other one refused to schedule me and and my husband on the same day because apparently if one family member cancels then the other one does and they have too many openings. So disappointed because I saw both doctors a few years ago and liked them a lot, but these policies are ridiculous. We were willing to drive from SLO together, but not separately! read more

Great dentistry. I have been going to Zen Dental since 2011 and now in 2020 there cliental has increased drastically. The dentists here are amazing and will make you feel as comfortable as can be with whatever dental work you need. As the noise level. This place is a small place but NOT uncomfortable small. Sometimes, it can be noisy. For example, once i had an appointment & a young child was crying their lungs out because they were afraid of being at the dentist but most of the time it's rather quiet inside.I think that would be my only complaint is the noise but we can't control on the children crying when they are patients themselves plus it's rare when children cry. Great place. Nice and clean. They have televisions for children in the room and usually have a Disney film playing. One more thing, there are 2 dentists, one male and one female. I have only been treated by the female. I am not saying the male isn't good enough. But I can't say much about him as for her, she is amazing. They are both UCLA graduates as well :) read more

I really enjoy coming to Dr Tang, he is very good with kids along with all of his staff. Their location does seem a little bit hidden but it's so worth it! My niece used to go to a different dentist that NEVER wanted to go near her 8 -that's right- cavities. Her mother got fed up & switched her to Dr Tang's dentistry because my 5yr old sister goes there as well. Dr Tang filled all 8of her cavities in 2 appointments. My niece has never been the -sit still & watch a movie- kind of kid but somehow they got her to just stay calm throughout the fills. Their secretaries are usually fairly nice. Today I went in for my little sisters routine check up & the secretaries seemed super busy & one was almost rudely in a rush. Nothing bad to say besides she should realize being a secretary means she deals with patients as well, not just a screen. I really appreciate the secretary Paula though! She took the paperwork I needed filled for my sisters school after the other secretary refused it & said she'll fill it after I finish my paperwork that was like 5 questions long with 2 signatures. She should've just taken it & that would've been that but no big deal. Paula smiled after & reached her hand out & said she'll do it for me. Very small gesture but it does mean a lot to patients who want to make sure that paperwork gets filled & might forget to hand t to them later! read more

Short version: Great, honest practice with welcoming staff. Very personal level of care, accommodating, professional, and goes above-and-beyond. HIGHLY recommended! LOOONG version: I'll admit, searching for a good dentist can be as painful as pulling teeth [yes, obvious pun intended]. Having to move around so often, I've always relied on Yelp, other online reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations in order to find someone who I felt would take care of my dental needs WELL. Why, you may ask? Because, despite the fact that insurance foots the bill for treatment most of the time, I believe that I should give my business to those who really deserve it. Dr. Ha and Dr. Tang are those kind of dentists. Their office is very new; open-concept space, nice TVs in each room perfectly situated to keep you occupied during cleanings, and overall very clean and well-kept. The receptionist is kind and accommodating and making appointments is never difficult. The technician who always did my cleanings also was great; she does thorough work, without digging so much as to be painful (as I've had some OCD techs do before). Overall, they are a very welcoming and friendly practice. I've seen both Dr. Ha and Dr. Tang, mostly for bi-annual cleaning and check-ups, and they do actually spend time to consult with you!!! And not the 10-second, "Your-x-rays-look-good-floss-more-and-we'll-see-you-in-another-six-months" type evaluation! They always check the condition of my teeth and gums personally, making sure that the cleaning was done right and how my "problem" teeth are doing. There have also been times when Dr. Ha has done the my cleaning HERSELF; if that is not above-and-beyond service in a dentistry practice, I dare you to find something better!!! They do remember you, too! This practice is very honest about the work they do and recommend, as well. I've heard horror stories from friends who have gone to other practices and come out with a mouthful of fillings for [later-discovered-fake] cavities. I've experienced it myself in other practices when dentists insist that I have my problem teeth sealed or capped in order to keep them "safe from cavities and decay". Never believed them, though, and Dr. Ha reinforced the fact that proper hygiene would keep my teeth just fine. I did chip the corner of my molar and have it repaired by Dr. Ha using color-matched composite instead of amalgam. I honestly have a hard time finding the chip repair from my real tooth! It was very well done and matches the natural shape of the tooth. On a kid-related note, Dr. Ha even checked my (at the time) year-old son's teeth for me for free! She was very gentle with him and he didn't really mind at all, either. So to cap it off: Dental issues? Go here. Your insurance money will be well spent, and you will wonder why dental visits can't always be this wonderful. Dr. Ha and Dr. Tang really raised the bar for what to expect from a dental office for me. They are great at what they do and do it honestly and in a personable way. I've since left the area and am now on a search to find someone in my new town who can do work as well as Zen Dental did. Funny when you find out you can miss a dental office, isn't it? read more

Definitely the most accommodating dental office I have ever been to. I dropped in about 30 minutes before closing time without an appointment and they fit me in for x-rays, a consult, and cleaning right then and there. Very clean, very professional staff. They were mindful of costs. Astrid at the front desk even called and offered to bump up my next appointment so that I wouldn't have to miss work. read more

Horrible!! I read some reviews. Went in against my better judgement.. was impressed by them seeing me asap. Got an appointment fast paperwork went fast walked in seen within 10 mins X-ray's were fast doctor came in with in 10 mins.. she did my assessment went well.. then that's when it went down hill!! I have healthy teeth, healthy gums. Yet she the doctor WANTED to make $$ said she didn't want to do a general cleaning because my 2 back teeth had build up tarter I needed a deep cleaning which my insurance wouldn't cover so I need to go back, she suggestions I get "crowns" to make my teeth stronger humm never had an issue with hem before. By this point I checked out. My wisdom teeth are fully out on top so she gave me a referral to have them removed (they don't bother me) nor do they cause me to have a uneven smile.. so no cleaning and wants me to spend money out of pocket close to $6,000.. umnm keep your services.. I'll go else where. and I'm sure my other teeth would have benefited from a basic teeth cleaning. read more

My family and I have been patients of Dr. Tang and Dr. Ha since before they moved to their Broadway location. We regularly would see them twice a year for routine check ups and cleanings. My youngest daughter has seen Dr. Tang since she was 2 years old and most recently had dental fillings. We have always had pleasant experiences with the Dr.'s at Zen Dental and considered them OUR dentists. The technicians are also great with the children and have also been extremely professional. The reason why I am giving them 3 stars has to do with the scheduling staff and their new so called "policies". Recently, while trying to schedule our routine visit, the staff advised me they could no longer schedule my children after school but that they would have to come in the morning as children are no longer being seen after 12:00pm. The reasoning behind this the scheduling assistant explained was because the children are more rested in the am and easier to work with. After explaining to them this conflicted with school time and was not an option for us because it is already a 30min drive, I was told they would talk to Dr. Tang and see if he would make an exception since he has seen my children previously and they have never had an issue with behavior. After weeks without receiving a call back I finally called today. I was told my children could not see Dr. Tang in the afternoon because Dr. Ha was on maternity leave and he had to take her patients in the morning. So now I get two different answers. I am very disappointed in the fact that Dr. Tang is not willing to work with his patients so that they do not miss valuable school time. The staff seemed very disinterested in the fact that I would have to find another dentist. While the Dr.'s are seemingly good at what they do, I would not recommend them to someone who is looking for a long term dentist who will value the needs and time of their patients. Such a shame I will now have to find a new dentist and that the staff was so nonchalant about it. It would appear at Zen Dental you are just another insurance number and not really a patient. read more