Island Endodontics

I was referred to Dr. Noguiera after a bad root canal. I was a bit apprehensive because I’d never been to an Endodontist before but the staff at Island Endodontics were very nice as well as, very professional.
However, Dr Noguiera was the best. He explained exactly what was wrong and what needed to be done. He was very gentle and I never felt any pain during any of the four visits I had with him. The first was a consult and the next three were the actual procedures. At each visit I felt more comfortable and confident in Dr Noguiera and his staff. If I ever need root canal again I will never let a dentist touch my tooth, I’ll head straight back to Island Endodontics.

I don’t normally leave reviews but this one in particular just had to be done…
I needed a root canal done so I was referred to Island Endodontics by my dentist. Just hearing «root canal» makes me cringe so I was really nervous going in. But thank goodness for Dr. Nogueira… he was AMAZING! He is very knowledgeable and explained the procedure and the some, thoroughly. He was very easy to talk to and made me feel really comfortable.
When it came to the numbing it was absolutely painless! During the procedure he explained what he was doing and always asked if I was okay. I felt a little discomfort during the procedure but he numbed me up a little more and it was smooth sailing after that. After everything was done Dr. Nogueira explained what had been done using the pictures that he had taken during the procedure and mentioned that I had a C-​shaped root which are more difficult to work on. If he hadn’t mentioned this, I would have never known it was a bit more harder for him because he is THAT good… he didn’t break a sweat and the procedure went as fast as I could’ve hoped.
I don’t know if anyone else had mentioned their staff but they are awesome as well! Jo was the chair-​side assistant during my procedure and she was great! Very personable and she made me feel comfortable as well.
I can’t thank my dentist enough for referring me to such an amazing practice! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

If you need a root canal, or have problems with a previously done root canal, I would definitely recommend Dr Yamauchi.
He is extremely good at what he does, super knowledgeable and uses modern technology, unlike the root canals of the past. He even has 3D imaging in office which shows what other x-​rays don’t.
Example, I lived with chronic mild to moderate gum swelling and some pain for years after I had a root canal done by another dentist 12 years ago. I have had so many X-​rays over the years that revealed no problems. Finally it got so bad my new dentist sent me to Dr Yamauchi to check it out. I got the 3D image which showed a huge infection and bone loss which did not show up on a regular X-​ray. Turns out he had to fix a previous root canal and it has been better ever since. So that tooth is saved.
And he performed an emergency root canal on a different tooth a few weeks ago, fit me into his schedule immediately and did a great job.
Dr Yamauchi really cares about his patients, and personally called to followup on my progress after each procedure. He doesn’t rush his work and does a thorough job. He quoted me a price that included followup visits at no additional charge if necessary. I think his pricing is fair considering his quality.
Parking is in Ala Moana shopping center so plan on an extra 15 minutes to park.

I scheduled an appointment with Dr Yamauchi after my tooth had been hurting for months and i couldnt take it anymore. The appointment process was seemless. The front desk was able to get me in the same day!
The office was in a very central location next to the mall. The office was VERY CLEAN. Dr Yamauchi was extremely thorough. He made me feel at ease from the beginning to the end. His dental assistant Jo was very thorough as well. After taking numerous Xrays, he was able to tell me i needed a root canal and a wisdom tooth extraction. I will admit I felt a little embarrassed not having taken care of this sooner! But there was no signs of judgement at the clinic, which made me feel very comfortable.
They showed me pics of my teeth and where the work needed to be done. They also showed me pics of the progression (after) of the treatment which i very much appreciated.
I was mostly impressed by the time they spent with me, and how Dr yamauchi showed me the xrays and explained the pathology and treatment approach. As a physician I appreciate when colleagues are able to do this for our patients. Sometimes we overlook the the importance of really taking a few extra minutes to make sure our patients understands treatment approaches. Dr Y excelled in this.
They made the time during the procedure to check in and make sure things were going well which i appreciated as well.
Overall i would highly recommend Dr yamauchi and his wonderfully caring dental assistant Jo to anyone who needs endodontic care.

Had a root canal done a couple of days ago by Dr. Nogueira. He was absolutely excellent. Personable, knowledgable, and kind. Painless!!! I highly recommend him.

Most (I think all) reviews for Island Endodontics are for Dr. Yamauchi. This review will be for Dr. Nogueira.
I was referred Dr. Nogueira by my dentist due to a failed root canal. Although I did not experience any pain, infection persisted and my root canal required an apicoectomy. I did research on the procedure and honestly… pictures and descriptions online frightened me. Just the thought of having someone flap a section of my gum made me cringe. However, I met Dr. Nogueira for consultation and he went over the entire process step by step with me, assuring me that I would feel nothing at all. With my past history of horrible dentist visits, yes I had some trust issues to what he said but consented anyway.
The Procedure:
On the day of, the assistant working with me made sure I was comfortable at the chair as much as possible. Dr. Nogueira went over any last minute concerns with me, and began with the anesthetic portion. This was [oddly] the best part. At first, I grasped the hand rest expecting to feel the slight pinch I normally would, but when he injected me, I felt nothing. All I felt was pressure, and nothing more. I was completely caught off guard, it was almost as if he had special training in how to inject patients. Moments passed, and by the time I was numb… He proceeded with the incisions. Again, I felt nothing… just pressure. However at one point, I did feel a stabbing pain when he probably touched an area that was not localized. That was the worst few seconds of my life but he immediately injected me and that was that. Other than that, the procedure seemed to take at least an hour to finish. He uses a special micro technology in capturing photos while working, so I was able to see pictures of the work performed when it was done. All I can say is, Dr. Nogueira is highly knowledgeable about his expertise and always seems to have the right answer to every question. Not to mention, both he and his staff always makes sure the patients are comfortable in their office. I’ve already been to about 3 follow up appointments and the apico is clearing up pretty well, now almost fully healed (one year later). Job well done :)
If I ever have to have a root canal or other endo work (forbid this ever happening) in the future again, Dr. Nogueira would be the first on my list. Yes, I know I had a bad experience of a few seconds of pain that one time. but that really doesn’t seem enough to outweigh all the good that came from this experience.

Highly recommended, great dentist!

My name is Ryan R. I’ve been suffering for the past two years a really bad tooth ache. Most of the time I can handle the pain till it goes away without seeing a Dentist lasting a few minutes or so. However ignoring it’s warnings I ended up with a huge abscess with pain I would hardly bare. This time the pain didn’t go away. My face got showllen almost to where it shut my right eye and I felt like I was dying of pain. A scale from one to ten? An 11 was my pain .I needed help and turn to Island Endodonitc and met with Dr. Paulo. Right away he made me feel comfortable along with the rest of the friendly staff on duty. I was educated during the whole procedure and felt almost no pain while we worked on my tooth. I walked out of their office feeling like a part of family there. I was very pleased that his main focus was to save my tooth unlike my past exspirences elsewhere all they cared to do was pull my tooth out. I found my dentist today. Island Endodontics…
Thanks guys see youguys in ten days for my follow up!

Okay so I have to disclose that Dr. Yamauchi is a friend of mine, but I should also let you all know that I am like deathly afraid of dentists. In fact anything to do with human anatomy from a medical standpoint, particularly my anatomy, I want no person, professional or whatever, to drill, medicate, inject, cut me open, draw blood, etc etc.
A few weeks ago, I was reluctantly sitting through a dental checkup at my usual dentist’s office when he gave me the awful news that I may need a root canal after taking a look at my X-​ray. A WHAT? A root canal? Doesn’t that just sound awful? Like someone is going to literally dig a canal through the roots of my precious teeth? I asked the good dentist how long I could wait before getting it done, and he of course looked at me like I was crazy.
I notified Dr. Yamauchi right away. I mean if anyone was going to be performing a root canal on me, I was only going to see the BEST endodontist ever. You see, the advantage of having an endodontist as a friend is not just that you can email him your X-​ray for a second opinion. Or that he’ll text to check up on you when you run away to the mainland for a few weeks immediately after finding out you need a root canal (okay so that trip was pre-​planned… regardless!). But the real advantage to knowing an endodontist (or any medical professional for that matter) on a personal level, is that you get to know who their character and their values outside of the professional setting.
I happen to know that Dr. Yamauchi comes from a lineage of great dentists. I also happen to know that he went to the best dental school ever (The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, GO TARHEELS!). And I also know he spends time outside of the long hours he already spends at work, researching and perfecting his craft, and studying alongside his professional peers. He even sacrifices time with his precious young family to volunteer at dental clinics for underserved populations. So I was more than comfortable to go to his office last Friday and know that I was going to be in the best hands possible, because I happen to know that he is someone who truly loves what he does and deeply cares about his patients’ well-​being.
As for my root canal? Well luckily the decay hadn’t strayed too far and I got away with a filling! While you enjoy the view from the 8^th floor of the Ala Moana Building, you’ll be in the hands of his lovely staff who were oh so kind and turned a blind eye to my iced sugary sweet caramel macchiato. And you’ll be in the great hands of Dr. Yamauchi who took the time to explain my procedure (and even showed me cool photos afterwards of my treatment), and BEST OF ALL, managed to give me pain-​free injections of local anesthesia (so there was no previous need for me to beg to be knocked out). I went about my day, completely forgetting I had even been to his office as I had no lingering side effects.
So please take care of your teeth folks (ok ok calling the kettle black), but if you happen to need a root canal or any dental surgery for that matter, be sure to look up my good friend Dr. Yamauchi.

OMG I have a crush with the dentist over there, but don’t tell nobody…
Oh, and the root canal treatment…10 stars worth.

If you need any type of endoontic treatment, you WANT to go to Island Endodontics.
TRUST ME.
My dad was having constant pain on one of his front teeth which was shown to be a cavity that went so deep that it hit the nerve and caused an abscess. Unfortunately for him, he needed root canal treatment, but on the other hand, luckily for him he was set up for an appointment at Island Endodontics. He was seen the same day the phone call was made, and I’m so grateful to them for being able to squeeze him in.
When we first walked in, the girls up front are really nice, and greet you with a smile. The registration system is completely computer-​based, so instead of traditionally filling out forms, their system is more advanced. There’s some lemon water in the front for those that are thirsty which is a really nice touch. My dad was seen by Dr. Noz Yamauchi, who was really nice and explained very thoroughly what he would be doing during the procedure. I left my dad there during the procedure and came back after they were done. Yes, Dr. Yamauchi finished the whole procedure! I couldn’t express my joy enough that my dad finally would get rid of his pain. He takes pictures throughout the procedure so he can explain to you what was done throughout the whole treatment process.
So the verdict? After the anesthesia went away, my dad said there was absolutely no pain anymore. Yay! Hopefully I don’t ever need a root canal, but if I ever do, I’m going to Island Endodontics.

I was impressed immediately upon making my appointment with Island Endodontics. Shortly after getting off the phone with them, I received an email that contained everything I needed to know to prepare for my appointment.
The reception area was comfortable and well-​decorated. The area where the procedures are done was bright and airy, and everything was spotlessly clean.
Everyone I encountered during my visits was really competent and really friendly. Jenifer, the dental assistant that prepped me for both visits, was very sweet. She made my comfort a priority, which helped put me at ease.
My endodontist was Dr. Yamauchi, who was really nice and the most informative doctor I’ve ever had. To be honest, I was dreading my appointment because I had a bad experience with a dentist when I was a kid and have always been a little hesitant ever since, especially when it comes to the dreaded anesthetic needle! I had nothing to worry about. I didn’t feel a thing during the entire procedure, not even while getting the anesthesia, and never did have any pain (even in the days after the root canal).
I was most impressed with how this office embraced technology to make their operation more efficient. I was able to fill out my «new patient» info online so that I wouldn’t have to come early to my appointment. Their x-​rays are taken digitally, so no more sharp x-​ray films cutting into the roof of your mouth. At different stages of my root canal, Dr. Yamauchi took pictures of my tooth, which he showed me afterwards on his monitor so I saw exactly what he did during the procedure.
The things that made my experience memorable is the incredible skill of my orthodontist, and also the little personal touches I saw everywhere: a pitcher of iced lemon water in the waiting area, good background music playing overhead, jaw massages after having my mouth open for an hour, follow-​up calls to make sure I was doing okay in the days after my appointments. I have never experienced this level of attention to detail at any other healthcare-​related office, let alone at any other dental office.
These folks put a lot of effort into making sure that their patients have a good experience, and I appreciated it. They took an unpleasant situation and made it painless (in every sense of the word).