Christian Lopez, DDS

When it comes to dentistry, the first thing I think about is pain and discomfort. As a father, that’s the last thing I want my children to experience. It’s because of this fact, that I’m so thankful Dr. Lopez is our children’s dentist. As a father himself, he takes the time to put the kids at ease, and carefully explains things to both patient and parents. Not only is he absolutely kind and gentle with the kids, he’s an excellent physician and knows his discipline well. I like him. I like his office and staff. But most importantly, I trust him. I have and will contine to recommend Dr. Lopez without hesitation to parents seeking the best in pediatric dentistry.

Can’t praise dr Lopez and his team enough! Dr Lopez is gentle, patient, and practical. His staff is fun and makes what otherwise might be a scary visit, exciting and interesting for my daughter. We have been coming to dr Lopez for nearly 9 years!!!”

Dr Lopez (and Staff!) is the most amazing dentist, let alone dr. We’ve encountered. My oldest son has been a patient for 7+ years, and our 5 year old has been since birth. We love that our oldest who is Autistic is at peace there and actually loves going (the toy machines after the cleaning are his FAVE!) and sits and watches he overhead movies as if he doesn’t even know his teeth are getting cleaned. The front office gals are super outgoing and helpful and the back office dental hygienists are sweet as can be– perfect for a pediatric office. Our littlest is EXTREMELY anxious when it comes to Dr’s of any kind (due to multiple surgeries in his toddler years). Yvonne is always excited and up for the ‘Sebastian’ challenge we call it. We’ve come up with a group scrip plan that I lay him backwards in my lap and Yvonne cleans him right up– the fact that they make it so easy and don’t make me feel bad for not just letting him cry it out is truly helpful and warms my heart. Our oldest has had a cavity filled and one tooth pulled per his ortho treatment and I’ve taken him to Dr. Lopez for the tooth pulling bc I trust him more than anyone, including the ortho dr. I should note we now live in San Clemente and I continue to happily drove my boys up for cleaning/​exams every 3 months (my preference) despite the 35 mile drive– I wouldn’t dream of taking them anywhere else. Thank you truly to this outstanding office and team for helping my boys have a great experience in something so important to their health.

Dr Lopez is AMAZING. We were up for vacation and our twenty month old tripped and chipped his tooth. Dr Lopez reviewed all the options with us and we ended up patching the tooth. We thought our son would scream bloody murder but was cooperative so halfway through the procedure when he could have called it a day, he said, «he’s being so cooperative, let’s try to make it more cosmetic» which was above and beyond. Tooth looks great. We couldn’t be more grateful or relieved. Some people just have a gentle way and kind hearts. What a great guy to be practicing pediatric dentistry. Wish we lived in Newport so he could be our dentist. 10 stars.

Dr. Lopez is so caring with my 4 year old. We have been coming to Dr. Lopez for about the past 2 years. Today my 4 year old had some dental work done including a front tooth extraction by Dr. Lopez and is in no pain whatsoever and is his usual self :) highly recommend this pediatric dentist!

I had a very scared 7 year old who cried most of the time. Miss Krystina was very calm and took A LOT of breaks to explain what she was going to do, showed him the tools and took it very slow. He didn’t last 5 minutes with our last dentist. Krystina was able to clean all of his teeth :) That shows experience and patience.
Unfortunately, he still needed a lot of work, he had two cracks in his molars and a couple of cavities. I felt embarrassed and ashamed as a parent. But Dr. Lopez assured me that it happens and this will now be a clean slate. He knew that my son would resist any treatment so he suggested to have him sedated. It was the most humane way (i’ve seen a ²⁰⁄₂₀ episode where some dentists swaddle a grown kid while they hold his mouth open! that pretty much traumatized me and I would not subject my kids to that).
The night before the procedure, Dr. Shar the anesthesiologist made a personal call to answer any questions — which I thought was so nice.
The day of, the staff was amazing, educating us through every step. We were there for 3 hrs with our other two kids. Yvonne put on movies they liked, gave them balloons and they were well entertained.
I got to hold my son who took 2 breaths of the sleeping gas and passed out immediately. They insert an IV and his teeth were fixed!
That night, Dr. Lopez made a follow up call to check on my child.
It was a great experience, as a parent. My son has a little sore throat but that’s about it. I love their attention to detail, every explanation for all my questions were answered with care and kindness.
Thank you so much to the entire staff!

Dr. Lopez is great, and so is his staff. My kids look forward to their appointments, even though they have had fillings in the past. Dr. Lopez is kind and takes the time to explain everything to the kids and the parents. We have been going to his office since it opened and his staff have always been professional, informative, and when they weren’t sure what a charge would be, called later with the info needed. I highly recommend Dr. Lopez!

My kids have been coming to Dr. Lopez for many years and we love him! Beautiful office, nice and clean. Great waiting room! Amazing staff. Dr. Lopez always takes time to make sure all of our questions and concerns are answered. Highly recommend him to all our friends.

Called to get my 13 month old in to see the dentist and was chastised for not having her in by her 1^st birthday. Extremely rude and unfriendly receptionist. We even explained that we were going to pay cash as our daughters dental insurance hadn’t come yet. So, money was not the issue.
Called another place and was greeted wonderfully and explained all options, insurance and prices. Needless to say, we went with the other DDS.
This place must be making money hand over fist if they can throw away new patients! Well Dr. Lopez, you may want to think of someone else answering your phones.

My 2 ½ year old daughter was seen last week at a local pediatric dentist and we had an extremely terrible experience. Granted, because my daughter was extremely anxious and nervous about being there for her first dentist visit, she was not an easy patient to work with in spite of mom and dad trying to calm her down. X-​rays weren’t taken and after the dentist examined her for less than a minute the dentist diagnosed her with four cavities and we were told it would be best to go under general anesthesia to treat her. Although I wasn’t pleased that my daughter would have to go under general anesthetic, it was clearly the best thing for her if getting fillings was necessary. Prior to leaving the dentist’s office she already set a date for the procedure and booked a pediatric anesthesiologist. After taking some time to think about it, we decided we wanted a second opinion because it didn’t make sense that a diagnosis of 4 cavities could be made after a 30 second evaluation. Though we waited long to see the dentist, the whole process was too rushed.
Enter a recommendation from my co-​worker to see Dr. Lopez. From the moment I walked in it was a great experience and comforting atmosphere. There was a personalized welcome sign with my daughter’s name and the office staff was warm and welcoming. The waiting room has great toys for the kids while they wait too. And speaking of wait, there was none. They were extremely punctual and efficient. When my daughter was about to be examined it was clear she wouldn’t sit in the chair with me so Yvonne recommended the knee to knee technique. It worked magically! I held my daughter facing me and had her lay back on my legs as her head rested on Dr. Lopez’s legs so he could examine her. Even though she was squirmy and crying, he made her feel comfortable and was able to give her a thorough examination. In the end he said there wasn’t anything he felt needed to be treated at this time and that we would watch her closely and bring her back in a few months for an exam.
After the exam my daughter got a prize from the machine and a balloon. She was thrilled! This visit was less traumatic than her first visit at the other dentist’s office, and the total time spent at Dr. Lopez’s office was less than the time we spent waiting to see the other dentist. My husband and I were completely impressed with the service and appreciated Dr. Lopez’s honesty and sincerity. As another person said in another review, he’s not trying to up sell you. Besides being a great dentist, he’s a parent and completely understands the kids and is very reassuring to parents.
We are extremely grateful for him and his staff and thankful our daughter wasn’t subjected to unnecessary treatment.
Don’t hesitate to bring your kids here.

LOVE LOVE this dental office! So glad they opened up in the neighborhood! They make the kids feel sooooo special, the staff speak to the kids in a calm way that they fully understand what is going on. My son has needed a lot of work but says its amazing how going to the dentist is a painless experience. The kiddos also love the fact that they have a TV on the ceiling to keep them distracted while getting their teeth worked on! Wish my dentist had a TV on the ceiling :) Dr Lopez also does NOT try to up sell services … he has told me on a few occasions to wait and see how things go or if there is pain. This creates a trusting relationship. Also, my kiddos are addicted to Banilla Bling toothpaste! Makes them want to brush their teeth at least 5x a day.

You know you have a GREAT dentist when your daughter can’t wait or her check up! She asks me every time we leave when she gets to see Dr. Lopez and Sonia again! Wonderful dentist and wonderful staff. Not sure why some reviews rate staff low, as we have had nothing but good experiences and found Dr. Lopez as a reference from another family.

I’ve taken my three sons to Dr. Lopez for years. Dr. Lopez is awesome. He always calmly explains everything he sees and anything he recommends. I feel completely confident in him. The kids are actually excited to go see him. He was recently able to do a filling on my youngest son who had developed a huge fear of needles from a hospital stay where they tried and failed many times to put in an IV. He missed his immunizations because he was panicking but he got his filling because it was Dr. Lopez and somehow he wasn’t scared. He fixed a front tooth on my oldest son probably seven years ago that was broken in half. It is still impossible to detect where the tooth ends and the fix begins. The staff has always seemed to do everything they could to make me and the kids feel welcome, with welcome signs by name and balloons and friendly attitudes.

My son fractured a tooth while jumping on the bed with his sister. We tried our family dentist who wasn’t equipped to deal with our son’s fear and anxiety; they referred us to this office. I called at 0830 and they quoted me a fair and reasonable rate. We arrived to a welcome sign for my son. We were seen by Dr Maldonado. She is a class act. She made me and my anxious 4 year old son very comfortable. She has an excellent bed-​side manner. As we all know, it’s traumatizing to see your child in an uncomfortable position. It’s much easier to handle when the Doctor is competent and professional. They extracted the tooth in a timely manner and they explained everything to me and my son as they did so. We live in Los Alamitos, but we will make the drive and take our children to see Dr Maldonado for all future appointments. If you are seeking a Pediatric Dentist, I highly recommend Dr Maldonado!

Love this office and the entire staff. My sons first ever dental appt and they made him feel so comfortable and at ease. We walked in and they had a welcome sign with his name on it! The dental hygienist was awesome, she was so patient and talked to him about everything she was going to do and had him laughing and chatting her up. They have xboxes in the waiting room and TVs in the ceiling above the dentist chair for the kids with movies running while the doctor is working on them. Wish they took adult patients, I’m so jealous! The kids get a coin to pick out a toy of their choice and a new toothbrush and balloon. My son is sold on this place, won’t have to lie to him and drag him here the next time, haha.

Love Dr Lopez, love the staff, love the facility & location! This is a top notch operation, with a fantastic, clean and fun waiting room for kids (my toddler loves the play area, and bigger kids have a video game kiosk area). You are greeted with a welcome sign with you child’s name and a balloon. Once ready for your actual check-​up, the kids are entertained/​distracted by ceiling-​mounted flat screens playing kids shows. Dr Lopez is extremely gentle and patient, which is really important when dealing with a scared toddler. He knows how to ease my son and make the experience less scary. They get you in and back out efficiently and I’ve never been stuck waiting for more than a couple minutes.
(Love that I can grab a Keane coffee next door or pop into Susie Cakes afterwards too ;-)

Both my wife and I are quite happy with Dr. Lopez, and we have had over half a dozen visits with our firstborn.
When I was a kid a dentist was a quasi-​medieval dude in a giant white robe who propped open my mouth with a splintery wooden stick and ground away with a jackhammer-​loud air toothbrush with minty/​bleachy/​sandy aftertastes swirling about my mouth for two weeks after. And at the end of the process they’d give me a foul-​smelling rubber bouncy ball that was probably carcinogenic.
Not here – A bright office complete with free video games for the children put the kids in the mood for, well more video games. There is never a wait, so the main hurdle is pulling the kid away from the game. On our last visit for cleaning and x-​rays we were in and out in 25 minutes.
No quibbles whatsoever with insurance or the billing staff. Even when we needed a tooth looked at on short notice.
The staff knows how to treat, play along with, and manage kids who don’t want to have their teeth cleaned, even when they are busy. And at the end kids are rewarded with balloons and a choice of toy from the many free vending machines. And one can even procure a bouncy ball… non-​stinky of course.

My review is not about the office itself, which is bright and beautiful, or Dr. Lopez, who did good work — it’s about the office staff.
From the beginning, the estimates were not accurate and difficult to follow. Things just didn’t add up, even when they attempted to «explain» — and I am able to understand basic concepts in math. I got a written estimate of what the charges may be, and even paid out-​of-​pocket, but then received a bill that was quite unexpected and out of left field. The only explanation I got was «insurance didn’t cover it» but the numbers still didn’t make sense.
Even if that billing issue didn’t happen, which was $ 750-​worth of awful, I wouldn’t have ever gone back to this office because I don’t feel the office staff are competent enough to accurately explain their estimates.
Lesson learned: When you don’t feel the billing is being explained properly, go immediately to another dental provider.

Dr. Lopez is possibly the best pediatric dentist in the world. I (or my kids) have had a fair share of dentists around the world and never have I come across a dentist being so kind and caring.
We got in contact with him via a referral as my daughter had broken her front tooth and we had no pediatric dentist yet as we had just moved into the area. We were seen very quickly as this was an emergency and he took very good care of my daughter’s concerns and anxiety.
We have used Dr. Lopez since then for all our kids’ yearly visits and other treatment and every time it has been the most enjoyable experience. My kids even ask to go to the dentist even when they are not due for a cleaning, just because they love to go here so much.
A bit about the facility, it is extremely clean and well equipped with four routing cleaning chairs and separate exam rooms. The waiting room is very inviting and all kids get a welcome note and a balloon after any treatment. The also have little vending machines with tiny toys that kids get to choose from. But overall, the dentist office is top notch!

Dr. Lopez and his staff are great! Definitely the best dental experience our family has had.
I’m SO surprised to see the one-​star review mentioning his office staff. We have been seeing Dr. Lopez for three years now and I have never had a single bad (or even mediocre) experience with them. They are truly one of the friendliest and most helpful medical staffs I have ever had the pleasure of working with.
Dr. Lopez is also wonderful himself! He is so kind and caring with the kids. His calming and friendly manner is really what keeps us coming back.
I know that dentistry can be a scary experience for some children, but that goes out the window in this office. From the personalized welcome messages in the lobby to the TVs on the ceiling to the gifts the children receive before they leave, every aspect of this practice is set up to make the patient feel comfortable and relaxed and maybe even enjoy going to the dentist!
I can’t recommend this office enough and would give more stars if I could.