Extreme Smile Makeover

Visiting a dentist can be stressful It was my first visit to this clinic. The staff was really helpful & courteous.
Thank you for the very relaxing experience.

Worst experience ever! I had no problems, no sensitivity, no pain, I was simply coming for my 6 month appointment with the dentist for an exam and cleaning. The dentist did the exam and told me I need a crown and that it would cost me $ 900 plus dollars. I have dental insurance by the way and it would still cost me $ 900. I had no problems with my teeth, not even any cavities, so I told him I would get a second opinion. Then it was time for my cleaning. The «dental hygienist» or whoever she claims to be is completely incompetent. She didn’t know how to use the machine. She got paste all over my face, it was even in my eyelashes. The scrubbing tip flew off the handle at one point and she picked it up and took 5 minutes to figure out how to reconnect it. I had to tell her all the spots she missed (which is totally rude, but I wanted a legit cleaning). I could go on and on…
I finally made it to another dentist (who I made sure had good Unilocal reviews first) and she said that I absolutely did not need a crown. I’m so glad I didn’t trust that guy and have my entire tooth drilled down to have a crown put on that I don’t need.

All I have to say is look at my teeth and see how fantastic my smile looks. Dr. Shojania and his staff were awesome. I love this dental office! The facility is extremely clean and very modern — I love that The staff is super friendly, professional and helpful. Dr. Shojania is very knowledgeable and kind. I drive 2 ½ hours from LA to come back to my home town because of Dr. Shojania. Thank you for taking care of my teeth.

Always great to know a dentist is available on Saturday. Never waited more then 5 min to get in and be ready. Love music and the staff.

I needed dental implant for the upper left side. I was referred to Dr. Shojania by a friend. So I drove from Orange County to San Diego to complete the implant. I got the best possible treatment. Great staff, modern equipment, reasonable fees. Highly recommended!

I had selected this dentist more than a year ago due to the location (nearest to my home) and him being part of my HMO plan. I can honestly say that this is the WORST dentist I have ever been to. The biggest reason is the bold-​faced scam that this racketeer is pulling. And from the looks of the other reviews, he’s affected quite a few people.
I had gone in for a routine check-​up. Mind you, in my 36 years of life, I have always had very good teeth. The small cavities I had filled in my lifetime, I can count on one hand. I have all my wisdom teeth and have had zero dental problems (except for said cavities).
The first visit with this Dr. Shojania and he tells me I have several large cavities and that he needed to pull 3 of my teeth, two of them being my wisdom teeth because he «can’t get to the cavities otherwise». I was, of course shocked, because I have never had any major problems with my teeth. He then proceeded to tell me that the pulling of the teeth was covered by my insurance but everything else (packing, etc) was not covered and I needed to pay out-​of-​pocket.
I didn’t trust this guy because my dental history didn’t reflect such a drastic change in my teeth. I was lucky I didn’t just go with what he said. I went for a 2^nd and 3^rd (just to be safe) opinion with 2 other dentists in my area. It was worth it. I didn’t tell either of the other dentists anything, but they both uncovered the same result independently: I had only one small cavity that needed to be filled, NOTHING MORE. No teeth needed to be pulled, NOTHING ELSE! Imagine my relief and anger! I immediately discontinued with this guy and had another dentist assigned from my HMO. The new guy also found the same problem and promptly filled that one cavity. It has been more than a year since and I have had no more problems. Routine checks showed healthy teeth.
My sympathies to those who actually had work done by this scam-​artist without a 2^nd opinion. My advice would be to get a 2^nd and 3^rd independent opinion for any medical or dental procedure. It will save you a lot of heartache and money!
Auto shops have tried to scam me before, but I have NEVER been scammed by a dentist until this guy! Luckily I did not give him any money (or healthy teeth)!!

This may not be the cheapest dentist office to go to (nor the the ideal choice if you have a low cost dental insurance plan and want it to cover whatever you may need or might be best for you), but Dr. Shojania is very good at everything he does — and he chooses and uses the highest quality materials available. He is also not afraid to refer you elsewhere else if he thinks what you might need could be done better by a specialist or a different dentist. I have come here quite a few times over the last 7 years and am very impressed with Dr. Shonajania’s skills. I have no complaints about his work — and appreciate his fitting me into his busy schedule the times I showed up with a new problem without an appointment.
Coming here is sort of like going to a car dealership rather than a local mechanic. You are paying for a experienced specialist who wants to use the best parts and procedures possible so that you look and feel better when you leave than when you came. A big part of the costs is the lab used. Rather than choose a cheaper lab or materials that might break or not last as long, paying for higher quality ensures that your smile will likely look better and last longer. If you have questions about what is suggested and/​or any other options available (here or elsewhere), ask Dr. Shojania after he looks at your mouth and before he actually does anything. He and Zara may be willing to work with you on pricing and payments — but don’t expect big discounts or try to match prices with a coupon in the Reader or what you might get if you go to Mexico. If the pricing wasn’t always perceived as high and the «customer service» was a little better, I might give this place 5 stars. Four stars is based on the quality of the dentistry and treatment I’ve experienced each time I’ve come and the results.

When getting insurance for my daughter, they assigned me to this place because it’s the closest to me. After 3 years my daughter is going to get her braces off. Knowing the date, I called a month in advance. I was told by the receptionist to call back 2 weeks before. Okay, I did that. She told me to call back a week before. Okay, I called the Friday before. Then she told me to call tomorrow (Saturday). So I do. Then she says she can’t fit my daughter in, all appointments are taken. I then gave her a recap of why I’m on the phone frustrated… to which she answered ‘Well she’s waited 3 years, another week won’t hurt her.’. I think the doctors need to send their receptionist to a Customer Service seminar. She then told me I would be happier at a different office after I told her I’m not questioning the doctors, I’m questioning her customer service.
So I have no idea how good or bad the doctors are, but I can tell you they need to either get a new receptionist or send her to a good class on how to speak to people who want to spend money there.

haha — i love how there is a photo of the dentist and some kid he probably hired to make it look like he is sensitive. what a joke. on to my review…
sigh…i really wanted to try this place out and to actually like it… referred here by a co-​worker at the time…
i came here a few years back for an exam, all i really wanted was a cleaning, which i expressed to the dentist…“All I want is a cleaning“
but instead he x-​rayed me and said i needed to get 2 bottom wisdom teeth extracted. (i have never had wisdom teeth extracted before this) he scared me and said if i left the wisdom teeth there, all kinds of bad things will happen (ex: infection, etc…) so i agreed to get it taken out (mind you, i still havent gotten the cleaning that i originally came for — because he said he will do the cleaning once i get all the other things he recommended taken care of first)
WHAT A NIGHTMARE!!! — i came for my wisdom tooth extraction appt, and it was horrible… i heard every little crack and drill and even felt him sewing my gums back up. a week later, my stitches burst open in the middle of the night and i had to go to the Emergency Room because mounds of blood was pouring out of my mouth. GROSS, i know.
The next morning, i went to see him and he stitched me back up (i felt it every time the needle was going thru my gums… horrible)
the same day that afternoon, i had to go back AGAIN because it wouldnt stop bleeding.
SIGH…i was in tears… is this what it’s supposed to be like to get a freaking tooth extracted? for pete’s sake why am i being tortured? and paying for it???
WHY DID IT TAKE OVER A MONTH FOR MY EXTRACTION TO HEAL? I never felt so much pain in my life… I was traumatized, and probably scarred for life. Thanks a lot doc!
he had the nerve to say to me «so i assume you wont be coming back to get your other wisdom tooth extracted then?»
What the??? HELL NO!!! not by you at least. you are lucky i did not sue you. i do not regret much in life… but this is one of the very few things i have to say i do regret. OH, and i also never got the cleaning i wanted… and wouldnt even go back if he were giving away cleanings for free. no thank you.

Let me start by saying I have NEVER given a negative review to date. That being said, this was the worst experience I have EVER had with a dental office. They are a provider on my HMO so I took my daughter in to have her teeth looked at. After the exam I was told it was going to be about $ 7500.00 for 2 cavities, a crown and 4 veneers. When I asked what my insurance covered, I was told they don’t really use the insurance because they only approve «cheap» materials and that they lose money just by being a provider. WTF??? Then why are you a provider? I was asked multiple times if my daughter’s Father would help with the cost. Really? Is that any of their business? I called my provider who said all of those things are covered with applicable co-​pays. When I called the office back the receptionist was extremely rude and defensive. My son had an appointment to be seen the next day (before all of this happened) and the receptionist must have decided after seeing our insurance that their office could not accomodate him. She then called my insurance company and said he was uncontrolable at the visit and asked that they change primaries. He never even stepped foot in the office. This office is SHADY!!! I will be contacting the BBB. Read the other reviews and do not step foot into this place… They are completly unethical and they flat out lie!!!

Okay so after reading a couple of reviews on this dentist office I thought it about time that i put my «seal of approval» on this place. I first came to this office from an a coupon that i ran across in The Reader (yes I use coupons and not to proud to admit it). I had gone to five different dentist office to inquire about invisaline braces. Dr. Shojania was very professional and answered all of my questions. He offered me the most reasonable price taking into consideration my insurance. After a couple of months of shopping around I decided to return to Dr. Shojania’s office. Zara, the office manager found my paper work and honored the price we had originally agreed upon. That all happened back in August. Since than everything has gone just as Dr. Shojania described. My teeth are well on there way to the smile that I have always wanted. As for the customer service. I have had nothing but good experience with all of the employees there. My 3 star rating reflects a good dentist visit and dental plan that has been just as it was explained to me. Nothing more, nothing less.

This office is a scam! They scammed me out of $ 3000 of work when I had insurance and should have cost half that much… Then when I made a claim with the insurance and they favored me, I received threatening phone calls and messages about me being the unethical con-​artist! EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONAL!!! I will be filing a claim with the BBB…

I disagree 100% with the first review, maybe for cosmetic procedures they may be just fine. But I had a very different experience. I also read other reviews on-​line and it seems others have had negative experiences there too.
I called there because they were on my HMO insurance list. As they are listed under general and cosmetic dentistry, I specifically asked the receptionist, Zara, if anyone was going to try to push cosmetic surgery as I was bringing in my 16 yr old daughter, and it appeared she had a cavity between her front upper teeth. She said no, that they did regular dentistry too, and nothing would be pushed on me. When we went there, they brought her back for her checkup, and soon after, told me to go on back. I meet the dentist, Dr. Shojania, and he asked if we had considered Invisalign, I said she had already had braces and although they weren’t perfectly straight, I wasn’t prepared to go in that direction. They he showed me her cavity. Immediately he started talking about veneers, brought out a book showing before and after, and saying he could scoop out the cavity and cover her front two teeth with veneers. Then why not cover 4 teeth with veneers and then it would take care of the cavity and her crooked teeth. He said they were having a discount special on veneers and brought out several payment plans. He never mentioned conventional restoration for her cavity, and I sensed I was in the wrong place, and left saying I needed to think about it. The Dr. told me not to wait too long, as she might then need a root canal too. Afterward, I asked my daughter if he had given her an oral exam, and checked her mouth. She said no, that he came into the room right when I did. It really bothered me, so I called a couple of days later to inquire why didn’t the doctor give me other alternatives, like filling and bonding the tooth. The previously sweet Zara turned into a different person. She yelled that I wasn’t a dentist, and I didn’t know best. I asked why they accept HMO Insurance if they don’t offer the treatments that the insurance covers, and she yelled «We don’t want people like you» and hung up on me. It would of been funny except I was in shock.
If you need conventional dentistry, don’t bother them. They need to represent themselves honestly by not listing under the general dentist category, and get out of HMO insurance because, as Zara said, they don’t want people like me.
Additional Comments” When I complained to my HMO Insurance, Zara told them I had stopped by without an appointment and they took us in immediately. Then the next day I showed up and demanded treatment for my daughter. I told them I had proof I had an appointment and the next day I was at work, something else I could prove. So if they lie about something like this, they will probably have no problem lying about «necessary treatment.»

I went to this dentists office after a bad experience at a previous dentist and wow what a difference. Dr. Shojania was great and the staff was thorough and friendly. I would highly recommend Extreme Smile Makeover!