City Dental

My appointment was for 10:30, by about 11:15, Dr. Marjan Fathi came in to go over my X-​Rays and do my check. I had NOT yet gotten my teeth cleaned by this point. She informed me that I had 5 cavities that would need to be filled and one tooth with lines she said would crack without a crown. I got a second opinion and the dentist recommended I brush and floss and said I didn’t have any cavities and that I did not need a crown. Easy parking, but it might lead to an expensive dental bill.

Really really bad and non professional dental office. I had to wait 1 hour and a half to meet with the dentist who only talked to me for 5 seconds telling me i need 4 crowns and 4 fillings and someone else will be with me to talk about the prices!!! I would not recommend this place to anyone. There was a girl next to me crying because she was waiting for 3 hours and they asked her to wait another 2 hours…

By far the worst dentist office I have ever encountered in 30 years. The office manager Linda is horrendous and told me in her own words if your in pain during the root canal it’s your own fault not ours. When I asked who was a above her I was told I need to speak with her to get that name. I have never been so appalled with customer service and the level of professionalism here. Do your self a favor and skip this place when looking for a dentist.

The experience started out ok, I set up an appointment through the telephone and was given an appointment date two weeks after I called. But about 4 days before my appointment I got a call telling me the dr. Would no longer be in the office the day of my scheduled appointment and that I had to reschedule. So I called the office back the same day with no answer and left a message with my info trying to reschedule. I was never called back so I tried again two days later and someone did answer my call but proceeded to then put me on hold for 20 minutes. I waited and when she finally picked the phone back up I was told they were busy with a patient, I again gave her my contact info and was told I would get a call back. Never was called back until the day before my original appointment. I was then told I could only reschedule my appointment for a date and time of their choice otherwise wait another month and half for their next available opening. Just bad service. Waited patiently told hem I had urgent care for my teeth that needed to be done. No help at all. Hope this helps anyone else considering this dental office

This is the first dental appointment I’ve had in years. That being said, I was prepared to leave in tears. The ladies working here are so sweet, gentle, and comforting. I actually look forward to getting my work done here. If you have dent I cal, this is the place to go!

I have never written a negative Unilocal review, but I feel the need to give folks a heads up about this dental office… especially after running into my neighbor a couple weeks ago who had the very same experience with them. This wasn’t a first… I’ve talked to others that told me similar stories about them.
Going to the dentist doesn’t phase me… I have an extremely high pain tolerance and I’m not phased by getting dental work done. I’ve had my share of great dentists and my share of bad ones. City Dental is by far the worst experience I’ve had with a dentist. It’s been a while (I’ve been avoiding going back to a dentist since my experience there) and it’s now costing a ton to fix the damage they did.
First off, the pain… like I said, I have a high pain tolerance, but they took it to a whole new level. It was brutal! They didn’t seem to feel the need to give me medication after a procedure that left me in a ton of pain. Also, I told them the tooth they had worked on had a jagged edge and so she decided to start filing it down (filed my gums more than the tooth)… without numbing my gums. Just in case you are wondering… someone taking a file to your gums HURTS!
I was told insurance would cover the procedure because it was pre-​approved, but was informed after that I had to cover the whole cost. I wouldn’t give a bad review to a dentist over this because insurance companies suck. It bothered me that they assured me it was covered and surprised me with a big bill after.
Fast forward to today. The crown they did was too big and jacked up the two teeth it came in contact with… so now I have to have those 3 teeth taken care of. That’s been a drag, but that’s not the worst of it.
The worst is a root canal they did… and this is the same exact thing that happened to my neighbor. They did a root canal… but missed one of the roots. And yet this isn’t the worst part. I’m no dentist, but a specialist explained what jacked my tooth up so bad. They used a tool for doing the root canal that is a plastic device and holds the rubber that goes into the tooth. It’s a pretty good device if you use it correctly and ONLY rubber is inserted into the tooth. The problem… they didn’t do it correctly and left plastic in my tooth. This made it so I ended up having a bump on my gums that would drain out the infection… that never went away! So nasty!
So basically… I would NEVER go back there. I hope they have improved the care they provide, but there is no way I would go back.
All that being said… there is a great view from their parking lot. There is an amazing view of the sunset over the ocean.

I wanted to like this place so much! I’ll admit that I am a huge baby when it comes to the dentist, but customer service is key. What may be «simple» and «common» to a dentist is something that is foreign and painful to me.
The Good:
1. The staff seemed helpful and they are willing to go the extra mile to help you out and get an appointment quickly.
2. They will call 3+ times to confirm an appointment and send emails to make sure you don’t forget.
3. I was never left in the waiting room for longer than a few minutes. Everything was handled quickly and on time.
The Bad:
1. Poor aftercare directions led to another visit. Make sure you ask a lot of questions because they won’t tell you unless you ask.
2. The front desk ladies will talk about you behind your back in Russian. Yeah that’s right ladies, I understand some of what you were saying…
3. Getting wisdom teeth pulled will get you low dose pain killers only if you ask for them. If they aren’t strong enough or suitable given your other health conditions, too bad. You get what you get.

Dr. Marjan Fathi and her trustworthy assistant, Emily, made the best dental team I have ever had!
Dr. Fathi’s examination was thorough and respectful. She told me what she was seeing and thinking and even went to the effort of showing me my own teeth with a mirror. Also, she was happy to answer the list of questions I had brought with me. She and Emily carefully addressed my concerns and provided me with a plan for follow up. They represented the pinnacle of professionalism.
Also, the front desk was very helpful. The exam rooms were pleasant and clean. I will definitely be going back for routine care.

I have had some really bad experiences at the dentist. This place is the best dentist I have ever been to.
Pros:
Easy to get an appointment
I have never had to wait more than 30 minutes (and that was because someone came in with an emergency, and they were very apologetic), usually no more than 10
They are extremely gentle
Rather than lecture me about flossing they tell me that I have beautiful teeth and that I’m doing a great job, the first time I have ever heard that from a dentist
They never try to manipulate me into spending more on cosmetic dentistry
They made free whitening molds for me before my wedding
Clean, friendly, and efficient
Cons:
Office can be really cold, so dress warmly

I’ve been going to City Dental since 1998. I have always found the staff to be friendly and helpful. Over the years I have experienced top quality work on fillings and crowns. I go every six months for check ups and cleanings. Fortunately no cavities for many years now.

Great service. Happy teeth!
Friendly, fun, yet straight to the point. Their approach jives with my East-​coast, business-​running mind.
Very clear about costs & options. Quick & flexible scheduling. Saturday appointments & text confirmations!
Thank you guys, you make dental appointments easy!

My dentist of 10 years recently retired and I was left to look for a new one. I definitely found a worthy replacement in City Dental. The office is really clean and the staff is friendly. Admittedly, I’m pretty squeamish when it comes to going to the dentist and the process was smooth and comfortable. I will definitely be back for all my future dental needs.

Honestly I don’t even know where to start… I feel like I have been the star of some sick joke, that is how bad the quality of work is here. I had a root cannel done 2 years ago that took the dentist two tries to finish. I was in the chair for 3 hours the first time and 2 hours the second time. They kept telling my I had 5 cannels and that is why it was taking so long, but the time between my two visits I was in so much pain I couldn’t even work! After my root cannel was done and they «poorly» placed a crown I felt like something was still not right with that tooth. I called and they refereed me to «their» endodontist (root cannel specialist) City Dental said they would «pay for the consult» The consult consisted of the doctor tapping on the tooth and doing a hot and cold test… I passed and was given the all clear. Fast forward 2 years and I wake up with unbearable pain… the type of pain that makes you want to jump off a cliff or at least pull your tooth out. I know the pain is isolated to the «butchered» job Shitty Dental did, so I founnd my own endodontist based on Unilocal reviews and made an apt for the following day. My boyfriend had to drive me the next morning to my appointment because I was in so much pain and the endodontist took one look at my xray and said he thought «they» missed a cannel. He was able to squeeze me in later that day and during my procedure he found that they had poorly filled 3 cannels and completely forgotten a 4^th cannel, which was now infected and caused me the unbearable pain. He was confused about why they ever would have told me they filled 5 cannels. He redid all of Shitty Dentals work and placed a temporary filling which I would need to have replaced in one month.
Now here comes yet another problem; my root cannel retreatment had used the rest of my insurance for the year because when I went to Shitty Dental for my cleaning 3 months before my root cannel retreatment they told me I needed to have 4 fillings. (I now wonder if that was really the case or I am just stupid) So I called them and told the office manager everything that happened, she said she would have to call the endodontist to verify. She did and told me that the endodontist said it was not Shitty Dentals fault but they would be will to fill my tooth for free and also give me back my $ 259.00 copay for the retreatment root cannel. The day she called to tell me all of this… I magically had a $ 160.00 balance from the 4 filling they had done 4 months prior. You can never get a break with these people!!! So after all is said and done I have missed 4 days of work I have spent $ 50.00 on antibiotics and pain meds and all because they missed a «cannel». I beg each and every one of you NOT to go here… honestly this has been one of the biggest mistakes of my life. I will NEVER step foot into their office or their sister office located at 1600 Webster St. called Innovative Dental. Good luck!

I don’t care how convenient parking is I will not be coming back here again.
Firstly, you walk in to the smell of some spa candle in the waiting room. Makes the entire room smell like a bathroom and although the receptionist thinks its a nice touch I just thought it was trashy. I mean, a dental office should smell sanitary and clean, not like a massage parlor.
Secondly, I have been here twice for cleanings and both times I was not satisfied. I left with sandy, weird tasting mouth both times, instead of a fresh clean feeling. They also make my gums hurt with their cheap dental floss that is impossible to use. Even the lady working on me mentioned she hated the floss… um, so why not change it? The lady polishing my teeth and flossing me was also the receptionist who had left the front desk to work on me… pretty strange. Is she even a licensed dental hygienist?
Most importantly, I’m sure the ladies who work here are friends or whatever but they really need to keep personal conversations to a minimum. Last year when I came here the doctor announced her pregnancy to one of her coworkers while she was wrist deep in my mouth. The employee was shocked and they talked about it for a while. And the second time the dentist and one of the employees were talking about a recent liposuction treatment one of them had had. The whole time I was sitting there thinking… a conversation like this again? Really? Its just unprofessional.
I also felt pressured into buying a deep cleaning treatment I did not need. Last year I complained of having sore gums since I just had my wisdom teeth pulled, but the dentist insisted it was because I needed a deep cleaning or my gums would get worse. I did not agree to the treatment but for the next week I had the receptionist calling me every day trying to get me to schedule an appointment. This year when I came back, no mention of the deep cleaning being needed since I didn’t say anything about my gums. If the treatment was really necessary wouldn’t the doctor recommend it to me again this year?
Like I said, I will not be back.

Overall not a bad experience, I had two root canals. The temporary crowns were not done very well, which kept breaking off and leaving a gritty taste in my mouth. I ended up getting the permanent crowns done in Bangkok by an awesome dentist who had to completely redo the temporaries I got from here.

I have had trouble with the front desk being rude, I have had trouble when I paid my insurance co-​pay at the time of completed service and they still bill me, I have had expensive work done that does not even last for 2 years. They are just sloppy and do not have the integrity to stand behind their work. They are only there to make a fast buck. The dentist does not take the time to give you a good consultation on the work that needs to get done. I got tired of their bullshit, scams, and sloppy work and found a new dentist. They do have good free parking but that was not enough to keep me. As they say, vote with your feet.

I’ve been an on & off patient here since 2000. I’ve always had excellent care, and the doctors & staff have changed a lot over the years but have all been nice, professional and done good work.
I have 2 implants done by Dr. Alex Vilderman, he was amazingly professional and helped me finance them, did the posts at separate times before of it, although it’s not ideal, and it ws an overall good experience.
At times when I’ve had no insurance, they’ve given me very good cash rates, lower than UCSF without all the waiting. And they have tons of free parking and you can arrange for a ride to & from the location sometimes (I guess it depends on the day & time of your appointment)
The only negative is they only seem to accept the best insurance. All of the cheaper plans don’t list them as providers, so now that I have insurance, I can’t see them anymore and have been bouncing between providers trying to find good one. If I could afford to just pay cash, I’d definitely come back here.

After having a delicious breakfast, the bagel just had to rebel, and in the process, hurt my already ill-​fated tooth! So I searched for the nearest dental office, and found City Dental. I was so happy to get helped same day! I already knew that my tooth had to get extracted, so I was ready! But wow it was such a seamless procedure. I was able to save myself some money, and save myself further pain!
Doctor Fathi, was very nice, and explained the whole procedure, and kept checking it with me, I felt comfortable, something that I don’t usually feel at a dentist office. Dental Assistant Rina was such a sweet person as well. Enhanced the patient experience.
Also shout out to the receptionist, Raul, he was a very laidback guy, and also gave me the exact cost and details for the procedures.
This will be my go to dentist office!

Back for an early cleaning and while I wish I could give extra stars for my no-​cavity visit, I will stick to reviewing based on my experience.
My visit was just a pleasant as the first and I now feel like part of the family when I walk through the doors. My cleaning and checkup was gentle and thorough — which makes my future visit a more comfortable thought.

This review is based on an initial dental exam and a follow up procedure for a filling for a hairline fracture on the front of my tooth and a cavity: o (
For the most part, everything went fine on the visits except for a few things (which I found out later).
1) On my initial exam I had mentioned that there is an area of my teeth that was very sensitive. She looked at it and said everything looked okay. I was relieved that nothing was wrong there, but later my friend (who is a dentist), said she was surprised that the dentist there didn’t help me solve the actual problem. My dentist friend recommended to try sensodyne toothpaste — I did, and I haven’t had problems with my sensitivity since.
2) I have a small, but very noticeable crack on the edge of my front tooth. Again, my dentist friend was surprised that they didn’t offer to fix that since they were already fixing the hairline fracture on that same tooth. I guess now I have to agree, I want a dentist who is aiming for perfection of every patient — at least offer to.
3) I eventually changed dentists (on the advice of my dentist friend) and my new dentist looked at the same full mouth xrays that were taken by city dental. She noticed that I was grinding and showed me how my teeth were getting flat. She said she was surprised that it wasn’t noticed before and that I would definitely need a bite guard to stop the destruction of my teeth from the grinding I do at night
I felt like my initial exam with City Dental wasn’t as thorough as my new dentist (that I just saw yesterday). To be fair, perhaps my dentist at city dental was doing things without my knowledge, my new dentist explained everything she was doing and why.
We pay so much money for health care that I just expect the money I do use for perfection and prevention.