Stephen C Yao, DDS

San Jose, United States

3.9

20 reviews

By Appointment Only

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Telephone:
+1 408-409-1361
Website:
www.smilebysanjoseorthodontist.com
Address:
Braces For Pretty Faces 6489 Camden Ave, Ste 105, San Jose, CA, 95120
Almaden Valley
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
1.8 miAlmaden
2.3 miOakridge
2.6 miOhlone/Chynoweth
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Bussiness info

By Appointment Only
Yes

Today

Today –
Local time (San Jose) 06:03 Sunday, 25 May 2025

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wednesday –
Thursday –
Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday –
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

At Braces For Pretty Faces our Mission is: We Enhance life and relationships by Creating healhty, beautiful, confident Smiles!

History

Established in 1994.

We are a full-​service orthodontic practice providing the expert treatment you need to have straight and fully healthy smiles. Dr. Yao has always kept up with the latest advances in orthodontics, attending advanced training as well as contributing to research in the field. He makes sure his staff are well trained and up-​to-​date on the latest in orthodontic care.

Meet the Business Owner

Dr. Stephen Y.

Business Owner

Dr. Yao received his dental training from the renowned University of Hong Kong. He organized and participated in numerous student activities. In fact, in 1983, Dr. Yao was the youngest student to ever be elected president of the student union. Academically, Dr. Yao received honors including the Distinction of Anatomy Award (the only one in his class).

In 1987, after completing his training, Dr. Yao began his successful career practicing in Asia. After three and a half years of providing all phases of excellent dentistry including endodontics, veneers, surgery and implants, Dr. Yao relocated to the U.S.

In 1990, Dr. Yao enrolled in UOP at San Francisco International Program where he obtained a Doctorate of Dental Surgery degree, but also received the Dean’s Award for Highest Scholarship. Dr. Yao was one of only five residents that were accepted into the University of the Pacific Orthodontics Specialty Program. Again, he was awarded the Top Alumni Outstanding Research Award in 1994.

Stephen C Yao, DDS also recommends

Braces For Pretty Faces

39

reviews

Orthodontists

,

General Dentistry

Dr. Stephen Y. says,

«Check out our other location!»

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20 reviews of Stephen C Yao, DDS

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Place rating: 5
Morgan Hill, CA
I have Invisalign and every time I go in for a check up Dr. Yao and his team always make me feel welcomed. I highly recommend this orthodontist. Dr. Yao and his team really know what they are doing. Shout out to Dr. Yao and his team!
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
I went in two months before my wedding and Dr. Yao was so accommodating and helped me get my teeth straight in no time. The cost was WAY less than other places had quoted and my teeth are perfect and straight. He really takes time to do the job right and his staff is professional and kind. Definitely recommend!
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
My son loves Dr. Yao, he is very friendly, humorous. Dr. Yao’s team made us feel we are welcome anytime.
Today, after my son’s camp, we was very close to Dr. Yao’s office, but our appointment is at late afternoon. We were passing by Dr. Yao’s office around 1pm, hoping we can see Dr. Yao so we don’t need to drive back for the late afternoon appointment (Our home is 30 min away). Dr. Yao just brought his lunch, when he saw us there, he immediately brought my son in. He spent more than 30 min on my son and made us feel we are really welcome, not rush at all. We are in US for more than 20 years, this is the best Dr. we ever have.
We are almost done, my son’s teeth look perfect. We are very satisfied. We will miss you, Dr. Yao.
Place rating: 5
Seaside, CA
Dr. Yao and his entire team really are THE BEST! Everyone is always extremely friendly and welcoming for every visit. We drive from Prunedale to San Jose every month for my daughters visits and it has always been worth it. She got her braces off today after a little less than 18 months and her teeth look perfect! We are very satisfied and would highly recommend Dr. Yao to anyone.
Place rating: 3
San Francisco, CA
Here’s the facts: the staff is amazing always friendly and welcoming and the only reason I enjoyed my visits. Dr yao can be a harsh. Not thrilled with my teeth, but they are 98% better. He kept saying «I’m going to add value» when he put the bracket behind my teeth at the end of my treatment. Thanks Dr Yao — not like I had value before!
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
It’s been a few years since my boy has had his braces off.
Although, we have recently returned due to lost retainer. We would recommend this office because they are friendly, timely, and professional.
Thanks Dr. Yao!
Place rating: 5
Campbell, CA
«Professionally delightful, impressed with updated technology, attention to detail in all orthodontics procedure and making the first time wearing Invisalign a piece of cake. Can see why Dr. Yao is best of the bay and would recommend him to anyone. »
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
I am just finishing up my Invisalign treatment with Dr. Yao after just a little over a year. I have had nothing but pleasant experiences here, with Dr. Yao himself, and all of his staff. One time I had to bring my two year old to my appointment and although she was fine sitting on my lap during my visit, they offered to keep an eye on her and took her up front to play, when most places would just be annoyed you brought your kid. And most importantly, I’m happy to say I finally have straight teeth! I had one tooth alone that was so crooked I thought there was no way invisalign would fix it, but Dr. Yao was confident that he could do it and sure enough it is now straight. I can’t stop looking in the mirror at my smile: D! I would highly recommend this office to anyone looking for orthodontic treatment.
Place rating: 3
Kihei, HI
Ok, I confess. I’ve never had services provided by Yao’s Braces for Pretty Faces. I visited Dr Yao’s office today and I liked him as well his staff. He is super friendy and very nice. I took a second opinion about invisalign and not sure about the price.
Except price, I dont think there is any other reason not to go to StephenYao. I will update this review again if I decide to get a treatment from him.
Place rating: 2
Star, ID
My daughter has been with dr Yao for about a year… I am very disappointed in their follow up of patients. She was seen inJuly… in November I called as it seemed a long time between appointments… was told she should have been seen in September! No one from the office called or emailed… nothing. When I spoke with Dr Yao, he was flippant, and very casual about it. I am very disappointed.
Up to now it has been a pleasure, and my daughter has enjoyed the office and staff… but now I am left questioning the quality of care she is being given because of the lack of monitoring of her care, and the attitude of Dr Yao. I am hoping it will change for the better after this…
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
My son was a patient of Dr. Yao’s for his braces. We went with Invisalign and he loved them! dr. Yao and his taff are personal, friendly, and professional and had a great rapport with my teenage son! we would highly recommend Dr. Yao!
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
I just had braces put on last month and Dr. Yao and his team have been fabulous! They even have a special right now where you get a free NEW iPad 4 the day your braces get put on! I came here to get a second price quote on braces because the first place that I went to wanted to charge me a price that I thought was much too high. A friend referred me to this place so I went in and they not only gave me a much better price, roughly 6 months less time than the other place and the iPad, but I was able to afford the high end braces for about 2K less.
Even if you do not select this place for your braces, I highly suggest you take a month or two to research orthodontists and get price quotes and treatment duration at a few different offices to see how they stack up against one another.
The day I had my braces put on I received a call from Dr. Yao personally that afternoon to check in on me and see how I was doing/​feeling with my new braces so far and if everything was OK. A VERY nice touch that helped to solidify that my decision to go with Braces for Pretty Faces was the right one indeed!
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
My teeth are straight, everyone was pretty friendly. Everything worked as planned.
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
Through a recommendation we also choose Dr. Yao for both our daughters. Immediately, I was very impressed in their scheduling. There are only a few chairs and that’s enough because they don’t over schedule their appointments. Not only did they take us on time, they are friendly and everyone who works there looks like they are having a great day. I also appreciated their reward system to encourage our girls to wear their rubber bands and other appliances so I didn’t have to nag. Last but not least are the amazing results that came in on schedule. Where there once was a jack-​o-​lantern smirk we now have two beautiful and thankful smiles!
Place rating: 1
Los Gatos, CA
Dr. Yao freaked out my son when he started talking about yanking out teeth that had to be pulled immediately prior to braces (the teeth fell out naturally within 2 weeks of this appointment).
The place is over-​marketed, hype-​y and leaves you feeling like you’re dealing with a sleazy car salesman (sans the gold tooth). This office would do better toning down the hype, getting integrity over their recommendations and pricing, and learning some customer service.
Place rating: 2
Loma Mar, CA
The Dr. seems nice and promises to fix everything for you. The office is clean and comfortable. However, I get exactly the seem feeling as the others did, the OFFICE MANAGER is a SALES, she uses the typical marketing methods trying to get you pay the high price!!! I have visited quite a few orthodontists, and their price is on the higher end. I just really don’t like dentists and orthodontists in this case that act more like a sales person than a doctor.
Updates:
I am kind of glad that I did not fall into the office manager’s trick. I visited another orthodontist, who seems to be much more honest with the result I should be expect. Now, I think about what Dr. Yao promised, it was just too good to be true. Anyway, I did not have my brace here, other might have better experience there.
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
My teeth suffered from severe overcrowding. When I was little, my fear of dental treatments prevented me from getting braces. I brushed extra careful and extra often but always had trouble keeping my teeth clean because the teeth overlapped each other so much. As a result, I suffered gum issues.
I learned from my experience and had my oldest child get braces right away when she needed it. She got her braces from Dr. Yao. I was impressed by Dr. Yao and his super friendly staff. Dr. Yao gently suggested I should get braces. I didn’t think it was possible. I thought I was too old. I thought my teeth were too loose for braces. But Dr. Yao was confident he could do it. I trusted him and decided to put my teeth on the line to do it.
My son and I started our treatment together. Dr. Yao’s treatment plan for me involved removing two teeth and using Invisalign to straighten the rest of my teeth and aligning my bite. Now, about a year and a half into the treatment plan, I’m super happy with the results. So much easier to brush and floss and take care of my teeth and gum now. Dr. Yao is amazing!
Place rating: 1
San Jose, CA
Ok, I confess. I’ve never had services provided by Yao’s Braces for Pretty Faces. However, his PT Cruiser (as seen in commercials) nearly rammed into me after running a stop sign in Almaden Valley. You know, if you drive around in that kind of pimped out advertised car that you probably paid lots of money to have it in a commercial, you probably shouldn’t drive like such an a-​hole in surburbia. Come on man, there are families and kids out there on the road, who probably need braces for their pretty faces. Just a thought.
Place rating: 1
San Jose, CA
I recently went in for a consultation at, what I thought at the time, an orthodontist’s office, but I was wronged!
Step. Yao, B.D.S., D.D.S., M.S.D. (name is advertised on website) was my consultation dentist. When asked about his titles, his response was «that purse look familiar». Besides greeting me, the first thing the «dentist and his office manager» (read more about the one and only «office manager» from previous reviews) noticed was not my smile or teeth but my purse!!! He than asked me do I work (source of income) or do I go to school, (parent’s source of income)
… did the exam…
The VERDICT, pricing and length of treatment:
InvisAlign: $ 5728 for just the lower bottom
Braces: $ 5028 for just the lower bottom
«Our average special»: (Website’s advertisement)
Full Braces: $ 3,680 — $ 6,620
Clear Braces: $ 4,180 — $ 7,120
Invisalign®: $ 4,515 — $ 7,645
Let’s do the math: I will need to pay approximately
$ 11,456 for FULL Invisalign (top/​bottom)
$ 10,056 for FULL Braces (top/​bottom)
When I mentioned this information to his «office manager», I did my research before coming, her response was silent.
FYI: (their office is a must see tourist attraction!)
Website’s advertisement: «He sponsors local charity drives and events, conducts contests such as „Do a Good Deed,“ speaks at local schools and ENCOURAGES fieldtrips to his office» —
Good job in decorating your office with 2 video game consoles, chocolate milk, and cookie!!!
Hippocratic oath for dentist is a must not optional!
all the 5 stars are questionable because would you honestly give 5 stars to a dental place?
Place rating: 5
La Mirada, CA
Well, my boyfriend had got some low cost braces in LA and wasn’t able to complete his treatment due to budget and priorities when he moved up here.
So, we found Dr. Yao… and his teeth look amazing. If you ever read my review on our dentist, Dr. Wesley Yemoto, I can honestly say that Dr. Yao is just as great. If you find that his office charges more than some, I guarantee that the service will not be better than theirs, and the outcome of your teeth will look amazing. They offer payment plans and have great customer service. He was also able to recommend an excellent Oral Surgeon for us nearby when my boyfriend had to get his wisdom teeth removed.