Gentle Dental Associates

My wife loves this office so I will keep going there for basic stuff; however, I am less than thrilled with them. Last week, their office said they would evaluate me for a dental implant, and also said they would schedule the extraction. Then today they called asking me why I had both appointments scheduled. I’m going back to the University of Michigan School of Dentistry to deal with the implant. I can have any hack pull a tooth so I’m not going to pay a premium for them to go in without any plan. I’m not going for the jack o’latern look. Also, be careful which dental hygienist you get. One we used to see would regale us the whole visit with tales of how she was trying to get pregnant and all her fertility procedures. The gentleman who extracted my wife’s wisdom tooth was a jerk so I definitely do not want to deal with him again either if I can help it.

I’m also a little surprised about the negative reviews. I’ve had to go in twice for some intense work at the very last minute and cleanings and each time the office has been very accommodating and helpful. Given me quotes for the work to be performed (estimates) and each time the total was a little less than quoted. Dr Kuthiala is very nice and was always making sure I was comfortable. Every time I have gone in, I have always received prompted service and never had to wait for more than 5 minutes. I have been to two other dentists in Ann Arbor and Dr. Kuthiala is the one I plan on sticking with long term.

Very surprised at the negative reviews.
I tried 3 different dentists in Ann Arbor, and this was far and away the best!
Friendly, tech forward (email reminders, etc.), and very very good!
Highly recommend.

Facilities are suboptimal and feel chaotic. Whats worse are the grossly unprofessional, unorganized and somtimes rude office staff. Exceptionally disappointing. The providers themselves usually meet expectations, and some were highly skilled and very pleasant. The hygienists in particular are great and are really focused on patient comfort.
That said, at times treatment plans are not always coordinated. I had two occassions where what I asked to have looked at over the phone I was told on arriving could not be dealt with because of lack of time. I had the improession that providers were rushing around most of the time.
With so many options for insured patients, I would certainly look elsewhere.

I’ve been to Gentle Dental for two check-​ups over the past two years and have worked with two dentists and two hygienists. Scheduling the appointment was easy and they have Saturday hours (always a plus). I think they made the dental experience as pleasant as dental experiences can be.
The dentists I worked with are Dr. Dagostin and Dr. Neha Kuthiala, both were skilled dentists.
Jaime and Pat were my hygienists, both were very friendly and skilled as well.

I came in with a Dental emergency, and the office staff was kind enough to squeeze me in. While I realized it wasn’t going to be a long appointment, I did think that they would at least listen to my concerns and help me with a treatment plan. What I got was an X-​ray, and about two minutes with a dentist, Dr. Wang, who immediately told me that I needed to have the tooth pulled, gave me a prescription for an antibiotic, vicodin, and a referral to an oral surgeon. When I went to see the oral surgeon she referred me to, I was told that my tooth did not need to be lost, that it was a great candidate for a crown. That office called Dr. Wang, who said she had not referred me (though I had the referral in hand).
Unprofessional, unkind, and clearly incompetent. DO NOT VISIT THIS OFFICE.

How many times to do I have to call a dental office for a response? Way too many at this place. Save yourself the hassle and go elsewhere.

don’t bother with Gentle Dental! they apparently don’t need patients – they just sent me a letter saying I was not to come back!
which suits me: I found a REAL dentist.
I kept going to them for a year or so even though I had to wait 20 – 30 minutes for every appointment, and fight with them about the nitrous. several of their dentists are also extremely rude. finally, I walked out of an appointment in disgust.
I guess they’ve never heard of the concept of «the customer is always right.»
my advice would be to STAY AWAY from Gentle Dental.

I wish I can give 0 star.
I was recommended by a friend to do a dental checkup at this place. While the hygienist Barbara did an excellent job in cleaning and x-​ray, her colleague the dentist Yan Wang did the extreme contrary.
On my first visit, Wang took one look at my x-​ray and told me I had 8 cavities. They are small but they can become worse. I never had so many cavities in one go in my life. The only filling I had was done when I was still in elememtary school. I was panic. Hence, I asked her for her opinion. She suggested me to drill and fill all 8 cavities where later on other dentists I know told me I didn’t have to do the drill and fill because they are so minor that some fluoride treatment and frequent flossing is possible to stop them from decaying further. Wang failed to give me the relevant information. Instead she took advantage of a person who had no knowledge of dental treatments.
One the 2^nd visit, Wang drilled and filled 3 of my teeth. Instead of waiting patiently till my return visit to determine if the filling is too high, she made me determine that on the spot when I was still under anesthesia which the effect was so strong that it took 5 hours to diminish after the drilling and filling was done. With that said, I basically couldn’t feel anything accurately. I thought the filling of one of the molar was a bit high so she grinded it.
The next day I called up the dental clinic to let them know the filling on that molar was a bit low actually. When I went to the clinic, I was the last patient of the day, all the staffs were in the rush to leave including Wang. She told me she could grind down the neighbouring molar. I said but the neighbouring molar has perfect natural surface, why would anyone want to grind it down. She said so that the molar has got shorter filling wouldn’t be short and I wouldn’t be biting on my natural tooth. I asked if that would cause any other side effect. She impatiently answered me «No no no, no problem at all. Just grind it down and that is all.» I didn’t feel comfortable about her attitude but I still had 5 more cavities for her to look after so I sat back and let her do what she proposed.
The next day, immense tooth ache with extreme sensitivity towards any contact came in. Heat, cold, air, fluid, anything could trigger the tooth pain.
I complained about the pain when I went back for the 4^th visit, Wang said it’s normal to have some pain after drill and fill. She sent me home with a prescription of a very high fluoride content toothpaste even though she knew I was breastfeeding.
I brushed me teeth with that toothpaste according to the instruction once a day before bedtime for one month but the pain never went away. I’m stuck with it even till today. It’s been half a year.
In the past 6 months, I lived with regret of ever stepping into Gentle Dental. My 8 cavities didn’t cause me any pain or any trouble. In fact, my other 5 cavities have stopped decaying. But Wang gave me 3 broken teeth and possibly permanent tooth ache.
While I sat in her dental chair for the follow-​up checkups and patch ups, she had been busy charging my insurance for charges that she was supposed to waive because they were follow-​ups.
So beware of Wang! Her practise is flawed, attitude is atrocious and her moral is flushed down the drain.
I wish to know if there’s any place I can complain and get some justice done other than posting comment here to warn people about the worst dentist I ever ran into.

ok. so i read a lot of good reviews about this place and it definitely has some name recognition. the dentist herself was fine. HOWEVER when my husband first went in there fo a filling that fell out, they tried convincing him he needed a root canal, with a price tag of over $ 800 after insurance. there was quite a bit of back and forth then they finally said they would do temporary fillings to see how the teethe would handle it. price tag… around $ 50. much better. THEN when i went with him to get these fillings, the assistant «Nikki» thought that her greasy, unrestrained hair was appropriate for work in a sterile environment like a dentist’s office. after observing her leaning over to get instruments set up and her hair falling onto the area where the drills and suckers were, i asked her to please pull her hair up and that it was unsanitary for her hair to be down like that. i said that i work in food service and if my hair can’t be down then her’s should DEFINITELY not be down either. the dentist said that she wears it like that all the time. GROSS!!! so Nikki wen tout of the room and another assistant came in, this time she had CLEAN hair, better manners, and her hair was actually pulled up. i wonder how many people have noticed her hair but weren’t assertive enough to say anything. hopefully she washes her hands better than she does her hair!

I had the best Dental experience ever at Gentle Dental!
Dr. Debbie saw me a week sooner than anyone else could fit me in.
I was terrified because I have had all my wisdom teeth for thirteen years and needed one pulled. I had never experienced wisdom tooth pain and it was absolutely unbearable. I was quoted almost double by four other dentists in town and they had me waiting weeks before I could be seen. Dental school included.
The entire staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. I was in and out with ZERO pain. I kept waiting for it to hurt but it never did. Dr. Debbie is AMAZING!
I plan on becoming a regular patient at gentle dental now.
THANKS!

I am really surprised by the negative reviews in the post below because I’ve had nothing but positive experiences from this place! It could be because I’m a grad student at UM, and they know the dental insurance there down cold. (You really just have to give them your plan # once and not think about it again until a couple years later when they check to make sure their records are up to date.)
A friend referred me to this place, and although I entered a nervous wreck (hadn’t been having my bi-​annual cleanings for 3 or 4 years out of fear…) and knew I had cavities, Dr. Wang and Barb were so friendly and unassuming, they did not make me feel bad even once for the six (yes, SIX, ridiculous) cavities I had developed over the years.
We scheduled appointments for the next few weeks to have them filled, and Dr. Wang told me exactly what my options were and how much they would cost out-​of-​pocket. I had two fillings done at a time, and each time, Dr. Wang made sure that I was as comfortable as possible during the procedure.
Most of my friends are also grad students at UM and have a similar dental plan to mine, so I recommend Gentle Dental to them. I really love this place and am no longer afraid to go to the dentist.
Edit [12/​04/​2011]: I should add that yes, all six of those cavities were legit, full-​blown cavities that you could see with your naked eye were causing structural damage. They do not try to cheat your insurance out of money here by pushing unnecessary, extensive dental work. The last time I visited in September, I was worried about these black spots forming on the surface of some of my teeth. Both Barb and Dr. Wang checked them out for me to make sure they were not cavities, and they explained that sometimes the black spots are just staining caused by foodstuffs. I did not need any fillings this visit.
Edit [09/​01/​13]: Still coming here after a couple of years and loving this office. :) I love not being afraid to go to the dentist every six months!!! Will definitely miss this place when I finally graduate and move out of Ann Arbor…

I have been pretty happy with my visits to Gentle Dental. Their care has always been very through and they seem to always use up to the date technology. I also appreciate that if you do not have the best dental insurance they will work with you and give you services at a discount.
Another big plus is a Dentist with late hours. Yes, my last appointment was at 7:00PM! This is a life saver if you have children and/​or a job.
On the downside Gental Dental can seem like a dentist clearing house. You may not always see the same hygienist and dentist unless you specifically ask. So after going for 3 years I have had 4 different dentist and 5 different hygienist.

My mouth was a dental nightmare, and I had nightmares about going to the dentist. Gentle Dental helped me SO Much to overcome my fear and get some much needed work done. The staff is thorough, friendly — a wonderfully talented group of people. If you’re looking for a dentist, (IMO) you need look no further.

It seems a little odd to be reviewing a dentist, but I was really pleased with this place. A friend of mine suggested it to me, and i gave it a shot because it was on my insurance plan. They charge a (refundable) $ 50 deposit for a new patients’ first appointment, which I think is very fair. Every time I call for an appointment, they can fit me in within 2 weeks. I’m allergic to latex, and they’re really careful about it for me, which I really appreciate.
What impressed me the most, though, was how they dealt with the billing. They checked my insurance BEFORE I got to my appointment, so that they knew exactly which services would be covered and to what extent. When they offered me extra services, they were able to tell me exactly how much I would have to pay out of pocket. I’ve been screwed at other dentists’ offices before, with them telling me, «oh, you’re covered, you’re covered» and not actually knowing at all. It’s 100% clear with these folks, and they’re very nice to boot.