Michael J Brugos, DDS

I worked for Dr. Brugos a few years ago. He is a very kind and thorough dentist. I was shocked to read a couple of reviews because he is one of the most generous dentists and is very accommodating regarding billing. His primary concern is his patients dental health. The office was very good about billing ALL insurances and went out of their way to make it easy for patients.

Dr. Brugos and his staff have been taking care of me since 1998. They are fantastic!
The office runs like clockwork – I’ve never been kept waiting more than a couple of minutes. I’ve called the office on weekends a couple of times over the years to deal with minor emergencies, and was stunned when Dr. Brugos himself picked up the phone, and scheduled an appointment for the first thing Monday.
Dr. Brugos is always thorough, finding and fixing little problems (cavities) before they become big problems. I’ve never felt pressured to have unnecessary work done.
Oh, and he’s never stingy with the local anesthesia. Just sayin’.
Yes, he’s getting up in years, and recently started using a big ol’ magnifying glass when he’s down in the trenches. But he still has good steady hands.
I’ll keep schlepping to Atherton as long as Dr. Brugos is in business there.

Initially, I was hopeful that I’d found a great dentist in Dr. Brugos and liked his clean and spacious offices. He recommended a lot of dental work, which I was willing to believe that I needed — but thousands of dollars later (in a single year), I’m quite certain that his primary concern is profit and not care. His office will call you multiple times to get you in sooner than you want or need; his advice has contradicted the endodontist *he himself* recommended (endodontist says work can be done anytime in the next year; Dr. Brugos insists the patient must be seen immediately/​within 24 hours. Something is amiss here — so unless you have extremely generous insurance or just enjoy seeing a dentist, I can’t recommend this office.

Don’t go there!
In brief:
1. Doctor is wearing glasses so powerful, you are wondering if he is seeing anything at all… it is the time to retire for him…
2. Office is a mess: they did not work with my insurance and kept sending me the full price bill… Every time I was calling them and asking to submit it to insurance, they promised, but they did never do it. They were kind enough to send my bill to collection bureau and I had to pay it in full while loosing my perfect credit score. WHY did they do it if I do have insurance to pay them?
3. Almost same story with a friend of mine a year later, also ended up in collection bureau… I regret I ever recommended them to him…
Really, they are trouble… keep out…

I am so grateful that I found Dr. Brugos several years ago. He is gentle but sharp and even when I had fractured teeth where a root canal was almost a given, he managed to take care of them so beautifully that I was fine — no root canal. I trust him totally.

I made a much needed appointment with Dr. Brugos for a consultation and cleaning. I was a first time patient so he and his dental assistant created a full report of anything and everything that had to do with my teeth, gums and mouth. He was extremely thorough. He even jotted down that I had a little bit of pizza burn on roof of my mouth. Dr Brugos has a great demeanor, is very friendly, and very skilled and knowledgeable. Gave me lots of helpful information that was specific to my teeth/​mouth, like ways to avoid plaque, cavities, etc. based on shape of my teeth. Sent me home with lots of goodies to keep up with my oral hygiene. Awesome dentist for those searching for one on the Peninsula.

I went to Doctor Brugos from the time I was a baby until I got my current health insurance (started in 2007 and which, unfortunately, is not one that his office takes.) However, when I was a patient of his, I never had a single complaint. Dr. Brugos is a caring and gentle man who always had a kind word. His hygienists were all wonderful as well.
I had teeth pulled by him on two separate occasions, and both times the procedures happened with no problems and no complications.
A big thumbs up!