Spring Valley Dental Group Ltd

Very friendly and helpful staff. The dentists are very professional. Clean office and modern equipment. I feel like I’m an actual patient here and not a dollar sign.

I found Dr. Martin on Unilocal after seeing another dentist in the area that I was unhappy with. After an initial visit for a toothache with Dr. Martin I knew I had made a great choice! He wasn’t pushy and he gave me numerous options besides just going in and doing tons of pricey dental work. I went back to see him to fix a few dental issues that I did not trust my prior dentist with. He was knowledgable, gentle and put me totally at ease. I then decided to go ahead and do some orthodontic work on my teeth that I’ve been wanting to do for a while. I am a week away from getting my braces off and he did exactly what I wanted (in less than 6 months to boot)!
As a military dependent, moving around a lot, I’ve seen a lot of dentists and Dr. Martin is definitely one I wish I could take with us!

Dr. Ames is so nice! I just visited this dentist for the first time, and I am very happy with my experience.
I have not enjoyed going to dentists that are there to upsell and make a profit, and Dr. Ames and his team did nothing of the sort. I was not rushed and Dr. Ames was very friendly and thorough. The dental hygienist did a great job cleaning etc. and she was very sweet also.
I would definitely recommend, and I will be going back for sure!

Called and got in the next day. Great staff, pleasant and honest. Doctor Ames was friendly, explained everything up front, when he gave the numbing shot, he was careful and slow which made it a lot easier to take and his work on my chipped tooth was high quality and I’m very satisfied.

I love Dr. Ames.
Seriously. I love Dr. Ames. I could just copy and paste that line for the rest of this review. He’s been my dentist since I was five years old. Every time one of my classmates (or later, coworkers) would complain about a hygiene appointment or some restorative work they needed to get done — and how terrified they were of going — I literally could not comprehend what they were afraid of. Spring Valley has always been a pleasant, positive experience for me.
I worked for a dental insurance company for two years, and particularly now that I am familiar with what goes on behind the scenes, it’s even more obvious to me that everyone at the office goes above and beyond to deliver exceptional service and treatment to their patients. After the horror stories I’ve heard of other dental offices who botched insurance paperwork or – even worse — the actual procedures, I can’t even begin to express how grateful I am to Dr. Ames and his staff that I’ve never, ever had to worry about finding myself in one of those nightmare scenarios.
The team at Spring Valley Dental is absolutely fantastic. I would never dream of going anywhere else.

BEWARE —
From my personal experience, Dentist is cocky, does not give a clear care plan, over charges for services. Front desk clerk is RUDE! Has NO insurance billing knowledge. This is not the first time — while goggling found the following reviews:
May 10, 2011
Constant Billing Errors and Run Around. We have had several cases of over charges, and false information, where their billing dept claims there has been a change in the insurance process, and then we talk to the insurance, and they are able to prove that there has been no changes at all. Constantly get 30 and 40 dollar additional billings weeks/​months after our-​co pay and insurance payments have already gone through. The docs are nice, but not worth teh overcharges and trouble.
DentistNeeded — Mar 1, 2011
Was very convenient for the area. I liked the dentist however, I stopped going after getting a 500 $ bill without any notice on an appointment right before Christmas. I just feel that it was more about the money then service. They knew how much was left on my insurance and continued to schedule me for everything until we used 100% of coverage in a year. I paid every bill up front but after I left, I still got a bill in the mail for some unknown service. We saw Dr. Ames and he was good. Its just sad that everything done you have to question and not being able to trust your doctor is very important. I just didnt like feeling like their cash cow.
Joanna — May 9, 2010
Not for me The dental services are alright, but my billing is consistently messed up because the person filing forgets to «check a box» every single time. They demonstrate no feeling of ownership over the mistake and tell me to work it out with my insurance company. This has happened several time now so I will not be going back. My husband ordered a night guard and received no notification when it came in although he was told twice to wait for their call. When he did get the device it hurt his teeth. They insisted it was fine, sent him home and it caused him severe pain. He won’t be going back either.

I’ve been going to the Spring Valley Dental Group since grade school, and I’ve had Dr. Ames as a dentist since he started in 1992. A few years ago, he won an award for being «America’s Top Dentist» and you know… he totally deserved it. He’s a really nice guy who’s very concerned about his patients. I’ve never heard him use fear as a means of trying to get patients to brush their teeth, but I have had him sit down and calmly explain the consequences of poor dental hygiene and the resulting treatments they’ll need to plan for. He’s not there to make you feel bad, but he will give you an honest answer if you need to hear it. I like that.
Spring Valley itself is very service-​oriented. They will pester you to get your check-​ups by calling you and mailing you, but they mean well, and they are very polite when you speak to them on the phone. I’ve never had a problem with billing or with service there, and I suspect that’s the norm. They are VERY on the ball.
I’ll also give a positive mention to the hygenists, who work very hard and who are exceedingly efficient and polite. Mine have always explained what they’re doing, why they’re doing it, and how long it will take. I appreciate that.
50% of Americans don’t go to the dentist regularly because they dislike the experience. Those who fall in that group in the St. Louis Metro East should try Spring Valley, especially if they can get in for an appointment with Dr. Ames.