Kathrina Agatep, DDS – San Diego Dentist

Dr. Agatep is always a delight. She explains my dental diagnosis in a way that is easily understood. If she senses any confusion, she takes a different approach to help clarify by showing x-​rays, pictures, etc. If possible she will do all work needed in one visit to save a trip back to the office. They’re clear on what you will be charged for if anything is not covered 100% by insurance. The hygienist who regularly works with me is amazing too! Everyone at the office is kind, friendly, helpful and happy. I enjoy going to the dentist when I go to Dr. Agatep’s.

I have been meaning to write this review for a while, but have not gotten around to it. Today I feel compelled to write it after watching a Dateline special about an oncologist who under or overtreated his cancer patients…
I decided to leave Dr. Agatep’s office because I feel uncomfortable with its treatment. I am not a dentist, but I think they overtreat. I say this based on the following: 1) I went in for treatment of pain in the back of my mouth. Turns out there was a cut in my cheek. I was not told that the pain had nothing to do with my teeth. Instead, they launched into treating me for X, Y and Z. That would have been fine if the treatment plan had been clearly stated and approved and not pushed on me while I was in a vulnerable state. 2) Husband needed removal of a wisdom tooth. Was told he must get a bone graft. He didn’t know any better so agreed. The doctor couldn’t remove the tooth so husband was referred to a specialist. Specialist didn’t even bring up the need for a bone graft. Husband then checked with his dentist cousin who stated that wisdom teeth don’t usually require bone grafts. 3) I went in for the 6-​month teeth cleaning. They checked for pockets and ratted off all these numbers above 4 mm, implying that I needed deep cleaning. Went to Sacramento a week later and saw my childhood dentist. He checked for pockets as well and saw nothing above 3 mm.
I now just don’t feel comfortable entrusting myself in their care. As of last month, I switched over to another dentist. Best of luck to you all. If you stay with the office, do your homework and question if you need the procedures they recommend. It sucks, though that we have to be so cautious.

This review is about my experiences with Dr. Diana Nguyen. I just moved to San Diego and was previously seeing a different dentist for about three years. I scheduled a cleaning appointment with the office staff, which required a full mouth xray. I had just done x-​rays at my previous dentist, and now I have to do more just to get a cleaning done?! I got my cleaning done and was told that I had 14 cavities! My previous dentist was only watching one tooth for possible signs of decay, and here Dr. Nguyen thinks my whole mouth needs a makeover. She suggests work to be done on practically all teeth that aren’t pristine perfect. I would not recommend coming here. This place is no different than dishonest car maintenance places that try to squeeze every penny out of you even with things you don’t even need. They also spam you with countless emails asking you to come in and get treatments done so they make bank off the procedures you don’t even need. This office also buys fake reviews to make them seem credible. I would stay away if I were you.

I never review anything. But this deserves one. I travel from Orange County just to come here cause she’s very attentive and makes my gums feel goooood. She’s super good! Highly recommended.

well it is almost 2years and my teeth are done! Don’t ask the list is toooooo long, but here is an example…6 implants, bone grafts, sinus floor lift (WOW) and all the work leading up to that which included ALOT of pulls more grafts etc… ok, my point is, when I started with Dr Agatep, I would not even let her use the mirror to look in my mouth! This Dr AND the entire staff, I have been there for so long I have seen some come and go, are the most patient, friendly and unbelievable office I have ever been too. I am 60 so that is a LONG time… LOL. By the end, Dr Agatep gained my entire trust that I DIDNT EVEN USE AENESTHESIA and took the shots wide awake while even doing crowns… she is still in shock herself, trust me. THAT alone should tell you how great they are… you will NOT be disappointed…

Long overdue review. Dr. Agatep is wonderful. Always a pleasure – who can say that abt going to their dentist???
Tee is my hygienist. She is who I see the most and she does a stellar job. She is thorough and has a kind energy. I was referred to Agatep from my NorCal dentist in 2010 when I moved here. I’ve been happily coming here ever since.
Clean, comfortable, modern place on top of everything else. Oh and Keurig for you too

I’ve been going to Dr. Agatep’s office for about eight years now. Every visit has been a pleasant experience.
This afternoon I had a old crown replaced and a filling re-​done in just over 1 ½ hours and I must say I’m once again very impressed with the care, results, friendliness of her and her staff!
The procedure was clearly explained to me before and during the work performed. The scope of work performed was done in an efficient manner but the doctor and Nicole were not rushing to get it done. They have a tooth crown machine in the office so there was no need for a temporary crown. Digital, real-​time photos were taken of the area and surrounding teeth for an optimum fit. The images were uploaded immediately and I was able to witness the doctor’s work-​in-​process. Very impressive.
I was ½ kidding with Dr. Agatep that she could moonlight as an anesthesiologist because the novocaine injections (two areas) she did were nearly pain free. She also was very clear yet kind as to «do’s and don’t’s» for the short term after care of the affected areas.
I’ve also been examined by Dr. Nguyen and she is also a very knowledgable, down-​to-​earth professional.
Patient for life!

Dr. Agatep and Dr. Nguyen are amazing. They do stellar work while informing you of exactly what is going on and why. I was very pleased with my experience and will most definitely be coming back! :)

I have been here twice now since i moved to San Diego and each time the experience was great. the office is very clean, the people and very professional and nice, and the care they give my mouth was amazing. I would highly recommend Dental Design!

My experiences in the past with dentists and just the thought of someone poking and prying at my teeth use to make me cringe… until I found this place. From the first time I called the office, to me visiting the office multiple times for my appointments everyone I’ve encountered with, have been extremely respectful, polite and overall nice! Betty at the front desk, in particular, is bubbly and super sweet!
I was very hesitant to get crowns that I needed on my two front top teeth for several reasons, as I heard it was painful, I didn’t want to wear temporaries and hey, I thought everyone will notice because it’s the two front teeth of course! I saw Dr. Agatep on multiple occasions and every time, she was kind, personable and yet held high standards to her practice. My temporaries looked so good I even joked about just ending the procedure there. I cannot explain in words how amazing my front crowns look now, and let me tell you I am quite picky and a perfectionist. She took extra time to make them look natural while also complimenting my facial features. She even had the ceramicist come to an appointment to ensure that the coloring/​shade of the crowns were perfect and matched my other teeth.
Overall, Dr. Agatep and her team treated me like family, made me comfortable, and the end result of my dental work was above and beyond my expectations. Thank you, Dr. Agatep and Dental Design SD for changing my mind about how scary and terrible it is to visit a dentist! I can now confidently smile and show off my teeth!

I have gone to Dr. Agatep’s office 2 times and it has really been the best experience I have ever had at a Dental office. Dr. Diana Nguyen is the Dentist I have seen both times and I’m not sure how she does it but she has helped alleviate my phobia of needles and anything having to do with a dental procedure. She is truly talented and knows what she is doing. After my last procedure, she called the next day to check in and see how I was doing. I will definitely never go to another dentist for as long as I live in San Diego!

Ugh. I really don’t enjoy writing bad reviews. I want to preface by saying the office staff was extremely nice, and they aren’t the reason I’m leaving this dentist after a year and a half.
I had just moved to San Diego and had chipped a tooth. It was painful, and I needed to be seen as soon as possible. The best they could do was schedule me in three days time, but they assured me they could fix the problem at that time. When I did go in, because I was a new patient, they said they couldn’t do anything for me. After about an hour of x-​rays and general exam, I asked, «So, are you going to do something for my tooth or not?» NOPE! That was the first and only time I met or saw Kathrina.
In the subsequent visits, the hygienists and other dentists (which I thought was weird because I thought I would be seeing the dentist whose name covered the sign and business cards) were unusually rough with my teeth. I’ve moved around a lot in my life and had a lot of dentists, and these were the roughest hygienists and dentists I’ve ever experienced. When I’d walk out to my car after a cleaning, I always scolded myself, «You keep saying you’ll look for a new dentist… why haven’t you done it yet? These people totally destroy your mouth, making it sore for the next two weeks by how rough they are.»
The biggest thing that bothers me, along with the things mentioned, is that, over time, I found that this place is unfortunately a façade. The office is beautiful, the staff is very nice except for a few dentists (I had a new one every single time I went in), but they give you nothing but the minimum. They do not give you any complimentary dental products, which is just a metaphor for the care they give. The last time I went, the dentist kept trying to talk me into buying fluoride treatments at $ 20 per rinse. Even after I declined, multiple times, she still tried to push it, even though she herself said my teeth were in great shape. All of my other dentists gave this to their patients for free because it’s just good for the patient, and that’s great business.
This place does the bare minimum hoping you won’t notice or catch on.

After our previous dentist started to show signs of age (poor guy needs to retire), we discovered Dr. Agatep’s location through Unilocal.It’s located midway on Mira Mesa (just parallel to the Sharp hospital) and in the business complexes around the back side. Both dentists are young and stylish like the surroundings they have built. They are relatively high tech which satiates my husband. and seem pretty knowledgeable and polite.
The initial consultation was interesting. very detailed in terms of photographs, identification of problem spots, etc. The front desk is polite (perhaps a little too polite. but I don’t know if you can complain about that lol), and they will call you as early as 8 AM for your dental reminders. The annoying part at first was having to come back for a cleaning appointment apart from the initial consultation… but whatever. I survived. It’s just their internal policy — get over it. Also, I found it very odd that they did not have toothbrushes on site so that you can brush your teeth before your appointment) and no goodie bag samples (c’mon~ that’s your lollipop for coming in!). The prices overall are on the higher side (at least compared to the past two dentists I have visited in San Diego). but you get what you pay for I guess.
My most favorite person here is the hygienist, Thuy. She is amazing. She will tell you what she is doing as she completes the procedures on cleaning your teeth. Also, she is super gentle and pays attention to areas that may cause you to jolt (e.g. more sensitive spots in your mouth). I adore Thuy. Dr. Agatep wasn’t bad either. but I’ve only seen her once at the first consult.
Overall, I recommend the experience of this office. They are clean, high tech, and detailed. No one every really likes going to the dentist. but where you should go to maintain your dental health, they make the experience as pleasant as possible.

My family and I have been going to this dentist for ~3 years. She is friendly, professional, knowledgeable, ethical and most importantly she hires quality people.
I love love love Twee, the woman who cleans my teeth every 6 months at this office. She is so thorough, and really educates and teaches patients how to care for their teeth! I’ve always brushed 2x a day and flossed daily and yet Ive never had my teeth and gums feel so healthy before!

Overall, I’ve enjoyed my experience with this practice. They are efficient and responsive with communication and insurance processing, and they make honest recommendations for the best dental care. Dr. Nguyen was a pleasure to work with on several occasions as she is gentle, efficient, and friendly. The male dental assistant (his name escapes me — Julio?) was also excellent and a pleasure to work with.
The office, which I believe is a converted warehouse, is a little dark. In my opinion, it could benefit from some more light in the back. My only true concern was with the hygienist who performed my dental cleaning. To me, she felt unnecessarily rough, and I have never had such a painful experience with just a cleaning (and I have visited dentists about 2x a year for my whole life — that’s a lot of cleanings!) All in all, my cleaning was effective as my teeth were pearly white when she was done, but I was very surprised at the lack of gentle care in that experience. When I expressed my discomfort, I didn’t feel that I had a very sympathetic response in return, and I left feeling dissatisfied with the quality of service, even though my teeth were sparkling.
Based on all the wonderful reviews of this office and the great experience I had with the doctors and other dental professionals, perhaps I just caught the hygienist on bad day.

I am a patient of Dr Agatep’s and I highly recommend both the Dr and the staff! Everyone in the office is friendly helpful and genuinely concerned to make your visit as positive as possible. Cleanings are my favorite… and before I came Dr Agatep I would only do 2 visits per year, now I come every 3 months and can’t wait to have my teeth cleaned! I recently had 2 fillings and was so amazed by the little techniques Dr Agatep used to numb so I didn’t even feel the needle! At the end of the procedure I was amazed that my mouth felt somewhat normal, usually after a filling everything from my tongue to the side of my mouth would feel uncomfortable. If you are looking for a Dentist who is gentle, staff who cares and some of the best oral care that I’ve experienced in 45 years!
Give the staff and Dr Agatep a try, your mouth will thank you later!

I was looking for a dentist close to home and found Dr. Agatep thru Unilocal.From the very first call, initial consult, and 3 appointments within 2 weeks, I have always been impressed with everyone who works there. They all seem to enjoy their jobs and really care about their patients. I saw both Dr. Agatep and Dr. Nguyen and they both explained my procedures thoroughly and made sure to address any concerns I had. After one of my appointments, the doctor even called to check up on me. I was surprised because usually my old dentists have never followed up like that. I am glad I found this office and will definitely refer everyone I know!

I met Dr. Agatep outside of her office while complaining about my TMJ. She was super nice, funny and it turns out, she specializes in TMJ! I easily got an appointment for a TMJ consultation. Dr. Agatep and her staff were thorough. They made sure I knew what to expect with my treatment and the costs. So far, I have been very impressed with Dr. Agatep’s skills, professionalism, and willingness to accommodate my schedule. I am very hopefully she will fix my jaw. I am so pleased with Dr. Agatep that I am switching dentists. I have since taken my six year old daughter to have her teeth extracted and will soon have all of our dental needs taken care by Dr. Agatep. I definitely recommend Dr. Agatep to anyone with TMJ, small children or a British husband :)

I cannot recommend Dr. Agatep and The Dental Design staff more! From my very first call into the office to set up my insurance plan it was a real pleasure! I have the great pleasure speaking with Betty… She was a real standout as I had spoken to several offices that seemed rushed and unsympathetic… Not Betty! A really kind and thoughtful professional that has bent over backwards for me… She exhibited genuine concern and care that came out immediately in my first call!
She took the time to get to know me and my dental needs and worked around my schedule to keep me in as soon as possible. She helped me with my insurance benefits and I feel that they all genuinely care about their patients.
Dr. Agatep and Doctor Nguyen were very kind, considerate and professional in their care and Julio the dental assistant worked together as an amazing team! I really appreciate that they take the time to tell you what they feel is the dental concern, tell you what they plan on doing to fix it and make it a very pain free… comfortable experience. Alyssa at the counter has been incredibly helpful in arranging appointments in a timely manner… The office is State of the Art! From the beautiful décor to the latest and greatest developments in dental care… I had 2 crowns created in office and fitted in one morning! No temp crowns and no second visit! I was amazed!
There’s absolutely no other dental office I would consider trusting my smile to!

This one star is not for the doctor; it is for her staff. I made an appointment as a new patient, specifically for a cleaning. I took off work, drove in crappy 805 traffic, and when I showed up, the staff said that I wouldn’t be getting a cleaning, but rather a new patient consultation. They told me to make another appointment a different day for the cleaning.
This would have been fine if I hadn’t specifically made an appointment for a «CLEANING» and been told about it beforehand. Instead I was told by the staff, rather smugly, that this was standard… like I was stupid or something.
Well…my teeth are still in their original, non-​cleaned state, and I didn’t see the doctor. I can’t say anything negative about the doctor since I never saw her, but the staff, though rather friendly before I mentioned my issue, quickly made a turn about.
Save your time and money.