Scripps Pediatric Dentistry

I love Scripps Pediatric Dentistry! Everyone is very friendly! All my kids like to go to the dentist! (6,4, & 2 yr old twins) Twins are a little shy right now, but comfortable enough to sit in the big chairs by themselves… I actually had a break!

We were waiting to write a review until after our second appointment to try to be objective and unbiased and give benefit of the doubt, especially since we are first time parents and this has been our first experience with a pediatric dentist (well, since we were children anyway). We will not be back after today, and both times left my husband very upset. We chose Scripps Pediatric Dentistry since it was reasonably close to our new house (our town does not have a pediatric dentist, so we were driving about half an hour to come here, passing several other pediatric dentists because this place seemed to have good reviews) and we thought it would be what we were looking for– patient, compassionate, good with children under 2. This turned out not to be the case…
Our first visit was a group style appointment with another family, which to me seems odd since I would think it violates HIPAA Privacy Rules. Our daughter had just woken up from falling asleep in the car but seemed to do okay once she woke up and saw the toys inside. We sat through the parent orientation portion while she slept, which focused a lot on parental positive energy, ironically… and the other toddler had about a 1 – 2 minute head start on our daughter. As soon as the other little girl began screaming during the cleaning, a look of terror crossed our daughter’s face and she began to also freak out, leading my husband to get upset and demand to know why it was set up in this manner… especially after all the talk about energy. We transferred into another room and while our daughter was still visibly upset, the rest of the appointment seemed to go well (as well as it could). We rescheduled for a follow up 4 months later to keep an eye on her front teeth. Apparently the group style visit is their norm for the first visit for toddlers, or so they told us. I should mention before this first visit she enjoyed brushing her teeth. After this visit, she was terrified and it has been a struggle since then with screaming and crying.
Fast forward to today, our second visit… what was our make or break/​redemption/​final decision visit. She again fell asleep in the car and we were running a little late, so we called to let the office know we’d be there 10 min late. When we got there (to an empty office), we asked if maybe we could wait a bit until she woke up and were pretty much made to feel like we should just jolt her awake. I asked if I could walk around outside where it was noisier to wake her up, and went to the bathroom at Trader Joe’s (right next door) to wash my hands and turn the air dryer on which I figured would wake her up (it did). She was smiling when she woke up, and we walked right back to the dentist office (this whole trip was 5 to maybe 7 minutes tops). She promptly began to cry immediately as Mary at the front desk (rather rudely) told us we’d need to reschedule and that the dentist had gone into surgery. I don’t disbelieve that, but considering we waited at least 30 minutes in the office for the first visit, it seems a bit inane to me that 15 minutes post appointment time with a barely 2 year old who fell asleep is unacceptable. I also didn’t like the vibe that it seemed like they wanted me to force her awake to instantly have dental work done when her first visit here was so traumatic for her. Our whole intention with wanting a pediatric dentist was to create a good experience for her, so she wouldn’t end up with a fear of the dentist. That has clearly backfired and I wish I had never attempted to visit this office.
I should also mention our daughter has fallen asleep before doctor’s visits and we’ve never experienced anything like this in two years. Maybe we just have an amazing doctor.

My kids have been going here since we moved to CA, and like it. The office is geared towards kids, and the staff is nice. I like Dr. J for the most part, but I’m not a fan of the way they pressure you to do treatments and braces. I want the best for my children, and would love to give them the world, but I don’t have a money tree in the back yard. I always leave feeling uneasy and judged, wondering where to find the extra cash for this new thing.

I have been taking my children here for almost 3 years now. I have not had a bad experience with them. I have been to great dentist and horrible dentist. I can say that my children like him and he does a good job with them. I haven’t had experiences with having to prepay for work or issues with insurance. The reason I’m giving them four stars and not five is the new office staff is a little stuck up and rude and there was one day that I took my daughter in for some dental work and there was another dentist working. I’m sure she was good, but I am not a fan of being blindsided. I do not blame Dr. J for the issue because I guess he had to go out on emergency. I blame the office staff for not calling and rescheduling. My youngest does not trust many people looking in her mouth, so it has been a struggle finding someone to trust. If I my children didn’t trust Dr. J; I would have left in search of another dentist. Other than this issue, I really haven’t had a problem with any of his work or with insurance problems.

Both Drs J and S are awesome. The office is clean and decorated to be kid-​friendly. Staff are great. Front office is friendly and the whole reminder thing could be annoying.
All of these great things equal VERY expensive charges to parents.
Teeth cleaning with fluoride coating for under 2 yr took less than 5 min, 10 min wait to consul with dentist costs $ 380+. Composite filling for 1 tooth cost $ 270+. Laughing gas $ 95 each time kid is under treatment. I have insurance but still have to pay the difference for the

I do not understand how this place has so many good reviews. How do people get suckered? RUN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION! It is awful and I would give it zero stars if I could.
I took my 3 kids for a cleaning and checkup. They are all 6 and under and brush their teeth regularly. I liked the office as it’s geared towards children and its bright and eye-​catching.
I met with Dr J after X-​rays and check up and he proceeded to tell me that my children’s teeth were incredibly damaged and required several treatments. Now I’m no dentist but I can look into their mouths and see that they’re in good shape. I heard him out about how bad they were and how it was going to take a lot of time and money to fix them. I don’t know if he thinks he’s dealing with complete morons but the images he used of their teeth made me wonder if he thought I was stupid. He claimed the X-​rays showed black marks on their teeth but, unfortunately for him, my eyes work. But the sinker was when he told me that my 6 year old needed a $ 1700 retainer to «correct» her teeth because she had sucked her thumb when she was younger (after I answered questions about their habits no less). Now, again, I’m no dentist but I can see they are fine. At that point, I felt that every question he asked was to figure out what other «problems» he could come up with. He was very insistent on filling «cavities», possibly «tooth extractions» and «preventative» treatments. I didn’t even bother arguing with him about how ridiculous it was because I knew I wouldn’t be coming back. He tried to use the «well if you don’t care about their teeth» reasoning. As I walked out the front office the two women (who couldn’t even process my paperwork or questions about payment and were so comical in their inefficiency) tried to get me to make appointments and prepay the services the dr had come up with. The «manager» told me I could prepay all of the work and then contact the insurance and figure it out with them how much they would cover. Um, excuse my while I erase the IDIOT from my forehead. This was after she couldn’t figure out what my copayment was even though my insurance card states $ 0 copayment. She was sure the card was wrong and I did have one. I let her fumble a few more minutes before I asked for my card back and told her an appointment would not be made. She was still arguing with the receptionist as my kids and I left the office.

All four of my daughters came in for a dental cleaning and as always, I am highly satisfied! The office is clean, bright, cheerful and well organized! The staff makes the girls feel welcome, comfortable and at ease! They actually look forward to coming in for their cleanings! Hats off to Moi who squeezed in two of the girls for their cleanings so I did not have to come back for an additional appointment the next week! He was organized, upbeat and such a professional!

I really liked Dr. J and his hygenists, and my kids enjoyed using the ipads, but I always felt the services were a little on the pricey side and wondered if some of the treatments were necessary-​Dr. J recommended having two of my son’s teeth removed to make way for adult teeth that still haven’t come in 7 months later (I felt kind of pressured to have the procedure done, having to sign something saying we were going to have it done). Kids had their own insurance through Covered CA, and that included dental. Coverage changed year to year-​one year Scripps Pediatric Dentistry was covered at 50%, this year it wasn’t covered at all. I had asked before our first visit of the calendar year if our insurance coverage stayed the same-​I know it’s ultimately my responsibility to know, but I specifically asked if our plan was still the same and I was told yes, they were pretty sure, but they would double check for me. They even asked if my insurance was the same from last year and I said yes. Three cleanings/​xrays/​three tooth extractions later, I found out that NO, in fact the insurance policy had changed this year and Dr. J wasn’t covered at all, not even at 50%. That was an expensive lesson, and I do feel the practice wasn’t forthright with me. We now go to Dr. Shina Patel and I feel she’s very honest with me.

Just an update to our previous post. We’ve been continually impressed with Dr J and his staff. As the mom of a spirited kid, I’m thankful we found a place where my daughter’s needs are met with compassion. Thanks!

great and friendly staff. My son is afraid of the dentist but they took their time with him and explained and answered all their questions. they also have kid sizes massage chairs in the waiting room

We came here for a 2^nd opinion from a very bad experience with a pediatric dentist in Poway. We immediately fell in love with this place! The front office staff is so warm and welcoming, the hygienists are amazing with kids, and the office is clean with great colors and activities for kids. Dr. J took his time to give me a 2^nd opinion, and a price quote as well (which was HALF the cost of our previous dentist). It was obvious that he loves what he does, and isn’t just in it for the money like other places. My kids absolutely loved him, and when they needed cavities filled, they were done quickly yet perfectly, without any discomfort. As a matter of fact, the kids ask when they get to go back!
I would highly recommend this office to anyone!

I was called for a complimentary visit with the orthodontist, I assumed this appointment would end with a price quote and an idea of what we were looking at as far as a treatment plan. I took the day off to take my daughter, because my wife had just had surgery. I left irritated, because they told me what I have known for the past year now, my daughter can benefit from braces. However, they can’t give me a price quote until the next visit, which is 295 out of pocket. No thanks.

There’s doing something right here. My kids (3 and 11 yrs old) enjoy coming here and the staff here is great! Thanks again for taking care of my kids teeth

This is a great little office, very friendly and helpful staff. Marissa is wonderful, she made my son and I feel very comfortable.

I took my 4 year old daughter and my 7 year old son there for the first time and overall, it was a great experience!!! The staff in the front were all so welcoming and personable. While we were waiting, my son enjoyed the mini-​massage chairs in the lobby, so much so that he didn’t want to get up when we got called back for our appointments!
They were very prompt with our appointments and we started right on time, both kids getting their exams done side by side at the exact same time… so cool how they do that! My daughter was a little scared, but Teresa, her hygienist, was so patient and sweet with her and really helped to put her at ease. Everyone was so attentive and Dr. J really and his staff explained everything in detail with me as we went along and made sure that I had no questions or concerns. Great, great experience! We’ve found our dentist! Wish they took adults! :)

The dentist himself is a 5. The assistants are a 5. I just can’t get past the office staff, Mary in particular. We stopped coming here specifically because of her. She is borderline rude, definitely offputting. Even on the phone. And the ineptitude with insurance is staggering.
I called after not going there for a couple years thinking that maybe the dentist would finally realize the office staff are why people didn’t come back. No such luck. She is still there.

**This review pertains solely to frenectomy, not dental work.
It frightens and disturbs me that Dr. J claims to be an expert in the diagnosis and treatment of lip ties, and yet he has no such expertise.
We visited his practice with our then seven-​week-​old son for a consultation regarding a frenectomy based on the recommendation of a trusted lactation consultant. Dr. J practically scoffed at my son’s mouth, exclaimed that his lip tie «clearly wasn’t serious,» and proceeded to show us a picture of his daughter’s mouth. On our way out the door, he pressured us into making a one-​year dental appointment for our son, when we were clearly only concerned with our son’s present condition. My husband and I left dejected, as we were almost certain of my baby’s problem (it runs in my family.)
Four weeks later, we decided to get a second opinion due to continued problems breastfeeding and worsening reflux symptoms. This time, however, we opted to see a renown expert in this field in the San Diego area. This doctor immediately diagnosed my son’s case as a «severe,» Class 4 attachment and operated the same day. Lo and behold, my our breastfeeding problems were SOLVED and his reflux improved tremendously.
I highly recommend that you seek out other, more knowledgable clinicians for a frenectomy for your baby’s sake.

My husband and I have been putting off having our son going to the dentist for quite some time now (shame on us, I know). Now, that he is in 1^st grade, he is more than over due for his dental visit. We definitely wanted to find a clinic that is near our home and most importantly, one with great reviews. I found Scripps Pediatric Dentistry via Unilocal.I noticed they had great reviews and decided to go with them for our son.
Our son had his first dental visit today! From making the appointment with Ms. Mary over the phone, I knew this clinic lived up to their great reviews! We came in and was greeted by the front desk staff. They were so friendly and welcoming. We got there early, so we decided to take advantage of their massage chairs! Yes people! Massage chairs! Not only do they take care of their young patients, they ensure us parents are comfortable too!
Shortly after, Ms. Teresa welcomed us to the back. She gave us a tour of the patient care area. The chairs and environment is definitely appealing to the eye and it really makes kids comfortable and feel safe. She took our son’s X-​rays and was very patient with him. Soon after, she put on a movie and put his ear phones on and let him zone out while she cleaned his teeth. I was impressed by how comfortable our son was! She took the time to explain what she was doing before doing it so my son was not caught by surprise. She let him taste the prophy paste used to clean the teeth to let him be familiar with it (chocolate flavored), she showed him the floss before flossing and even showed him the mouth mirror before using it. She treated him with kindness and ensured him she was going to take care of him. On top that, Ms. Teresa updated my husband and I with our son’s teeth. She was awesome!
After getting his prophy cleaning, Dr. Shahangian examined his teeth. He was very friendly and very professional. He showed us our son’s X-​rays and explained everything to us.
Our son had no cavities and will becoming back in 6 months!
I recommend this clinic to anyone looking for a dentist for their child/​children!

I’m a mom of two little girls, 4 and 8. We came here for a 2^nd opinion. Bottom line is both of my girls are Cavitie free (as of right now, haha!) And they absolutely love coming here. My daughter who is 4 had her first dental work done here and oh! My! Gosh! I couldn’t have asked for anything more. My 4 year old who used to be anxious and scared due to past experiences at other pediatric dentist offices is now experiencing positive and fun times at scripps pediatric. They got it done and I didn’t think any pediatric office could. She’s a tough cookie. Thanks guys for an awesome experience, from the girls at the front, to the cute little massaging chairs in the lobby, the music and movies playing while they work, the non — intimidating uniforms they wear… it’s an awesome experience. Not just the kids, but my husband and I too!!!

to the staff and Dr. J.
we switched to your office because we were looking for a more personal touch and we are so glad we did. thank you sooo much for all you do. the entire staff is so warm and friendly, not to mention professional.