Ralph D. Buoncristiani, DDS

This guy is a true sadist. He removed my four wisdom teeth at age 40. Plenty of local anesthesia (xylocaine). So far, so good. He went in with the pliers, rocked the teeth until he’d ripped the attaching fibrils, and then yanked them out. With the local, that part was fine. But, his after-​care was sadistic.
I developed two «dry sockets,» where the scab is lost, and exposes raw bone to the digestive juices of the mouth. Look it up on Wikipedia. It is incredibly painful. He asked me to describe, in significant detail, the exact type of pain I was suffering from this surgical complication that is well-​known. (Most providers just want the number from 1 to 9.)
He wanted to hear every detail of the type of pain I was suffering from this complication that is well-​known to cause excruciating pain.
What did he prescribe for the pain? Tramadol. That is barely a step above Tylenol. I needed something strong in order to be able to eat, much less function. As I understand it, Vicodin (hydrocodone + Pct) or Percocet (oxycodone + Pct) is the proper painkiller for dry sockets. But, oh no, the more I begged for a reasonable painkiller, the more he seemed to enjoy it.
Do not go. Ever.
Look at the other Unilocal!comments. Several others describe similar experiences with this sadist. Avoid!

Dr. Buoncristiani is an excellent Dr. I was treated with a lot of care and proffesionalism. I recommend him highly.

Something is not right with this guy … he was taking out my tooth and I actually felt scared in the chair. I have never felt that way before. He was oddly … aggressive? I’m not even sure if that is how to put it but first he jabbed me with a needle and I screamed out in pain. He didn’t tell me it was coming. I have been to the dentist plenty enough times to know that a shot does NOT have to be a strong aggressive jab that makes you scream out. Then, when he was taking my tooth out, he may as well have used a jackhammer and pliers — that was how just bizarre the whole process was. I remember trying to look at the nurse out of the corner of my eye to see if this was normal and I saw that she had her hands clasped and was looking down. I would never, in a million years, go back to this guy. Beware. Like I said, something is not right.

Dr B is the real thing! First I had a wisdom tooth extracted and a few months later a dental implant. The extraction took maybe fifteen minutes including shots and getting numb. No pain after, no bleeding, ready to eat carefree within three days! The implant took maybe twenty five minutes including x-​rays, shots etc with the same result: absolutely no complaints. He is fast and he knows what he is doing. I am a guy who is rather scared of dentists but I also think that this fear is something I have to deal with in the first place and not my dentist. He may not be there to hold your hand and go into a state with you but he sure is good!

Do NOT use this surgeon.
Our 18-​year-​old daughter needed all four wisdom teeth removed before college and he was highly recommended. Besides his rushed «presentation» in explaining what would be involved, he never asked anything about her pre-​existing medical condition. I listed the medications she was taking and then I asked him questions. He was less than interested. Because he WASN’T interested. He does not care. And, he’s arrogant.
Our daughter’s surgery was August 4 and when we took her to college on August 27 she was still in horrible pain. She had an emergency surgery in Boston on August 30. Almost ONE MONTH after surgery she was STILL SUFFERING and Dr Buoncristiani never once called to ask how she was doing or offer to help — even after the emergency surgery, when I left a message asking for her X-​rays and for him to call me, he has NEVER called.
The journey went like this:
A week or so after the initial surgery (and in so much pain) she developed dry sockets. We went to his office every day for him or his partners to pack her open sockets with olive leaf extract. Once, he told her to use a TOOTHPICK to push the packing back down. Can you imagine? She was in horrible pain and hitting that open nerve with a toothpick would have sent her into orbit. Dry sockets is extremely painful.
I made two late night phone calls and spoke to his partners, who were on-​call. Dr Buoncristiani never called and never asked the next day how she was doing — just packed her teeth, listened to me, and moved on. Of course I apprised him of what was happening and she would always tell him that her bottom right side didn’t feel like it was healing. He always told her «You’ll be okay.» She did everything she was supposed to do: antibiotic, mouth rinse, soft foods etc.
One night our daughter was in such horrendous «head» pain we took her to the ER. She said she felt like a balloon in her head was about to explode. At the ER, her neck twisted to one side, her face contorted, her throat was closing and she couldn’t breathe normally. Her entire head and neck were in spasm. The oral surgery had triggered her pre-​existing central pain. (Could it be because they don’t use an anesthesiologist? They administer the anesthesia themselves.).
At the ER, I called him, but his partner called me back. Again, I never heard from Dr Buoncristiani. When we saw him the next day, he said nothing, just packed her teeth again. I asked him if he knew were at the ER the night before. He flippantly said, «Yeah, I heard.»
A few days later, with our daughter still in horrible pain, my husband asked him about taking another set of X-​rays to determine what was going on. He was reluctant but did as asked. He showed the X-​rays to my husband and arrogantly stated, «See? They didn’t grow back.»
26 days after her original surgery, we went to a Boston ER for an emergency surgery on her lower right side. The same area she had been telling Dr Buoncristiani that did not feel as if it was healing. The Boston oral surgeon gave us his personal cell number in case we needed him. He was shocked at the treatment our daughter had received from the original oral surgeon (Buoncristiani), and the Boston doctor understood the pre-​existing condition of central pain and wanted her to feel cared for and about. She finally healed by September 6^th or 7^th. More than a month after her original surgery.
I’m advising everyone I know in Los Angeles NOT to use Dr Buoncristiani for your, or ESPECIALLY your kid’s, oral surgery.

I had lots of pain in my last wisdom tooth and my dentist recommend him. He seemed nice enough until it came down to how much it will cost to extract the teeth. he asked that I pay upfront ($ 600) and waited for me at the front to make sure the transaction went through.
I never hated a doctor before but my experience with him was HORRIBLE to say the least. He was so aggressive giving me anesthetic. I was even screaming from the pain of the needle.
Once I was numb, his aggression even increased trying to pull the tooth. I’ve never had a tooth pulled in less than 10 mins. he was in such a rush i’ve never seen before. It felt like there was a war happening in my mouth. Thankfully a nurse came over and held my hand. That’s when I started feeling some compassion.
I was totally drawn and exhausted by the end. He never stitch the gums and even told me that it was okay for me to drive home.
To me it felt like he was treating animals not humans. I would never go back to see him or recommend him to anyone I know.

I’ve never written a Unilocal post about a doctor before. But I had to about him. Horrible bedside matter. Never in my life experienced a doctor who was in such a rush to get out of the room. I highly recommend you seek out someone else. He was curt and halfway out the door while I was asking questions. I’m now online googling answers to my questions about pain because he was to flippant and dismissive to sit with me.
Arrogant. Choose someone nicer. I was not surprised at all to see others on here saying the EXACT same thing.

I went to Dr. B as an emergency referral from my own dentist. I will not go through the trauma that I experienced in detail, but he had to remove the root of a dead tooth. I had had this done with Dr. Park a few years ago, and felt comfortable going back to this office. Well, that changed quickly. I agree with Mark Z that Dr. B is a true sadist. I am a psychotherapist and am usually accurate in diagnosing such maltreatment. He was rough, was actually on top of me, trying to remove the root, which he could not do. I had advised him that I had serious TMJ issues, but he still placed all his weight on my body and forced my mouth and jaw to an extreme open position. I was in pain; my fingernails made imprints into my hands that were still apparent when I got home. During the «surgery» Dr. Ting came in and put his hands on my shoulders and said it would be ok. I felt the comparison immediately and realized that Dr. B was just involved in a tooth battle with no care or vision about the senior citizen who was the victim of both the tooth and Dr. B. He never talked to me about the procedure and appeared to just be angry that the tooth was not capitulating to his barbarity. He was just the same when I mentioned the TMJ pain in the next visit. He clearly was showing that I did not matter… he conquered the tooth… and my pain was no longer his problem. I was traumatized and reported this «assault» to every dentist friend I knew. They were horrified. I was horrified along with them. DOCTORS TING AND PARK are compassionate, kind men. Dr. Ting will follow through with the remaining process for me. HOWEVER, I have a very high pain threshold, and an equally high identifier of people who do not care about the feelings of others, either emotionally or physically.
I will definitely file a complaint about this barbarian dentist who seems angry and unhappy. He MAY NOT be allowed to exorcise his rage on patients who are paying for dental work. SHARON W.

I had an appt with my general dentist, who referred me to Dr. Buoncristiani’s office for a tooth extraction. His office was able to see me that day. The staff was very pleasant and efficient. When Dr. B came in, he was very nice and we shared a joke which helped to put me at easy because I know that Novocaine shot is coming soon… yikes! However, Dr. B was so great with administering the shot that it was over before I could really get to whimpering. After the Novocaine kicked in, Dr. B went to work and before I knew the tooth was out… easy pezzy lemon squeezy.

I’m really surprised by the reviews that say he had bad bedside manner! I just got my wisdom teeth out yesterday and I actually found him to be incredibly comforting, patient, and kind!
He came to see me and allowed for me to ask any and all questions I had. I was pretty nervous, so I actually asked several. I also told him about my needle phobia and without a moments hesitation, he asked if I would like a little gas beforehand to help me with my needle anxiety. I was so thankful. He also promised me he was pretty good with needles and I have to admit, he’s right! Definitely not one of those doctors who has to stab you countless times to find the vein.
I got three wisdom teeth out in less than 30 minutes. The whole staff was kind, caring, and overall wonderful. I’m sorry to see such bad reviews from others with different experiences, but I would certainly recommend Dr. Buoncristiani to friends and family.

I went to Dr. B years ago for my wisdom teeth, and it was quick and easy with no complications. Since then, I have had all three of my children in for different reasons: extractions, wisdom teeth, etc. I barely put my purse down when my eldest daughter was in the chair and I heard «All done» and my daughter and I were shocked at how easy and painless it was. No sign of sadistic personality, so I’m not sure why there are such extreme comments here. I need to take my elderly mom in for two teeth that fell out, leaving rotted roots, so I was looking for a doctor close by our new location, but I’m thinking I will drive her back up to Dr. Buoncristiani, because I know what to expect. She’s pretty scared, and Dr. B was extremely kind. The one star reviews made me hesitate, but the other reviews that you can see that for some reason aren’t showing here were all five stars. (I had to click some other button.)

That was the place I was looking for my wisdom teeth removal. Simply the best ever!
I come from Europe where grown-​ups have very rarely their wisdom teeth removed in early age. But I got to this point at 27 when one caused me a terrible pain for a month and I had a huge fear to go to the doctor. I am very healthy and never had cavities, so anything in dentist office besides cleaning sounded like an open heart surgery to me. I was terrified. I went to few different doctors and most of them told me that they should be all removed at once. But I never felt comfortable in any doctor’s office. Removing 4 teeth, where half of them are still somewhere deep in your skull, is not a joke — it can make you sit at home for recovery for a week. I just felt they all wanted money from me as fast as possible and nobody was willing to take anything but cash (I was even asked to make payment before the thing done). I understand that there is irresponsible people in the world but why would I carry 2500 $ in cash on me to pay for their mistakes? I told my husband that everybody discusses the payment with me for way more time then actually talking to me about the fact I am in huge pain and this needs to be solved asap!!!
And then my husband called few friends and found dr Bouncristiani’s office. I called them and they took me in three (!) hours after the call. I guess there is three doctors there and they all seemed very busy (which is a good sign). I have seen young beautiful ladies, very old ladies and different men there, the office is packed by people. Which means it is a good and popular place. The stuff seemed caring and fun and I enjoyed listening to their jokes in-​between themselves while I was waiting for my appointment. That made me relaxed and I felt like at home.
Every 5 minutes someone was coming to me saying that they apologize for waiting and gave me approximate time when the doctor will come to see me. I was so surprised knowing that I just got an appointment today and there is nothing to worry I am very lucky to be here at all. Then Dr Ting came and talked to me very patiently and sincerely and kindly about what kind of work I do (I just started my own business) and explained to me that 4 teeth removal will make it difficult for me to work everyday as hard ad I need to at the start-​up company. He also said that it is better to plan your time carefully and that is not a simple thing to handle for a patient but not so scary because he does it 20 times per day. He was extremely careful and attentive explaining to me all the possible details of what we can do and gave me choices. He said that he wouldn’t like to put me to sleep for that because it can effect me for the next day too. He did couple injections which I didn’t feel at all because he gave me the numbing jell-​o first. I felt no pain at all — nothing. Not even so much pressure. It was super easy and fast.
So we decided to take only one that really bothered me and I had two nurses there that were very nice to me and were supporting me on every second of the surgery. They also asked me if that is okay that they have radio playing in the room — if I am okay that it’s Britney Spears on it. That is what is called perfect attention to the patient. It took ten minutes at the most, they gave me painkiller prescription. And by the evening time I already feel soooo much better. I will totally be able to work tomorrow and hold meetings. Next week I will go see the doctor again and we will discuss when it will be convinient for my work and lifestyle to finish the job.
I am very greatful! That was my best dentist experience.
p. s. they even asked me if I want to pay with the check but I paid cash because it was nothing — 555 $ for X-​rays, consultation, double anestesia and the extraction. So much better then 2500 $ for 4 teeth and misery for the whole week that I was proposed to do everywhere else. Oral surgery is very scary and is all about doctors attention to you. I will absolutely be back and will recommend this place to anyone.

I went to Dr. Buoncristiani about a month ago to have all four of my wisdom teeth removed. I am new to the area so the only thing I could rely on were Unilocal Reviews to chose an oral surgeon. All of my teeth were impacted to some degree so I was really nervous that I was going to be in a lot of pain. My surgery was done in about 30 minutes and the only real pain I had lasted about a day. I was riding bikes in Venice the day after my surgery! My face didn’t swell whatsoever and I haven’t had any issues since. I am very grateful to Dr. Buoncristiani and his staff for doing such a wonderful job. I would recommend him to anyone looking for an oral surgeon!

I thought he was fantastic. Competent, friendly, thorough and not dramatic at all. I didn’t have any problems with his bed-​side manner, but I don’t appreciate doctors who hand-​hold you. He answered all my questions and explained the procedure in much more detail than I had wanted to know (in fact, I stopped him from explaining more because I’m a wimp). I chose full anasthesia — highly recommended! I had all four wisdom teeth removed and had no complications. Only took percocet on the day of the surgery and Tylenol the next day. His office staff is very helpful. They do charge 30% upfront, but they gave me a refund promptly after the insurance company paid them.

Dr. Buoncristiani was extremely professional as was the rest of the staff. Some reviewers give him lower marks due to his bedside manner, but he was courteous and professional and the entire process was over with in a short amount of time. Personally, I would rather have someone that knows what they are doing, rather than someone overly friendly but clueless with regard to my health.
I would recommend him to anyone looking for an excellent oral or maxillofacial surgeon.

I went to Dr. Buoncristiani last week to have my 4 wisdom teeth removed. I was actually scheduled to have my wisdom teeth removed by a different oral surgeon, but after having my consult with him I decided to look him up on the internet and found MANY detailed reviews of how awful this other oral surgeon was, YIKES! So I called my dentist and asked for a referral (having lost the original one he gave me) and called up Dr. Buoncristiani at 4:55pm the day before I was scheduled to have my surgery with the other Dr. — and which was also the last day I had dental ins.
When I called and explained the situation to the office — saying I had to have the surgery done tomorrow b/​c of my insurance end date, the assistant said she would run it by the Dr. Well, they didn’t have any room but told me to come at 10:30am the next day anyways and they’d find a way. I did go in, and Dr. B saw me right at 10:30 and gave me a MUCH more thorough exam than the other Dr. had, explaining ALL the POSSIBLE complications (the other Dr. told me to say ahhhh and then was like «yah you need to remove all 4 teeth, I’ll draw up the bill.») that could arise. I signed something saying I understood what the possible complication could be, and about 20 mins later was being hooked up to all the machines in the surgery room.
I was pretty nervous about going under, but Dr. B had a staff of 3 nurses in the room, and everybody went to work on me right away hooking up the heart monitor, putting the oxygen mask over my face, etc. I felt everyone in the room really knew their stuff, including Dr. B who made some good conversation to get me comfortable and not concentrated on the actual surgery. The last thing I remember was Dr. B saying «you might start to feel the medicine now,» and I shook my head saying «Ok», thinking it would be a few more minutes — but nope, I was out and in 20 mins the procedure was all done and my wisdom teeth were out!
There were absolutely no complications, and overall Dr. B made me feel really relaxed. I think it’s true he can be a bit of a «straight shooter» which may put off some people, but I respected his upfront manner and professional consult, and in no way found him cold or ubrupt, but rather friendly and funny. I also think this his ‘quickness’ is due to his efficiency and skill, and certainly any question I had he answered in a manner that showed me how knowledgeable he is. When I asked him about what my ins. would cover he had the office staff determine the figures right away and was in no way pushy about trying to get the business like some docs are. It was basically like «this is my profesh opinion, let me have my staff figure out the finance part, and just let them know what you decide,» and then he went off to another patient. It was refreshing that the practice didn’t HAVE to try and get your business.
It’s been three days since my surgery and I’m back to eating solid foods, and there is minimal pain that can’t be cured by Advil. I haven’t even used the prescription meds, because I haven’t needed too. I think Dr. Buoncristiani is a fantastic Dr. and so is the staff at the practice. I highly recommend.

I can imagine this guy being really good at challenging surgical feats – like wiring your jaw back together after an accident shattered it into tiny pieces – but my experience of his bedside manner more closely matches that of the reviewer who gave him one star. Maybe my complications from a wisdom tooth extraction were too ordinary to excite his interest, but I felt he was condescending and dismissive, all while smiling broadly, like a politician. It’s that arrogant doctor vibe I can’t stand. I saw him for two very brief follow-​ups because I was still in pain, although he was not the one who removed my tooth. The first time, he looked at my mouth for two seconds and said it looked fine; that I should take some Tylenol. When my face started swelling again and the pain increased, I went back a few days later. I got the feeling he was indulging me by giving me a follow-​up X-​ray and then antibiotics – kind of like, «Well, if YOU think you need something, well then okay! I’ll go along with it!» As though I’m being a hypochondriac; as though I want to take antibiotics (again) for fun. I don’t want my doctor to placate me; I want him to LISTEN to what I’m saying and then give me an appropriate treatment. He also tends to poke and prod your mouth pretty roughly. I grumbled about him a bit to the front office staff, and they looked kind of hurt. I think they really like the guy, and they seem to be somewhat in awe of his surgical skills. So if he’s a genius surgeon, that’s great. But why can’t the world have more genius surgeons who can also relate to their patients?
The actual extraction of my tooth was done by his partner, Dr. Park, who has a different bedside manner. He’s also efficient, but he’s more compassionate and appears more genuinely interested in what you’re saying. I think the Park-​Givens-​Buoncristiani practice is generally okay; how much fun can you really have at an oral surgeon’s office? They do accommodate you quickly if you need follow-​ups, and I think they’re all good surgeons. It’s just a question of bedside manner, and Dr. B’s doesn’t work for me.

Dr. Ralph Buoncristiani does not have good bedside manner. I went in to get my wisdom teeth out. Obviously I had questions. But when I asked them, he would speak so fast like he was hurried and wanted to just get it over with… so I thought to myself, if he’s going this fast when talking to me, imagine what he might do when he’s actually performing oral surgery?! Wham bham thank you maam… NO THANKS.

i started out with 4 wisdom teeth. the upper left one started coming in when i was 18 and a year later it was all the way down, but way crooked and digging into the insides of my cheek. it finally got so bad i couldn’t deal. too bad i was in a foreign country… some local dentist peered in my mouth, took a chisel-​y tool and just knocked it out. i was so surprised i didn’t feel any pain.
4 years later upper right decided to make an appearance in the same fashion as the upper left. was coming in clear, with the exception of jamming straight into my cheek. being just out of college and without a job, i figured i could deal with the pain until i got rid of my cash flow problem and maybe had some dental insurance. i got so good with dealing the pain i completely forgot about it.
fast forward to 3 months ago. my lower left molars had been giving me some trouble, so i made an appointment to see my coworker’s dentist, dr. gold. turns out i had a fracture that went all the way down (ouch!). while i was there, dr. gold told me i should probably do something about my wisdom teeth too… so yeah.
enter dr. buoncristiani. i got my referral from dr. gold, went over to dr. buoncristiani’s place on 20^th and santa monica blvd. the entrance to the parking lot is on 20^th, on the east side of the street.
(tip: take your parking ticket into the building with you, the payment machine is in the lobby right in front of the elevators. cash only, there’s an atm in the little store around the corner from the elevators but they rip you off. first 15 min are free!)
after some x-​rays, we decided to take out the upper right tooth that day, and then have me come back in to extract the impacted ones the following week. there was minimal pain and dr. buoncristiani is so sweet! he was friendly, funny, and told me exactly what he was going to do so i wasn’t surprised. and he didn’t have cold hands so major stars for that.
they make you pay for 30% of your procedure up front. my insurance covered 80%, so i got a refund. i actually had to call to see what the hold up was, and they just cut a check for me right when i called and i picked up the check the same day, since i only work a few blocks away.
when i went in for the BIG DAY i was a little freaked out (i haaaaate hate hate hate hate going under) but everything went smoothly. can’t really comment on the surgery because i was unconscious, but i had minimal pain right after. it wasn’t even that bad in the next few days, thanks to the percocet. it’s been a bit over a month, and i’ve completely healed and it didn’t break the bank. highly highly recommend him!

My wisdom teeth started growing in one day, and by day two, I was in a LOT of pain. After consulting with a friend’s dentist, I was referred to Dr. Buoncristiani. He was available to meet with me the very same day due to the urgency of the situation, and I was scheduled for surgery a few days later!
Since my teeth were impacted, I had the option of just going all the way under. When I came to, the entire procedure was DONE! Glad to know that I missed out on the burning smells and the cracking sounds of breaking teeth.
They scheduled a follow-​up, and basically, the healing process went smoothly, and everything was wonderful. My insurance covered a chunk of it, but it still was a hefty sum.
I recommend Dr. Buoncristiani’s office because they are professional and friendly. You really feel well-​taken care of. While expensive, I’m guessing that any place where you’re getting such a crazy procedure done, it will be about the same.
Wish I was in LA for my jaw reconstruction surgery, but I guess a surgeon in SF will have to do! If you’re in Southern California, I’d highly recommend Dr. Buoncristiani.