John Ashton Vellequette, DDS

I didn’t want to write a review, frankly because I don’t think this Dental Office even deserves a 1 Starred rating. With that being said, I would say run while you can and take your business somewhere else! The management in this office is HORRIBLE to say the absolute least. The way the «Mananger» talks to employees in front of patients is unprofessional and very disheartening. Also, I’ve overheard the Manager and staff going over how to get money out of patients while I’m waiting in the room for my Dr. The door is open and they think they talk low, but that’s absolutely incorrect. I have been with this practice for many years, and just last year the change in management is what I believe will run Smile Center to the ground. The Manager sees patients like money bags and tries to force treatment on patients. It’s not reputable at all, and it makes me reconsider all the treatment the Manager has told me I needed last year. Point being made is that I don’t recommend this dental office to anyone that wants a honest opinion. Save your money, time, effort and peace of mind.

Let me start by saying I went to Vellaquette over 20 years ago for a routine check up. Back then he and his sister (who is/​was the hygienist) tag team on people telling them they have all kinds of issues with their teeth and try to get you on a program that only lines their pockets. During this routine check up I had no pain anywhere. Vellaquette told me I needed a root canal even though my tooth felt perfectly fine. I left his office paying over $ 3000.00 for services back at that time. Since the day he did my root canal I have had nothing but issues with that tooth. I have had to get a crown several times and more recently I fractured one of the roots that lead to and extraction and now I am having my jaw drilled into to get an implant put in. I have not had any other issues with any of my other teeth since that time and genetically speaking both my parents are in their 80s and have never lost a tooth. My mom is 88 as of this writing. I believe if I had never met him I would not have had to go through the pain I have suffered because of his greedy-​diagnosis. Even his high ratings mention that he is getting them on his income plan. If you have had a good check up and nothing is hurting I seriously recommend that you get a second opinion. If your second opinion says you are ok. you should believe them… Especially if your tooth is not hurting…

I debated writing a review for a while since I don’t like to be negative, but I think it’s really important for people my experience and hopefully stay away.
The short story is that he and his practice overtreat and use strong-​arm sales practices to do so. I was told I had multiple cavities and needed extensive treatment. A second opinion revealed I had 0 cavities.
The whole staff is incredibly nice and organized — down to their email marketing. The office is clean and they even have Netflix streaming so you can watch while you you’re in the chair. Their examinations are thorough including photos of your teeth form all angles. These photos are later used a prop in the sales pitch. After my first appointment I left with a treatment plan detailing my multiple cavities and the drilling that needed to be done over multiple subsequent appointments to avoid going over insurance caps. I was a little surprised because this was my first dentist after moving from my hometown and I had never had a cavity before.
It wasn’t until I returned for treatment that I started to get a weird feeling about the place. I let the junior dentist know and she looked concerned. She brought in someone who I did not know to pressure me into the treatment. They showed the photos again. See! See! my teeth *needed* work. I asked what alternatives there were and what would happen if we waited. She was angry and went to fetch Dr. Vellequette. By the time Dr. V got there to start a soft pitch, my instinct told me to leave so I walked out. They were not happy, but it seemed pretty weird to let someone you don’t trust drill your teeth.
Soon after I visited my hometown doctor — no cavities. I’ve also found a new dentist closer to my house in SF. The cost of living is just as high (or higher), but interestingly this practice does not feel the need to overtreat. Once again, no cavities.

I went to this office for a routine cleaning. My overall experience felt more like a sales pitch, being passed from one person to another, with new invoices being presented to me and the list of things I needed, preventative and otherwise, mushrooming out of control. 1 visit became 1 of 4 and I decided to bail after consulting with a family member who is also a dentist.
This place represents the worse of what dental and healthcare has become. I’d skip this place.

I went for a routine cleaning and they took some pictures of my mouth. Then when the doctor came in he didn’t look inside my mouth and went straight to the pictures saying that I have a lot of cavities and that there is a filling that need to be redone. I told the doctor that I have never got any filling done before. So he showed me the picture which was actually some saliva. I told him again but he won’t listen. I began doubting myself. I told him That I will come back later for the fillings and ran out. Then when I visited a dentist in India he said that I don’t have any cavity at and that they are just stains.
Bottom Line: if the doctor can’t make out saliva vs stain vs cavity then I don’t know what to say. But its very sad that he would just rip people off like that.

I went to Vallequette for about 5 years, grant you the office is nice, but the staff changed completely every time I had a cleaning (about every 6 mo.). My insurance was billed for everything even things I didn’t have done. The office talked me into Veneers which I got a great deal on and Dr. Vellquette did an amazing job on. But after a few months they started to fall off and they charged me to reset everyone that came off at an expensive price… I was told that I had cavities and realized that his sister was the hygienist and then became skeptical, not only did I have fillings replaced on the same tooth he had filled prior but now more, almost every visit, so I went to a new dentist and had a cleaning and they told me I had no cavities. As nice as everyone is there I realized that this is a business to make money at the expense of the patients, I can say this because my mother went there and experienced the same thing!

In a sentence: DON’T GO HERE FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN CLEANINGS.
I have to give a very negative update. Just to clarify, Dr. Fung is great and I would still go to her for cleanings if I wasn’t so disgusted with Dr. Vellaquette.
After my last cleaning I was told my mouth was full of cavities, like 20 – 30. I’d had a few very small fillings before, so I was surprised, but he’s the dentist with a lot of 5 star Unilocal reviews, right? My whole interaction with Dr. Vellequette was negative, the guy is pompous and an ass. He pressured me into getting 8 fillings just after my cleaning, all of my right side; he wanted to do both the right and left side but I insisted on waiting on the left side. It felt rushed, and in retrospect it definitely was. What’s worst is he did a crappy job — less than a year later I had to get one redone since a cavity formed under the filling, and the other fillings are chipping away just from flossing. My experience when having it redone was completely different in a good way at Dr. David Li’s practice in Sunnyvale (***go to his practice instead!***)
Unfortunately, my teeth will never be the same after Dr. Vellequette drilled away most of 8 of them.

I’m astounded at some of the negative reviews of this office. I do not know any two people on the planet that have the same teeth or mouth. Every mouth is different. Every patient is different. You cannot generalize about your specific recommend treatment if you do not survey everyone else going into the same office. Obviously Dr. Velequette is one of the highest rated on Unilocal. That speaks for itself. I’ve personally referred nearly 10 people to this office and all of them have rave reviews for him, Dr. Fung and the entire staff. Going here is like fun time for me because the personalities are colorful, and everyone is personable. Years ago I would skip my dental appointments out of fear. Until I started going to this pain free office my mouth was unhealthy. Dr. Velequette never has pressured me into any more service than what was needed or what I wanted. I like his consultative approach and very deliberate way of devising your treatment plan. It is YOUR plan so you can be frank in discussing costs and options. They have even worked with my insurance company to get things paid for that I had no idea they would pay for. And they always work within my budget. That is the epitome of service. For the first time in my life I have a healthy mouth and the motivation to take care of my teeth. I owe that to Dr. Velequette, Dr. Fung and the awesome team !

I don’t recommend Dr.Vellequette. His modus operandi is to take close up pictures of perfectly healthy teeth, scare the patient that they might get cavities in the future, and recommend preventive drilling of perfectly healthy teeth to fill them up.
Unfortunately, I was too naïve to fall into his trap. After almost 30 years of perfectly healthy teeth, I unfortunately fell into the trap of Dr. Velquette, and got 10 teeth of mine drilled and filled though X-​rays showed zero cavities. Please note that it is perfectly healthy to have deep grooves in molars. It is natural, and nothing to be worried about inspite of what Dr. Velquette will preach you. It is unethical and plain wrong to play with patients lives. If there are zero cavities, there is absolutely no need to drill and fill them up. Because of his greed, I am now subjected to refillings every few years for the rest of my life. Every time a tooth gets drilled to replace an old filling, more of the original tooth structure is lost and there is a bigger hole to fill. There is nothing more stronger and durable than the original tooth you have.
Anyone, who gets recommended by Dr. Velquette for new fillings should outright get a second opinion instead of trusting him blindly. The only saving grace of his practice are his hygienists. They are awesome! They do a thorough job of cleaning your teeth.
I waited too long to post this review, thinking it would not make a difference. There is a good chance that this review might get hidden by Unilocal.Please note that there is one more reviewer who had a similar treatment meted out to him by Dr. Velquette due to greed (11 tooth-​fillings for no good reason).

I’ve been seeing Dr. Vellequette and Dr. Fung for about a year and a half now. Both of these dentists are very personable, knowledgeable and give a thorough preface on work to be done. All my cleanings have left me with a spring in my step and the feeling of new money! The filling process is a piece of cake with their efficiency and diligence. They have Netflix streaming which is a nice diversion to the fun of getting dental work done in your mouth. The dentist memorabilia is a nice touch– chapstick for my bedside and breath freshener for my purse! They run a tight ship here. I usually communicate through email, and they get back to me in a timely fashion. I had a lapse in insurance, decided to pay cash, and they gave me a little break for that. I like this dentist so much, I come all the way from San Francisco!

For Dr. Stephanie Fung, she deserves 5 stars for her great work, understanding of a patient’s needs and very gentle approach towards her patient, which really helped to reduce my pain level and anxiety. She really stands out even in comparison with other more senior dentist in the same office or my previous dentists.
I had to reduce the stars because of my experience with one of the front desk staff (Hispanic woman?). She is in charge of inquiring for insurance, etc. I remember when I first called in as a new client and she proposed to check my insurance for exact coverage. She never called me back and I had to call her back 3 – 4 days later. No apology. It happened several times when I changed my insurance and also when she was supposed to call me back for something. Other times when I asked her questions, I could feel her coldness on her face or in her tone. Exceptionally she was once friendly to me. I am guessing she is either moody or prejudiced? In contrast, another Asian lady in the front office is always friendly.

I was referred to smile center silicon valley by a friend and I am so happy I made an appointment. I am currently doing my braces with them. I was not a candidate for invisalign, but instead of the traditional braces I got the new brackets that are white/​clear in front and you cannot notice it as much. Everyone is very knowledgeable, especially Dr. Vellequette– he takes the time to explain and make sure that I understand what’s going on with my braces. I can’t thank Jojo enough for being a great ortho assistant. For the icing on top — they have Netflix and a warm towel to wipe my face after each visit!

I would definitely recommend Dr. John. I’ve had some horrific dentists in the area. I’ve been with Dr. John for more than a year now. His work is great and his prices are fair. The staff is professional, courteous, and show care. They’re always on time and always remind me about my appointments. The office is clean and comfortable. Can’t wait to get another cleaning in! That’s the first time I’ve ever said that about the dentist lol

I’ve been going to this office for the last couple of years and I have never experienced any dentist who is more personally invested in his patients. He is super friendly and caring. The office is nice and clean. There’s granola bars, a keurig machine for coffee, water, and tea. He also has hand sanitizer, lights, and other goodies for patients. One of the hygeniest gave me a list of things to do which I hung up in my bathroom and I do daily (2−3x brush teeth, floss 1−2x, daily salt water rinse, mouthwash 2x, tongue scrape, etc.). I still remember my first visit years ago, I had a cleaning and an x-​ray. I’ve never felt my teeth so clean! That’s why I continue to go here, the staff does an amazing job!

I went to try out Dr. Vellequette’s practice b/​c of the positive Unilocal reviews and was dissatisfied with my service.
They have some cool gear that will magnify your teeth on the monitor so you can see what they are seeing. I got a good cleaning but experienced some pain the following few days (hygienist was a little heavy handed). I was told I had cavities and needed to replace older fillings, and I’ve since decided to go elsewhere for another opinion.

My 15 year old daughter went from 0 cavities to 12 in one year. I called to inquire what could be causing them. Dr. Vellequette would not call me back, but did have an assistant call to possibly set up an appointment. She was defensive and insisted I review the x-​rays with the doctor. All I wanted to know was what might be causing the sudden explosion of cavities and what possible preventative care might be in order going forward, not necessarily challenging the diagnosis. I never was able to talk with the doctor. In sum, there are probably better practices out there.

GET 2^nd opinion before doing anything here
Remember if you go to his office, he will numb (strong: to a point where
your heart will race & hands shakes) your teeth for no reason
and his excuse is since we have numb your teeth we can perform
filling, root canal (or whatever).
Oh, one star for his nurse/​hygienist, she is very nice and does a great caring for you.

i’ve never had a bad experience with a dentist until this guy who seemed so nice and knowledgeable (which he probably is, but lack of honesty makes this irrelevant in his case). Anyway, he said that I had cavities, cracks, and needed crowns when 3 other dentists whom I paid to get a 2^nd opinion from couldn’t find anything. It also makes me wonder the 2 cavities that I did have filled if they were necessary. Maybe those were… I’ll never know. Also, he recommends to take way more pain killers than necessary. My opinion if you really want him as a dentist is get a 2^nd opinion. Hopefully, after reading this review he, himself will be more honest with his evaluation. Also, I had his sister the hygienist clean my teeth and she exaggerated how bad my teeth are, and that too was proved to be incorrect by the other 3 dentists.
Also, anyone else think it’s weird that he has a larger than life size pic of his wife and a photo of his 3 children wearing Stanford shirts. Stanford is of course an excellent university but it’s just a bit annoying and odd that he isn’t an alumni.

Now I understand why everybody hates the dentist. It hurts me to write this since everything is true about them being friendly, etc., but what hurts more is the impact on my wallet, job, and sanity.
Disclaimer: I’m listing the facts from the ultimate pessimist/cynic’s point of view. I understand that in reality there was probably just a bit of bad luck involved.
I’ve had my fair share of cavities, but nothing really recent. Went in for my first visit here looking for a cleaning/​checkup. Doctor sees some fillings and wearing on my molars and suggests I’ll probably need a crown or two soon. No pain and no major cavities. Next thing I know I’m scheduled for a crown and I’m the last patient before he goes on a week vacation. During the procedure (when my face is full of gear), «we» decide to go ahead with that SECOND crown while we’re at it
The next day I’m in a ton of pain, but whatever… 2 days later I’m literally in the worst pain of my life, and it ranges from my adam’s apple to my temple. I was on the verge of going to ER to have an extraction when I realized that pain medication worked well, but only if I took it every 2 – 3 hours. Unfortunately, I’m one of those people that requires sleep. and a functioning liver.
A 20 second search tells me that I need a root canal. Typical causes? Infection from decay (which I didn’t have), or *excessive trauma to the tooth* (from a hurried job, perhaps?). The doc is on vacation, though, so I’m stuck deciding between seeing an endodontist, or hoping that maybe I can get some discount since I obviously contributed nothing to the need for a RC. I went for the latter, but to no avail.
I got one RC and pain was reduced but I needed another for the 2^nd tooth. All in all, despite the sleep deprivation, it ended up being a month-​long nightmare that consisted of of 10+ visits, maddening pain, poor job performance, and a 4-​figure bill. Keep in mind that I’m omitting a ton of smaller details… not to mention I didn’t even get my cleaning that I went for!
Life lesson: get a second opinion (even if you have to pay for it) for major work. Remember that, above all, it’s a business and needs to turn a profit.

I’ve been to a few different dentists recently that have told me that everything looks great and to keep doing what I’m doing. I went to Dr. Vellequette for the first time, and he is the first to tell me that things weren’t perfect. He took photos and xrays and reviewed them with me, showing me how over time my molars were degrading in the seams and would need to be filled. He didn’t push to do any work now but simply «put them on the shopping list» for a later date when it was more necessary.
Dr. Fung did my cleaning (yes, my cleaning was done by a dentist), and she did the best job of anyone getting rid of every little piece of junk that had accumulated.
The only negative was the office. It was fine, but not all that nice. Almost everywhere else I’ve been has been nicer, more updated, with TVs in the exam rooms, etc. But, the level of care is so great that the state of the office cannot lower this review from 5 stars.
Go see Dr. Vellequette, if for nothing else than a second opinion.