I was very sad to leave the area and have to find a different dentist, as Dr. Alan Samuel is one of the best dentists I have been to...ever! He is extremely gentle and very patient and caring. I never once got the feeling that he was trying to recommend unnecessary procedures and never questioned his genuiness and sincerity. I also really enjoyed his office, including the little things like the pictures on the vinyl light covers on the ceiling so you have something pleasant to look at when you are reclined. Also, during a procedure that required a lot of drilling, they offered headphones with a pre-loaded ipod so that I could listen to music. The parking lot to the office center cost money and there was no validation, but there was ample parking on the street. Go see Dr. Samuel - you won't regret it! read more

My Favorite Dentist I have been dentist hopping since I moved here in 2004 and I have finally found my dentist. Dr Samuel and Jessie were a fantastic team - helping me through 4 fillings with expertise and smiles. I will recommend him and his staff to everyone. read more

Horrible he said I had a cavity I Had my permanent partial removed for absolutely no reason WHY though????? They said I had a cavity but when I had a dentist professor from USC check no cavity was observed They gave me a horrible replacement just ugly and the ladies in the office tried to convince me that it looked great.....it was ugly. They Refunded money and insurance company BUT WHY? read more

Writing this review involved me revealing something rather embarassing about myself: I went 10 years without visiting the dentist. Oh yes I did! I said it. I'm a *reformed* dentalphobe... and I owe a great deal of my new dental life to the wonderful folks at Dr. Samuel's office. I gave myself a year to use up a rather large flex allowance, knowing I'd rather bite the bullett than lose $$$$ of my hard-earned money because I couldn't put on my big-girl panties and just see a dentist. To my credit, I did wait until November to make an appointment. Way to procrastinate! Luckily, I was able to get in. I still remember the doctor and staff looking at my gums in horror, wondering how I could even tolerate their stares without some anesthetic - they were pretty tender. In reality, I didn't experience any pain at this visit. None. Dr. Samuel told me simply, "I learned a long time ago - if there's a hole, DON'T poke it before the patient has been numbed." Hmmm... I'm no doc, but I sure liked where he was going with that. In total, before year's end, I had a dozen appointments. I had my quadarants scaled (my penance for my dental neglect), two fillings, one wisdom tooth extraction, fitting for whitening trays, fitting for a bruxism appliance and a filing and refilling of the gap between my two front teeth, which was originally filled before 9th grade. The office staff treated me like family - shoot, I might as well have moved in! They billed my insurance in way to minimize my out of pocket (paid a total of $7 for my gap bonding, which is totally cosmetic). They use the latest and greatest technology to treat dental issues. They also have a periodontist on staff, which is nice - Dr. Samuel will just call her over if he's got a gum issue he wants some input on. No need for a separate appointment. They are a family operation. Most of the assistants are related to Dr. Samuel by blood, marriage or years of friendship and professional contact. When the receptionist passed away, they sent a letter to each patient with the news. They always remember me when I come in, even though I've "graduated" from three-month to six-month intervals between cleanings. My teeth have never been better. Definitely ask for Lisa to do your cleaning. She's wonderful! Every time I see her, she reminds me how far I've come and how glad she is that I still come. Shoot... even if I move out of state, I'd probably fly back twice a year to visit Dr. Samuel. I'd say that was a joke, but it wasn't. read more

I scheduled an appointment after 8 years of not going to the dentist . I was nervous but my husband had been there two weeks prior and he assured me that I had nothing to worry about. He was right! Dr. Samuel was amazing, he was very patient with me, he took the time to explain things and wasn't in a rush. I've recommended my mom and brother as well. Great dentist!! read more

As a patient for more than 6 years (at least 15 appointments) , I can say the three dentists in this practice - Samuel, Videgain and Wagner, are awesome. Aside from the fact that all three are personable, reasonable and excellent dentists, they run a well oiled machine. This office is more efficient than any other medical or dental practice I've encountered in 40 years. No joke. They are always on time, they follow up on everything and the entire process is very efficient. And EVERYONE SMILES HERE. All the time. The office is clean and it has the latest equipment. I've never had a complaint and I am a former healthcare administrator. If you are in or near Santa Monica, this is the only dental practice you need. Highly recommended! read more

Feels odd to say because it's always synonymous with painful experiences, but I love my dentist!!! The staff at Dr. Samuels & Dr. Videgain's office are super friendly and put you at ease. Dr. Samuels does an excellent job of making you feel comfortable and explaining procedures in an easy-to-understand manner. He is legit, doesn't scam patients and is a joy to go to. Their office features high tech dental solutions, which continue to impress me. He is focused on preventative care and treats each patient with respect and courtesy. If you're looking for a dentist, I highly recommend Dr. Samuels. read more

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Dr. Samuel and the entire staff. I have been a client for 3 years and I never knew going to the dentist could be such a pleasant experience. The front office staff are so friendly, efficient, and very accommodating. I feel like I am seeing friends when I walk into the office! Dr. Samuel is not only a super friendly cool guy but also an incredible dentist. I feel completely at ease in his chair and trust him 100%. I am so impressed with his level of care. I did not feel a thing when I had a filling done. Magic hands! Also, my father lives in Orange County and I asked if he could recommend a dentist for him. He actually texted me later that night with the name of a colleague for my dad to see. That is completely above and beyond in my books. It is hard to find a doctor that truly cares about his patients like that. Heidi the dental hygenist was so gentle and answered all my questions. If you are a transplant to Santa Monica like me, look no further for a dentist. I am a medical professional so I am very picky. I have also seen Dr. Wagner who is a gem like Dr. Samuel. Thank you for your outstanding service! read more

If you're looking for a dentist on the west side, seriously go to Dr. Samuel. I was referred to his office by a friend, and I'm so glad she referred me! The staff is really friendly, and they were able to schedule me in for just a routine check up and cleaning easily. The cleaning was quick and painless, and Dr. Samuel was a really nice guy. They didn't try to pressure me to fill any tiny cavities or upsell anything, this has seriously my best dental visit experience yet, and will be a patient of his for a long while. For the building, it's just street parking and they don't validate or anything, but it was pretty easy to find a spot. read more

Update: I got my replaced filling replaced again but this time by my usual dentist. They discovered the reason why my tooth is sensitive when I floss is because Dr. S actually drilled a little bit of the back tooth so bacteria was getting stuck there since I can't really floss it due to the shape and where it's located. Details matter. read more

Dr. Samuels is very friendly and has a gentle way about him. I also like that the office has up-to-date technology. The office was recently remodeled too and it's beautiful and nice and clean. read more

I'm going to be real with everyone for a brief moment. Before going into visit (and I say visit because it truly was a delight) with Dr. Samuel, I had avoided going to the dentist for three whole years. I had a really bad flossing incident with a dental hygienist and I just didn't want to relive that horrible day of my life. Anyhow, a dear friend of mine from work was concerned about the health of my gums because that's the kind if sweetheart she is and she recommended Dr. Samuel. I was hesitant at first but then I remember that just because you have one bad experience doesn't mean you need to throw the baby out with the bath water. I mean sure, I got sick from eating some dangerously undercooked carne asada back in 03 (Thanks a lot Jim!) but that doesn't stop me from enjoying a hefty burrito from Chipotle every Thursday. Upon entering the office my ears were showered with the sweet sounds of Rob Thomas. And I'm not talking solo act Rob. This was the real deal, late 90's Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20 fame. From there it only got better. Vertical Horizon, Spin Doctors, Collective Soul, Counting Crows and many, many more. The only negative was that towards the end of the visit they played a remake of 98 Degrees' classic wedding hit "I Do" by some two bit country artist. If you're going to play that beautiful song, don't mess around. Stick with the original track. Beyond the soundtrack to my visit, everything else was just a dream. I had my very first cavity filled and to be frank I was terrified. I saw all of the needles and drills and my tummy took a tumble! I think they saw the terror in my eyes and were able to put me at ease with some light jokes and stories. Before I knew it, the left side of my face was numb and the deed had been done. Never before had a dentist graced the nooks and crannies of my mouth in such a way. He was like a magician who also had the power of a wizard and the gentle touch of a sushi chef. Before I knew it my visit was over and they sent me on my way with my little goodie bag in hard. It was a tearful goodbye but I needed to get a move on because I parked in a permitted zone (huge mistake!). So will I make up some crazy excuse why I won't go to the dentist for another three years? Hardly. If anything I'll go on a cotton candy binge just so I can see my dear friends again. Five stars! read more

Just went to Dr Samuel for the first time this week. They were able to do my x-rays, exam, and cleaning. The office was friendly. They didnt have Tv's and headphones like my last dentist. They dont have private rooms either which was weird for me, but it's fine. Tanya the hygenist, was great! Very thorough and very easy on me, yet still did a great job. Request her. Dr Samuel was nice and the thing I liked about him was that he didnt tell me all this stuff I needed done to my mouth! Most dentist are salesman and I didnt feel he was this way. read more

Dr. Videgain is the best dentist I've ever had. I was never in pain like I have been at all the other dentists since him. Very good at what he does and is very good about explaining what work needs to be done. I would highly recommend him. I haven't been to this office for a few years because my insurance changed but at this point, I'm willing to change my plan so I can go back to him. The entire staff here is fantastic! read more

Dr. Samuel is a great dentist. I have been looking for years and had bad experiences. He makes you feel so comfortable and the staff is so awesome. Dr. Yancy also works there and did gum grafts for my recession and she did such a great job at alleviating my fears and I actually look forward to doing it again. My teeth have never been in such good shape. Also their hygienists are amazing. I love Heidi she takes such good care. They all take pride in what they do and explain the whole process. I give them high recommendations. read more

An admitted dentaphobe here.... generally only go when something is wrong & hurts like HELL so I can't handle it any more... My wife found Dr Samuels for me here on yelp...she sent me a couple of options after i broke a tooth, neglected it &and it started killing me... Dr Samuels is just awesome , super relaxed, very nice, and friendly, Great new technology that was amazing to be able to watch them on the monitor working on my teeth. (obviously i don't do dentist much so i was impressed by the new stuff...) He is very good about explaining what we needed to do, doesn't push any procedures on you. The staff there are all fantastic & even when busy as heck, they manage the flow really well do not pack appointments in so tightly that if you are 10 min late you are out of luck, and they take great care of their patients. My new crown is perfect, cant even tel lit is not natural, Couldn't be happier with what is generally not a good experience for most of us. They made it as good as it could be. xrays, cleaning, root canal, temp crown, and final permanent crown all went smoothly. no complaints... I highly recommend this office and have referred 3 coworkers to him since i became a patient just 2 months ago... I will suggest parking on the residential streets on either side of the office as the office does not validate & a 70 minute appointment cost me $14 in parking charges...Ouch!! if you are only in for a short visit, Street parking on Wilshire can give you up to 2 hours by feeding the meter a couple of $.... definitely worth it. Vs the office parking lot fees... read more

I had my first visit with Dr. Samuel this afternoon and I couldn't be happier. It had been about 3 years (yes, i said 3 years) since my last dental appointment and i was pretty sure i was gonna leave his office pissed off at myself for waiting this long to see a dentist. i was totally nervous, but Dr. Samuel totally put me at ease. the entire office staff is so nice and friendly and Dr. Samuel couldn't have been better. read more

This is hands down, the best dentist I've ever been to. Went in for a wisdom tooth extraction a few weeks ago. Upon arrival, I was greeted by some great staff, and once I was in the chair, Dr. Videgain explained the procedure and my issue without any BS - he was very kind, professional, and helpful. The whole staff here is great. read more

First of all, I need to note that I absolutely hate going to the dentist! A coworker recommended Dr. Samuels when I moved to the Westside and I figured I'd give him a try - although, I was skeptical, as always. It was a great experience. The office is pretty big, but efficient. Dr. Samuels was very kind, gentle and moved very quickly (important to me). My first visit for some reason only covered the check up with Dr. Samuels. They took xrays and noticed that one of my fillings had cracked (he showed it to me on the monitor. I had to come back to meet with the hygienist and also get a filling re-filled. The only downside was the two visits to get my teeth checked and then cleaned and that you end up working with a number of different hygienists (although all were super friendly). read more

Based on the yelp reviews, I made an appt. with Dr. Samuel and went in today for a check-up (no cleaning). He was great! I barely had to wait in the waiting room and not at all in the chair. I hate when you get brought out of the waiting room only to sit and wait in a dental chair - none of that here. Dr. Samuel was so friendly and did not rush me at all, listened to all my symptoms and asked questions and did a full exam before giving me some recommendations. He did not pressure me into getting treatments that I did not need. I will definitely be going back. Highly recommended! read more

I just returned from my first appointment for a cleaning and general check up with Dr. Samuel and I have to say that this was by far the best dental experience that I've had in my life. From reception to the hygienist to Dr. Samuel, the staff was very nice and incredibly informative. From beginning to end: I easily found street parking (they don't validate). I arrived 15 minutes early as requested to fill out the paperwork and that is exactly how long it took. They were running about 5 minutes behind, but after hearing of my tight schedule, they were able to get me out 30 minutes earlier than expected. The hygienist was wonderful. She showed me my x-rays, was very thorough, and didn't mind explaining anything and everything as I like to know what this is and why this is like that. She was gentle on my gums and my teeth feel great! Dr. Samuel was amazingly helpful, explaining in detail and making sure that I understood everything that he had concerns about as well as why. He used a small camera to show me my teeth and keyed into the major issues. He didn't try to up-sell me or pressure me as others have done before. I've had an issue with a filling from a past dentist for years and I'm excited that it's finally going to be fixed! I'm usually a bit nervous about returning to have work done, but can honestly say that Dr. Samuel has earned my trust and I'm not worried at all. He even let me know exactly how long I could anticipate the procedure to take. Once at the reception area they were able to quickly and accurately explain what my insurance would cover for my future work and schedule me in. I can honestly say that I have no questions or concerns. I feel like I am in good hands and fully recommend this office. read more

Want a great dentist? Dr. Samuel is it! A nice guy, who treats his patients and staff equally great. He sent me a text in the evening to check on my crown. Oh, and he sincerely thanked and praised his assistant for a great job in front of me. He is gentle and nearly pain free. I highly recommend Dr. Samuel and his wonderful staff. read more

I'll add to the accolades for Dr. Samuel, for sure. Everything you read here is true: the office staff is great - friendly and helpful. The office itself is clean and up-to-date and I LOVE that they have 7 a.m. appointments; they get you right in! I have seen both Dr. Samuel and Dr. Videgain on separate occasions (Dr. Samuel is my usual) and they are both wonderful. Kind, patient, not alarmist yet thorough. I also visited Dr. Yancey, the periodontist on staff, for a gum graft. Um, gum graft? Could anything sound less appealing? I can honestly say it was really a piece of cake. Dr. Yancey was also patient, gentle, and thorough. It seems that all the dentists and staff are committed to providing patients with a good experience. That gets them five stars in my book. read more

This place was excellent. I have been very picky with my dentists in the past and this one passed the test with flying colors. Everyone in the office is super friendly and they ran on time, which is very important to me. Lynn was excellent with going over my xrays and cleaning my teeth while answering all my annoying questions. When I met with Dr. Samuel, he was very detailed with explanations and showed me what he was looking at and where some potential problems were. The whole staff was friendly! I would recommend this office to anyone and everyone. The best part about the office were the fact that it was so clean and that they have the latest technology for everything. I will be going to them for years. read more

From reading his Yelp reviews, I called to schedule an appointment with Dr. Samuel. When I got to his office, I was placed with Dr. Videgain and here is how my experience went... I had my bottom teeth cleaned by a friendly hygenist and had a nice chat with Dr. Videgain and thought all was well... until I got the bill. Dr. Videgain's office never disclosed to me that he is a "premeir" provider, meaning my PPO only covered 30% of his exorbitant fees (and yes, I told them I had a PPO and they just kept silent). They also encouraged me to only have my bottom teeth cleaned and come back for a cleaning of my top teeth later on, without informing me that they would charge me for an entire teeth cleaning just to have half my teeth cleaned. Furthermore, while Videgain was nice and chatty he hardly even looked in my mouth and his answer to all my questions was basically, "I don't know, come back to see our periodontist, so she can rip you off too." So basically I had to pay $128 for half a teeth-cleaning and a friendly five minute conversation. What a screw job! I know Dr. Samuel and Dr. Videgain are not the same person, but they are in the same practice and I never would have entered their office if not for Dr. Samuel's Yelp reviews, so I feel this experience should reflect on Dr. Samuel as well. read more

I just went to Dr. Samuel based on other reveiwers and he is hands down the best dentist I've been to since I was a kid. He didn't try to sell me on anything and even said that my wisdom teeth looked fine after my last dentist was practically forcing me to have them removed! Definitely recommend him!!!! read more

One of my husbands co-workers recommended Dr. Samuels, since we were having trouble finding a dentist/dentist office we liked. Dr. Samuel is fantastic! First if all, my appointment was at 3pm and I was seen at 3pm, best part is you don't have to wait! Second of all, the doctor explains everything step by step even explains any pain you may have after the procedure. He is gentle and careful, after the 2 fills, I had no pain nor soreness! Felt as though I didn't have anything done. Third of all, Dr. Samuels And the staff are extremely friendly and personable!!! I will be recommending Dr. Samuels to everyone!!!!!! read more

Hadn't been to the dentist in about 3 years and finally decided to make an appointment. I listened to what my fellow yelpers suggested and went to Dr. Samuel and was very pleased! He was friendly, engaging and quick I would recommend him to anyone looking for a great dentist. read more

I had a check-up and cleaning a couple weeks ago, and it was a great experience. Everyone in that office is super nice and accommodating. Meredith did my cleaning and she was so gentle--there was zero pain involved in the tarter clean-up. Dr. Samuel is very sweet and gives you the straight scoop. The front desk went out of their way to fit me in, and even tried to get me in for a much-needed follow-up appointment the same day. I highly recommend these folks. read more

Best dentist ever. I've been seeing Dr. Samuel for 17 years. He's done cosmetic work and dealt with emergencies. His staff is the best. Organized, on time. I drive from Studio City to Santa Monica because I like them so much. I'll never go anywhere else. read more

Dr. Samuel and the entire team (and I mean everyone) are beyond amazing. Do not bother going anywhere else.

Great staff and dentists. Cleaning went surprisingly stressfree and I dread them :-/

LOVE this office. Dr. Samuel and the team are so amazing. I should preface this by saying I dread going to the dentist - I have had the worst luck with some major duds (which has caused my teeth to suffer in the meantime) and I am so relieved I have found a place I am confident in. During my initial consultation, Dr. Samuel suggested that I have a crown replaced. His words were, "Do this when you have time - I'm not a salesman, I don't want to pressure you, but you should probably have this fixed". fast forward to a month later, my crown falls out of my head (mid-conversation I should add - lovely). Not only did Dr. Videgan put it back on the very next morning, but he also found that it was actually my gums that were pushing the crown out (due to negligence of my most recent dentist). It turned out that I actually needed periodontal surgery immediately. Enter Dr. Yancey (I'm telling this long boring story because I want to outline why I have worked with all three dentists). The surgery was absolutely, 100% painless. She even called that night to follow up with me. Recovery was a breeze. To me, this says a lot about how you work. If you take the time to suture everything as cleanly as possible, you won't have as much pain (or at least this is how I view it). Throughout this process, I have seen everyone at the office. From the front desk ladies to the hygienists to the dentists, everyone is calm, friendly, non-judgmental and really take the time to explain things. I will never not go here. read more