After my daughter's old dentist missed diagnosing cavities until they got to the point of needing pulpotomy and crown, I went on a hunt for a new dentist we could trust to do the necessary dental work. After talking and meeting with multiple dentists, I am so grateful we found Dr. Im. From my first contact via email with Nat to my first phone call with Sam, the thorough exam with Dr. Im, to insurance verification and billing with Viviana and Natalie, everyone was FANTASTIC. It was so refreshing to go to an office whose team made us feel welcome and valued. Dr. Im was kind, knowledgeable, and gave me every confidence she would take great care of my daughter. I'll update this review after my daughter's work is complete, but I felt a huge sigh of relief leaving the office. I feel confident in Dr. Im and her team. read more

We've been going to Dr. Ellen Im for 4 years now. We were referred to her by a friend who is also a dentist due to my daughter's complex dental issues when she was 4 years old. My daughter had a dental issues due to genetic since she was little. She had to get couple surgery and dental work done as a young kid and like any young kid, she did not like going to the dentist. However, Dr. Ellen Im was amazing from beginning to end. She was very patient, knowledgeable, and kind. She didn't want to rush into things and tried other less intrusive methods first. She also does proactive care. My daughter sees her every 3 months (my choice) for preventive measures and since we have been going, my daughter has loved it. We just actually came back from there this morning and it was fast with positive results. She's been clear from any cavities and other dental work for the last 3 years. We are very happy with the care, service, and results. Thank you to all the staff (who are also so amazing and always remembers her and us) and Dr. Ellen. Highly recommend her! Love dr. Ellen Im and her team. read more

Always an incredible experience. Everyone is always gentle and friendly with my son. Shanee cleaned his teeth today and she was so warm, friendly, and gentle! I recommend this practice to all my friends! read more

Well this review is LONG overdue! My son and daughter both came here for their first visits a month apart. They BOTH had their teeth cleaned and the dental hygienist were nothing short of AMAZING. I thought they were both going to have difficulties sitting still and cooperating but the hygienists were so calm and patient which put both my kids at ease. They actually asked to come back! I was SHOCKED! My son had x rays done, it was quick and painless. I know one hygienist was named Candy but I didn't catch the other ones name. Anyhow, we love Dr Ellen and her staff are AMAZING. I almost don't want to post this because I don't want it to be so hard to find an appointment! read more

I have been coming to this office for my daughter for more than 6 years, and I'm so thankful to have found such a caring dentist! She is great with kids and as a plus can communicate in Korean which I prefer, I always refer my friends and their families love her too! read more

As an orthodontic patient at this office, I've been very pleased with the doctors and the assistants that have helped me! They were so efficient and kind and I could tell they were very skilled. Appointments were easy for me to make even with my weird work schedule. Very happy with my aligners so far! read more

My kids have always had a little bit of anxiety when it comes to visiting a dentist but my experience with Dr Im has completely changed that. She took the time to listen to my concerns and explain everything thoroughly my kids were very comfortable. Dr Im and all assisting staff are very nice and friendly. read more

Im Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics - After Dentist appointment - Pediatric Dentists Near Me - Poway, California

We transitioned from another big Dental Pediatric group in San Diego last year. So far we have been impressed with Dr. Ellen and her new Orthodontist partner and their staff. We used to pay 150+ in ancillary unnecessary fees with prior dental group. Its nice to see a great dental group that cares for their clients and are not out to try to charge unnecessary services. read more

I was in need for a new dentist for my son and was referred by a friend of Ellen Im and how great she is with kids. Also with all the great reviews on Yelp, I went ahead and gave her a shot. Finding a dentist is never easy cause u never know what you're going to get. Will they overcharge u on unnecessary procedures or will they underperform where u have to keep coming back and that means more expenses. So far I'm pretty pleased with the first visit and Ellen and her staff's expertise. I'll probably write another updated review once we go here a few more times. So Ellen's dentistry is located in Poway off Pomerado Rd. Its building is by itself and away from major businesses so it's easy to find. From the first look, I thought it was an apartment building, but apparently she owns the whole building cause there are other dentist specialists in the same building. So that's helpful if u need something done specifically, u can just be referred to that specialist in the same building. Her office is on the second floor and they are practicing social distancing and have rules such as keeping masks on and they take your temperature. Right now, they're only allowing 1 parent to accompany your child. The main waiting room is fairly big and they have a tv with children shows to keep the kids entertained. Checking in was easy and the staff was very friendly. Upon checking in, a few minutes later, the dental hygienist brought us in to our seating station. Each stations are distant pretty well but surprisingly there were no walls in between. So u can see all the patients getting their work done. The hygienist was very friendly and kept my son entertained with funny questions and asking what he wanted to watch on the tablet while being worked on. Then Dr. Ellen Im came to greet and introduce herself to us and give us an overall evaluation of the service. She was very honest and even stated that certain concerns about my son's teeth was not to be worried about and that they can keep following up on the next visit. Reason behind that is because he still has plenty of baby teeth left in his mouth so there was no reason to worry about things like braces and other miscellaneous work. She said there's no reason to spend extra money on procedures that aren't needed. I felt relieve after hearing that and I appreciate her honesty. So far I have confidence with Dr. Ellen Im and her practice and I look forward to giving her our business and to have her for a long time. read more

This place is top notch. They make you feel welcome and comfortable right away. Parking isn't bad here. You do have to walk up steps to get to the office. The reception desk is helpful and kind. The office is clean and the waiting room has a kids movie on which is really nice to distract the kids. All the staff here is great. We had Candy as our dental hygienist and she was super patient and kind to my daughters. Dr. Im is also super patient with the kids and also answering my questions. I like this place a lot and will continue to bring my girls here! read more

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This was my first visit to a pediatric dentist and I was so incredibly impressed with Dr Ellen's facility. To start, the waiting room is spotless with a hepa filter air filter and a Disney movie on for the kids. Every single staff member was friendly and polite. It was my 2 year olds first visit and I had no idea how it was going to go. Candy, the hygienist, was so patient, sweet, gentle and loving towards my son. My boy was a champ through it all. Each station has their own TV so kids can watch their own comfort show and my son loves Cocomelon. Candy must have been psychic because she offered Cocomelon and that was the best choice as my son loves it! She did her cleaning and Dr Ellen came over and Candy filled her in on everything she needed to know. This is where I wanted to cry. My son was done with his cleaning and didn't want another inspection of his mouth. Dr Ellen layed him down so sweetly and sang to him which calmed him down immediately. She actually sang to him the entire time. It was beautiful. My son got a balloon and a toothbrush to go and the balloon is is favorite thing ever right now! I feel so fortunate to have found this place. I would 100% recommend this for any child in need of dental care. Thank you much for taking care of my baby. read more

Incredible staff!!! Special thank you to Candy and Dr Im, they always make my almost 3 year old sooooo comfortable! So much so that when I told my daughter her dentist appointment was coming up, she kept asking to go multiple times, saying how excited she was to get her teeth cleaned so she can get her balloon. Can't recommend this place enough, the receptionists are incredibly kind as well! read more

Im Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics - Not even 3 yet and no complaints from her... loved getting her teeth cleaned :) - Pediatric Dentists Near Me - Poway, California

Everything about this dentist office is superb!! We are so so happy with Dr Im and her staff! The quality of care, the friendliness and bedside manner couldn't be more perfect for my f daughter. read more

I have been coming here for over 4 years! I live in Oceanside and happily pass hundreds of Dentists to come to Dr. Ellen and her team!! I am thankful for the amazing service for all these years!! read more

Im Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics - Pediatric Dentists Near Me - Poway, California

My daughter's baby tooth cracked and was hurting her. The ladies at Dr. Ellen's office not only got her in immediately, but accommodated changing all three of my kids' cleanings changes to same time. Candy, Mai and Jasmin assisted with thorough, gentle cleanings. And the laughing gas for my nervous girl. Dr. Ellen was thorough, friendly and very informative. She spoke to both the kids and myself so everyone was on the same page. Love this office! read more

We love Dr Ellen Im and her team! We had Candy as our dental hygienist and she was wonderful with my 3 year old! Always a great experience!

I usually don't care to do reviews and comment on this type of situation but I believe parents should be on top of this. CHECK YOUR DENTAL CLAIMS. I took my twins to their initial appointment last month and the doctor and hygienist were great but that was the only good part of the experience. They finished both my boys in less than 7 minutes and I'm giving them complements to that. it wasn't until the beginning of this month that I got my claim for my dental insurance company for 3 sets of xrays my boys did not take and an extra charge for dental instructions I did not know I was getting charged for. I called the Dr. Im's office for clarification and they explain it was a mistake for the xrays and they do charge the dental companies to for "dental instructions" but if the dental insurance does not pay for it, it does get waived to the patients. My initial thought on this is well that kinda sketchy. So they charge the insurance for something I wasn't aware of then if the insurance doesn't pay it's fine? the billing department explained that they would get the claim fixed. So I waited about week, then received another billing claim from my insurance company saying that Dr. Im's office billed them again for more xrays and procedures that were duplicate. Of course, my dental insurance denied the claim but what????? WOW. I contacted Dr. Im's office again and did not receive a response for 4 days. I finally got a call from their billing department saying that they made a mistake and will send over a copy of the what the billed to my insurance and it was my insurance that made the mistake. Ok? I got that email and it had my son's name spelled wrong.... WOW....no attention to details whatsoever. We will not be back. This is a moral and ethical situation. If you weren't aware they would be charging for xrays that weren't taken and if later on you needed there's a chance your insurance company would not cover another. I have great benefits so I wasn't worry about this but i do know families who don't have these benefits, you end up paying out of pocket or going through a process to make these changes. Being 6 months out, how do you remember if the procedures even happened? Up until now I still have not gotten rid of the xray charges from my dental insurance. All in all check your claims and make sure you understand what you are being charged for. This really suck because I really needed a good dental office. to Dr. Im, you seem to be great at what you do but your support needs to change. read more

Dr Im and her staff are so amazing! I wouldn't take my kids anywhere else! Thank you all.

Dr. Ellen Im was recommended by a moms group I'm in and I am so pleased with this office. Everyone is really kind and caring. My daughter has some sensory issues which has made regular brushing difficult and she had 8(!) cavities. So we've been to the office a lot. But I appreciate that the dentist was sensitive to my daughters needs and has created a plan to watch for continued problems. read more

Im Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics - Pediatric Dentists Near Me - Poway, California

Dr. Im and her staff are all awesome people. They are gentle and caring with all of their patients, and deal with kids according to their personalities (from what I noticed). First couple of times, my son was afraid of even seeing the xray machine. I like that they weren't pushy and tried to introduce the machine slowly. They also heard him loud and clear whenever he expressed his feelings/opinions. They stopped immediately when he was uncomfortable. It made me feel safe with the Dr. and the staff bc my son's opinions and/or comfort levels mattered to them first before anything else. So far, the entire staff was gentle with him, while trying to clean his teeth. I especially liked how Ms. Candy communicated with my son. She had an eye-level approach with him, as she gave him instructions. She explained everything in detail, prior to proceeding (even giving him a pair of sunglasses to protect his eyes from the light). She was encouraging and personable. My son listened to her carefully and even giggled while having conversations with her. I actually am convinced that he had a good time cleaning his teeth at the dentist. read more

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We love Dr. Ellen and her wonderfully friendly team! Our kids get great care every time we come in. We recently worked with Candy and Shanee and they were both wonderful. Thank you for taking such good care of our family and for coaching us on best practices for a lifetime of optimal dental health! See you next time! read more

Always a pleasure when the kids have an appointment with Dr. Ellen. Most importantly, she makes the kids comfortable even when getting fillings!! My child was so happy and cheerful even after the procedure she went through. All thanks to Dr. Ellen and her assistant helping her. Thank you! read more

Im Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics - Pediatric Dentists Near Me - Poway, California

Every one is incredibly efficient and professional. Dr.Ellen and Maia were amazing when it came to my 3 year old getting his first fillings. It was amazing how patient and effective they were. when you go to them you are dealing with experts and know you are in great hands. read more

Highly recommend this dental office for the kiddos & family. My kids has been seeing Dr Ellen Im since they were 2 yrs old and now they are 9 & 5 yrs old. They love Doctor Ellen Im & her staffs. They are sweet and very patience with handling kids. We used to live in Rancho Bernardo then moved to Temecula. It is worth the drive! read more

Amber with Dr Ellen is amazing! She is so sweet, kind dvd patient. For years, the dentist has been torture for my nine year old---he would run from the office, hide, scream, punch, kick....didn't even attempt it at this shop. Amber has a great memory remembering how much he loved turtles, marvel and had chocolate toothpaste for him. They have a marvel comfort menu of items the kids can ask for, toys, and many movies on Netflix. The second time we went here, my son said to the front desk, "I like this place, there are nice people here" read more

Im Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics - Comfort menu of options they offer while getting cleaned! So fun for kids - Pediatric Dentists Near Me - Poway, California

PDO is amazing!!!! Such friendliness all around, they make it so fun for the kids! Rachel was particularly professional and friendly. Highly recommend! read more

My kids had a bad experience with previous dentist and are terrified of going to dentist. We found Dr Ellen through yelp and wanted to give her a try. The staff from the front desk to the assistants were great and welcoming. They made both my sons feel comfortable and even having teeth removed with Dr Im they aren't fearful as before. Thank you Dr Ellen Im and staff for everything. Both my brothers now take their kids as well. read more

Took my son and daughter there and the staff and Dr Im was very professional, quick, talented and friendly. They both loved it.. Then I had to take my other son who is on the Spectrum for his first dentist appt. I gave them a heads up on how we have even had difficulty brushing teeth at home. The staff was very patient and kind including Dr Im. They were able to do a full exam (minus the x rays)! The one who I really have to give props to is Rachel who explained everything, was able to get him sitting in the chair and even cleaned and flossed his teeth! Then Rachel stood with my son the whole time until Dr Im was ready and was very patient. My tension was decreased greatly once I saw how they were able to calm my son and get the exam done quickly and without any fighting after his initial fear and attempt to escape. Thank you! read more

My 5year old son had his clean up and xrays done here. The office is decorated with the little ones in mind and the staff was very welcoming. My son watched cartoons and had sunglasses as he had his cleaning done. Mayra was very gentle and kind with him. She explained the sound of the tools and helped my son feel comfortable. At the end Mayra gave him a coin for him to get a little surprise. My son left the dentist saying he wanted to come back to get another surprise. Thank you, Mayra. read more

My family and I are so thankful for Dr. Ellen Im and her practice. Even in the midst of this pandemic, they are responsive to the needs of their patients. My son woke up this morning with a swollen jaw due to an infection caused by his 6 year old molars coming in. She was able to determine what the issue was and call in a prescription for us quickly. They continue to go above and beyond for my children to make sure they are comfortable. We are so thankful for her, the staff, and her practice. Thank you, thank you!!!! read more

I've been taking my kids to Dr. Ellen for their cleanings for several years now, and my oldest also started ortho treatment there about a year ago. I have nothing but good things to say about Dr. Ellen and her team. She is so kind and she's wonderful with children. She always makes us feel comfortable and answers our questions. The orthodontist is great too. They stated my daughter on braces earlier than I had them, but I can see that it's preventing my child from other problems that might have developed if we'd waited longer to start treatment. It's very convenient having the dentist and orthodontist in the same office. Everything is easy, streamlined, and the communication is excellent. So thankful I found this great office! read more

We came from another dentist where they told us my son had a lot of cavities. That didn't sit right with me so we came here for a second opinion and so glad we did. They were very honest and told us our son has no cavities and that his teeth look great. Amanda was so helpful with our kids and also answered all of our questions without rushing us. Very kind service even from the front staff. No long wait and they gave our kiddos a prize when we left A+++++ experience! read more

Dr. Im and her staff are the cream of the crop. My children have been coming to see her since she first opened. We've always had the same great care for each and every visit. Recently my son had a bad bike accident that required emergency dental care. Her office got us an appointment immediately. She determined he needed a splint and immediately went to work. My son was never in any pain during the procedure. We've since had 2 follow-up appointments and he is more or less back to normal. I'm not sure what we would have done if we didn't have her guidance. Just know your child(ren) is/are in great hands with Dr.Im and her staff. read more

Dr. Ellen Im and her team are amazing! They are all so kind from the jump. It's so refreshing to have such a team be as compassionate as they are, truly! read more

I would never go here...equipment and instruments that they put in your mouth and child/children's mouth is not sterile, and it's probably a OSHA violation...the office seems dirty, if you look at floors, in corners and boards,,,the dentist and her staff are very unprofessional... read more

I didn't catch or remember the name of the Dr and hygienist we saw today (male Dr and female hygienist) but they were wonderful! My 3.5 year old was super nervous to go to the dentist but after preparing him with some Daniel Tiger dentist episodes he was prepared for his visit. The whole team was so kind and really put my son at ease. To the point he was telling the hygienist to make sure she cleans the back of his teeth and his tongue like he does at home . Thank you again! I will definitely recommend if anyone needs a pediatric dentist. read more

An Allstar team! We are so grateful to have found Dr. Ellen and team through some friends of ours that also go here. Our 2yr old son had an infected tooth and it had to be removed asap. Dr. Ellen was amazing through the whole process, comforting not only my son, but us too! She talked to him and distracted him during the 5-10minute process, that he barely had time to realize what was happening, Thank you team for the amazing quality of care and all of your knowledge on the matter. We will now be going here for our routine cleanings! read more

We absolutely the Dr.Ellen and her amazing team! I have been taking my boys here her for over a decade They never disappoint with the services they provide. I recommend Dr.Ellen and her whole team hole heartedly. read more

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Wow Dr Ellen IM DDs. I can not say how impressed I am when I come here every time. The staff truly care about the patients and ensure they are comfortable. Knowing that I will be taken care of when I come gives me great peace of mind. Staff are kind and friendly, and Dr. Ellen carries herself as a professional. The Hygienist Candy is truly amazing, she brings joy, laughter, and overall love when caring for her patients. I can't wait to go back to this amazing establishment. read more

I've gone to several well rated dentist all across San Diego- And Dr. Im is THE ONE! I drive from downtown SD to Poway for her because she's so great- the whole staff is great. My little guy has nursing cavities galore - I've searched high and low for the right dentist. We've tried so many of the well rated and popular dentist in the greater SD area- I would get fear and shame based feedback from all of them until I found Dr. Im. She gives me nothing like that. She is respectful, confident, direct, and honest! She is also gentle, kind and conservative in her approach. She gives you all the information you need and tells you the options, clearly states her recommendations, answers questions directly and respects what you decide. As far as her interactions with my kids- She is a miracle worker. She and her staff have a way with kids that is genuine, no big fuss, kind and comfortable. Then work so fast in their mouths! It's amazing! My daughter got novocaine and barely noticed. My daughter and son leave there smiling after major work and say they love it there. (When before, at other dentist, we would all leave crying.) They also get us in and out of the office in a timely manner that feels just right. Thank you Dr. Im and staff- I'm soo grateful to you all! read more