Horrible!!! Dr. Kent Lau and his office assistant Kate Nelissen commit fraud and are scammers! Do not use their Smiles Generation financial services. I did not know until too late. I ended up paying twice the amount for a crown. Please read link. Over 30,000 people have been scammed by Smiles Generation. Smiles Generations Encinitas is part of that list! https://www.peopleclaim.com/complaint-history/smile-generation-financial-comenity-capital-bank-columbus-oh-1580574 read more

I am the BIGGEST scaredy-cat when it comes to dentists. I have neglected my teeth too long because of my Fear. I bit the bullet and made an appointment. The staff was super friendly and worked with me on a budget and treatment plan. Dr Lau and his assistants are top notch. I was immediately at ease and the crown and fillings went much faster than I anticipated. I am not scared anymore! Thank you! read more

Everyone here is wonderful, and the de tail work is done with care and preciseness. So happy I found you all

DO NOT go to this quack. Upsells and worst cleaning I have received. No flossi or cleaning under bridges. The manager is a horror - so rude. read more

This dentist offers good service but they are profit driven and think of money first. When I first started going I thought they were doing a great job and catching all these things my previous dentist didn't. However, it soon became clear that there was ALWAYS something extra like a small cavity, minor gum irritation, etc that would need more service and fees. They go get a billing person to review and they tell you they can do it right away. I was suspicious but the final straw was when I had x-rays July 2023 and went in for my visit early February 2024 and they asked for a whole new set of x-rays. I said I didn't think I needed them since I had others just about 6 months prior. The tech went to tell the doctor and I was told that the doctor would require them since mine were old.....really? That is when I knew this was greed pure and simple. I had suspected this so I had been putting off what they said was a small cavity and my new dentist said he saw nothing where they said 6 months ago I needed a small filling. There are so many other good dentists around.....find one that offers good service but also does not push needless treatments on you and definitely doesn't push x-rays every 6 months......just not needed. Even the dental association says 6-18 months is fine so just asking yearly doesn't seem like a stretch. read more

Pros: Great customer service, friendly staff, modern space, easy parking. Cons: My treatment plan was so off base I needed to get a second opinion for the $1000+ of uninsured treatment they said I needed. An alternative dentist assessed my mouth without knowing the treatment plan from Encinitas Smiles and told me no additional treatment was needed and my mouth was in good shape. Can't always trust the expert. read more

Best dentistry in San Diego. Period. Very professional, high quality care. Staff is friendly and approachable. I've been a customer for years now and wouldn't go anywhere else. I just had some recent work done and the doctor and staff went out of their way to provide excellent customer service and made me feel very comfortable and satisfied. Highly recommend! read more

Kate at Encinitas Smiles was rude. We got 1 estimate for fillings that doubled 2 months later and when we asked why, Kate explained our Delta Dental coverage had changed--it had not. When we pressed the issue she admitted it was the "receptionist" fault not her own (Kate has been there 8 years... that makes her infallible I guess...! NOT a positive feeling. read more

My daughter went to the dentist On 10/23 for the first time ALONE as an adult without a parent. I warned her ahead of time to be careful of UPSELL. Only authorize work that is covered by insurance. My daughter text me picture of her X-ray and told me she needed a filling and that they did some cleaning for 600 dollars that was not covered. They told her " gums were bad, deep pockets and borderline infections". They also tried to charge her an extra 102 for a filling that was 100% covered by insurance. She was also told that her insurance doesn't cover much and they have a payment plan. We have pretty good insurance by most standards being my husband is an area manager at AT&T for 29 years. I called KATE who explained that my daughter was getting a professional discount and without insurance would have cost her 3000 dollars. (This was also in reference to her referral for wisdom teeth being removed) KATE WAS RUDE and condescending and short and even said she was "ending this call now." Basically hanging up on me while I was still talking. Not sure what Kate goes to tell my daughter... but I then get a mean text from my daughter about me calling the dentist. She even mentioned them violating Hippa because they told a stranger her personal information who called on the phone. ( Cigna told me it was not a violation since my husband and I are the policy holders and she is our daughter) 10/28 Monday. I call Kate again to ask if my daughter was diagnosed with Periodontal Disease? Or was that just uncovered maintenance they charged her? KATE decided to throw Hippa at me and said she would not talk to me and even said she was ENDING the call now. YET my husbands name is listed as financially responsible party with our address, not our daughters. And apparently she already violated her office poly of Hippa since she told me every detail on the 23rd. Which is it Kate? You follow Hippa one day and not the next, just depends on how you feel? On 10/23 they also referred her to get her wisdom teeth out and at the LaJolla Smiles location on Saturday the 26th, where they billed her 730. They charged her for all 4 teeth being completely impacted, which was FALSE! I have a picture of the xrays my daughter sent me. She even described one of them being exposed and through the gums. Today I filed a complaint on both offices with Cigna and included KATE in my complaint... and I'm not the first to say the exact words of her being rude n condescending, as there is another review stating the same. read more

Went in for a first time checkup and basic teeth cleaning and felt as if I was pushed into high pressure sales. I was walked out to the front door by the office manager after declining to receive a $1,300 cleaning that same day. I had to ask the office manager, Kate if I could go back into the room with the dentist (Dr. Young) to talk to her about just receiving a basic cleaning. After the dentist continued to tell me that the basic cleaning isn't her recommendation but that she would do it if I was personally requesting it (which is what I was continuing to request). She agreed to do the cleaning but made it clear to me with her attitude and demeanor that she didn't want to give me a basic teeth cleaning that my insurance would cover. The Basic cleaning she gave me took 30 minutes. I looked at the clock before we started and saw the time after she was done. I felt very uncomfortable with my experience with the dentist and office manager since they were only focused on high pressure sales and not me as a customer. For these reasons I will never come back and will continue to let others know about my dissatisfied experience there. read more

I find the staff and the dentistry support to be extremely professional in every way. Dr. Lau is efficient and knowledgeable. The entire staff up in the front is extremely attentive, and always available, contributing to a very favorable and consistent dental experience. Thank you very much to everyone at Encinitas Smiles. read more

I paid $4300 for 2 crowns and 4 deep cleans but my insurance has had no claims for deep cleans over the past 3 years. I paid Dr Lau for those deep cleans and he actually charged me in full but gave me a breakdown explaining the insurance and out of pocket but I paid the whole lot. I have since been to another dentist in Carmel valley who quoted me $408 for the deep cleans whereby I was charged $1790 by Dr Lau he is a thief and a cheat read more

I have always had bad teeth and I've been through lots of dentists. Rachel young is the best one I've had! She really cares about seeing my teeth get better and I don't feel like they are trying to rip me off like a lot of other dentists have. This place is easy to schedule and easy to work with. No surprise bills either. Highly recommend! read more

Update from my prior review. I finally made it to another dentist. She was shocked that another dentist told me that I needed a root planing and scaling, and the fact that it was done in 15 minutes, all four quadrants, with no anesthesia means they basically didn't do the procedure. Encinitas Smiles also told me I needed a crown, but luckily I bailed on that advice before dropping even more cash. The new dentist told me that was completely unnecessary. These guys are scam artists at the highest level, literally making you pay for procedures while you're still sitting in the chair after scaring you with doom and gloom about what a mess you are. My new dentist got viscerally angry when I described this experience. Last gripe, I contacted my insurance to explain all these issues and after their investigation they agreed I was scammed, asked this company to refund me, but shocker, I never got my money back. read more

I had read the negative reviews, but there were many positive, and they take my insurance so hoped for the best. Told my husband he needed a $600+ deep cleaning. Told me I had a cavity under a crown so crown needed to be replaced - couple of thousand dollars. Went to another dentist: no deep cleaning needed, and I did not have a cavity! Draw your own conclusions. read more

Very unhappy with this practice. Sent me to a surgeon with instructions to have 4 teeth extracted. I refused to have one of these teeth removed and when I returned to the dentist and complained about her treatment plan which spelled out extraction of all four teeth, she acknowledged she may have made a mistake. I also complained that she had not reviewed her treatment plan with me prior to referral to surgeon and she said that she had. She then presented me with new plan (treatment & financial) and demanded almost $3,000 to "get started". This dentist is interested first in money and last in the welfare of their patiennts. read more

WORST EVER Dentist I have ever treated. Used my Dental plan but they keep adding additional UNNECESSARY Charges for me to pay OUT of my pocket just for Teeth cleaning. Teeth cleaning should be free with insurance BUT they added numbing shot for $100 additional which I paid First before teeth cleaning. While cleaning, dentist said, you don't need numbing since I was handling the teeth cleaning well. After done, when I came out to refund the $100 for numbing, front desk assistant said, We charge $100 numbing fee even you don't use it. NEVER Went back, after teeth cleaning, I felt I got robbed DO GO THERE read more

As it seems others have experienced similar scenarios at this office i strongly feel the need to post a negative review and inform others before they use this dentist. I don't usually like posting negative reviews However this office cost me some serious $ that could have easily been avoided. My wife went in for an evaluation for a tooth ache. She was told She needed a route canal and a few crowns. No big deal right? So she was never offered any options for crowns or services. This office picked the most expensive crowns without checking if our insurance covered any of it. No options offered. Also they charged the highest out of all options for various details of the work done. When speaking with my insurance I found that they actually Covered many of these services however not at the high end which is what Smiles was going for. They blatantly charged and asked questions later. My wife, being the trusting person she is, trusted this office had her back and was looking out for her financially. NOT THE CASE. After the damage ( thousands of dollars after one visit) I tried to Reach out to the office personnel. They were very responsive at first and prompt with returning my emails. When I called them out with detailed information from my insurance they went dark. No email returns. No phone call returns. We paid the remaining balance and moved elsewhere for the remainder of the work needed. Do NOT go here if you want trusting service. No one should have to be looking up what their insurance covers and doesn't when they have a dental emergency. The Dentist should lay this out for you in a detailed explanation and explain it to you. This dental Office did not put in the effort to assure my wife was taken care of. Therefore, I believe this is a bad business practice that people should avoid. read more

I used to travel from PB to Encinitas Smiles Dentistry just because I loved Shawna and Katie so much, those two were such great assets to this practice! I came in for my checkup recently and Dr. Lau wasn't even the same Dr. I remember from last year, he seemed very stressed and acted like he didn't have time for me... I tried to talk to the new manager? I think her name was Kate? She was SO rude... I couldn't even believe how condescending she was... at this time I will be taking my business elsewhere and if anyone knows where Shawna and Katie went I would love to follow them. read more

I remain ambivalent re: their dentists, but their deep cleaning/periodontal specialist is out of this world. The receptionist told me she was good; I define that as thorough, skillful & knowledgeable w/ an incredible bedside manner. She looks at the results you need as her own in a warm non condescending manner which makes you want to floss 3x per day! read more

Dr. Kent Lau and his team are amazing. I've never had a better dentist experience. Fit me in right away for an appointment. When I showed up, I was greeted promptly and was take into the back right away. No long wait. Went over my options and gave me his recommendations, he explained everything in detail. If you have been looking for a dentist....you won't be disappointed. read more

Great experience at this dentist. Dr. Lau and his team are simply the BEST! I have been a patient at Encinitas Smiles Dentistry for two years now and the service has always been top notch. I recently had a 21-year old filling come loose. Because the filling was quite large I needed a crown the second go around. I was incredibly scared to have this procedure done. I was nervous about having a prosthetic tooth and any further complications that might arise from it. I was fearful of the pain during surgery and frightened I would need a root canal. Dr. Lau is truly amazing. Not only is he a dentist, but a psychiatrist too (not really but he could be). He spent so much time with me walking me through my dental charts, laying out the procedure in detail and explaining the reasoning behind the need for a dental crown. He genuinely took all of my concerns into consideration. When the time came for the procedure, he was very gentle with the anaesthetic injections. The needles are usually the worst part of it all. I am happy to say that I didn't even feel them being injected. At one point I needed a little more numbing and Dr. Lau was on it. The whole experience was painless, fast, and yielded great results. This dentist is clean and has all of the latest tech. They use the CEREC system for making same-day laser-perfect porcelain crowns. I must say that my crown fits perfectly. I cannot tell the difference between it and my real teeth. The top feels a little smooth when I touch it with my tongue, but other than that it looks and feels identical. I am currently undergoing the Invisalign process with Dr. Lau as well. I have just a few weeks left. The results are already amazing!! In just four months Dr. Lau has corrected my smile. The dental hygienists in this office are phenomenal as well. They are thorough and gentle. I have had many cleanings here and my gums have felt fantastic after each one. This dentist has always been reasonable with cost too. Kate, one of the front desk receptionists is extremely friendly and great with billing. I have never had any complaints. I have NEVER felt overcharged or taken advantage of. In fact, this is the best dental care at such a fair price I have ever had. Thanks for saving my gums, my teeth and for making me want to smile again! read more

Encinitas Smiles Dentistry is the best Dental office in all of San Diego; 2nd to none!!! Being a new patient and walking into their office for my first appointment, I immediately noticed the welcoming smile and kindness by Katie the receptionist. It didn't end there, Miguel the dental assistant, Hayley my dental hygienist, and Dr. Lau were all so accommodating and provided me with the very best professional dental care one can get, with a genuine smile too :) Instead of only offering me the most expensive treatment plan for my situation, Dr. Lau gave me a few different treatment options (unlike my previous dentist). At my appointment, I had a new crown put on and my teeth cleaned in a very short time; both of these procedures were pain-free! Dr. Lau's professional consulting, bedside manner, and dental expertise was very, very calming! Nobody really likes having to go see a dentist, but seeing Dr. Lau and the entire staff made going to the dentist a pleasure, really!!! Thank you Dr. Lau and Staff; I have found my dentist for life! Sincerely, Chris K read more

I will say it again. The staff and doctors are amazing! I'm one of those annoying patients that is extremely sensitive to pain and discomfort. I can't help it! But the staff at this office could be nothing more then accommodating and so kind. Unfortunately, dental treatments are extremely expensive even with insurance. I'm not sure why it's like this but it just is what it is. I will do what I can to stay with a clinic that is warm, kind and do what they can to best of their abilities to help me with financial struggles. Highly recommend!!! read more

I have had extensive dental work done over the years and this was one of the best experiences I've had. Professional and friendly staff that made me comfortable from start to finish. 10/10 recommend. read more

I had a very nice time here at this office. The staff was extremely friendly and their information was of abundance. The office was very clean. They were very professional in every step and procedure and they made sure that I was aware that they were environmentally friendly. Thank you read more

This dentist made me realize how awful my previous dentist was. The front desk workers, hygentists and dentists are extremely nice and made me feel like I had someone who really cared about me, my comfort and my health working on my teeth. Everything was carefully explained and it felt like great care was taken when working on my teeth. 10/10 I would recommend this place! read more

Right out of the gate you ou need to know that even setting up a dentist appointment is like pulling teeth for me. I don't like the dentist, his office, or the free tooth brushes . That was was until I came here. I had a appointment with Dr. Parray to to get a crown . I was not at all stoked when I walked into my appointment, until I was greeted by the manager Shawna. She was so sweet and nice, she vary quickly changed my attitude, and made feel very welcome and not at all like a dentist was about to be working inside my mouth . The rest of the staff was the same way, all smiles and good attitudes . As for Dr. Parray.. AWESOME . In and out quick and easy . I still dont like the dentist, but the team at Encintias Smile Dentistry make it as enjoyable as it's possibly going to get for this guy. read more

This staff does nothing but care about the well being of their patients. I have a very strong and annoying gag reflex especially when it comes to X-rays. The technician knew of this and did nothing but try and make me comfortable. The Dr was fantastic. He gave me a great exam and came up with a reasonable plan. The gal from the front desk is fantastic! So kind and understanding of my financial restrictions. Can't wait to come back to get my procedures done! read more

Sharing the experience I had with Dr. Lau may help some people to avoid the level of anger and frustration I experienced having him work on my tooth. First, I will describe the horrible treatment I received for one of my teeth, and then mention my general observations from the way he operates his practice. I had a crown that was giving me some problem. Dr. Lau diagnosed that the crown was not placed right, removed it and proceeded to put a new crown. But before the crown was put on, a dental surgeon suggested that the root might need some root work before the crown is placed. However, Dr. Lau insisted that since he had made the crown he had to put it on even though the tooth was not healthy. I have no explanation for this other than the high level of greed and unprofessionalism from a doctor that I wanted to trust. I agreed because I was going on a long trip and could not trust the temporary crown. The tooth of course continued to ache and I had to go back to the surgeon. When the surgeon tried to treat the tooth with the crown on, the tooth broke because it had been ground excessively to put the crown on after removing the previous crown. It now needs an implant. I had never seen this level of greed in any doctor to sacrifice the health of a patient to earn the money spent on making the crown while it should not have been made in the first place. This takes me to the second part of my review regarding general practices in this operation. I am sure some people go to Dr. Lau because he accepts AARP Dental USA Insurance Plan. But that is another reason that patients are fooled because he seldom charges the stated rates in the plan. He always comes up with excuses about how the rate does not apply and patients have to pay more. This practice betrays both patients and AARP insurance operation. Dr. Lau agreed to give me credit equal to my crown cost if I did the implant. However, when I did shopping around I found that his cost of implant, plus the additional insurance he was offering, plus the credit he agreed to, is steel higher than the cost of implant in some other office without using any insurance. read more

Became a new patient this weekend and my first visit went really well. The team has a great workflow and everyone was an A+ in customer service. Finding the right place with nice and trustworthy people can be hard but today I was blessed Dr.Lau was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G he walked me through the process... every step. He listens well to your concerns and he is calming and communicates clearly to help you make decisions. Honestly everyone here is super sweet and kind, I didn't' feel nervous or anxious during my visit. Shawna office manager is wonderful. She went over the check-in process, payment, and scheduling of my next cleaning. She was very informative, making sure she answered all my questions and went over financial breakdown. I was definitely impressed, 5 star customer service. GREAT JOB The hygienist Hayley performed quality work, she is super nice, extremely skilled, patient, knowledgeable and professional and made my teeth feels amazing. She was calm, very detailed about what she was going to do and continued to talk me through what she was doing, so I felt at ease. Hayley, You are awesome thanks for a great experience. Definitely refer all my friends and family. The office is high tech. I would usually have wait days for the crown and have to leave the office with a temporary crown. Not today!!! I was in the office and out of the office. Back staff Miguel and Anthony went above and beyond to make sure I had great time during my visit and they helped me a lot to choose best matching shade for my crown, they made my crown's anatomy as closed as possible to my original tooth, I am very happy with outcome thank you for being patient with me you guys are the best!!I almost forgot that I was at the dentist! read more

Dr. Lau was amazing. The whole team is so nice and trustworthy. I love this place and my crown was made in 1 hour..perfect!!! My experience was the best and I will never go anywhere else for dental work. And also their prices are very honest and the work they do is so high end...high technology...Thak you Dr. Lau and team. read more

Love this place! My wife and I go here and there all really helpful and sweet! They are not trying to make you pay 1000 of dollars! All new equipment. The hygienist and dentists are the best and are super sweet! Very good at explaining everything in detail whether its regarding your teeth or costs. I am really happy with my experience and I intend on going back every 3 months! Thank you! read more

If I could leave zero stars I would...consulted with 2 other providers and Encinitas smiles is part of a $$$ making Corp. RUN

I usually hate going to the dentist, but this was hands down the best experience I've ever had. Everyone from the front desk, back to my experience with Dr. Su was 5/5 stars. The entire team at the front desk was outstanding. They seemed incredibly knowledgable and was able to answer many questions I would normally need to ask a dental assistant or the dentist. I was in and out of there quickly, and they have plenty of appointment slots that fit my schedule. A++! Definitely recommend!! read more

I really have hoped our experience was as pleasant as the others have reported... Although, the office manager was very nice and accommodating. The dentists all seemed really friendly and professional. This horrible review is about the dental hygienist who did not care about her job and the patient. My mom didn't like her previous dental office (Pacific Highlands Dentistry in Carmel Valley- under the same group as Encinitas Smiles), they tried to sell her $4500 treatments that she did not need. So, on to the next dentist! Finally, we found Encinitas Smiles. With great confidence, we came here today.... As per usual, she needed deep cleaning, which is totally find. She knows the drill and accepts her reality. It took the hygienist about 1 hours to work on two quadrants. Great right? NO! After her appointment, my mom told me the hygienist took her time with measuring the depth of her gum- about 15 mins; took a 10 minute break and came back in; she sprayed water all over her face and neck, resulted in changing the bib 3 times; during the cleaning, the hygienist rolled her chair back to listen to outside conversations instead of concentrating on her work; she hung the suction tube by my mom's mouth almost the whole time; pulled my mom's lips back with her fingers instead of using a small mirror to push it back; she had a hard time cleaning the more difficult areas, so she just moved on instead of finishing her job.... Seriously, this person does not deserve to have a job in any dental office. Perhaps dental offices need better quality control on their staff. This customer will not be returning. read more

I had written a previous review for Encinitas Smiles but had to write another after my oral surgery. 5/5 stars for my experience getting my wisdom teeth out! Big shout out to the office manager, Kate, for being so accommodating and comforting (I was very, VERY nervous for the operation). Everything went swimmingly and now I have dental plan with Encinitas Smile :) Thanks again!! read more

The crown on one of my front teeth fell off yesterday afternoon! I called my regular dentist and got a message that they are closed until January 2nd. So I googled Emergency Dentist and found Encinitas Smiles. They are on Santa Fe Drive in Encinitas--very close to where I live. I called and got an appointment for 7:30 am today. Dr. Lau was my dentist and he was awesome! In two hours, I was out the door with a temporary crown and the ability to smile again. Katie did an awesome job as the receptionist. She is so warm and welcoming. She made the whole registration process "painless." The facility is beautiful and modern. The other staff members are friendly and efficient. read more

Fell asleep in my root canal today! Thanks so much to the doctors at Encinitas Smiles Dentistry and their amazing team for being so gentle and fast. Out of pain and ready to go! Really appreciate it. They also took me in without an appointment and got me out of pain fast. read more

Traveling from out of town but needed my teeth cleaned. Saw they had a $59 cleaning, X-ray, exam. Entire staff very friendly and educational, great care and service. Highly recommend. read more