We moved from Hawaii and everything here was difficult to look for a great, trusted, and caring doctor/dentist for the kid's until we found Dr. Gary! He's awesome! We had a really good experience here. We hadn't been to the dentist in a while and was honestly a little nervous going in, but the whole team made it easier for us either from booking a first appt to coming back for future visits. The front desk was friendly and amazing! the wait time was short, and the dentist explained everything in a way that actually made sense. Made me feel at ease knowing the kid's will be at the right care. The cleaning was thorough but gentle, and they checked in a couple times to make sure the kid's was comfortable. The office itself was very clean, kid friendly, and organized, which we appreciated. Overall it just felt like they genuinely cared about their patients, not like we was being rushed through an appointment. Definitely glad I found this place and sister Portia from our LDS church recommended. We'll be coming back for any future visits. Our must have dentist in the valley. Thank you Dr. Okamoto & all staffs, you guys are amazing and we're blessed to be apart of it Don't hesitate to read my review and seriously go in for your kid's dental necessities! HIGHLY RECOMMEND! read more

The best experience for my young son. He is 5 and has never had any fillings until today. Dr. Okamoto is a magician with the numbing, my son didn't feel it at all! He went through the whole process of filling the cavity and placing the filling with literally no movement from my son. It was seamless!! I was so worried because my son is not good with pain but this process went so smoothly I can't believe it!! We were in and out in 20 minutes. The staff is also so nice and welcoming! I'm so so glad we found a great dentist, I wish I could also go here read more

Dr. Okamoto is the best pediatric dentist. Ive been bringing my kids for 12 years now. I feel so lucky to have found him. It is difficult to get appointments if we have to reschedule. read more

Gary Okamoto DMD - Dr. Okamoto doing what he does best! Sharing his knowledge with his patients and not being annoyed by them. - Pediatric Dentists Near Me - Palm Desert, California

This doctor has no patience for children!!!!!!!! I took my 8-year-old daughter to the dentist for the second time because she developed an abscess after the doctor placed a silver crown on one of her baby teeth. The dentist suggested removing the tooth entirely. He started by applying numbing cream but didn't wait for it to take effect before giving her numbing shots. When the shots caused her pain and she began to cry, he threatened her, saying, "If you move or cry, I'll have to go in harder. Is that what you want?" He then seemed to follow through with that threat because she cried and squirmed even more. He didn't pause or show any patience during the process. After the shots, he waited maybe a minute before starting the extraction. My daughter squirmed in pain, clearly feeling everything, as he removed the tooth. The procedure was over, but it was a traumatic experience for her. I had to comfort and reassure her that she was doing great and that it was finally done. When the dentist finished explaining aftercare, I told him, "You do not threaten a child by saying you'll hurt them more if they cry!" He responded, "If the child moves, I have to go in harder." I was furious. This so-called children's dentist has zero patience or compassion for kids. I will never take my child here again and will be switching dentists immediately. This was the worst experience my daughter has ever had at a medical professional. Avoid this place at all costs! read more

I had to take my almost 3 year old in to have a tooth fixed. She chipped her top front tooth at daycare 1.5 years ago and it turned gray. We thought it would go away on its own because teeth can bruise, but Dr. Okamoto explained that the gray color and a bump on her gums signified that the nerve had died and it would need to be cleaned out and filled to avoid infecting/damaging the adult tooth. I was terrified at the thought of my 2 year old getting a filling but they were amazing! The doctor and both of his assistants were ready to go as soon as we walked in. They were so friendly and positive. My daughter didn't flinch, cry, need tablet/headphones, etc. I had been referred to him by so many people prior to needing this work done and I'm so glad we ended up going there. I cannot say enough good things about the entire experience!!! read more

I am in tears. Happy, happy tears. I am TERRIFIED of dentist offices, and thus my kids were a bit older for their first ever dental visit. The staff got my two girls an appointment in less than 24 hours after calling, the front desk staff were incredibly kind. The facility is like nothing I've ever seen, SO FUN AND INVITING!! No stuffy magazines, but video games and fun television shows! I cannot say enough about our dental hygienist-what a complete sweet DOLL! My girls said their x-rays and cleanings didn't hurt one bit Dr. Okamoto explained everything perfectly. Seriously, I was dreading the typical judgement and shaming for not bringing them in until now or not enforcing more thorough brushing and flossing, but I left and cried on the way home because that was such a lovely and wonderful experience. My husband wishes they took adult clients read more

Gary Okamoto DMD - AFTER their cleanings, they were SMILING! - Pediatric Dentists Near Me - Palm Desert, California

Everything about this dentist is better than the other one we were going to in the valley! The way that it was decorated was so fun and totally had my 6 year old thinking she was at a celebration not the dentist. Dr.Okomoto himself was very kind, patient and informative with all my questions and didn't try to upsell or add on like our last practice did. It is a great practice and we are very happy we found it! read more

Love Dr Okamoto he is fantastic with our three small kids. Staff is friendly and service is prompt.

Their front staff is TERRIBLE. Extremely rude, I've been going to them for 2 years now trying to hold on cause the Dr is amazing but his Front staff ruins the experience!! They need new people that actually want to be there & like their job. Instead of helping out they try to make you feel stupid. Dr Gary please do something about them. Get them some customer service training or something. read more

A friend referred me to Dr. Okamoto, I called to make an appointment but decided not to go with them. The person I spoke to was very nice and professional. What turned me off is their insurance verification process. I do all dental and medical appointments for a family of four. I cannot tell you the last place I have been told a SSN is a requirement in order to do insurance verification instead of giving just the insurance information and maybe the last 4 numbers of my SSN. In this day and age with fraud having my information floating around is a bad practice and requirement. read more

I've been fearful of the dentist since I was a kid. So hard to take my kids in but Dr Okamoto makes it so easy. His staff is kind and patient. He provides a good empathic approach to his practice. My girls both very much enjoy going to dentist fillings and all. read more

You guys rock! From the beginning, very first dentist appointment, till now you have always been kind understanding and caring. Great dentistry and atmosphere. We will never go anywhere else read more

Gary Okamoto DMD - My kids have been going here for years! We will always go here. Dr okomoto and staff have treated us like family from the very beginning. - Pediatric Dentists Near Me - Palm Desert, California

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Bring your children here!!! I literally cannot stress enough how happy I am with the care my daughter received at the office of Dr.Okamoto. She previously went to another dentist who monitored 4 cavities for several years because she "would not tolerate fillings under local anesthetic". First visit here Dr.Okamoto explained that he would fill them quickly which he did without traumatizing my daughter. He has an exceptional bedside manner with children and parents which is few and far between these days in medicine and dentistry fields. Daisy the dental assistant also is a wonderful employee who my daughter asks for every time we come. Thank you all this office relieves my anxiety of taking my daughter to the dentist! read more

Gary Okamoto DMD - Pediatric Dentists Near Me - Palm Desert, California

WARNING! WARNING! Sadistic !!!! I have waited 20+ years to be able to tell everyone and not just my friends and family about the experience that my child had with this man. He is insensitive cruel and verbally abusive. He refuse to numb my child fully and called her names when she cried in pain. As he drilled her mouth she leaped up and down on the chair wriggling in pain. Instead of trying to soother her he yelled telling her she was stupid and to stop acting like a baby. She was terrified. I was terrified!!!!! When I spoke up he asked me to leave the room!!! When I refused he became angryIt was a horrific experience and even the girl at the front desk had no answers as to why he did what he did. I wish I could have warned parents long ago not to go there. It's been 20 + years Gary and I haven't forgotten your crude behavior and rude attitude toward me when I did not want to schedule the next appointment with you. I'm still telling people how mean you were too my child even to this day. Many nights I lay awake with the guilt of letting you torture my baby. I hope your karma bites you back. read more

Our kids love this place because it is designed to make them comfortable from the outset. The decor is festive and the staff is experienced and welcoming. Unfortunately I am not a PPO subscriber so I pay everything out of pocket. Both kids just had their teeth cleaned at $137 a pop. YIKES!!! This place is worth it but at open enrollment I will see how I can assist my pocketbook when it comes to cleanings and fillings. Thank goodness that nothing major has arisen. read more

I take my kids to Dr. Okamoto and they have always done such an incredible job with them. Obviously they have to be good with kids. When we are not in Covid there are games for kids to play while they wait and they always get a treat to choose from after they are done. My son was having some pain and it turned out he had lost a filling so they took him in that same day and were able to take care of him in less than 10 minutes. He was thrilled read more

I was trying to get my daughter in for an appointment and whoever is working the front desk is extremely rude. The first time I called, I assumed she was short because she was busy, but when I called back the second time, she was worse. She made me feel like I was an inconvenience because I didn't know if an account had been opened or not. Everything she said was short and there was not an ounce of friendliness in her voice. There is inflexible scheduling too, so if you're a working parent, you're out a luck. They will only take young children in the morning. I was looking forward to coming here because of the positive reviews, but I'm not sure how anyone got past whoever is working the front desk. read more

The office is nice but Assistant Kelly I think it was she was OLDER one acted like she owns the place she was super rude . She only spent a few minutes with my child A few scrapes with the scaler and a little polishing then took a personal call made a eyelash appointment . The other assistants seemed nice working hard and cleaning . The front office was friendly and the Dr were very nice . read more

It was my daughters first visit to the dentist and I was a little nervous for her. As soon as we walked in we knew it was going to be okay. The staff and the doctor were very friendly and welcoming. It made my daughter actually enjoy her visit and is already asking when we will be going back. read more

Gary Okamoto DMD - The waiting room is very kid friendly - Pediatric Dentists Near Me - Palm Desert, California

I wish my daughter could have seen the dentist, but the front staff was so incredibly horrible that I canceled her appointment and decided to go elsewhere. We weren't able to have a morning appointment due to my daughter's medical issue, so I asked for an afternoon appointment. They refuse saying she was unable since it was her first appointment. I asked if they could ask the dentist specifically, due to the issues with my daughter. She refused to even ask... And when I continued to talk, she said, "Okay have a good day!" and hung up. I can't believe his office staff would treat someone so bad. Hopefully he finds out before he loses more business. read more

My kids have been coming here for years! We love Dr Okamoto. This past visit I had the worse customer service with the two ladies in the front. There was no eye contact, welcoming verbiage, and they were unprofessional at the front. The front desk ladies seemed unhappy and agitated with clients. I mentioned that I was unhappy and they didn't care or try to figure out how to make my experience better. I hope this changes, because I do love all the hygienists and Dr. Okatmato. read more

Dr Okamoto and his entire staff are very welcoming, friendly, efficient and courteous. My daughter enjoys coming to this office because it's kid friendly, and the staff is all well trained to deal with small children. They are very patient and tailor the visit around the child. As a parent, my husband and I greatly appreciate the conscious effort the entire staff makes to make every visit a great one. We've been able to make appointments with ease and they always call us in right away without having to wait excessively. We were referred here by a friend and we too will no refer our family and friends. Highly recommend this office for children. read more

Dr. Okamoto and his entire team were warm, welcoming, and made my daughters experience top notch. I was impressed with the decor and toys/activities for kids to interact with in the office. They used phrases and words that were easy to understand in terms of treatment and care. The office was clean and parking was easy. We will come back again for sure. read more

Kid-friendly They decorated each theme Lego for the kiddos Video games & tv do they can be distracted until they're called . Very clean Very friendly read more

Quality of the front admin staff really speaks to the representation of the rest of the staff. The front desk isn't professional and seems to be there just to collect a paycheck. Looking at the yelp reviews, I was gonna try to give this office a try but after calling to attempt to make an appointment, I decided to go elsewhere. Once I told them that, the lady was indifferent. Wonder if the dentist does quality checks on his employees. read more

Dr Okamoto has been our pediatric dentist for the past 4 years. He is awesome!!! I have never heard of a child who loves to go to the dentist but he seems to have quite a following. The office staff is great and very friendly. The office is really kid friendly. There are video games for the kids to play, legos, toys...to help the children feel like they are in a fun place. Dr. Okamoto is knowledgable and quick. Even through fillings, we have always left there with a smiling child. I would not hesitate to recommend Dr. Okamoto to any families in the area. read more

***back story first*** My daughter has had cavities on her two front teeth since she was 10 months old, the last dentist says it's probably from breastfeeding at night, they were two brown stains and the really bothered me because I felt like we did something wrong as parents. We brushed her teeth twice a day, tried mi paste to help her enamel, everything. Her dentist at that time insisted we fill her cavities but because she was a little hesitant of him she was slightly resistant but not to where you couldn't look on her mouth, she just would cry a little. He suggested she get put under so they can fill her cavities. She was slightly over one years old at the time. I wasn't comfortable with putting her under for two cavities. So I visited that dentist twice after that and every time it was them convincing me to put her under for her two cavities. ***today*** So we recently moved out this way and I asked around for a good pediatric dentist and I kept hearing this drs name. My daughter is 3 and a had at this point. So I scheduled her appointment and I arrived 8 minutes late, I filled her paperwork out and I waited for her to be seen. The dental assistant cleaned her teeth and she stayed entertained by the toys while waiting on the dr. When he came he looked at her teeth and says "yes she has those two stains probably from when she was little and didn't let you brush her teeth." I went to defense mode and said "the dentist before wanted to fill them but I didn't want to put her under" and he says "for what they're just stains, I can file them off right now." He took this file and tells my daughter he's going to tickle her teeth and in 30 seconds those stains (not cavities) were gone! I seriously cried. I felt betrayed by my first dentist by wanting to put my daughter under and grateful they were gone and he did it with such ease. I'm an official fan of this dentist! read more

It was my daughters first dentist appt ever. She cried before getting there because she was very nervous. But as soon as we arrived the staff was very welcoming and there is so much activities for kids to do while waiting and take their mind of any scary thoughts. They made the process fun and comfortable. She loved coming here so much she wanted to go back the next day! Lol read more

We are just new to Cathedral City and since my daughter has a sweet tooth she had a toothache one day and it was a weekend, she was really in pain and had fever the night before. I called a lot of dentists in our area but most of them are closed and others are fully booked. So, I used yelp and I read good reviews about Dr Gary's clinic and I'm so happy that I called them last September 12, 2013 (our first visit) and I told them about my daughter's situation and they said I should bring her in the clinic asap. She was assessed as soon as we got in, xrays done, treatment, etc. I am so pleased with the service and care given to my daughter. I don't mind the long drive because it is worth every visit. A highly recommended dentist for kids. We'll be a regular for a long time read more

Gary Okamoto DMD - She just loves the place! Dr Gary even gave her a spiderman ball since she's been behave the whole time. - Pediatric Dentists Near Me - Palm Desert, California

Every 5 Star review of this office is spot on! Friendly, kind, attentive, warm, engaging and my daughter felt respected, safe and content during her dental visit! This dentists office is leaps and bounds above our previous dentist (who didn't want to allow me to be in the room during my daughter's dental visit when she was only 5 years old)! Thank you for making our dental visit FUN!!! read more

My daughter is now two and just took her to her first Dental visit. It was no walk in the Park for Okamoto. My daughter was just not at ease but Dr Okamoto managed to keep her calm and happy. He definitely knows his stuff. My daughter even received a plush toy to go with her dental hygiene goodie bag. Top notch.........Simply the best!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Hands down the best kid's dentist anywhere... on all levels: (1) Great customer service, (2) Great kids entertainment, (3) Great dental work and (4) Great pricing... and to top it off, they stand behind their work. read more

Dr. Okamoto has been my daughter's dentist for 11 years. This might be one of the best-run medical offices in the Desert. The staff has been with him forever and they know and remember your children. There is almost never more than a few minutes wait and the quality of care is exceptional. Definitely consider him as the dentist of choice for your children! read more

Awesome place!! Dr. Gary is great as well as his entire staff! Been going here for over 5 years and won't go anywhere else!!

Dr. Okamoto is Amazing! I will never take my family anywhere else, such a friendly, clean, and fun environment. Thank you for being here Dr.

My 3 year old had gone to another dentist and she was a bit nervous and the dentist was so impatient and rude with her and did not do a full exam. All he said was the she had cavities and needed to be put under anesthesia to fix them. Fast forward to today my daughter had an appointment with Gary okamoto. The entire staff was so warm and welcoming. They were so gentle with my daughter she was not nervous at all. They explained everything in detail and although she does have cavities, they are not bad and she doesn't need work on them immediately. I am so glad I went with a second opinion and went here. Best experience. read more

Blown away by their poor customer service. They will not take new patient appointments in the afternoon. My kids have perfect attendance and I don't feel comfortable pulling them out for a dentist appointment, especially when the only ones available are at 10:00, which means they can't really go before or after, so they miss the whole day. I asked about early appointments so they could go to school after but she said no and that ALL new patients are seen in the morning, so exceptions. I can't rate the actual doctor, but the front desk lady was extremely rude and I think it is poor judgement on the office to only allow scheduling of children during school hours. Disappointed. The reviews sounded great, but I made an appointment with another dentist who allows afternoon appointments. read more

Oh my goodness! My son had been terrified to go to a dentist his whole little life. We walked into this dentist and fell in love. Awesome office, awesome staff, awesome doctor. read more

Love Dr Gary Okamoto! His office is great ! Kids love it ! Staff is happy and sweet! He is a great dentist who really cares for his patients ! read more

There is no one else I would trust my kids with! Only complaint would be the front desk ppl being a little friendlier but other than that all the staff is amazing and my kids feel safe and comfortable! read more