My experience with Gentle Dental Brea and Dr. Peter B. Tafesh was extremely concerning and fell far below the professional and ethical standards that patients have the right to expect. I was not informed in advance that treatment could not be performed on the same day. This was only disclosed after the examination and presentation of the treatment plan. I was also not informed that my prior X-rays might have been sufficient, and new radiographs were taken without clearly explaining whether they were necessary. After learning that treatment would require a second appointment, I declined the proposed treatment and withdrew my consent. Despite this, the office still submitted claims to my insurance company and later sent billing statements. This raised serious concerns regarding transparency and billing practices. Equally troubling, I later discovered that my dental record contained inappropriate and disparaging comments unrelated to clinical care. Medical records should be factual, objective, and professional. Including subjective or demeaning remarks about a patient is unprofessional and inconsistent with ethical standards of dental practice. In addition, my record noted limited English proficiency, yet no interpreter or adequate explanation was provided to ensure informed consent. Patients have the fundamental right to clear communication, informed consent, accurate medical records, and ethical treatment. Unfortunately, my experience at this office did not meet those basic standards. At the same time,my experience at Gentle Dental Brea was deeply disappointing and unprofessional. During my visit, I was repeatedly presented with multiple expensive treatment recommendations that were clearly not covered by insurance. These procedures would have required significant out-of-pocket payment. I was given the strong impression that these costly options were being promoted without sufficient explanation of medical necessity or alternatives. When I declined these treatments, the doctor 's attitude toward me changed noticeably. Instead of respecting my decision as a patient, I later found that my dental record described me as "rude." This was shocking and completely inappropriate. A patient has the absolute right to accept or decline any proposed treatment, especially when it involves substantial personal expense. Labeling a patient negatively in their medical record simply because they declined costly, non-covered procedures is unprofessional and raises serious concerns about the office's ethics and respect for patient autonomy. Patients should never feel pressured into expensive treatments or be treated disrespectfully for making informed financial and medical decisions. Based on my experience, I strongly advise others to exercise caution and carefully evaluate any recommended treatments, especially those requiring significant out-of-pocket costs. read more

Front desk told me my insurance would cover consultation. Called multiple times to clarify. Had to pay it off via a credit service after I called said service to relay the guidance I received. I went in for a wisdom tooth consultation and they kept mixing up which tooth I needed to get taken care of. read more

This location has cancelled my daughter's teeth cleaning FOUR times in a row. They told us the dentist was not in when we arrived today at the office. This time say they called to let us know the dentist was not in this morning. I have no missed calls and have no messages. I have confirmation texts confirming the appointment. They had a sign visible in the check in area for month saying their sales goals for the month which doesn't make you feel great when you are being charged large amounts of money out of pocket and being upsold. Come here if you would like to waste your time driving in circles. Changing dentists. read more

Update: they have refunded the amount paid. Thank you Libby for your assistance. This office charged me for a procedure as well as billing my insurance for the same procedure. The refuse to refund me even though insurance has paid them. Now they will not answer my calls or return my calls. My next step is to report them for insurance fraud. read more

I have received the same bill for more than a year. The office receptionist said my insurance was meant to cover it and she'd look into it. Every month I received another bill, and every month I had the same conversation with the receptionist. When I went in for my most recent cleaning I brought every copy of said bill along with my notes and asked for a resolution before I left. The receptionist advised I needed to contact my insurance and there was nothing she could do. Reading others' comments, I can see I'm not alone. Additionally, I used to bring my children here. That was before I called for months trying to book an appointment and they never answered the phone. They've gone to another dentist for 2+ years now and I still receive auto texts from this office that it is time for their appointments. Please fix your customer service. read more

Gentle Dental Brea is thumps up!! Dr Harash and Berenice are excellent professionals. Thank you for such wonderful care on my teeth. Your professionalism towards my teeth is great service. Outstanding front desk thank you Libby. Overall wonderful experiences. :) read more

I needed to be seen urgently because of a chipped molar, and my primary dentist didn't have any availability. I was lucky enough to get scheduled at Brea. The appointment went very well from start to finish. Miriam runs the front office and kindly explained all my insurance coverages and what to expect. She also handled numerous insurance calls before and after my visit (to get the visit properly authorized). Berenice did all the X-rays and pictures for the doctor - she was super friendly and gentle, Lastly, Dr. Peter Tafesh did a preliminary evaluation and reviewed all the records. He explained how he would proceed with treatment and patiently answered all my questions. I was very impressed with my first visit. Thank you, Gentle Dental Brea! read more

Dr. Kallaos is the best periodontist in this world. I just got osseous surgery for a deep 8-10 pocket in one of my upper right front molar. His expertise in numbing the gums and tooth was amazing. I didn't even feel any pain whatsoever. He used a laser, which was even better because I was prepared for stitches, and it was a clean, simple zap...He even evened the bite on that molar by shaving it a bit since it was a bit longer than all my other molars. (I think it was due to a prior dentist who did a bad job on my filling for that bottom molar coincidentally right atop that upper molar which shifted due to a misaligned bite.) But, Dr. Kallaos fixed everything smoothly and eased my mind from any doubts I previously had. If anyone needs gum surgery or osseous surgery, go to Dr. Kallaos, he is the best!!! read more

I have been receiving a bill due for over 2 years from this office for a visit that I walked out when I had to wait 30 minutes in the lobby and then wait another 30 minutes in the dentist chair without anyone coming over to see me. I am not sure why I am being billed for the appointment when I didnt receive any services.. I have talked to several AP person in their billing office, who keep saying I should ignore the invoices...but I really am sick and tired of this company sending me the bill every month. read more

Great place to get your teeth worked on. I'm not fond of the dentist but, the whole staff makes it easy. Thanks Team!!! read more

My first time to a dentist in over 20 years. Best experience ever!!! Staff is great. Will definitely come back again :) read more

Gentle Dental Brea - Lobby! - General Dentistry Near Me - Brea, California

I would not recommend this place, especially if you plan for your child to get braces. My son started with braces 3 years ago and he still has them on. The orthodontist kept saying he was close to completion but that was over a year ago. He has been diligent about wearing his rubber bands. Earlier this year they said that he over corrected with the rubber bands, so they instructed him to stop wearing them. Then at our last appointment she told him to start wearing them again. Today we went back and the orthodontist no longer works there. Now the new doctor is saying that he has to stop wearing the rubber bands and that it will take another 4-5 months. At the start of the summer the orthodontist said that he would have them off in the early fall. That is clearly not happening. This place sends mixed messages. I've taken my daughter to Potter Orthodontics in Fullerton and YL, and they are much better. Gentle Dental when they examined her said that she would need an expander as part of getting braces, but Potter said it wasn't necessary. They are cheaper, and overall I trust the nurses and doctors there more. Sorry Gentle Dental, you need to do better. read more

Very frustrating experience. My husband was over charged by 300+ dollars here. His insurance contacted the business with him on the phone, they refused to help because "the manager wasn't in" that day. He has called back several times, emailed- no help at all and met with rude service. He canceled his check up with them because clearly they aren't willing to work with us on their own error- and now they are calling him leaving messages about a cancellation charge. So they do actually have the ability to call you back- but only if they want your money. read more

I had called and asked if they take my insurance. The front office worker said yes. They took all my information down. It took 30 mins. I was glad I had my appointment so soon all so they can call me the next morning and say they don't take my insurance. I read the reviews on this place and I chose to ignore them and give this office a chance. Forget it. Don't even bother. read more

We've been coming here for a few years. My son had his braces put on here with General Dental. Everything was taken care of and they took their time taking care of him, his braces, and cleanings. The staff is beyond kind and professional.I love that they remember you and call you by your name as soon as you walk in. That definitely makes someone feel welcomed. Thanks again everyone! read more

Let me start by saying that I am absolutely terrified of the dentist. I have been traumatized and horrified with previous visits at OTHER dental offices which kept me from going regularly. I knew I had to go since it's been quite some time since my last dental visit-- and I am SO happy that I decided to come to Gentle Dental in Brea. The entire staff was nothing short of amazing! On the night before my appointment (mind you, it was a Sunday), I got a text saying they had a water leak, so I would have to reschedule my 9am appointment the following morning. I thought "oh boy here we go, have to come another day" but nope. They re-scheduled me as soon as their leak was fixed on the same day as my original appointment at 2pm. They are on top of their scheduling and very efficient. Tommy (Reception) - was quick, friendly, competent and productive, while answering ALL my questions and simultaneously being on the phone. Talk about master multi-tasker! Great at his job and was happy to do it! Miriam (Billing/Reception) - was really straightforward and great at explaining next steps along with pricing. I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed but she made dental jargon easy for me to understand and was overall just very helpful and sweet! Dominic (Dental Assistant) - Wow! Talk about some of the best vibes and energy I've ever come across in any medical setting! Like I mentioned earlier, I am absolutely traumatized from past dental visits. Dominic really knew how to keep me calm every step of the way, whether he was singing, making a joke, or distracting me when need be. He is an absolute gem and this dental office is VERY lucky to have him! Lisa (Dental Hygienist) - What an amazing, kind, and funny woman. She did my cleaning so quickly-- and the entire experience was very different (in a good way!) than any other I've ever had before. She was cracking jokes and laughing the entire time. Plus she checked on me multiple times throughout my cleaning to make sure I was doing okay, which I really appreciated. Such a cool chick! Dr. Malak (Dentist) - quick, calm, honest, and very sweet. She explained everything to me in layman's terms. She never rushed, nor tried to upsell me on anything that wasn't necessary, which speaks volumes of her character. I know plenty of medical professionals who will try to upsell you on anything just to make a quick buck-- and Dr. Malak is NOT one of those. I am incredibly grateful for the kindness, patience, and empathy I received here. Overall this office has THE BEST positive vibes and energy! Definitely recommend for anyone that is afraid of dental visits or just anyone in general who needs to go. 10/10 and will definitely be back here! Thank you Gentle Dental Brea staff for everything! read more

Lisa is great I would not go to anyone else but her for my deep cleaning. They're all very nice and very commentating it's also very clean dentist office read more

Don't come here. This is not because COVID. Scheduled at 10:00AM. Drive 35 minutes to here, and no one is even in office. WTF... I am a patient here for years, as soon as the doctor retired, the new doctor came in, this location became garbage. Don't wasting your time here. read more

Really liked this dentist a lot . The hygienist was great the oral surgeon was great . Unfortunately I got a bill at the beginning of the year called and emailed multiple times since January still have not received a call back .ive always paid after services even the unexpected charges. Seems like every time I have called and they tell me the coordinator will give me a call I receive the bill 2-3 days later again. Really wanted to continue my dental needs with them but looks like I'll be searching for a new dentist read more

Excellent work and patience with my small mouth and not great dental hygiene. Treatments were well done and very little pain. Thank you Tony read more

I went for a dental treatment yesterday, Dr Malak, Berenice and the rest of the staff are very professional, friendly and meticulous. They made sure I was comfortable throughout the procedure and everything was okay before letting me go. Unfortunately, I needed to transfer clinics because I moved faraway, otherwise, I would stay here! read more

If you ever need a dentist coming to Gentle Dental, Brea or Dr. Nardeen and Dominick has done a great job installing my new breach! From the front desk with Tommy and Miriam, and all the way to the back it was a beautiful in pleasant experience! I was very happy with my choice to come to this office! Thank you. Everyone at Gentle Dental in Brea. read more

The staff at Gentle Dental Brea are always so courteous and friendly. No more anxiety over going to the dentist. They take care of their patients very well. read more

The general doctor is so rude and doesn't want to help at all. I went in because I had a hole in my right moller and when food would touch it or anything in general, it would hurt. I explained to her everything, they checked me, and she said in an annoyed tone "You don't have anything. I don't see anything it's probably just your braces filling touching there and causing pain." I told her there is litterly huge hole there and whenever I touch it it aches, and I even have a picture I took because I wanted to see for myself where the pain was coming from, and she proceeds to tell me she can't do anything because there's nothing there. Then I complained about her attitude and that's when she magically found that everything I was saying was true and I needed a new filling there for a cavity. SERVICE ZERO. I've been coming here since I was a little girl and most people there are rude and don't want to work. They always complain about having so many appoinmwnts they have coming in.... read more

Well, where do I begin. My husband is 72 and has horrible teeth. They wanted to pull all his teeth and charge an arm and a leg for implants. They are not available when he has has teeth broken or fallen out. They do not call us back or answer their phones. They don't give him antibiotics or any pain relievers. He is now walking around without a front tooth, like a hillbilly and waiting a month to be fitted for an implant that cost us $2500 for one tooth. They are refusing to treat my son, 24 years old. They are insisting he needs a deep cleaning for $324. My son has fears about the dentist and barely goes and now they are adding to the problem. Why can't we say no to some treatments? I guess nowadays dentists are in it for extras that you don't need and the patient has no say in their treatment. read more

Worst office staff I have ever experienced. They never call back. You have to call them, and then they act like it's the first time talking to you. Nobody has any notes of previous conversations. Then they schedule your daughter to have her wisdom teeth out. Sent to Costa Mesa office for this. You take the whole day off work. Then you show up and they say that they can't do the procedure because they need a medical consent form from her doctor. I mean, it's a small detail. No need to let the patient know this beforehand or even be bothered to give them the form or a simple phone call for a heads up. We'll just wait for them to show up the day of to tell them. Seriously...worst office staff ever! I'm actually upset that Yelp requires you to rate at least one star. read more

The staff is very friendly and very transparent when it comes to billing and letting you know the cost break down. Scheduling appointments has gotten so much better and they provide you a courtesy call as a reminder for your appointment as well as a text message. The only thing I would say is that every time I have gone, I do come across different Dentists and hygienist. They are really nice but I wish their dentists were consistent. read more

Super long wait for the first visit, over an hour before able to get the service. Make sure book appointment direct with the office otherwise will waste time to come because make appointment with the call center is not aware with the office. End up with no appointment available even thought they send text message to confirm. read more

Do not come here. These guys will scam you to the MAXIMUM LEVEL. This is franchise dental office that means NO DOCTORS WILL give a fuck about you. This place is ALL ABOUT MONEY. Poor customer service. Dr.Zobaer will not do his job. He is rude. He looks like he hates working here. He also looks like he hates his job and his life. The person who takes X Ray makes sooooo many mistakes I had to take multiple unnecessary X rays meaning more radiation to my body. Every staff here needs to train more. If you want thieves to take care of you come visit wonderful gental dental office. They will milk you every penny you have. I wish I can give these fuckers 0 star. They took 6 X Ray of me today by their mistake and I told them to send me All 6 X rays I took today to my e mail address and they won't. They are hiding something bad from me. These fuckers need to be lock up in jail. People like Gental Dental let the society down. read more

Very good care! Attention to detail and great service during my cleaning. I would recommend gentle dental for your dental services.

Good customer service, the girls at the front desk are very helpful and very nice, some visits can be painfull and they can be patient depending on who is working on my teeth (braces). For the most part it's good. read more

I just got a call from this office saying that I owe money from 2019 (what???) something about my Insurance didn't cover the treatment, I was so confused and I decided to come check out their reviews and I'm coming to the conclusion that because of their bad reputation they are losing a lot of business and therefor they're are trying to go after old clients. Very disappointed read more

A root canal and a crown on a rear molar were the solution to pain/discomfort while chewing. The x-ray clearly showed the amount of decay present. Needless to say, I was frightened. And I was anxious. Very much so. Dr. John Lehman and the referred endodontist, Dr. Bassem Alkatib, could not have been any more professional. They were knowledgeable, skilled, reassuring, fast, and totally organized. As a matter of fact, I only required to be injected/numbed only once as they completely coordinated both the root canal and tooth preparation of the crown for the same time frame. Without question, this was easiest root canal that I ever experienced in my lifetime! They did a wonderful job! And, best of all, without any pain or discomfort!! read more

first time here; everything was streamlined and efficient. the front desk staff and support staff were friendly and knowledgeable. i really, really liked the dentist dr. malak, she explained everything clearly and gave me recommendations that i feel were necessary, no trying to upsell. i'm happy i chose them. read more

0 stars if I could. Came fore a crown replacement. Seemed simple enough. They told me to come back and after sitting in the lobby for 30 mins the staff tells me that the crown was not there. Next week when I come back the dentist cements the crown and when I go home the contact is not tight enough. Come to find out a month later I get an additional bill for the remaining balance after I already paid for half of the crown. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND how they can give you the estimate on the procedure and crown then after tell you they realized insurance would not cover as much as they said and that I would need to take it up with my insurance. Didn't you get the amount I would pay from them initially?! Ridiculous! read more

I had a great experience here . I came in for a routine cleaning. I got my x rays taken and my cleaning done by Lisa the hygienist. She was very nice and super knowledgeable . she made me feel very comfortable (I'm usually nervous) . The best cleaning I've had and it didn't hurt . I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for for good and professional dental services read more

Don't go here. This has nothing to do with Covid. This has everything to do with poor customer service and lack of professionalism. This dentist use to be ran under a different dentist and he was wonderful. The new dentist and the office staff are ridiculous. I had an exam in September which came with a recommended treatment plan. I didn't completely agree with the plan and was concerned the needs were exaggerated. Even with insurance we were talk over 2,000. I asked for preauthorization just to be sure it was covered at all. I wanted to be sure the insurance was on the same page that this was necessary. Since September I have called 4 times reach time speaking to either an unhelpful or rude person in the office. One person even laughed as she got off the phone with me, as if my issue was funny. We are now in November and still nothing from this office. They often don't answer the phone during normal business hours. They don't respond to emails. I have reported them to my insurance carrier. read more

My first experience and my last! I called for service and left a message after hours and never received a call, once they opened (approximately an hour after they opening) I called and explained l I had left a message and needed to be seen on an emergency as I shattered a molar. My appointment was made and I was told to complete the paperwork being sent. I checked email and text for over an hour and nothing arrived so I went to their website and printed a copy of the new patient forms and completed them I arrived 20 minutes early and was greeted by the person who I spoke with earlier. When I handed him the paperwork, he made ad huge issue and made sure the other 2 girls in the front area know I had completed the wrong paperwork. I told him you never sent the paperwork so I went on your website, he then gave me a big sigh and an eye roll and told me that the paper work on line was old and they had a new system. I then offered to complete the new paperwork and he told m o no he would do it manually and acted like it was a HUGE inconvenience and chore, which in my opinion could have been avoided if they provided the proper and necessary documents. My appointment was at 3:00 pm I arrive at 2:40 I was called back to begin and get x rays at 3:40 AN HOUR AFTER ARRIVAL! I sat for 25 minutes before the x-rays were taken and then an addition 30 after. The Dentist looked at my teeth and x-rays for less than 5 minutes and said to wait for paperwork for consultations for future work and appointments. I sat for another 35-40 minutes and no one ever came or even checked on me so I got up and went to the front desk and said what is my co pay. I was told no co pay and then with a smile the man at the front desk said let's get you set up for a cleaning because the is the most important. I was aghast I came in on an EMERGENCY and already told them I am in pain. I said NO, how about we concentrate on the extreme tooth pain I'm still experiencing and came in for. I was then told I would need a consult but the endodontist would not be back at their facility for a month so I would need to travel to Laguna woods for a consult. Since I had no other choice, I took the appointment for 6 DAYS LATER! I travel to Laguna Woods during morning traffic can having to take a half day of work off (90 minutes to arrive) and walk in and was told by the girl at the desk, oh we cancelled your appointment on Monday and left you a message. No, she did NOT, I have no missed calls and no messages from Gentle Dental must be with the paperwork they were sending right over! This woman has the nerve to fight with me and act like I took the morning off and drive down to the office for fun. I called the Brea office and left a message and have yet to be called back! DO NOT USE THIS DENTAL OFFICE, THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT PEOPLE IN PAIN. THIS HAS BEEN AN PAINFUL WASTE OF 6 DAYS! I CAN BARLEY EAT, I HAVE THROBBING PAIN IN MY TOOTH AND THEY ARE UNRESPONSIVE AND IRRESPOSIBLE!! read more

Highly recommend to bring your kids! The staff is amazing. So friendly and patient. Thank you for making my daughters experience a great one! read more

The office staff here is very frustrating. Management is constantly changing so every time I go in to see my ortho, there is someone new. Prior to getting my ortho services a deep cleaning is required. Since I've had issues with this office in the past, I made sure to get a pre determination of benefits to ensure that the only thing I was going to pay was my out of pocket. But of course I ended up getting a bill of $300 + for a service that was considered "non covered". What's ridiculous to me is I specifically asked for my benefits to be verified and was guaranteed that the only thing I will pay is my out of pocket. With the staff constantly changing, so does the story. One representative tells me not to worry about it, the next representative tells me I'll be sent to collections. The person who verified my benefits is no longer there and now they refuse to honor what they guaranteed. It's a very frustrating situation that you really should not have to go through. The only reason I stayed here was for my ortho who was good at what he does. But he's gone now too and I can't wait to finish my treatment so I never have to step foot here again! Don't waste your time, energy and most especially your money here! read more