Terrible dentist, charges for work they don't do, they cancel appointments with no warning. They are completely disorganized, and all of the Dental hygienists are new and inexperienced. read more

I love Dr. Kim, the lovely, kind staff, and his incredible hygienist. I will be a loyal patient for as long as he is in practice. I have many visits to remark about, including prophylaxis, tooth implant, cavity fillings and cosmetic porcelain fills for gaps between my thinning gums and teeth. All have been seamless and executed flawlessly. The patient comfort is clearly prioritized and they use state of the art technology for all of their treatments. It is very comfortable in the treatment rooms and all appointments have been prompt and quick. The cleanings are very thorough, the best I have ever had, the dental procedures are painless, professional and compassionately done. I just can't say enough about the entire staff and particularly Dr. Kim and his hygienist, who is a dentist from outside the U.S. Spectacular doesn't cover it or my delight and gratitude for these folks. read more

I have zero complaints!! The staff is ALWAYS friendly and Dr.Kim knows what he's doing. If I have questions or concerns he listens and answers them without making me feel I'm asking too much. I am an individual that holds nothing back, so if I feel something isn't being done correctly, I will definitely let it be known! Especially if I'm paying for it. I have recommended numerous amount of people and they all say the same thing as I do. They keep going back! Thank you for your service - madelin read more

I brought my 7 yo son because he had a huge infection and Dr Kim was so gentle and I could tell he was in good hand. My son used to cry a lot with my previous dentist and with Dr Kim he said it didn't hurt getting injection and everything was nice read more

For someone who suffered from odontophobia for 7 years, I must say I always feel at ease every time I come for a visit. I have had nothing but painless experiences here and I'm usually in and out the door within an hour (usually less) no matter how extensive the procedure. read more

Highly recommend this dental office... Dr. Kim is a wonderful dentist and all the girls there are great! Little to no wait time.. Every time I walked in and I pretty much got started right away. I don't normally care much for dental visits (who does, right!) but I had zero issues here. They are gentle and caring. During my procedure yesterday I was actually getting sleepy lol... Again, great place, great staff and awesome dentist! read more

I need to preface this review by saying: I am completely dentist-phobic. One of the reasons I have such a phobia of dental work is that I have been to several pretty terrible dentists and quite a few so-so dentists. This dental office is the first I have visited that I have felt really comfortable in. Dr. Kim has followed very closely in his predecessor's footsteps in many ways. He is kind and patient (even with me, which is not an easy thing as I gently wig out in the chair). He has not had a problem stopping in the middle of something if I just can't take it anymore, he has even answered questions about the procedure he was in the process of doing, allowing me to take a breather. He is very reassuring and is willing to take my being a difficult patient with grace and good humor. I can't tell you how much difference this makes to the overall experience! I am particularly freaked out by needles in my mouth. I have to note here that Dr. Kim has possibly the gentlest injection technique I have ever experienced. If I HAVE to have a needle in my mouth, he's the guy to do it! On my first visit to Dr. Kim to have my teeth cleaned he was very thorough in his examination. They took x-rays, which he paid a great deal of attention to, catching a couple of things that other dentists had missed in the past. Rather than expecting me to simply take his word for a recommendation of additional dental work, he took the time to show me what was needed. Not only did he use the x-ray to demonstrate, but he went so far as to take a photograph that was easier for my untrained eyes to understand. I have absolutely no reservations about recommending Dr. Kim as a dentist. I would most especially encourage anyone who is shy of dental work to give him a try. read more

Very just honest dentist charges for work suddenly that he never does would not recommend to anybody

I hadn't had a cleaning in 18 months and I was a little hesitant to go see a dentist. I didn't want the doctor to tell me that I had cavities or that I needed to brush better or some other scolding, so I kept putting it off. Then, in December 2011, I visited Salinas (I live in southern Cal) for a working vacation. My friend, who is a patient of Dr. Kim, referred me to him, so I went in for a cleaning. It was a great experience. Not just because I had no cavities (yay me!), but also because Dr. Kim was so gentle and caring. It was an experience like no other. NOTE: (1) The office is a little small, which I think is a good thing. These days, there are too many huge offices with a corporate feel (some dental offices feel like Costco). Dr. Kim's office is cozy with a personal feel. (2) Tina took the x-rays. She was funny and friendly, and she kept me at ease. read more

Couldn't be happier with the care, service and support this office provided. From the receptionist to the dental assistant and dentist. Have never found a more friendlier staff. They really go out of their way to make you feel comfortable. Highly recommend this office for all your dental work. Both dentist are Dr. Kim (James and Mike) though not related but both very good. read more

GREAT OFFICE!! Tina and the rest of the staff are very polite and easy to talk to. They have always been very courteous while answering my MANY questions. Dr. Kim is AWESOME at dentistry. He does a great job explaining what procedure is needed and why. I'm not sure where he studied, but more dentist should attend the same school. He has a very gentle hand when giving shots, awesome chair side manor and is never too busy to answer questions! Would I recommend them? Yes! If you haven't been to the dentist in years...see Dr. Kim. If you are scared of the dentist...see Dr. Kim. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED! read more

Dr. Kim is as good as it gets. He has a wonderful staff that always makes me feel welcome and at ease, and they makes the insurance and billing process a breeze! I always know exactly how my benefits are being used and what I'm paying out of pocket for various procedures. Dr. Kim's calm and confident demeanor makes event the scariest procedures a piece of cake. He's quite flexible, and even came in early one morning to take a look at a tooth for me. His dental assistants keep the atmosphere light but professional, and I know I am always in great hands with them. Basically, there are simply not enough great things to say about this practice. I am so glad I found this practice after relocating to Monterey. read more

For the last couple years, my family has been a customer of this office. At first, it was great that is why we decided to keep it as our dentist of choice. Doctors are great, they take care of patient's needs and concerns. However, is the staff who is making damage to the equity of the office. On my last visit, they charge my insurance for X-rays that they never took. They reschedule your appointments without letting you know. Or you call to confirm an existing appointment and they tell you that the doctor would not be in that day and you need to reschedule which you do because you really want to take care of the issue. But then they call the day of the original appt to tell you that you miss your appt and they going to charge you $35 per hour. So your appt was for a crown and was planned for two hours they charged you $70 for "missing the appointment" that was originally changed by them because doctor was not going to be there that day. read more

Horrible experience with Dr Kim today, will not be returning or recommending him. Took my daughter in as a follow up (his wife extracted my daughter's molar about 1.5 weeks ago at the Gonzales office but I was told due to COVID they would be temporarily closing) to get spacer placed. I was not notified that the spacer had not arrived, therefore the appointment was a total waste of my time. When we got there she was taken right in (kudos to the staff for not over booking appointments), we waited for just a few minutes. Dr Kim came in the room (not the friendliest but was courteous) examined my daughter and recommended she get a spacer...that's what we were there for!! It seemed that he had not reviewed her file. Not the worst part. He than steps out of the room and his assistant calls the lab. They had not received the spacer. When he returns, instead of apologizing for the mix up and letting me know they did not have the spacer he tells me he's going to put a post (which according to him was going to be a permanent solution until my daughter's molar came in) I'm not a dental expert but I can google and a post is used as part of root canal treatment. At this point I was starting to get annoyed, but again, I'm not an expert, Dr Kim is and I'm trying to trust him. His "post" idea was not going well. My daughter was very cooperative but I could tell she was very uncomfortable. I again asked him if it was a permanent fix (still hadn't said they didn't get the spacer from the lab) He reassured me it was. I didn't believe him (call it my mother instinct) I finally told him I would just wait for the spacer to come in. Since we're moving pretty soon he didn't think it would come on time so I said I would take her somewhere else. At this point I was beyond annoyed and he absolutely did not make it any better by lying and trying to "wing it" My insurance has already been billed for the spacer and I paid my deductible, they assured me my insurance will be reimbursed so I hope that's true. On a positive note, the front office staff was friendly and helpful. read more

Let me start of by saying that I had originally gone in for some cavities that I wanted to get taken care of two years ago. That was all I went in for! Everything seemed fine and staff were friendly. I had basic insurance so I didn't want anything else besides what I had asked for. Then the dentist started examine the rest of my teeth and noticed I had a chip on my front tooth. It didn't bother me or anything but he kept talking about it and somehow got it in his head that I wanted it filled in. I got what I wanted which was my cavities cleaned and guess what, my front tooth filled. I realized this happened because when I went up to the receptionist to check out. She said I owed $2000+ out of pocket that my insurance wouldn't cover. I was SHOOK! How in the world were my cavities that much, well they weren't, the filling was. I never got a price quote for that work he just decided that I wanted it fixed. As I didn't know what to do besides take apply for a credit card to pay it off. I shouldn't have done that, but that was my mistake. I figured since I had the service done there was nothing I could do at this point besides pay. Well I was upset but whatever at least my teeth were fixed right? Wrong, that stupid filling didn't even last more than two months! I was so done with this place. Apparently I wasn't though because two years later I somehow owe them an extra $100 that a debt collector is trying to mess my credit up with. Save yourself money and go to a good dentist. This place will try to scam you any way they can. If I could give this place 0 stars I would. read more

Great years ago, not so much today. Dr Kim is still great and caring but his associates make you feel like a number. Since the office has grown unfortunately many time I get the associate. The associate dentist re-cemented on a crown and took minimal time prepping the tooth. No blue light to cure the cement? The crown came off the same day. I was told that I no longer had the option of re-cementing because my insurance had approved a root canal. I wanted to save the tooth which was healthy and not hurting just ground very short by my previous dentist. Time to look for a new dentist. ***I found a new dentist in Monterey who spent more time prepping the tooth, etched the tooth and prepared the crown by slightly drilling the inside and placing cement. She used the blue light to cure the cement! It's been 8+ weeks and the crown is holding strong. read more

overt the phone, making appointments, have been hard..super long holds, hangups and me calling many times to get info, chg app or add appt... not a great start!!! but im glad i was patient with this office. i got in and boy the office so nice, clean, pretty,staff in person whole lot better, nice girls, staff mean and women both treated me with respect, they are polite,explained billing, ins. and so on. Dr.kim first mtg and i like him!!! he is precise when he speaks, very straight forward. i went for consult on a tooth to be extracted, he reviewed and we moved into next room for extraction/bone transplant tissue. wow, so excited to get it done at this consult. i can believe how fast and not once did i hesitate this surgeon working on me, i trusted him immediately and he and his male assistant kept things CALM. no pain most importantly with speed. so happy. will move forward in the future for a single tooth implant.Dr. kim is great for those who a straight forward clear speaking periodontist.not a lot of talk just the facts. yes yes yes i will recommend the entire staff and Dr.kim read more

I am petrified of dentists. The whir of the tools puts me into a state of blind panic. However, Dr. Kim and his staff did a wonderful job of putting me at ease. He first asked me detailed questions to ascertain any potential problems I might have. Even though I went in for a simple cleaning, Dr. Kim did not treat me any less than he might have done for a patient who was getting 10k worth of veneers!! He patiently answered all my questions, was kind enough to wait out my hyperventilation (all this over a cleaning!) and told me he looks forward to seeing me again. His "chair-side" manner was awesome and put me at ease. I still hate going to the dentist, but strangely I look forward to my next appointment with Dr. Kim. read more

I usually hate going to the dentist, I'm usually a very happy person but as soon as I set up a dentist appointment my nerves get the best of me. The staff made me feel extra comfortable, and both Dr Kim & Dr Mike are very nice they break the bad news as gently as they can and in a helpful way. I'm very very self conscious about my teeth and decided to get the Invisalign, I'm looking forward to the end results. read more

This place is really clean and the staffs are very welcoming and attentive.. Thank you Dr James and your assistant for taking care of me today. Very professional and kind.. I'm looking forward to my next visit.. read more

I have always been afraid of dentists and the machinery associated with having work done in my mouth. However, when my mouth was suddenly in agonizing pain, I knew I needed help fast! I started by checking out Yelp for recommendations for a sensitive, compassionate dentist in the Salinas area. Dr. Kim's name came up and had the highest number of excellent reviews. Of course, I made an appointment. I made the appointment on Friday explaining my tooth and fear issues. I was sent forms via email to print up, fill out, and bring in with me for a Monday morning appointment. That fast! X-rays were taken and all of my many teeth problems were explained and addressed with care and respect. The immediate problem was a wisdom tooth that was infected. So, Tuesday morning the tooth was pulled! That fast, that easy! I picked up my pain meds on the way home. I was later in more pain than the medication could help alleviate, so I called Dr. Kim's office to request something stronger. Yesenia answered the call and got me squared away very quickly with a new prescription. I should add that all of the ladies at office were very professional, but friendly too! Later, that evening, Dr. Kim called me to check my pain level and made recommendations to make my healing go smoothly. I have never gotten a call from a dentist before now! I'm so impressed! This morning, Wednesday, I am in very slight pain and already have gotten my next appointment via email! I am absolutely certain that I am in the best of care for my teeth with Dr. James D Kim. Thank you Dr. Kim! read more

I have to start off by saying that all the staff made me feel so welcomed! I hate going to new dentists but Dr. Kim's team made it easy for me. They accommodated the tv for my 4 year old daughter and made it easy to get a cleaning with my child tagging along. I even went back for a consultation on braces and the entire time I was there they did great. It took awhile to scan all my teeth for Invisalign, but Dr. Kim and his associate stopped frequently to make sure I was comfortable and if I needed to take a break. I will definitely be transferring my daughter to Dr. Kim's office for her next cleaning! read more

I highly recommend this office. All of the staff at this office are very friendly and helpful. They all seem to go above and beyond to accommodate and make sure you are comfortable. The dentist was wonderful about explaining everything and showing visually on a tv screen what was going on with each of my individual teeth. Instead of looking at a model of teeth, I was looking at my own personal teeth on a screen. This really helped me understand my dental needs. He was very thorough about answering all my questions and I never felt rushed. I left feeling informed but not pressured into any treatment plan. There was a tv screen to watch when you are laying back in the dental chair which is a wonderful distraction when you are confined during dental work. read more

Staff was friendly, although I had to wait a little longer than I expected to be attended to. Dr. Kim was extremely knowledgable, and made me feel very comfortable. Overall great experience. read more

Dr. Kim did a great job on my two crowns. I recommend him.

Dr. Kim seems okay but the last couple of times I went there there was another dentist there and they didn't even mention it. I know Dr. Kim has other offices but it felt like a bit of a scam. I'm skeptical of any dentist who has multiple offices and does not mention them on their website(s). I am now on the search for a new (experienced) dentist and endodontist to fix the root canal that was messed up there. Dr. Kim would do better to focus on building his practice and getting more experience under his belt then opening multiple offices. I found him because all of the great yelp reviews. Hmmm??? Then they moved offices and updated their new office and then poof he was gone. There was another more rookie dentist there the last couple of times (a different one each time) and not the one mentioned on his website. If you can't find him at Salinas Smiles try here. Lots of great reviews on Yelp??http://www.stonecreekvillagedentistry.com/our-practice/meet-our-doctors.html Thanks for your response to my post above. My last trip to your office was some months ago. The dentist who was in there (that day) was unable to find the right nerve to get me numb after giving me 2 or 3 shots--to do a small filling. (Ps--this has never happened before in my 40 years of dental work). So I left without the filling and numb in the wrong place. So, yes, I haven't been back since. I also forgot to mention another dentist there last year could not properly extract my husband's wisdom tooth. Luckily Dr. Kim was walking by ( who we thought was the dentist there) and was able to quickly get it out, after the other dentist pulled and pulled. My husband won't go back either now. Good luck with all your offices! Good help is hard to find! read more

So I went today to this dentist with my mom, her gums were swollen and she was in a lot of pain and I thought that they were going to help her find a solution for my pain but they didn't. When we walked in the building My mom was given some papers to fill out since she was a new patient, and she didn't even have time to fill them out because the doctor called her in and at first I thought that was good because atleast they were going to help her with her pain but I was wrong when she walked in the room they made her sit down so they can take her X-rays but the lady who was doing her X - rays was doing everything in a rush because she was saying that it was her lunch break and she was starving , and then the doctor came in to do her check up and he was literally stabbing my mom with the tool he was using she told them many time that it was hurting her but the doctor said "I know , I know" but instead of paying attention to my moms discomfort he was just talking to his assistant and it was like if my mom were invisible because he didn't pay much attention to her. He never explained anything he was going to do to her until he finally mentioned something about a root canal she needed , then he walked out the room to go check on something, he never returned and that's when we realize that he was working with another patient at the same time. They did not care about my moms pain she was going through and that's when we decided to leave. Thanks to the poking she received her gums got worst. read more

Loved it very quick and everyone was very nice. I had to get my wisdom teeth pulled. I was nervous but they made sure I was comfortable and not in any pain. I'll be going back for my future appointments. I recommend coming here they do welcome families too read more

Dr. Kim was awesome! The staff was awesome too! Made me feel like At home.. Highly recommended this Dentist office.. Love the way the explain the prices and what you will need to have a great smile and healthy teeth! read more

Read the review from the office manager , nothing from the doctor, about my husband's appointment. Dr. Kim never spoke with the representative of the donated dental organization and now find out that it was the office manager. When and where did she get her dental license. Dr. Kim told us that he would contact the organization. Dr. Kim said that my husband WOULD NOT BE HAPPY WITH THE DENTURES. Went on to say that none of his patients are happy with their dentures. Dr. Kim said that he was going to talk to the organization about implant dentures --- which he did not. Still have no respect for this office. Nothing but lies and putting the blame on the patient. Does not take responsibility for making incorrect comments. I am not going to pay $10 for 1 or 2 sheets of paper because xrays are now printed on a single sheet of paper. If he's such a good dentist then why does he have to advertise on a sidewalk folding sign which states "Xrays and Exam $49? How can a dentist do all this for only $49???? Any other dentist's office would charge upwards of $180. read more

After having about 4 different dentists in my life it is safe to say that Dr Kim and staff are without a doubt my favorite. The front desk staff are knowledgeable, friendly and professional. They worked to accommodate my busy schedule without complaint. Leslie took my X-rays and was so incredibly nice and put me at ease. Dr Kim was timely, gentle and efficient. I am definitely your typical afraid of the dentist person but all my fears were put at ease there. I *almost* can't wait to come back! read more

First of all, the office staff is hands-down 5 stars, but I don't come for them. I found this dentist through my provider, and I'm not happy to say the least. I had one cavity, and needed a crown. 1. The cavity area still hurts at times when I bite down. The dentist didn't shave it down enough. I already had him shave it down twice. Why couldn't he do it right at all? 2. For my crown, it was my first crown in my life. He never asked me what kind of crown I wanted. Whether from a lab, or a gold one, or any other type. He just made it without my consent in his machine. When I questioned him about it, he said it was as good as the others. The internet said otherwise. I was pissed. It should be the PATIENT'S choice. Of course he says it's just as good because it puts more money in his pockets not to outsource it. I let him put it on (which I thoroughly regret), and now I have a poorly fitted crown with a huge gap between the crown and the next tooth over (the crown was my very back tooth). Now all kinds of food gets caught from the gap. Even his assistant questioned the gap. The assistant even told me about a device to clean it since theres such a huge gap. What a joke. Also, this tooth was not shaved down adequately, so it hurts sometimes when I bite down. I have never had these issues with other dentists. I have beautiful teeth that have always been taken care of with regular check-ups and braces. Teeth that sit tightly together except now with this I'll fitted crown. I know this gap is going lead to a cavity on the next tooth. The problem is, I don't have this insurance anymore since I changed jobs. I've been putting off calling the office since I've been so busy, but I'm for sure calling next week. I think I already have a cavity by the crown since it's so hard to clean... great read more

Worst dentist ever. Recommended thousands of dollars worth of work on my healthy teeth and then billed me extra. I went to Dr Kim because I read positive Yelp reviews about him. Having relocated to the Monterey area (where I grew up) from Houston, I was looking for a new dentist. The reviews that talked about a clean, nice facility and friendly staff were completely on point. The problem with these reviews is that when a patient sees a dentist who recommends dental work, the patient gets that work done without having a second opinion. Nice equipment, friendly staff, and a nice facility are what patients look for, without knowing whether or not the dentist is actually good. I'm a healthy 33 year old who flosses daily and stays away from sugar and junk food. Imagine my surprise when Dr Kim recommended THOUSANDS of dollars worth of dental work. Did he find cavities? NO. Hmmm. He said that old fillings of mine were acting as wedges, pushing apart my teeth around them. He said that new fillings weren't an option because, "he didn't know what was behind the old fillings. There could potentially be huge cavities underneath there that would be too big for new fillings. The only option would be crowns." Crowns for nearly ALL of my molars I talked to him about the possibility of doing fillings. He said he didn't have the skills to do potentially big fillings that could be needed. "Besides, over time the same thing will happen with those fillings and they could fall out during an inconvenient time." Sorry, but I don't want to file my teeth to a nub and cap them because eventually a filling would fall out. Again, he DIDN'T find cavities with his x-Ray. He wanted to crown my teeth because there COULD be cavities beneath. On his big screen tv he showed me close ups of all my teeth. He pointed out cracks all over them. "I don't know why you have these fracture lines everywhere. At any time they can break and your teeth will chip away or fall out." He now recommended crowning my front teeth too! Are you kidding? I'm 33. I thanked him and said I would get a second opinion, paid my bill and left. Several months later I saw my old dentist in Houston. He said that the "fracture lines" we're Craze Lines and very common and nothing to worry about. He had them himself. He replaced a couple old fillings (with new fillings not crowns) and shook his head at all the work that Dr Kim recommended. "Being a dentist is easy. Being honest with people is hard. It can be very tempting for dentists to get a camera and point out every imperfection to patients and scare them into getting a bunch of work done. They get the crowns and never know the difference. There are a lot of corrupt dentists out there." Dr Kim is one of them. A couple months later I got a bill from Dr Kim's office. I called the receptionist and told her that I had paid my bill in March and now was now receiving another. She didn't even ask to look up my account. "Yes, we've had some errors and some patients received duplicate bills. You're all good." Have so many patients received extra bills that the reception assumes that any random patient that calls has been billed extra? How many patients just pay the extra bill without complaining? Corrupt. Corrupt. read more

I had to completely change my review! Yes a year ago this was a great place to go. Now I would not recommend my friends and family to to there. They have put new policies in place and dont care at all about the clients they have had for years. the receptionist wanted me to pay crazy prices and have stuff redone before they would even address my issue. Its so horrible when places just stop caring like this. read more

.I wouldn't pay the best dentist in the world more than a thousand dollars to clean my teeth! I was impressed by yelp reviews, but they must've been for a different dentist. He did a gum width exam that left a swollen spot on my left gum. I just hope it heals up soon after I went to my regular dentist for my cleaning, which probably made the spot get worse. There are no magazines in the waiting room, just expensive atmosphere everyplace. This is what the outrageous amount they charge must pay for. read more

While we were visiting Watsonville, my husband's "permanent" bridge came out. We visited Dr Kim and even though he couldn't do anything for him, he was very caring, professional, and helpful. We were not even charged for the visit! If we lived in the area, he would be our dentist! read more

I'm happy with the dental work and customer service. The office is brand new and staff is friendly. I'm planning to continue to use this practice in the future. If your looking for a new or better practice this is it. read more