Friendly. Excellent crowns. If you need help you can call him personally and he'll help you if you're his client. He does care

The staff and Dr. Jerel are all very friendly. That's were my good experiences here leave off. I was assured over and over by the office ladies that the procedures and x-rays were covered by my insurance. I found out that this was NOT the case when I opened a hefty bill that I received in the mail. It's my own fault for not double checking, but don't say you know if you really don't. read more

Great overall experience (for a dentist). I was greeted by a friendly staff and comfortable waiting room. I was treated shortly after arriving. When I left my teeth felt much cleaner than they did after visiting my old dentist and I will continue visiting Dr. Philip. read more

I went into the office today for the first time and the staff was very kind and courteous. The secretary made it easy for me to make complicated appointments and was willing to work with me with billing. However, I won't be going back there because of the way the doctor treated his staff. He made my family feel uncomfortable by speaking condescendingly to his staff. I could never trust my family's health to someone who could be so cruel to people he works with. What a sad disappointment. read more

I had been going to this dentist for years, through cavities and root canals and crowns. I thought the amount of work I needed done seemed a bit extreme as I'm not even 30 but I was assured all this invasive work was the only option. Recently I had a crown put on a tooth that I wasn't even aware had a cavity. There was no sensitivity or indicators that this was a problem tooth. The crown ended up being a disaster. It was too big for my mouth and pushed my teeth around, messing up my bite and altering the feeling and comfort in my mouth that years of painful orthodontia had worked to correct. I went back to the dentist several times after this crown was put in, each time explaining that it hurt, that I felt sharp shock pains like a root was exposed (this was not a root canal crown), that my bite was totally messed up, that I wasn't able to floss it because it was too painful, and that the tooth had totally messed up my bite. I was told that sometimes that's "just what happens" when you get a crown. I was also curious if there was a crack somewhere on or near the crown, but was told there was not. I went to three other dentists to get a second opinion on this work. Each one of them told me the exact same thing: they didn't see why the crown was put on in the first place because the x-ray records from before the crown don't indicate a need for it at ALL, that the pain I'd been complaining about around the crown was, in fact, from a recent filling in the tooth next to the crown tooth, and that the tooth with the cracked filling is the one that should have had the crown on it. The 3 other dentists all wondered if the dentist just accidentally drilled and crowned the wrong tooth. Now I'm left with hours more time I have to take off from work to get the cracked fillings fixed (there are two that the other dentists discovered and they are ones that were done within the last 2 years), lots more pain and dental anxiety, and who knows how much more money spent on this undertaking. On the whole the staff is very nice and I had had a lot of great and pleasant treatments there previously, but this one left a really bad taste in my mouth, so to speak. read more

Hands down the BEST dental experience I have ever had. Coming from a person who is literally terrified of dentist appointments due to my previous dentists I can honestly say Dr Phillip is a dental God. The front desk people are warm and reassuring, my last appointment I was on the verge of tears I was so nervous and the kind woman at the front desk made me feel very comfortable and relaxed. I needed fillings and also to have some of my silver filings replaced and I was somewhat apprehensive as this sounded painful. I had previously asked for nitrous oxide because I wasn't sure I would be able to go thru the procedure without it. Dr Philip was able to comply with my request and I was so comfortable I could barely feel the novacaine being injected. The whole procedure took less than an hour and went so smoothly I literally couldn't believe he had replaced two filings and filled a cavity in that short amount of time. I also had a small chip on my front tooth which he offered to file down free of charge! I would highly recommend this dentist to anyone who has a fear of dentists like I did. He is kind, gentle, and works at light speed to get the work done. Hats of to you Dr Philip!! read more

My experiences at this dentist's office were far less than satisfactory. I was initially told I had 8 cavities needing to be filled. He worked on the first, during which I was in a significant amount of pain, and when I asked for more anesthetic he was reluctant. The filling later got infected and I had to have a root canal, which was completed in 3 separate visits, all of which were miserable. The doctor and staff spoke about after work parties above my gaping gums and at one point undiluted peroxide was sprayed down my throat. I did not feel cared for or comfortable at tjis office. And when I attempted to schedule my latest appointment, I was told the practice was hesitant to continue working with me because of my due balance, which had been partially covered by my insurance, and the rest I had been making payments on. Since my initial diagnosis, I've had another dentist look at my teeth and found only THREE cavities, all of which were simple, shallow fixes done in less than an hour. Overall, I was very disappointed with how I was treated at this practice. read more

Staff here are very friendly and knowledgeable. Philip and his staff make going to the dentist not a terrible experience!

After my cleaning this month, I felt compelled to post a review. I have been a patient of Dr. Philip's for over 10 years. This office preformed everything from routine cleanings to root canals complete with crowns. I hate dental work and Dr. Philip and his staff make the experience bearable (and that isn't easy). I have never experienced any problems with treatments. Dr. Philip does a great job of explaining all of my options and expected results or possible complications before I choose.  I've found him to be conservative diagnosing treatment, like fillings and root canals. He answers all of my questions and makes me feel very comfortable when I'm nervous. I have issues with getting numb and he always waits and adds more Novocain when I am not numb or ready.  As far as the staff, they greet you with a warm and friendly reception.  The assistants are educated about my previous treatments I've received and are well prepared for any of my treatment needed.  The Hygienists are fantastic. I always leave with my teeth feeling smooth and wonderful.  Dr. Philip has created a great environment with good people to make dental work easier on me (the patient). I moved to San Jose a couple years ago and still travel to Santa Cruz every time I need dental work. Thank you Dr. Philip and your staff. If you need a dentist, go check him out. read more

Dr. Philip has been a wonderful dentist over the years that I have lived in Santa Cruz, and I am going to be hard pressed to find a replacement as good now that I am moving! He is very knowledgeable, expert, kind and caring. His staff is wonderful, too! read more

Let me start by saying I hate dentists. I've had the whole spectrum of tolerable through horrendous, but never one I liked, loved, or fully trusted. Dr. Philip and his staff are welcoming, have a great attitude, ensure their patients are comfortable, and take the time to explain everything. He stands by his work, and has even seen me in the office just to assure me everything is okay with my new crowns when I was worried (free of charge!). I truly believe he is great at his job. For the first time in my life I love my dentist and can strongly recommend him to others! read more

Same experience as a previous reviewers (below). Though the dental visit itself was not bad, their office suffers from incompetent, unfriendly, and unprofessional administration... which could cost you a lot of money if you're not diligent. I was originally assured by Jerel's office that my insurance would cover the exam (his office even contacted my insurance to discuss coverage preemptively), but then I still received a bill. My insurance company verified that Jerel's office was contractually obligated to waive the difference between cost and insurance coverage and then conferenced their receptionist in to clarify this issue and ensure my bill was nullified. But, their receptionist vented about how their office "didn't even wanting to be on that contract..." and that "they would NOT waive the fee", and then she hung up on my insurance company in anger (and in breach of contract). Very unprofessional. My insurance company had to snail-mail them a copy of their contract because they refused to dig into their filing cabinet and review their own copy. After a week of being "pinned down" by my insurance company they eventually waived the fees (which weren't much... but my follow-up care costs would have been an erroneous $150 out-of-pocket under their wrongful billing scheme). read more