Literally walking out of Dr Shih's office after a root canal treatment, and I have to post this review right away to share my stellar experience! Dr Shih and his assistants have been super efficient (less than 40 minutes for the entire thing!) and great at explaining all steps involved. And the treatment itself was indeed completely, entirely pain free. My regular dental cleanings are more painful... read more

My regular dentist referred me for a root canal to another endodontist who I won't name because they failed to manage my pain so badly that I walked out. I found reviews mentioning Dr. Shih's pain management here on yelp, but I was still nervous. He talked me through exactly what he needed to do to make the procedure a success while managing my pain correctly. I was still nervous, but the assistant chatted kindly with me to help me get through it. Thank you so much! I hope I don't need any more root canals, but if I do, I will definitely come back to Dr. Shih first. read more

Dr. Shih is amazing! I was absolutely terrified to find out I needed a root canal after breaking a tooth about 15 years ago and having it yellow over time. Dr. Shih explained the process in ENGLISH, not dental talk and assured me it would not hurt. He was right. It was completely painless and I was out of there in 45 minutes. His staff is so nice. All the women I talked to up front answered my questions about insurance and the procedure with a smile. I would definitely recommend Dr. Shih! read more

"Holy ****, I'm having a root canal? Right now?" Yes, everyone in the office must have heard me when I - all 28 weeks pregnant self - exclaimed this after asking Dr. Shih exactly what he was going to do to my painful tooth. I usually consider myself a smart cookie...I was even 8th grade spelling bee champion as well as our company spelling bee champ...but I didn't know what an endodontist did.... Dr. Shih and his staff Rock! I cannot thank you enough. My meeting after my root canal today was more painful than the root canal. Why? Because there was NO PAIN! Super personable staff too. I will refer everyone I know here. I had a great story to tell too when I went back to the office. read more

Dr. Shih is amazing! He has done not one but TWO root canals on me. He is highly experienced, efficient, and takes the time to explain the procedures and why certain symptoms are present. In both cases it was clear that I needed the root canal and I went forth with them on the spot rather than scheduling a second appointment. When I first saw Dr. Shih I was on the tail end of my sanity after dealing with severe tooth pain for over four weeks but was terrified of needing a root canal. I had switched dentists to get a second opinion and was referred to Peninsula Endodontic Group. In a fit of tears I called to see if I could get an appointment as soon as possible and Dr. Shih fit me in within two hours. Dr. Shih looked at my x-rays, tested my tooth, and gave me his opinion. I decided to go forward with the first root canal and the second tooth was a wait-and-see thing that resulted in my second root canal a month later. Before he started he explained the procedure, made sure I was good and numb, and did the root canal. The entire thing was only around 45 minutes and I found it less stressful than getting a cavity filled or a crown since there is minimal drilling. After my second root canal, Dr. Shih called to check up on me and to see how I was doing. I wouldn't say that dental procedures are fun, but this was far better than I had hoped. He puts the legendary "scary root canal" stories to shame. read more

My husband doesn't have a yelp account, so we are writing this together. Dr. Shih just did my husband's second root canal and has done many other root canals for our family members. Dr. Shih is AMAZING!!! He is fast, yet efficient at the same time. He always checks to make sure you are comfortable during your appointment and every appointment has been painless! I highly recommend using Dr. Shih for your dental needs. read more

Dr. Kingston Shih is the best endodontist! I have had countless root canals, and Dr. Shih is quick (less than 1/2 the time of all previous procedures), effective and efficient. This is the first root canal where I had zero complications after the procedure. When my son needed a root canal we called Dr. Shih. My son had also had bad experiences with root canals and his root canal yesterday was a game changer! I highly recommend Dr. Shih! My son HIGHLY recommends Dr. Shih. If you need a root canal, he is the only person I would ever call! read more

I've long had great dental care with Drs. Carl & Jeff Riccoboni, and now I have a great endodonist in Dr. Kingstone C. Shih. Once the problem was identified, they got me in the next day so I didn't have to cope with the pain or worry. Dr. Shih is very attentive, asks the right questions, and listens carefully to what you say. Then he and his staff set to work expertly and efficiently. Root canals are by nature tricky and can be painful, but they did everything to make it as easy as possible. I left there after just 45 minutes feeling elated that it went so smoothly and painlessly. Highly recommended -- when you need an endodontist, don't go with anyone, get the best! read more

To make a long story short, I needed an emergency root canal. I was horrified, in shock, and shaking with fear...I have had pretty bad experiences with anything dental. Dr. Shih squeezed me in on his lunch hour because I was already numb from being at the dentist...THANK GOODNESS. The root canal literally took 20 minutes, tops. If you've been in pain and putting off this procedure, just get it over with. They use killer pain stuff and while you feel pressure and a little weirdness when they're drilling into your tooth, it doesn't hurt. The only thing I would have appreciated is some safety glasses. That might sound weird, but when you are having your tooth power sanded and you feel tooth particles landing on your face, you worry about them getting into your eyes! Oh, yeah...and he's a Sharks fan! Woot! read more

Dr. Shih is a star! What a difference it makes to find a dentist or a doctor that actually cares about his patients and not just treats them as numbers. I had a really painful cracked tooth which he did a root canal on before I went and got it crowd. A Month later I had severe pain however I was in Europe and I didn't know what to do. He wrote a prescription for clindamycin while I was in Norway. The Norwegians did not except his prescription but the next day I went to Belgium and they did. My tooth continued to eight and I was so afraid that we get an infection. A few days later I went to England and I got it checked and to my relief there was no infection but I was clenching my Jaw is up. I was in touch with Dr. she back-and-forth and he was available at all times to me via email and phone calls. He made me feel assured when I was halfway across the world. This is a dentist with excellent bedside manner. Thank you so much for being available to me and making me feel like I mattered. You are indeed the best endodontist ever! Not only are you talented, but I cannot emphasize how important it was to me that you cared! Exceptional bedside manner and amazing talent! read more

Dr. Shih is a fantastic Endodontist. After reading the Yelp reviews here I felt much better about getting my first root canal. And, indeed, it was very much like getting a filling put in, maybe a bit longer: I was in and out of the chair in 55 minutes, even with it being a wisdom tooth with three roots. Dr. Shih's demeanor is very comforting and reassuring (excellent "bedside manner"). He began by explaining the entire procedure to me, colored diagrams included. I have low pain threshold so Dr. Shih gave me a bit extra anesthetic. I felt no pain whatsoever. The operation went very smoothly, zero issues, and 48 hours later everything is fine. Dr. Shih even called me later the afternoon of the procedure to see how I was doing. I can't say enough about Dr. Shih's competence and professionalism. The office staff are wonderful as well. I highly recommend him. read more

Dr Shih is a great dentist. He did root canal treatment on my dad, my wife, my sister-in-law and on myself, pretty much my whole family whoever needs a root canal. He is very competent and efficient. He is straight forward and tell it as it is. He got it done and no more pain. Highly recommend him for whoever needs root canal treatment. read more

Dr. Shih performed a root canal on my tooth #15 and it was a great experience, as funny as that may sound. I was extremely scared and nervous after my general dentist exposed the nerve in my tooth while removing a cavity, especially since my general dentist was not able to get me completely numb. Dr. Shih's office arranged to see me immediately and when I arrived, Dr. Shih assured me that he would be able to get me numb enough to do the root canal. He was correct, and I was pleasantly surprised at how quick, easy and painless the entire 45 minute procedure went. Dr. Shih was super professional, efficient and and explained every part of the procedure in simple and easy to understand terms. Highly recommend if you ever need a root canal. read more

Dr. Shih is one of the best endodontists around. He's so fast and painless, I wish he could be my general dentist. I think I'd find myself chomping on peanut brittle more often though, since I wouldn't mind the trips over there. And, well, I find him easy on the eyes as an added bonus. Ok, I said it. If he's really busy he can appear to be rushed and a little cross, but he really is a nice guy. His staff is great too! read more

I never thought that I'd have to ever get a root canal. Needless to say, I was worried about how the procedure would go. The administrative staff was very welcoming and kind. Dr. Shih was very professional and provided a summary of what he would do using laymen terms that helped me understand the scope of what was going to happen. He was very gentle and constantly asking if I was in any discomfort, which I never was. The procedure was pain free and effortless. I was also on a tight schedule and the doctor provided me with an estimated time which he met with time to spare. I greatly appreciate his skill and care. Like many other reviews have mentioned, Dr. Shih has helped me overcome the fear of the root canal. Thank you Peninsula Endodontics Dental group for your help! read more

Dr Shih is the best ! I got my root canal done today finally after hesitation for a very very long time. I was in pain and the pain is all gone and its only been 7 hours since I got it done. His style of explaining the procedure, the diagnosis, and the level of comfort he gives you before the procedure was just outstanding. I had no pain whatsoever during the procedure and after the procedure. I am really excited that i made the right choice. I have already recommended him to my friends, since I am sure they will be excited to know about a doctor like this exists. Simply fabulous and amazingly skilled !! Painless job ! read more

Painless. Absolutely painless. I had a crown installed about 2 months ago and strongly suspected I was going to need a root canal as it still hurt 3 weeks after. Due to my horrible experience getting my first root canal 15 years ago, I delayed and delayed. Until Friday night when I was dying... Stuck it out over the weekend, then called my dentist first thing Monday. What? Omg, he's out this week. Something about a hunting safari...? (Just kidding, he's at Disneyland.) His office recommended Dr. Shih, who squeezed me in. If I had only known it wasn't going to hurt, I could have saved myself a lot of grief. Not just painless, the Dr. and his staff have good personalities, too! Strongly recommend! read more

Dr. Shih performed two root canals for me. Both root canals were pain free and successful. He was fast as lightening, as if he had been doing root canals forever. He performed the root canals without ever exchanging a word with his assistant, it seemed as if they had their rhythm down pat. I highly recommend Dr. Shih! read more

How would you like to go from the worst pain in your life to no pain? Tooth 29 (lower, right) died and became infected causing the right side of my face, from my bottom jaw to my ear to burn in pain. I was able to get in quickly to see Dr. Shih. He prescribed an antibiotic to control the infection and saw me the next morning for a root canal. He was fast and it did not hurt. The pain immediately subsided and in a few days the tooth settled down and felt completely normal. Dr. Shih also did a re-treatment of an old root canal on Tooth 2 (upper, right) so I could keep the tooth and not have it pulled. I would definitely go back to Dr. Shih again. read more

I had a root canal from Dr. Shih earlier this week. Although it was more expensive than the quote provided to me by a different general dentist it was well worth it. The procedure was quick and comfortable. The only pain I felt was during the injections, and Dr. Shih was very kind and gentle while doing those. He also called to check up on me later that evening to make sure I was still doing fine. read more

Dr. Shih is a wonderful doctor. He is very knowledgeable and talented doctor. His "bed manners" are wonderful as well. He is very kind and compassionate. I was very scared but when I was in his chair, I felt calm. He took great care of me. His office staff is very compassionate, courteous and helpful. It is without hesitation that I recommend dr. Shih to anybody. read more

Just had an amazing first root canal experience (sounds crazy right?) with Dr. Shih!!! Only took 1 hour and I almost fell asleep a few times. I highly recommend this mountain view location of peninsula endodontic group! Their front office staff is wonderful (especially Wendy!), and his assisting staff are all very nice too. This place is like root canal heaven lol can that even exist?!. I'm definitely coming back to Dr. Shih If I ever need another root canal :-) read more

Got a root canal yesterday from Dr Shih. First visit to this office. Amazing complete experience! Professional, knowledgeable and courteous. Procedure was quick, painless and with state-of-the-art equipment and techniques. Highly recommend!! read more

I can share a very unique perspective. I am a general dentist who refers my complex root canals to neighborhood endodontists. I have had the distinct pleasure of referring to Dr. Shih over the past decade. His expertise is something I can count on. He's been trained at the one of the best dental schools in the nation, UC San Francisco and completed his intense specialist training at Temple University back East. On most difficult cases, I will confer with Dr. Shih and ask for his opinion. I can always depend on him to be thoughtful and then answer with possible scenarios. He will always answer with confidence and draw from his many decades of experience! My patients' clinical work from Dr. Shih is always very impressively done. Great apical seal and incredible buildups are made when the patients return to me. Dr. Shih is very accommodating to patients' time pressures and he has proven to be a very efficient specialist. I highly recommend him if you are looking for a great endodontist to consult and work with if you are in the Peninsula area. The office has fantastic parking availability too! read more

I had a root canal procedure performed by Dr. Shih and am very glad that my dentist recommended this office. I have had several done by other doctors in the past, and this time was the most pleasant. Dr. Shih is rather socially awkward, but he is a very skilled endodontist. No annoying chit-chat, just a quick, efficient procedure. He used a dental dam, which keeps gunk out of your mouth, and that makes a big difference IMHO. I went back to work straight away. It wasn't a big deal at all. Highly recommended. read more

I thought I needed a root canal....right then. But he asked me enough ?'s about recent dental work I had done, and decided to wait. He could've taken my $$$ right then and there but he didn't! I don't like to think I'll need to have a root canal specialist in my group of professionals to count on, but when I need one, I won't have to think twice! I highly recommend him! And he's a compassionate guy as well! read more

Dr. Shih is THE BEST Had root canal done yesterday. The procedure was painles. Dr. She was very proffesional, patient and gentle. He explained everything very well and answered all my questions. The staff was very kind and professional as well. I will always go back and recomend Dr. Shih to all my family and friends. read more

I have gone in to see Dr. Shih twice. Once to clean out a root canal that became infected (the root canal was done years before by another dental group) and more recently for a root canal. Dr. Shih did an amazing job both times and his staff is very friendly. I highly recommend him for your dental needs. read more

I had an emergency root canal done here. It was the most painful (physically) dental experience of my life. The work seems good enough and he was well intentioned, but unless you're really into pain, avoid this one. He also charged a lot more than my current oral surgeon, who did a root canal with a lot less suffering. read more

Dr. Shih is the best at root canals. I had multiple root canals done at once and he does them in a relatively short time and really not painful. He also is very considerate when asking to check on previous work that you are concerned about. His office staff is very caring and professional. read more

I had a root canal in December 2012 from Dr Shih. Indeed, he seemed to be a nice man, and he was fast. A month later I found out he had put mercury amalgam in, without asking me. (I consider mercury toxic; I strongly believe that, ethically, he should have asked me about this controversial substance.) Two years later I found out he didn't get all the infection, so part of my jaw has rotted away plus he missed one of the canals that needed attention. I've had to have the entire procedure done again. read more

Good patient care and competency are two utmost important qualities for any decent doctor. Unfortunately, Dr. Shih lacks both. His judgement call is poor. His irresponsible behavior and uncaring attitude towards his patients are astoundingly alarming and can cause dangerous consequences to his patients' health. My first day with Dr. Shih was pleasant. Even the root canal surgery seems smooth and painless especially with Dr. Shih's excellent bedside manners. However, the area he worked on never seem to recover even after 8 long months. Finally, advised by my regular dentist Dr. Mulcahy, I went back for Dr. Shih's evaluation. Although it is obvious that something is wrong with the area, Dr. Shih advised me to wait even longer as his X-ray indicates an ongoing slow healing process. After 8 months of waiting, my regular dentist doesn't feel comfortable with the tooth exposed as new infections can develop with food gets stuck under the tooth. Furthermore, the fact that the area's discomforting level seem to increase over time indicates that the area is not getting better but worse. To Dr. Shih's credit, he pleasantly agrees to redo my root canal as soon as Tuesday, the very next day at no charge. However, the nightmare began from here on as I feel perhaps Dr. Shih is angry with me for "making him work for free." This second time around, Dr. Shih was rushed, unpleasant and extremely rough disregarding how I felt. He gave no waiting time for the numb medicine to settle in my gum. As soon as the injection was done, he jumps right in and started to drill and work the tooth vigorously. It was piercingly painful but I suffered bravely and silently for fear my complaints would anger the 'doctor' even more. My tooth was at the mercy under this doctor's hand. I can be treated as a piece of cardboard as long as my tooth survives the operation. When done, I was relieved at the thought that perhaps this is the last time I would have to see this doctor. But NO, the next day the whole area started to act up. What unbelievable to me was that on one hand, Dr. Shih told me that reworking on a root canal area is much more complicated and painful than the first time. On the other hand, he asks me to go back to my regular dentist the next day or so and "immediately" have him put on the permanent crown. Luckily, my dentist was not working the next day, Wednesday. The pain continues to worsen alarmingly every minute. By Thursday morning, I called Dr.Shih's office and was instructed to come in for an exam. Disregarding how descriptive my pain was and that the pain prevented me from eating or chewing, he insisted that the temporary tooth was too high and that I kept pounding on the tooth. That is why my wound is worsen!!! I disagree but he is supposedly the expert and I'll be so grateful if he thinks that grinding down my temporary tooth would help relieve the pain. Friday comes around, and the pain is even worse. My husband finally comes home after a full week of travelling. His first comment was that my mouth had a terrible foul smell! When I proceeded to tell him about my re-root canal and all the suffering thus far, he immediately diagnosed that I must have an infection and an abscess in my tooth. Although my husband is not a dentist, as a physician, he understands how human bodies work and how infections develop. He immediately placed a call to Dr. Shih's office. Of course, Dr. Shih was unavailable to advise us on any course of action even after Wendy, the front desk secretary emailed him. Wendy then offered to call the pharmacy for an antibiotic to help settle my infection. She advised us to wait and see if the pain subsided with the antibiotic. If not, perhaps we could contact the doctor on call over the weekend. As soon as my husband hung up the phone, he gave me Amoxicillin, a very good antibiotic. He then went to the pharmacy to pick up the recommended antibiotic and had me taken them both. He must have felt that without Dr. Shih's feedback, Wendy may not know the whole story about medications. My husband just wanted to make sure that my infection is well under control in the meantime. Thus two different antibiotic may not be a bad idea. By late Sunday, the pain worsen. Again, I was awoken at 3am screaming in pain. I started to take Ibuprofen regularly to help with the pain. My wise husband recommended me to have a second opinion on Monday and that I should not go back to Dr. Shih ever again. Monday morning, I went to see Dr. Fotovatjah. What a kind, generous, competent and knowledgeable endodontist Dr. Fotovatjah is. He told me Amoxicillin is a good antibiotic but works contrary to Wendy's choice of med. That is why my pain went through painful cycles. He asks me to stop Wendy's choice of antibiotic immediately and to continue with the Amoxicillin. The pain should go away in about 2 days. He's RIGHT!! read more

I have always had issues getting numb so I have high anxiety with any dental procedure. Root canals sound pretty serious...... Luckily I found Dr Shih through a friend who just had a painless experience with her root canal. I had mine today and it was not at all dramatic. In and out in 60 minutes, no pain whatsoever. I think a teeth cleaning can be worse. He is super professional and listened to my concerns in initial meeting and reassured me it would be pain free. The entire support staff is very friendly and makes you feel very comfortable. Bonus: they encourage you to bring headphones so I got a chance to get caught up on my playlist. If you need this procedure, Dr Shih is the one to go to read more

Got my root canal done yesterday. The procedure was totally painless. Dr Shih worked very efficiently and my entire procedure was done in less than 30 minutes. Little pain even a day after. I did not give five stars because patient care could have been better. No neck pillow was provided. My mouth was getting so tired with no break in between the procedure. After the procedure, no clear instructions on if I needed a crown or how long not to chew from the operated side etc. read more

I have always been afraid of getting a root canal after hearing others experiences. Dr. Shih and Wendy are great! They were able to get me in at the last minute and I was out of pain within an hour. I did have to come back to finish the procedure but it was worth it. I would recommend Dr. Shih to any of my friends and family who are in need of a root canal! Now I'm not afraid of root canals like I was before. read more

Dr. Shih is an amazing endodontist! I was very apprehensive about my first root canal, however, a friend referred me to Dr. Shih and I'm so glad I listened! Dr. Shih is extremely professional, friendly, and took the time to throughly explain to me what I should expect from the procedure. The procedure itself was painless and quick! I'm still amazed at how fast Dr. Shih was able to do the root canal and the fact that I didn't feel any pain. I would definitely recommend Dr. Shih to anyone that needs a root canal. read more

Dr. Shih is the best! I recently went in for an emergency root canal and Wendy was so helpful and fit me in that day. I felt no pain at all during the procedure and was done within 45 minutes. Dr. Shih is so good and detailed and informs you on what he is doing throughout the appt. Because of Dr. Shih I never mind getting a root canal done! read more

I wrote a review, but it disappeared. Well, I will try again. Dr. Shih did procedure redo root canal, even though the tooth was fractured. I had to have it extracted in several months. Seems like he did just to charge, did not explain pros and cons of the procedure, did not say it may not work. Susequently, when it did not work, offered another unnecessary expensive procedure, that was destined to fail, which I refused. Would not recommend this endodontist. read more

My regular dentist needed help discerning which tooth was causing a swelling in my gums. She sent me to Dr Shih, who used a couple techniques to find the culprit. He explained my situation thoroughly and suggested a root canal to fix the problem. I was able to get an appointment the next morning from his helpful, friendly staff. The root canal was quickly and expertly done. It looked to me like Dr Shih used very up-to-date equipment and techniques. I didn't feel any pain and the whole procedure took less than 40 minutes. Dr Shih is not only a good technician, he's a very kind, careful person with great listening skills. read more

Dr. Shih is the best in the business. My Dentist, Dr. Rutner, initially recommended him when I first had to get a root canal. I am one of those type of people that has had terrible experiences with Dentists, so I was terrified the first time I was told that I needed to get a root canal. I went to the office at Peninsula Endodontic in mountain view and the receptionists are very nice and they are very calming. All the people that work with Dr. Shih are very empathetic and do their best to make you feel at ease. Dr. Shih walks in with a great air of confidence. I told him my concern of getting numbed enough and he said that he would ensure that I would definitely have no issues. He puts on a topical first and moves very fast to numbing the area. You do not have to worry. After numbing, Dr. Shih moves very quickly into getting to the business of performing the work. He showed me my ex rays and exactly what he was going to do to ensure that he gets it correct. If he needs to do tests before numbing for verification he does those. As he starts they let me put on my headphones and the time passes very quickly and painlessly. He explains everything he is going to do and checks in with me during his work to make sure you are ok. I have developed a hand signal so that if I need something he stops right away. I needed a bit of water and they immediately stopped and made sure I got what I needed. I was done with the root canal and a build up of the tooth to finish the entire procedure in one session. Before the procedure was started, the office ladies were extremely nice and positive energy. When I changed and added a service, they came in and explained the costs and asked if I wanted a payment plan. They also explained that it might be cheaper to get my dentist to do certain services so I could choose. In addition, if they are out of your insurance carriers doctor plan they will let you know this as well. They treat everyone with a lot of respect and honesty. During the procedure and after, I literally have no pain. I've had to have three root canals and I would not go to anyone else in the Bay Area. Also, when I went home, all I had to take was a little bit of Aleve and I felt perfectly fine as a precaution. Also, when I went home, dr. Shih called me on my phone to check to make sure I was ok!!! What other Dentists do that? He really cares about his work and his patients. Thanks Dr. Shih. read more