I had a great experience at the beginning and throughout most of my treatment. I started treatment in February 2025 and finished in November 2025. I had previously had braces with Dr. Toolson in 2015, so this time I only wanted a small tweak to my top teeth, specifically one tooth that had shifted. As an adult who has already gone through braces, I understand how important it is to wear my retainer, and I have been wearing it consistently. At my final appointment, they confirmed that my retainer fit properly before I left. Fast forward to now, and I noticed that the same tooth I originally wanted corrected has shifted quite a bit. I went back in for an appointment, and Dr. Phillips asked if my retainer had always fit the way it currently does. I told him yes. He then told me that the retainer does not fit properly on that tooth and that fixing it would require Invisalign for one month at $450, possibly two months for double the cost. After thinking about it, I called the office because I do not feel I should have to pay out of pocket to fix something that should have been addressed when my treatment ended especially since they confirmed the retainer fit before I left. Unfortunately, Dr. Phillips did not see it that way. I paid $3,750 for my top braces and retainer, and now I am left wearing a retainer that is not even correcting the tooth I originally went in to fix. That has been very disappointing. read more

It was clear from the beginning that Dr. Phillips and his staff care about their patients. My child got their braces off today, which caused them a lot of anxiety. Dr. Phillips went out of his way to make the experience better. We really appreciate this group! read more

Two of my children had the privilege of seeing Dr Phillips for braces. We looked forward to our visits and loved the attention to detail and specialized care we received. The office is bright, spacious and fits the coastal beach vibe we all love in north county! The office staff is kind and helpful as well. I am so grateful we found this practice and would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for orthodontic care! Also my youngest took a fall and jammed one of her teeth into her gums and Dr Phillips was incredible-met with us outside office hours, made sure her teeth were ok and was so patient with all of my questions. read more

Dr Toolson is a wonderful orthodontist and person. He has retired and sold his practice. I was surprised by the change and had not received the prior notification that I would have appreciated and expected. The entire staff and office manager are no longer there and the office is closed several days each week with only the receptionist there. She suggested she would check on an issue with my child's braces which sounded far outside of her scope of training. The drop off in care was notable. read more

I don't really take the time to write reviews but I was really disappointed with the service I received. Receptionist didn't explain treatment well and came off as rude. read more

Our family loves Dr Toolson and his team. We just put our third child in braces and this office is amazing. They make everything so easy and they are all so kind!! Thank you for helping our kids through the years. read more

Phillips Family Orthodontics - Braces! - Orthodontists Near Me - Encinitas, California

Dr Toolson and his whole team are wonderful. My daughter had an expander and braces. The staff always communicated clearly and effectively with my daughter to make the process and care easy to understand and not scary. read more

Doctor Toolson is an excellent orthodontist. He makes the process easy and painless. They offer great payment plans and everyone that works there is always so friendly. On top of that, they offer delicious chocolate chip cookies on your way out or a popsicle. Our kids actually look forward to their appointments and really enjoy the staff. The have this cool point system where if the kids wear their Toolson shirts to their appointments and clean their teeth well they earn points. They can later redeem their points for something from the prize box or gift cards. Would definitely refer anyone who needs orthodontic care to Dr. Toolson. read more

Phillips Family Orthodontics - Orthodontists Near Me - Encinitas, California

He's a long time orthodontist in the Encinitas area, and has a very high success rate. I personally worked with him for over four years in high school when I needed braces. read more

My son has almost completed his 18 month orthodontist treatment with Dr. Toolson. Dr. Toolson and his entire staff are professional, personable and extremely caring and compassionate! Since the beginning of his treatment plan to now, they have provided consistent treatment with great results. Even when we've had an emergency (breaking of a bracket), they've accommodated us working us into the schedule to get Gabe back on track. The only thing that I would like is for them to have Friday hours, since Gabe's school is out early - it would have been easier to work into our schedule, aside from that, excellent office! read more

Once you first walk in you are greeted with a smile,cookies ,tea and coffee and the office is nice and clean . Dr.Toolson is very professional and honest . On our first visit he clearly explained to my son and I everything about the treatment . Patricia ( financial coordinator ) was the first person we talked to and she was very kind,helpful and efficient . Rosie was also very gentle and patiently and explain to my son every step of the process as she helped put braces on him . Outstanding staff !!! I have nothing but great things to say about this practice .The entire experience was amazing and I highly recommend it . read more

Dr. Toolson has been my orthodontist since I had my first round of braces over 15 years ago! Unfortunately I didn't wear my retainer as I should Have. I couldn't be happier that I returned to his practice! He is an amazing orthodontist-- very thorough and always listened when I told him any concerns. He always made me feel very comfortable and made getting my second round of braces a breeze. He followed up with me after each appointment every 3-4 weeks to make sure the adjustments were working and I felt okay. My wait time has never been more than 2 minutes and it is very easy to schedule appointments or change them as needed. The office staff are very sweet and always have homemade cookies and tea. The office is very neat and clean which I really like. Dr. Toolson is not only a very skilled orthodontist but an extremely kind and genuine person. I am very grateful for all that he has done for me and I will definitely be taking my children here when they are old enough for braces. read more

Simply the best orthodontist in the area! My neighbors and friends call it the "Toolson smile" and I couldn't be happier for my children.

Dr Toolson was the orthodontist that we chose for both of our children. We made the right choice, because he is a calm, patient, and experienced orthodontist. Their smiles are the result of his care. The staff is also friendly and helpful, making this business a five star environment. read more

Friendly staff, cool beach interior, and my son's braces are coming off six months early! They have hot cookies, tea and water available for adults and kids alike at the office. Highly recommend it. read more

Had first orthodontic consultation for my 11 year old. Happy to say that Dr. Toolson did not try to sell me on braces and recommended that we wait a year to be reevaluated. Needless to say, we were happy with that news. I took his offer as a good sign and will definitely go back to see him in the future. Our initial visit was professional, the office is nice, super kid friendly and Dr. Toolson and his staff were kind. read more

Dr Toolson is professional, reasonably priced, kind, gentle, and always on time. I had great results with him when I did my braces (at age 40,) and now he's doing my kids too. If you want to go to a gorgeous office, never have to wait, and have nice straight teeth with bite correction, he's your guy. His support staff are all really nice as well. read more

My daughter has been going to doctor Toolson for braces. She loves the staff and Dr. Toolson. They are always nice and have a very smooth, streamlined/efficient process. This makes it easy for me to schedule and be in and out of there in no time! This is rare for any doctors office. Dr. Toolson always takes time to explain to my daughter her progress and when she can expect to get her braces off. I love the entire staff!! Patricia got us started with the process and my daughter loves when Erica changes her rubber bands. The cookies are a BIG HIT!! I have nothing but GREAT things to say about Dr. Toolson and his staff and have recommended them to many people. read more

Had to do a quick shout out to Dr. Toolson. He did my daughter's braces when she was in junior high. It's 10 years since then and her bottom retainer broke in half on a Saturday! The wire was poking into the center of her mouth with painful pressure on her teeth and we didn't know how she was going to it to make it til Monday. Called the emergency number and he called back within an hour or so and met us in his office 10 minutes later. Popped it right out! She's going to go in soon to get a removable retainer she can wear a few nights a week to keep those beautiful teeth looking great. So impressed with his prompt weekend help. read more

I've had two daughters complete their orthodontic work with Dr. Toolson. I have another in braces now and one more to go. Dr. Toolson has done an amazing job transforming my daughters' extreme overbites into beautifully straight smiles. I appreciate that he is extremely honest and won't tell you it's time to start treatment before it really is just to get a new patient. I trust him completely and will be visiting his office for years to come with daughters #3 and #4. read more

Both of my children went to Dr. Toolson for braces, and we had an amazing experience during our 4 years going there. He is kind, patient, and professional, and his staff is the same. If there is ever an issue where your child needs to be seen after hours due to an "emergency", you are given a direct number to Dr. Toolson to leave a message for him. He always called us right back, and even met us at the office when it was clear to him that my daughter needed to be seen. I cannot say enough great things about Dr. Toolson and his staff. I would highly recommend him to anyone. read more

Love Dr. Toolson! We have had a great experience with our oldest and will be taking the rest of the kids to Dr. Toolson.

I recently ran into Dr. Toolson and was reminded of what an excellent orthodontist he is. Along with many other family and friends, I had my braces done by him years ago. I still to this day get compliments on my teeth from both friends and other doctors. Dr. Toolson is highly recommended by my entire family for orthodontist work. Not only is his work perfect but he also teaches great habits that will keep your teeth looking like you just had your braces removed. An extra bonus is that he is possibly the nicest person and has an wonderful medical staff. read more

I have taken all three of my sons to Dr. Toolson and have been totally impressed with not only the final result, but the entire process! The office is extremely well run and all of the staff are personable and knowledgeable. Dr. Toolson is a pro and came up with treatment plans for all three of my children based on their individual needs (only one son required immediate commencement of treatment, and it was suggested that the other two needed to wait awhile). Now that all three boys have either finished treatment or are in the process, I having nothing but good things to say about this orthodontic practice. You will be in goods hands no matter what issues your child may have. read more

I would highly recommend Dr. Toolson. And I would go no where else for orthodontist work. My child's teeth are perfect. He kept the braces on beyond when our final payment was made in order to ensure he obtained ultimate results. The office staff is wonderful and professional with excellent follow-through. In addition, we did price shop, and Dr. Toolson surprisingly had the best prices for braces. He practices ethically and with perfection -- two essential components for a great Orthodontist. Highly recommend him to all of my friends and colleagues. read more

We LOVE Toolson Orthodontics! The staff is always happy, helpful and professional. The office is always very clean and organized. My 9 year old looks forward to her appointments because his office is so inviting for kids and he has awesome prizes as motivators for his patients! I have never had to wait! We walk right in! Making an appointment is easy too! We saw an improvement in my daughter's teeth within hours of getting her braces on! After just a few months her teeth are straight & she has her confident smile back! I highly recommend Dr Toolson!!! read more

All three of our children have have had braces from Dr. Toolson. We couldn't be happier with the results. Dr Toolson and his staff have been wonderful to work with, I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for an orthodontist. read more