Dentists are caring and appointments are on time. I have never felt like they are pushing any unnecessary interventions or procedures

I'm very disappointed with this dental clinic's appointment system. There have been several occasions where my kids' scheduled appointments simply didn't appear in their system. Each time, the staff immediately blames a "system issue" and takes no responsibility. Rather than offering help or solutions, they just point to the software as if nothing can be done. Trying to book appointments with them has become extremely frustrating. It's been over six months since my kids were last seen, and I expected the clinic to follow up to arrange the next visit. Instead, they told me they don't handle scheduling that way. Reliable appointment management and accountable staff should be the minimum standard for any clinic, but unfortunately, this place fails on both fronts. I cannot recommend it to anyone who expects dependable service. read more

I genuinely love returning to this office because of how kind the people at front desk are. I've never had any issues or inconveniences with them. The RDA Lupe made my son with special needs feel at home. She took the time to get to know him and ask about his favorite tv show. Genuinely love their energy and positivity read more

Omg they were awesome. My daughter has Autism and anxiety to the max they were aware. The whole staff was very helpful and the hygienist was amazing with my daughter , she took her time with was so patient and was very detailed when explaining what procedures she was doing on my daughter. Dr.So was AWESOME with my daughter was patient took his time was asking my daughter questions about her teeth if she any concerns which was great to see because it is her dental appt. My daughter did X-rays for the 1st time ever and seating on the dental chair was a milestone. I highly recommend them! read more

Great with kids and really quick on doing there work ! I would always recommend my family to visit this place read more

I'll be 100% honest . I'm huge on respect and professionalism. The staff here show no respect. They are very stuck up and unprofessional. I couldn't imagine bringing my kid here let alone letting strangers with poor manners take care of my child's teeth. Just my opinion though, if you're big on kindness and manners , this location is definitely not it . God bless . read more

This may be the first review I have written in 5 years, but I am motivated to because of how poorly the staff treated my 9 year old. I noted in my intake paperwork that my daughter had a painful experience at her previous dentist so my request is for staff to be aware of that. When I was asked by the hygienist about my kid's previous dentistry, I mentioned this to her. She looked back at me silently and said nothing, to the point that it was an awkward interaction. I was left with the feeling that this hygienist could not care less about my daughter's experience at POW. This was odd to me since POW is explicitly a business that treats children. After the appointment, my daughter told me that her hygienist and another staff member, within earshot, made fun of her for being afraid. Obviously, this behavior from professionals is surprisingly immature and the opposite of what families need from a pediatric dentist. The management at POW must be poor for this type of staff behavior to be tolerated. read more

Look elsewhere if you want compassionate care for kids and/or to deal with competent office staff. Horrific mishandling of my 6 year old's health. Our insurance changed from Aetna to Dominion after fillings were ordered in July. I specifically chose Dominion as Dr. Valdez is covered, but apparently she does not like their rates and will not schedule. I have a record of emails to Perla and voicemails not returned Today we were turned away for a confirmed appointment to get fillings. The staff laughed at me when I insisted on my daughter being seen. Then presented an invoice higher than what was already emailed to me. I said that I have it in writing and it should reflect the same amount as was presented. At which point Perla loudly told me was *I* being disrespectful. Not once did Dr. Valdez or Perla apologize for not scheduling for not responding to my many requests to schedule, for attempting overbill me more than the treatment plan, and continued to blame me. They were thoroughly unprofessional and I recommend you seek care elsewhere. read more

GREAT patient care by the dentists. RUDE treatment by the support staff. You can do better than this place, parents! As the parent of two children, it always blows my mind how a business that caters to pediatric patients can turn around and treat the adults like crap. That was my family's experience here. And boy - you do NOT need to go through the same thing. When showing up for my child's appointment this week, we had to knock on the door for entry. This is pretty standard stuff, as most dentists who have reopened due to COVID are doing this. The doors are locked, so you either have to call or knock. At my adult dentist, simply standing at the door is sufficient. Apparently here there was a sign posted telling people to CALL, but in our defense, the signage nor the process is clear to the clients who arrive. Now, perhaps this information should be conveyed ahead of time via phone, but it was not. So, we knocked, and upon doing so the receptionist opened the door and yelled at us. No exaggeration here - totally rude, opened the door, said something we could barely discern, then closed the door on us. One question in response: REALLY? Once inside, we were pressed for payment from a past appointment. Again, pretty standard stuff, but as my wife was attempting to contact me re: the best card to use for this payment (as it is during this unprecedented pandemic), the receptionist proceeded to talk loudly at her while she was on the phone with me, saying "Just swipe it, m'aam. Just swipe it.". When she did proceed with swiping it, the card reader was not working, and the receptionist - again, rudely - pulled the card FROM her hand, and walked across the front desk area to try another point-of-sale payment machine. Surprise - it did work, so...maybe there's a known issue with the one at the counter? Hmm... A few days later we called and spoke with the "manager" there, who then got SUPER defensive when we proceeded to explain what had happened to us. Claimed we pounded on the door as if "they were being evicted". TOTAL LIE. The best part? This guy wasn't even in the building when this happened. So, he must have been told that by the receptionist, who clearly was having a bad day (bad LIFE?), and had to embellish what really happened, in a sad attempt to justify her terrible behavior. So listen up, POW DENTAL EMPLOYEES: It's NOT ok to treat your customers like this - basically like GARBAGE. Yeah, we ALL are stressed out over COVID, and many of us are not working at all, so just be glad you are able to remain employed. But when you are dealing with the public, dealing with PARENTS, you need to realize that you have no idea what hell we have had to deal with just to make it to your office on time. We are already frazzled as hell, just in getting to your business. And if MULTIPLE PATIENTS are not following your "proper door procedure" (what the manager told me), well then, perhaps you need to improve the signage, or communicate this protocol via email PRIOR TO PATIENTS ARRIVING FOR TREATMENT! The lessons or takeaways here? It's simple: 1. Be NICE to the parents who arrive for dental appointments. We are already stressed the hell out, knowing that you have to treat our child, and not knowing how she/he will respond. Kindness goes a long way. 2. If someone isn't doing what it is that you need them to do, perhaps it's not OUR fault, and maybe it's that you didn't communicate the expectation properly. We are aware you are seeing fewer patients as a result of the health crisis, but you cannot simply try to jam us in, and then get us the hell out of there. It may take a few minutes longer than expected. Sorry. 3. When someone is trying to PAY YOU MONEY, don't be rude if someone has to check their online banking first. Money is tight for damn near everyone right now due to COVID. How about some freaking compassion? Your services are not cheap (as a 'Premier Partner' w/ Delta Dental, your provider's fees are higher than others, with a higher cost-share), and we are all not independently wealthy. 4. As a manager, when someone calls to complain about being treated rudely, do not then get super defensive right out the gate, because that's not a good look. All you should be doing is sitting on the other end of the phone quietly, being receptive, and assuring the person who is making the complaint that this will never happen again, and that you will talk to the employee in question, saying you are sorry. Sure, we did eventually get a tacit apology, but after having to argue our case. We didn't make this stuff up, Chief! Your staff was SUPER rude, and you then responded with a matched response. Customer service 101, guys. You just...don't...do that. EVER! So yeah, we are done with this dental provider - and that's a damn shame. Our dentist was truly awesome, took such good care of our child, and he/she LOVED HIM. But because we do not wish to be treated like garbage, we will take our business elsewhere. How sad. read more

Took my almost 2-year old daughter here for the first time today for a routine visit. We had to switch dentists because her previous dentist was no longer covered by our insurance. My daughter has always been scared of medical offices. The moment we walked in she was already screaming and crying. I loved how the staff and Dr. Valdez were professional and respectful. They took us to a room and made it super quick and easy. My daughter was still crying throughout the procedure. But they handled her very well. I highly recommend this clinic. read more

I had read the reviews before taking my daughter. Both positives and negatives. This office is walking distance so I decided to still take her starting at 1.5 years old. I quickly realized the front office staff are rude and to book the next appointment with the hygienist before leaving. I felt like the hygienists and dentists were worth the office staff negativity. EXCEPT after 5 years of going to this place every 6 months, enough is enough. I took my daughter to her scheduled appointment to be told the dentist would not be seeing her and she could no longer could be a patient. I asked why and if the appointment had been cancelled. NO explanation. I even asked if I could speak to the dentist who was standing nearby watching. I was told NO. So we left and I scheduled her elsewhere. I told my husband what happened and he called POW and they said to bring our daughter back. As if. My advice is to find somewhere where all the staff are decent. Don't settle, there are plenty of dentist offices in the area that are better than here. EDIT-Staff member NEVER explained why we were being refused service and could no longer be a patient when we were in the office for our scheduled and confirmed appointment today. We had declined X-rays the last appointment since my daughter just had gotten X-rays at the ER the same week and we didn't want to expose her to more radiation, which the dentist agreed to skip. Again, no explanation was made to me in person, but to my husband on the phone after we were told to leave. Why would we come back? I already have her scheduled for a different dental office and POW has already talked badly about my daughter to them, which I cleared up. Not only did they refuse us today or explain why; they tried making it difficult to find a new dentist. read more

As of October 2020, requires a $100 deposit just to make an appointment for treatment, regardless of your insurance situation. This will result in fewer children getting dental care they need. read more

Communication is awful! 2 appointments scheduled for MONTHS and both confirmed and days before they are "not seeing patients on Saturday due to COVID" we have been in a pandemic all freakin year! Jenny rude as hell! She just kept going on and on about the system , texts and emails and really SAVE IT! your office planned poorly and it happened to my family AGAIN and I can't keep changing and rescheduling because this office fails to have clear communication. I requested to speak to the OWNER not Jeffrey the Manager. Let's see how they handle it... stay tuned for update! Find another dentist that actually communicates and knows what's going o Spoke to a dentist he said keeping everyone safe with the precautions in place wasn't doable on a Saturday. Whatever that means read more

Lupe is hands down the best assistant . She is very welcoming and always has a positive attitude! She is very kind and gentle with my kid . I always come in and look forward to see that my kid will be in good hands!! read more

Our daughter had a dental appointment 7 days ago. Our 7 year old's first comments to me upon returning from the appointment with her father was, "she made my mouth bleed." The following day, our little girl had a fever of 103. She has not been able to eat, and has lost 3 lbs in 5 days. This has been a parent's worst nightmare. To hear your child cry from blisters in their mouth, in pain and say "I'm hungry" but can't eat, is beyond words. After discussing the appt in full detail with my husband, it appears the dental assistant performing the cleaning did such a job flossing, that is caused severe bleeding, swelling of our daughter's gums and ultimately, a staph infection. She even commented to the DDS that "her gums are inflamed because she needs to floss better" as he prepared to examine our daughter; it's clear the assistant and the DDS could see our daughter's gums were quite inflamed and bleeding at the time she was examined. I want to share this in hopes that no parent experience what we are going through. Further, no child be put through this torture. read more

My daughter needed a referral to see a pediatric dentist for an issue she was having with one of her immature teeth. My current dentist was not helpful at all in finding an office that would take my insurance, instead they gave me the run around. I went on yelp and found a couple near me that took my insurance, fortunately the only office that was quick to respond, contact my insurance, and schedule me an appointment within the next week was POW dental office. Dealing with insurance and appointments can be a bit of a headache but POW took care of everything and made our experience comfortable and easy, not only for me but for my daughter who has developed anxiety around the dentist. The office is very welcoming to kids and the the best part they had us out in an hour. No long waits and helpful staff! read more

POW Dental - Entertainment for kids while they wait, takes the anxiety out of the appointment. - Pediatric Dentists Near Me - Albany, California

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If you like to feel welcomed and you like people to respect your children, don't go to this place and save yourself and your kid from a terrible experience. The first time we went to POW in 2021, my son was 2 years old, had had an accident and we didn't need to go through the staff so much, so it was ok. Dr. Patrick was really nice and gentle, he spent enough time with us there explaining our options and talking to our son, directly (making him feel seen). Our second and third (last) times there were for anual check ups and they were simply terrible experiences. The lady on front desk don't even look at your face to ask "checking in?" and after you give your child's name you have to figure out by yourself that you are all set, can have a sit and wait to be called, as she won't say anything and just leave you standing, wondering if she's done. Once we went through the assistances for x-ray, cleaning and getting ready for doctor, in both visits, my children (4 and 1 years old) were scared to death. The staff were REALLY rude, they wouldn't say "hi" to the kids or tell them what they were going to do with them, they would just start the procedures all of a sudden, expecting a baby and a toddler to act as an adult saying "come on, you've done this before", or "no no no no no no, keep your mouth open". In the last visit the lady was even FORCING my son to keep his lips closed with her hands. ARE YOU SERIOUS? They were dealing with my kids like "things" "bags of potatoes", not people. At the end of the last visit (we are never returning there), they rushed us out to start talking about payment options, giving my son a coin to get a little toy from a machine, but they didn't even let him put the coin in the machine, taking it back from his hand, as he was taking more than a minute to decide on his "prize" (which was, by the way, the cheapest trash that broke upon opening). It is really a shame that I need to write a review like that (I never ever write reviews, so you can imagine my disappointment), as this place has a great potential, doctors who, even though only see your kid for 5 minutes in check ups, are nice. The main point for me is that a pediatric place has to have staff who LIKE and know how to treat children. People who don't like children or working with the public overall should stay clear from pediatric care. read more

The owner, a big man is always very unpleasant. He is out there all the time once the patient is inside of the little reception area, he seems to enjoy showing people his authority. I have no complaint about the dentists, but this manager and his obnoxiousness made us go elsewhere. I am glad we found a super nice and competent doctor immediately. read more

These guys are awesome! They sent Baz home all happy with his balloon, saying, "I like brushing." He's practicing flossing right now. I couldn't be happier! read more

Friendly streamlined thoughtful and knowledgeable! My 2 year old had her first visit today and she walked out with so many goodies!! Balloon, toothbrush, toothpaste, bouncy ball, bubbles, sticker, floss picks... she's in heaven. That balloon hasn't left her side for the last 4 hours. And I loved how approachable Dr So was, answered all my questions about fluoride (not pushy at all), and gave me lots of knowledge of what to expect. And I never felt rushed. The staff was friendly, and welcoming. Looked up my insurance in advance which I really appreciated. The office has water, comic books, kindle fires with shows, books, a friendly open space, iPad hipaa forms.... wish my adult dentist had this too! We are looking forward to returning! read more

(March 5h, 2021) They are extremely rude and impolite to loyal customers. We have been there for years. My six-year-old daughter was very looking forward to the dental visit this morning. Before our visit, she even said she wanted to tell her teacher about her dental visit today. But we are treated differently this time during COVID because we are Asian females. I am so sad and do not know how to explain to my daughter about the experience we encountered today. read more

On one hand, I have to start saying that I love Dr. So. He is, really, one of a kind. He extracted my son's tooth son quick and with so much care that my son didn't feel a thing during the procedure. He is the one who both my kids (5 & 2) have been seeing since we moved back to CA but today my oldest needed something urgent and Dr. Valdez was available and was really good as well. Now on the other hand, I have to say that the big white guy at the front is not nice. He doesn't even say hi or welcomes you when you come in. I didn't want to pay attention to it but in the past three visits but today was enough. After my son had the short procedure with Dr. Valdez, I went to the front to ask if I needed to pay something and waited until he was done talking on the phone, when he hung up he asked if I needed anything, I said "do I need to pay for the procedure" and he replied with the worst attitude (as if he was upset or looking to me above his shoulders) "No, I need to send this to your insurance and after that you'll be charged". I felt so mistreated and I said "ok, calm down" "you don't have to be so aggressive" and left. I don't know if it's because I'm Hispanic or because he just doesn't like me, or if he is like that to everyone, but that's not how people at front desk should do customer service. I honestly don't think I'll be going back there. I feel bad because the doctors do a good job and are pretty patient, but that front desk guy messes it up. read more

Always a great experience everytime. My two kids have been going there for 3-4 years now and we've haven't any complaints. Dr. Patrick agreed to have my son come in for a extraction at noon even though we only called that Saturday morning(they normally only do cleaning on Saturdays). Dr Patrick along with the amazing receptionist went above and beyond to provide us with our emergency pediatric dental needs. Thanks Guys, keep up the good work! read more

Won't be coming back. I scheduled my child's appointment 6 months ago. Had to schedule time off work and an appointment at the ortho to remove the wire from her braces prior to her POW appointment and one after to put the wire back. 10 days before her appointment I get a text saying I need to reschedule because they are going to be closed that day. So I reschedule and reschedule the ortho and time off of work. Two days before the appointment I get a phone call wanting me to reschedule yet again because the doctor wants to leave early that day. Really? Two times you want me to reschedule and inconvenience me, my work schedule, and the orthodontist office for removing the wire. Then all of a sudden I'm told there's no need to remove the wire. Why wasn't that told me previously so I'm not wasting my time at the orthodontist. Pretty frustrating to have to keep rescheduling because the doctor wants to take a vacation. I planned my appointment in a timely manner- your vacation time should be scheduled the same and not inconvenience your patients. We won't be back. read more

I am so glad I found this place! I just took my lil one here for her first appointment and it went much better than I expected. Despite her being nervous because she thought it was going to hurt, they remained friendly and professional. The ambiance is fantastic. She walked in and was instantly happy. Bright bold colors very kid friendly. She was most excited about the balloon. I look forward to her next appointment. read more

Still really happy with POW. They are very understanding of my daughter's fear of the dentist. The prizes, music, and decor really help ease her fears! read more

I have been taking my son there for about 3 years. I love them all and the atmosphere is a kids dream. My son does not like people touching inside his mouth and they are all so patient with him because he can be a bit grumpy especially on morning appointments. read more

Great first experience for my 3-year old. Clean, modern office with plenty of stuff to keep kids busy, fun music and friendly staff. Already looking to our 6 month follow up! read more

Great staff and great atmosphere! The receptionists are always welcoming and very short wait times. In the few minutes that we do wait, my son has plenty of options to entertain himself as there is a TV and toys (and coffee for the parents). Once my 3 year old is in the chair, they do a great job at quelling his fears and engaging him. He loves the decor depicting super heroes brushing their teeth. The staff communicates well with both child and parent. Afterwards, he gets a balloon, toy and stickers. He actually asks to go to the dentist. 100% recommended. read more

POW Dental has made me a true believer that a good pediatric dental practice starts with the right people, and this makes all the difference in a good dental visit. This place exceeded my expectations and I could not have been happier with the level of service. [For the record, I used to dread having to take my kids to the dentist -- my 4-yr-old had 2 past trips that were traumatizing. This other place claimed to specialize in pediatric dentistry, but while they seemed to have all the entertainment gadgetry that a kid would like, they had a terrible "bedside manner" and had no idea how to make a child feel comfortable. They were impatient and pushy; and basically, the only time she'd open her mouth to let the dentist see inside was when she was crying out in fear.] At POW Dental, the only time my little one cried was when we told him the visit was over and we had to leave! The visit, itself, was very thorough. Teeth were checked, counted, and cleaned. The best part was that they made everything fun for the kids, and allowed the visit to go at a pace they were comfortable with. And now my kids can't wait to go back for our next check-up! read more

My daughters first dentist appointment & went better then I had hoped for because of the environment & people who work here. Thank you POW Dental and team for making this experience fun and memorable. read more

Just had our first dental experience. We put it off Mostly because A) zero issues with teeth b) I did t want him having fluoride before 4. These guys are amazing not only did they go out of their way in regards to sorting out insurance but the professionals are exactly that. Professional and work hard to make the experience easy and know how to get children engaged and helping. Have a fantastic system for non food based treats which meant I could leave the toy I had prepped for another time. Excellent and will recommend to all. read more

Came from this place this morning for my 3 year old's appointment and it was amazing! We were greeted by the friendly staff and everything was processed so smoothly. There were toys to play with and books to read. There was very little waiting and we were led to the dental area and greeted by Dr. Patrick - who was PHENOMENAL! He talked to me and my daughter and explained what he was gonna do, counted teeth with my daughter, checked through teeth, talked about Frozen characters (he knows all of them), and did some teeth cleaning - among many things... Definitely a positive experience and would recommend to anyone looking for a dentist for children. Yelp has not failed me on this one! read more

I was a bit apprehensive about taking my daughter to the dentist after having a first horrible experience at another dentist office when she was 1. But the moment we stepped in she glanced around and was excited when she saw the sailor moon posters on the wall. She is also into superheroes so she enjoyed looking at a the comic books too. While I was filling out paperwork she was playing with the chalkboard wall and the iPad that was attached to the wall. They have games on there. It came in handy since I had to fill her paperwork out. The paperwork was straightforward and there is one part where you do use an iPad to finish it up. If you can't focus on the iPad they also have hard copies to look at. Afterwards we were lead to the back by Dr. Valdez assistant Jennifer. My daughter sat down and Jennifer asked me first if she could watch a show. That was very considered of her since I know a few parents don't let their children watch. I gave her the thumbs up anything to distract her. But I don't think she needed it since she had to explain a few things to my daughter. She introduced her to the water, the auction, the proxy brush and the instruments that were going to be used. The exam went perfect. Dr. Valdez was soft spoken and very attuned to my daughter's needs. She slowed down and she sped up when she felt like my daughter was losing interest. She allowed her to help her clean her teeth. I enjoyed their time spend with us. I am grateful for the lessons she taught me as well as the assistant. In the end she got a goody bag, a ballon and a sticker. She's already asking when can we go back. I can't wait either!! This is a wonderful practice with a wonderful caring staff. read more

Balloons & spiderman. What more could a kid ask for at a dentist! Awesome staff & a beautiful, clean facility. We'll definitely being coming here for the long term. read more

POW Dental - Balloons & spiderman. What more could a kid ask for at a dentist! - Pediatric Dentists Near Me - Albany, California

Great first visit my daughter loves it there. The staff was very gentle. I'm sure she will be in great hands next visit read more

POW Dental - Pediatric Dentists Near Me - Albany, California

I've been so happy taking my kids here. They feel safe and happy in the warm child friendly environment, which helps make a stressful dental appointment much more enjoyable for them. They also love getting a toy at the end. More importantly the dentists are great and put our kids first. Last week, our daughter had a really painful cavity. Despite an extremely busy holiday schedule, they booked us an early morning appointment to check on the tooth, and then filled the cavity during their lunch. I couldn't be more grateful for the way they helped my daughter through that! read more

I have been so pleased and thankful for the wonderful care at POW dental. Our children have had a lot of dental issues and we have appreciate how the staff at POW have made dental appointments a comfortable and sometimes even fun experience for the kids. I can't say enough about Dr. Patrick, he is kind, caring, patient and knows how to talk to kids and make them feel safe. Thanks for all you do POW dental, we feel very grateful to be in your care! read more

After reviewing a few dentists and asking many friends, I chose POW for my daughters first trip to the dentist. We couldn't be happier! Dr. So was amazing and thorough. My 2 1/2 yr old had a blast! He explained everything that he was doing. He had a very nurturing tone and spoke slowly so that my daughter could understand. When the cleaning was over, she got stickers, a high five and a balloon! On top of that, got to find a hidden egg in the office with a prize for Easter. My daughter talked about that all day. I am very happy with the overall visit and will be recommending POW to all my friends. read more

Great first Dr visit at 15months! Everyone was very friendly and professional! Next Dr appointment in 6mos