I have discovered that I just don't want a doctor who is proficient in their field, but someone I can feel comfortable and trust, and talks to me about whatever reason I may have gone to him/her. I really lucked out when I found Dr. Sam. The entire office from reception to technician to hygienist made me feel welcomed. It was also my first meeting Dr. Sam. He was interested in me as a person, as well as whatever was going on (or not) with my teeth. He gave me an honest low down of my situation and what I may expect down the line. Prior to meeting Dr. Sam, I had a full series of x-rays (not the old fashion film type). Dr. Sam came in and looked at the X-rays and then did a full dental check. He was gentle (a big deal for me) and thorough. Karla was my hygienist and she too was thorough and wanted to make sure she didn't hit any teeth that were sensitive areas. Thank you Central Coast Dental! read more

They have around 7 pages of paperwork for you to fill out online for new patients and it takes at least 30 to 50 minutes. Both my husband and I filled them all out and then when I called to make appointments, the receptionist said, " Oh, sorry, we aren't taking new patients at this time." Maybe say that on your website so everyone doesn't waste their time. read more

This office is one of the happiest, caring and professional dental offices around. Whether you are there for teeth cleaning or dental work it is done with care and attention to detail and always with a smile. read more

I feel very uncomfortable writing this review. I don't like to bash anyone so consider this a public service message. If you are considering using Dr. Christensen's services, think again. He is the most inept dentist I have ever used. It took some time to figure out how bad he really was. All the work he has done has fallen out, cracked etc. The latest is a crown he did that was put in so poorly I must have a root canal (now my 2nd). I have spent thousands of dollars on repairs. I see he has received a good amount of favorable reviews so perhaps he has improved!!! You be the judge. Time for me to load up on more ibuprofen. Thanks Sam! read more

Dr. Christensen and his staff have taken care of our dental health over decades, and we recommend them without hesitation. They provide high-quality work, and their responsiveness to customer needs is, in our experience, unmatched. Apparently some reviewers view Sam's interpersonal style, which is informal, in a negative light; if I look at his and his staff's results, they are top notch. read more

Sam and his staff are amazing. My husband and I have been going to him for years. Sam is a genuinely kind, good person and a great dentist.

So grateful to Sam for fitting me in during an urgent situation. He dropped everything to make sure I was taken care of. Not only are his dental skills great, but also the Christensen family is very active and giving in the Aptos community. I would highly recommend him! read more

Sam is THE dentists for cowards. As he likes to say, "I cater to cowards." And he does! (He's a self-admitted coward so he totally empathizes with us who dread the dentist--especially the "N" word (needle)). I had some pain and opted for a 3/4 crown even though he advised me what I probably needed was a root canal but I insisted on crown because thought of root-canal was more than I could handle (all those "Ns"....eek). Anyway, Sam was right and I ended up having to get the root canal two months later. But not before I was in such terrible pain I called him on Sat (he leaves his cell on answering machine--who does THAT anymore?) and he immediately got me in to see specialist that next Monday (Fern Lee who was awesome too). Great office staff--friendly and competent and well organized. Sam has great sense of humor but most importantly he understands us whimps. I recommend Sam with no reservations...He gets an A+ from me. read more

I needed to update my review to 5 stars because the more that I come back, the more that I love this place. The front office takes the time to get to know your name. I love my hygienist Karla. She makes a cleaning seem like a luxurious day spa treatment. The dentist, Sam, makes you feel like you aren't just part of his practice but part of his family. I love this environment. I went from dreading dental visits at other offices, to looking forward to them at this one. I just had my teeth cleaned but can't wait to go back. read more

To let all of you know I neglected my teeth for years for a variety of reasons or excuses if you will. I took care of my dying wife (5 years) and neglected me....not mad...just now it is my turn. Second of all, I have a terrible gag reflex......the bottom line is he was patient with me and never complained. The thing that is the most important is that he explains everything to me that is going on in non-dental talk. He tells you exactly what is going on. He is a class person and simply the BEST dentist I have EVER gone to. Thank you Dr. Sam....yes he goes by Sam read more

Took over a practice from a great dentist and in my opinion he's running it into the ground He comes to work looking unkempt and unprofessional Been going to this Dental office for 2 years... Bridge fell apart in one year...(he said not his fault) If you want a good quality dentist go see someone else....anyone else, because nothing is his fault... My new Dentist is fantastic, never have a problem and she's had to fix everything he's done improperly read more

Sam Christenson and his staff are simply the best. He has been my dentist for 9 years and the best dentist I have ever gone to. I'm moving soon, out of state and one of the things I will miss is having him as my dentist. I highly recommend him and his office. read more

On Friday, I broke a small piece off of my back left molar. It was very jagged and cutting into my tongue. It was very painful. I have newish insurance so I hadn't picked a dentist yet. On Saturday, after a very painful nights sleep, I looked up my insurance and started calling dentists in my network to see what kind of a remedy one would suggest until I could make an appointment for Monday. Dr Christensen answered his emergency line himself and gave me some suggestions to ease the pain. Then he said he would meet me at 8am Sunday morning to file down the pointy edges. I couldn't believe it! I bought some wax and Sunday morning I met him at his office. He was GREAT! He was very COVID-19 conscientious and took every precaution. Sat me down and zip zip he was done. It only took about 2 minutes total. It feels so much better! And to top it all off, he didn't even charge me! He met me at 8am on a weekend and didn't even charge me! He's definitely got a new patient in me and I will recommend him to everyone I know! read more

The entire office is top-notch. Sam has done a great job as a dentist and has been a good sounding board when it came to problems with an orthodontist. Took over from my former dentist of three decades. I won't live for three more decades, but Sam will be my dentist for as long as I am around. Kim has been my hygienist for many, many years, professional, kind, more than competent. Enjoy my visits. Tammy, Daisy, Laura, Nicole are excellent at their jobs. Could recommend this office to anyone. read more

Sam Christensen was very helpful when I consulted with him about an old filling. We agreed on a plan of treatment and he referred me to a specialist for a root canal. He is highly skilled and friendly. The office staff is also first rate. He did the final crown work expertly and I was on my way in less than an hour! I was very impressed and I will be having more work done at his office. read more

Fantastic dentist. I came from a bad dentist and the difference is unbelievable. I recommend Sam to anyone who needs a dentist. My wife sees him now and my father has his first appointment coming up. read more

Can't praise Dr. Christensen enough! I had a dental emergency of sorts and he was able to quickly diagnose the problem and alleviate my pain. On top of that, he was just about the nicest, friendliest, and most personable dentist I have ever met. Wish I still lived in Santa Cruz so he could be my regular dentist! read more

I preface this review with the fact that I am not a patient and this dentist came highly recommended. My issue is that when I called to set up new patient appointments for my family of four, I was told their policy is to not set up a first dental exam and cleaning in one visit for new patients. I asked the woman on the phone if there was any flexibility as that would require 8 separate appointments for us and that is SUPER inconvenient for working parents. She would not budge. She dealt with me professionally but this business lost the business of my family due to this policy. We called another dentist down the street who got us in much earlier and scheduled exams, X-rays and cleanings in one appointment for myself and two kids, and a separate appointment for my husband. read more

I highly recommend Dr. Sam! My wife and I have been seeing him for more than 8 years, and we know we are in good hands. The entire staff is super friendly and helpful, and I believe that Sam has created a culture there that reflects his personality. He's got a great sense of humor, very caring and he does great work. Best dentist I've ever had! ( but hopefully I'll just have to go for cleanings) read more

You need to be comfortable with anyone that works on your body, be it a dentist or anyone in the medical profession. You must establish trust with them, and know you are in the right hands. I see many positive reviews for Dr. Christensen, and this is a personal choice/preference. My experience is different. If you check his background, he was not a dentist to begin with and decided later in life to become one. Why was this an after thought, I don't know. To me at least, I don't see the sincerity in what he does. He acts like he is giving good solid advice but comes across with more of a condescending tone. He pushes the point that he is a "family" man, and that he really cares about people more than I have ever seen in a dentist. Usually the need to push a point across stems from a lack of something in ones life. I don't know about his personal life and can not comment on that. Sitting in the chair, he was impatient, and I felt uncomfortable enough to finally say "that is enough." I left the office and got on the phone right away with another dentist and made an appointment with him. I arrived at the new dentist, and right away I felt more comfortable, calmer, and his communication with me was excellent. Dr. Christensen communicates too, but I always felt that I was being talked AT, rather than being talked TO. I never felt he was really communicating WITH me, it was more like I was just being given facts do deal with and had to respond with an answer. I have advanced degrees, many awards, honors, and truly emphasize good treatment of people, of humanity, and knew that with Dr. Christensen, I was in the wrong hands. Bottom line, I am happy to never see him again and glad that I found someone that I can actually trust, have solid communication with from one adult to another, and know that I am in the right hands with a true professional. read more

Above and beyond! I had an emergency situation and Dr. Christensen was able to fit me in. He is kind, knowledgeable and very professional. He knew immediately what the problem was and how to treat it. I will definitely be going back to Dr. Christensen for all of my dentistry needs. Highly recommend both Dr.Christensen and his wonderful staff. read more

I am new to the area, and a new patient. I came to Dr. Christianson on my girlfriends recommendation. I am very pleased. I felt very comfortable from the beginning. Today I had three fillings done, it was a preemptive strike, he got me in and out and did a great job, in less than a half hour. I was very comfortable through the whole procedure. His staff is very knowledgeable and very friendly. read more

Dr. Christensen is the best, his office staff are super friendly and competent.

Best experience I've ever had with a Dentist. Dr C did a crown for me back 2 years ago and I never had a problem with it. He is kind and gentle and very professional. He is my Dentist for life. I very highly recommend Dr Christensen to all of my friends and family. read more

we Love Christensen he is amazing at what he does with his family there dentist is like a family we like getting are teeth cleaned by the people that work at the office they do such a great job we like how they run the dentist they do it very well we hope that they still keep the dentist for ever because they do such wonderful things for all the people that come in are very lucky to have that dentist we enjoy all of them and they are one big happy family we look forward to seeing them again when it's are turn read more

Love Dr. Christensen! The staff is very professional and thorough, the appointments are on time, and Dr. Christensen takes the time to listen and discuss my teeth health. I highly recommend this dentist for adults as well as children read more

My 94 year old mother had a major dental problem develop over the weekend and after several frantic calls; the wonderful office of Dr. Christensen called to let us know they would squeeze us in the same day. This is especially noteworthy as mom was not yet even a patient having recently relocated. Mom was anxious about going but Dr. Christensen's wonderful sense of humor and calm, easy manner immediately relaxed her--she was having so much fun she didn't even want to leave until we thanked "her favorite dentist in the world" three times. Dr. Christensen and his staff is an asset to our community and we are very grateful! read more

Highly recommend!!! I have been to a dentist in a long time due to lack of insurance, and the ones I have been to were a nightmare. Literally. I cannot believe how good he is. Fast, painless, doesn't speak to you like you are an idiot, you know all the things you want in a dentist. The office staff is also amazing. Friendly and knowledgeable. read more

My first encounter was based on a referral and the fact I had cracked and broke a back molar. The dentist I had dedicated my 10 years to had no time for me and explained to come back in 2 weeks. I waited a week until I could not stand the pain. I called Sam Christensen Dental office and he immediately fit me in, set up a root canal (which was for some reason painless ) . He immediately set me up with the proper appointments which ended up with an implant. I had never had any of these procedures... with his knowledge and extreme care he made a stressful situation actually a pleasant one! I transferred as fast as I could and never looked back! Who could ever say that going to the dentist is about YOU .. the patient? Dr. Sam and his staff put you at ease. Dr. Sam Christensen and his staff are fabulous and "Yes" I do plan on telling everyone! Thank-you Dr. Sam for everything you have done for me!!!! read more

UNBELIEVABLE!!!!! My husband and I are long time patients of Dr. Christensen. Here it is 1 week before heading to my nieces wedding in So. Calif. where I am a bridesmaid in the wedding. I chip my front tooth VENEER on a coffee cup this very morning, Thursday, August 5, 2010. I immediately called Dr. Christensen's office to make an appt. and the earliest I could be seen was Monday, August 9, 2010. He had already replaced a previous veneer for me aprrox. 1 year ago. As the day wore on, my tooth became more sensitive and I called to leave Dr. a message at approx. 8:15pm. It just so happened that he was there at the office waiting for another emergency case and he told me to rush right in. He not only fixed my tooth and used my husband as his assistant, he assured me that he could replace the damaged veneer after the wedding and more importantly, he retored my instant self-confidence. HE WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY AND IS THERE WHEN YOU TRULY NEED HIM :) THANK YOU DR. SAM CHRISTNESEN. Gratefully, Robin and Patrick Hughes read more

i would to thank dr. sam christiansen , beth, his hygienist, rose,and everyone in his dental office for providing such a friendly, caring, skilled, and painless dental visits. for the first time in my life, i actually look forward to my dental care. read more