A bit torn about this dental practice, and I've used them for years. I genuinely like Dr. Lily Li's personality - she is a very gentle soul. But then a few things got me concerned in the recent years. 2 reviewers here claim that they ended up with a root canal for a filling done wrong. Same thing happened to me, and it seems to be more than a coincidence. Bit of context - I had a chipped molar which never really bothered me for some 15+ years (literally). At some point, my previous dentist, John Savukinas, Rockville - Maryland, convinced me heavily that I needed a filling for my chipped tooth. The filling he gave me lasted 10 years with no issues. I went to Dr. Lilly Li to get the filling re-done and she hit the root when she was grinding down the tooth further. And I ended up with a root canal. Unfortunately, she also hit the adjacent molar during her grinding exercise, and that tooth ended up with a cavity. And that is the only cavity that I've known in my entire life. I am not sure if the office uses outdated equipment, but she has insisted for a few years that I have another cavity elsewhere, and I could never tell that is the case. Recently, I changed out dentists, and my new dentist agrees that there isn't any other cavity and a simple deep-cleaning would suffice. Moral of the story: You know more about your oral hygiene than any dentist ever would. If you are good about taking care of your oral hygiene very regularly, then please pause to reevaluate if you really need all these 'fillings' that they try to pawn off onto you. Worse, when you don't even have a cavity and they keep telling you for years that you need a filling. Fillings weaken your teeth, and chances of you ending up with a root-canal after these repeat fillings is real. This is no joke. Do NOT let them talk down to you and force you into getting a filling when your gut knows that there is no issue. This goes for ANY dentist, not just her or Dr.John Savukinas (my previous dentist). One of the dental hygienists in her office (the African American lady) admonishingly patronized me when I refused a filling for that reason. Amusing that they would assume that people visiting their office don't understand basic science. Else, everyone else in the office is super pleasant to work with. I've since moved onto another dental practice that better suits me, but I wish their office the best. read more

The dental care itself was fine. However, the billing process has been unnecessarily stressful. My husband paid in full before his treatment, but due to a filing error on the office's part, the insurance claim was mishandled. When we asked for the claim to be resubmitted correctly, we were told it had been, but our insurance confirmed that no such resubmission occurred. Despite confirming with our insurance that we are not responsible for the remaining balance, we continue to receive bills and feel unfairly pressured to pay again. The tone of communication has become increasingly uncomfortable, and they treat us as if we're avoiding our obligations. The lack of transparency and accountability from the office has made it difficult to trust their billing practices. I'm sharing this not out of anger, but in the hope that the office will take steps to improve how they handle billing and communication. read more

For what it's worth, take this as a warning regarding how this office billings works. First time patient with this office. I sat down with both Dr. Steven Shuff and Lily Li, DMD, regarding what they discovered after the initial checkup/cleaning appt. They both said i need to fix one previous filling and a new but very tiny one. I asked them to breakdown the exact cost of the procedure with what my insurance covers. I was recently laid off so I wanted know my cost going in. They were kind enough to print out my policy and go over it. They explained that it would cost me $98.xx for out of pocket patient cost. It was acceptable and went ahead with the procedure. I paid the $98 when the bill came and dropped it off. Everything explained up to this part has been very plain and simple as other visits with prior dentists. The part that's concerning is the part where they send me another bill for an additional $72 dollars about 3-4 months later with an explanation of they over-billed the insurance on a sticky note taped to the bill. How could over-bill my insurance if they billed my insurance company of the procedures that was done??? So like any normal person, I called their office to get an explanation. They told me that insurance company reached out to them stating that they over paid the dentist. Again, how could the insurance company over paid the dentist if they were billed properly with the procedures that was done which I specifically went over with both dentists before approving it. Oh and they added interests on the second bill. I'm getting different answers from both parties. I should have done my homework and used Yelp to read the reviews of this dentist office. Lily Li, was good and professional and she had positive reviews but now i see the negative reviews on Steven Shuff and it made me cringe. So take this as a fair warning regarding the practices of this office. To me, it sounds very much like they overbill for something that wasn't done post procedure since we went over the breakdown of what my cost would be beforehand. I never went through this kind of headache with prior visits at other dentists. We would go over my cost beforehand and the bill I pay would be exactly that. Same insurance! Just different office. I would not recommend this business at all. read more

My wife and I have been going to Dr. Shuff for over 23 years. We are very happy with his work and his staff! Highly recommend. read more

I get charged $0.29 interest on a $29.20 balance for being late for 1 month! The service itself wasn't good either. I called and made an appointment with the doctor and I was clear on what's the issue is and what's my appointment for instead I get an appointment with the technician where she did full X-Ray and Cleaning that I didn't ask for just to milk my insurance the doctor meet me for less then 10s and said the same thing that I said when I called and they schedule another appointment almost a month later for the actual service. The issue was for food stuck between 2 teeth for a big gap he redone the filling for 2 teeth one next to the gap and the second 2 teeth away and the gap stay the same and didn't get any benefit from it. Once upon a time becoming doctor was a noble cause now it's just a good business. read more

Shuff Steven, DDS - General Dentistry Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

I've recently had a crown done by them, a few months later I had to receive a root canal for the same tooth. I went to Aspen dental for my root canal. Man, I'm so pleased I'm not a patient anymore at Shuff Steven L DDS. No more pain for me. They are good with cleaning your teeth but that's it. Do NOT I REPEAT DO NOT GET any crowns or filling done here. read more

Was a patient of Dr Shuff for years but as time went on something changed. Then one day I required an emergency root canal. Dr Shuff gave me a referral. Upon going there this gal was new, setting up her practice out of school, wore flip flops in the office and had no office help. Each time the phone rang she had to stop to answer it. Anyway, I stopped the insanity and left. My wife had a sensitive tooth, she was told to use a specific toothpaste. When she returned and said the issue hadn't changed he replied,"we can yank it out!" What? I'm sure it was a joke, but not something my wife took well. We were customers for years. No longer. read more

This jerk only gets one star because there are no negative numbers on yelp. First of all this guy does horrible work on purpose just so you have to come back and he can charge you to fix it. Seriously, he messed up my Mom's veneer twice and then tried to play like he had done it a year ago when we went in THE NEXT DAY!! Talk about awful work! When you go do a dental exam he does extra X-Rays and charges you for each one. I noticed that if you have less than great insurance he takes advantage of it and gives you extras you don't need and probably cant afford. His work is incredibly sloppy. He didn't even do a good job with the dental cleaning. BEWARE: He will do all of your work even if he can't. Example: he will do a full consult and prep, charge you and then tell you that he cant do the service. AFTER he charged!!! Not to mention after every visit both me and my Mom have had we get outrageous bills. Which we had to go and argue. RIDICULOUS!!! Not to mention when you complain he plays dumb. read more

Dr. Shuff represents everything that is wrong with the health care industry. Greed. He replaced a perfectly functional crown in 2003 that had been done by another dentist because he told me he could make it look better and my insurance would cover it anyway. At the time, I was working for a large company, and had excellent dental insurance. The new crown he put in is now broken, and when I called Dr. Shuff's office was told he would fix it, but charge me full cost for replacement. Every other dentist who I have contacted - including the dentist who did another crown last year - said that five years is a very short time period for a crown, and it should be replaced at no cost. They went so far as to say they have patience with twenty year old crowns. I would have been willing to pay lab fees or a negotiated fee with him, however his greed in charging a full fee is reprehensible. Shame on you, Steven Shuff! read more

We have been going to Dr. Shuff for years. We have moved away and then back and never wondered where we would go. If you are looking for a dentist in the WC/Concord area, this office is located in Doctors Park right on Ygnacio Valley. read more

Pretty disappointed with this place. Went in fir a cleaning and they recommended I have a filling replaced that was deteriorating. I agreed, you know, I figured they knew what they were talking about. Came in had the old one removed and a new one put in. Mind you it wasn't bothering me. The new one was all jacked up, rigid and hurt. Dr. Shuff did the work. Eventually I asked them to redo it. So a different Dentist in the office took a shot at fixing his bad work. Two years later I still can't drink or eat on the right side of my face. Oh and they reported me to a credit collections agency because apparently I owed them a hundred bucks. Sorry for not wanting to pay that after you busted up my face unnecessarily...twice. Avoid this office like the plague. read more

I came to Dr. Shuff after I needed a crown. Unfortunately it wasn't the sparkly one that goes on your head. He was so friendly and gentle and Karen who was his assistant made the time go by faster, making sure I felt comfortable. Lisa and all the other ladies at the front desk are always super friendly and are great at working me into a schedule since I was commuting from Brentwood. Great dentist, awesome staff. read more

I'm not sure why my family went to this guy for so long but we've all moved on now. I don't know if he was once a good dentist and lost his passion or if he's always been this way - I was too young to know better before. The last non-routine work we had done there: Wife: One filling ever by this dentist (my fault for referring her) Me: Most recent filling Brother: Most recent filling All of the work above resulted in the first crown work for all of us. Coincidence? After speaking with my current dentist, it is clear Shuff over drilled the filling, resulting in a cracked tooth over time - for mine at least. Perhaps it was an insurance plan for him to make additional fees. He was 3 for 3 in crowns with these last filling - the trifecta! It is very unlikely that he did his job correctly and this happened. Sure, this could have happened just due to chance but the odds are very low. Beyond his questionable work, he has done other practices to make me never want to go back: - Injecting pain meds and drilling minutes after while there was still feeling. "Do you feel that?" he says.... "Yes!!!".... "Ok, here's a couple more shots that will keep you numb til tomorrow." - "Food grabs" after dental work that needed to be fixed - Pain and sensitivity after dental work - Zero interpersonal skills The medical and dental industry is full of greed and providers proposing services that are not necessary. With this huge shadow of doubt, don't take your chances with this one. Save your teeth and your money! read more

Dr. Shuff and his entire staff are excellent! I was hit by a car when I was a child and have required extensive dental work all my life. Some folks would consider me a "professional patient." I have been to some very good dentists and I've been to some very bad dentists due to my moving around for my job. Dr. Shuff is excellent and he does not over prescribe any work. His fees, unlike other dentists in Contra Costa, are very fair and in line with what insurance companies covers. I started going to Dr. Shuff because his office has both Friday and Saturday hours and he has over 20+ years experience. He's replaced a cracked crown, and just recently inserted a post and filling after a root canal I recently had. Both were done extremely well and I'm happy with both results. The crown is a perfect match and the post and filling work was painless! Even though I am in the dentist chair so much, I still HATE going to the dentist. Dr. Shuff and his chair assistant Karen, did a fabulous job making sure I was comfortable which earns major kudo points in my book! I've also had 2 cleanings done and Jill is fantastic at her job! Not once did she zing me! :-) Lastly, Lisa, at the front desk, is always so pleasant and has always greeted me with a smile. Dr. Shuff: You and your staff rock!! read more

I have been a patient of Dr. Shuff's for 20 years, and now my 2 kids also go to him as their dentist. Their office staff is great, and in particular, Jill, one of the hygienists. In addition to the standard cleanings, I have had filling replacements and two crowns done. He makes recommendations on what needs to be done, but leaves the final decision to me (ie, replaced a filling instead of a crown when my tooth broke, noting that it could last a year or two, or possibly up to 10 years). I have also referred five of my coworkers who now go to Dr. Shuff as their dentist, and they all have had positive experiences too. read more

I changed dentists after only doing a year at Dr. Shuff's office. My temporary crown was put in by someone who obviously didn't know what she was doing. After being a part of amateur hour, twice, I decided it was time to move on... I'm no longer going to be the victim of someone's dental training mishaps. Going to the dentist is bad enough, but to have someone fiddling around in your mouth for 90 minutes while poking your cheek with her long fingernail and muttering to herself, "i don't understand why it's not working"... well, you get the picture. Of course the temp fell off after two days. Further, the new crown he put on started aching, and I ended up needing a root canal in the same tooth not 3 months later. After reading all these reviews, it makes me think he did it on purpose to generate future work on my teeth. Of course, they continue to harass me for money for a missed appointment, even though I clearly dropped them as a dentist when all my records were forwarded over to my new dentist. If you want someone good, try Dr. McCormick over on Cowell. Night and day. read more

I give 1 star only because I cannot give zero stars. During a cleaning visit, I was told if I do not consent to [Dr. Shuff's] x-ray service I would not be entitled to future service through my insurance. I took this to mean that the dentist would submit derogatory comments to my dental insurance provider. They are trying to upsell by threat. read more

Four years later, I'm still singing their praises. Dr. Liu is amazing. I needed a new crown and it had been years since I have had anything more than a cleaning. I was anxious about the injection. Dr. Liu was truly amazing. No pain! The temporary looked as good as the previous crown. The final is a perfect fit and color. Love this dentist and staff! read more

After a bad experience with Pleasant Hill Dental, they wanted to pull wisdom teeth that I had since I was 17 years old and I'm 35 now, because of two small cavities. Pleasant Hill Dental thought the pressure I felt was due to the wisdom teeth pressing against other teeth. I went to Dr. Shuff, and he said that the cavities were the likely culprit for the discomfort I felt, and recommended filling them rather that yanking them out. He had a feeling since this was my first issue with my wisdom teeth, since all four came in when I was a teenager, that the cavities were the issue. Dr. Shuff drilled and filled my wisdom teeth, and three days later the pain has stopped. All I have to say is that Dr. Shuff is my Dentist from now on. One thing I noticed about his office is that it was busy, there were bodies in chairs getting work done on both weekdays I went. Pleasant Hill Dental had one or two clients the first time I went and none the second visit. You can read my full experience with Pleasant Hill Dental on their yelp page. It was posted the same day as this one. read more

I've been a patient of Dr. Shuff's for close to a decade. At the beginning, they helped me with a series of fillings, and ever since then have been cleaning my teeth and helping me keep things healthy. The dental hygienists I've seen there have all been nice and thorough, and Lisa at the front desk is very friendly and helpful. They even have Saturday hours, which is very convenient. read more

I highly recommend this dentist. My two kids, wife, and I have been going to him for the past 20 years. He is a Delta Dental preferred provider which means the prices for the services are very reasonable. His work on my crowns and fillings are still holding good.. He give you a new tooth brush and other stuff to keep my teeth healthy after each 6 month check up. read more

I am very fearful of dentists. I went to Dr Shuff 1999-2002. I felt comfortable with him and his staff. I did not feel nickel and dimed at all. The work done was necessary and done well. If I had an issue they fixed it very quickly and with a smile. I got front veneers approved because of Dr Shuff. He took pictures and appealed my case to my insurance company so they would cover them. Over the few years I went to Dr Shuff I had about 4 fillings and two (front) veneers done. I moved out of the area so I had to change dentists. To this day when I go to a different dentist they always comment on how great my veneers look and are holding up (yup 11 years later!) I felt the work was remarkably good and his staff very friendly. Billing was a snap too. read more

I have had nothing but good experiences here during my cleanings over the past decade or so. I've never had anything but cleanings done here so I can't speak to the more complex procedures. The hygienist is great and very chipper. Keeps me at ease! read more