Dr Nerad and his team are very courteous and professional. We have taken our kids to other dentists, and were totally amazed how Dr Nerad treats his patients. He is totally worth driving out from Concord, just because our kids know that he is awesome and he knows how to truly empathize with them. A veteran in his field that knows how to talk with his patients, and explain whatever procedure he will be doing. Makes me wish he was my dentist! read more

I am so grateful that we found Dr. Nerad! My child has extreme anxiety about doctors and dentists. Our previous pediatric dentist said that she could not perform the necessary work that my child needed after she had attempted twice. My child had developed eight cavities and two that needed either root canals or extraction. We found Dr. Nerad after I called Kaiser to get a list of recommended dentists for general anesthesia. When Dr. Nerad took x-rays and examined my child's mouth he was both gentle and firm - which I appreciated since other dentists had just gotten frustrated or given up when she started getting worked up and resisting. Dr. Nerad talked me through the options for oral surgery and we felt confident that he would make decisions that were in the best interest for my child's oral health. He even stayed late one day when I called the office a week before our scheduled surgery when my child was screaming in pain. He calmed her down and checked to make sure everything was okay - which it was! I'm not sure what the other reviews are a saying about the cost. Our bill ended up being less that we were quoted. And the best part is that my child gets a healthy mouth and a fresh start! She even feels much more calm about going to the dentist. Thank you, thank you, thank you! read more

Dr Nerad is Amazing********* I brought my highly sensitive child to his office because I knew he needed a dentist who could meet his needs. My son is terrified of dental work. Dr Nerad called me the night before to inquire what my son needed and his interests. He cared to make this a good experience for my son. Every person in Dr Nerad's office went out of their way to show compassion n kindness to my anxious child. Dr Nerad engaged my son in talking about planes and flying and made the time to explain what he was going to do step by step. My son is not the easiest patient but with Dr Nerad's patience and kindness he guided my boy through his cavity fillings and created a positive experience we can build on with future appointments. Love this office, love the people and environment, love the kindness shown!! Thank you Dr Nerad, I am one grateful momma. read more

Dr. Nerad is the best trained pediatric dentist in town. I wish he had more appointments after 3 pm and on weekends. I don't like having to withdraw my son early from school. But Dr. Nerad is excellent at calling back better than any other dentist and trying to fit a person in to the best of his existing hours. Dr. Nerad sometimes when my son is difficult, could try to be a little more patient, but usually he is awesome dealing with kids, like today. And I love his receptionist Stephanie who offers the best customer service! My son hates getting cavities, and so the goal is to work with Dr. Nerad and your child to not get them!!! read more

This Dr had the talent of creating the worst dental office experience for you and your child. Unnecessary and money based diagnosis. He said my daughter needs tooth extraction and teeth thinning because there's not enough space for adult tooth. Before making the diagnosis Dr Nerad asked me what my job is !!!! We fell in the trap and did the treatment but it was the worst experience for my daughter and me. Like a nightmare. He did not use enough anesthesia, so she had pain and the Dr insists (very rudely) that you should stay away and if you ask any questions he's send you to the front desk. Absolutely no explanation and extremely unfriendly and even mean ignoring behavior. He's a terrible experience. I regret that I didn't read any reviews because my kids pediatrician recommended him. He is just an old grumpy greedy rude dentist. Stay away. read more

This was my experience with Dr Nerads office. Once you step back to where the children are treated there are chairs lined up and kids waiting in them to see the Dr. ( Think Quantity not Quality ) My 17 year old son was giving laughing gas (of course out of pocket expense to me, thanks!) and when I did not want to go for the extra service of sealing his molars (which he's already had) I was called to the back while my son was in the chair Dr.Nerad insisted my son open his mouth and berating told me to look in and gave me the old guilt trip of not doing it. I'm VERY adverse to medical stuff and squeamish and did not appreciate that at ALL (especially in front of my child) The billing and front office clerk Debbie is beyond rude and seriously borderline harassing regarding phone calls. Constantly calling to change appointment to accommodate THEIR schedule. (Even when you sit in the waiting room waiting for your kids she's speed dialing tons of people) We made the mistake of visiting this office ONCE and will not be back again. I took my 5 children elsewhere. Too bad because they missed out on providing two sets of braces for my teens and treating my other children. This office needs to understand there are PAGES of Dentists and Orthodontists out there for customers to choose from and the customer should be treated kindly. **Let me also add I checked my credit report and discovered that this Office reported a Collection account for a unpaid bill WHICH WAS PAID!!! I had to dispute the item and have it removed due to their error, They're aggressively hostile and retaliatory for not liking their business** **MAKE SURE TO CLICK ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM AND CLICK ON THE FILTERED REVIEWS WHERE YOU WILL FIND MORE UNHAPPY CUSTOMERS** read more

We were referred to Dr. Nerad by my dentist after DD had a nasty fall and injured her mouth. He was very gentle and took the time to explain the prognosis for her injury. We were very worried she was going to lose some teeth, but fortunately they healed nicely. The office staff and hygienists are very friendly and the office is very kid-friendly. read more

STOP!!!! and please read this! We took our kid to this dentist since it was close to where we work. My son needed couple of extraction. I have a good dental insurance and asked the front office "Debbie" to confirm what we will be responsible for after the insurance. She checked and called back the next day and informed me over the phone about our portion of the bill. My wife and I agreed and made the appointment. They charged 40% more than the Dentist around that area and at the end send me a bill that was 2x the amount we were responsible for! After calling "Debbie" (Bad Cop) she told me to read the "Small Prints". We ended up paying over $2000.00 on top of what our insurance had already paid. Now the Doctor (good cop) is not responding my calls or letters and Debbie (female dog) is rude piece of a work that no one should deal with. Again, really horrible experience and please read the other reviews before you go there and don't be fooled by the good reviews, they may not be GENUINE. They are all about $$ and no quality of work or customer service. They will lie and cheat you from your hard earned cash. They make it look like you are spending on your child, yet all along they are over pricing and underserving you. DO NOT GO THERE! If you do for whatever reason! Please get everything in WRITING, don't leave for them to screw after. They know you will be there only once SO they will milk you for ALL YOU CAN AFFORD! read more

My daughter had her first visit with Dr. Nerad today. Everything about her visit was amazing! Dr. Nerad and his staff have an amazing gift for working with kids. Not once did my daughter get nervous and Dr. Nerad explained everything to her before he worked on her teeth. We have another appointment next week and she is excited to return! Thank you Dr. Nerad for making my daughter feel comfortable and happy! read more

Horrible experience - He is just trying to mint money Here is what happened - My son was advised for orthodontics treatment by our regular dentist. I was told while making appointment at Dr Nerad office that it will cost $20 for consultation. When we went there they said wait they have to take an X-ray which will cost me extra $$ (they could have told me before making appointment !!!) It was just 5 minute consultation and he told me what was already told to me by my regular dentist. Then they told I have to get another X-ray done from another place (seems to be their friend) which will cost me additional $$ and bring that report back for treatment plan. The cost estimate they gave me was enormous amount on top of what my insurance was already going to cover. I immediately realized that this place is not for me and tried to inquire from other orthodontics and to my astonishment none of them had any consultation fees or X-ray fees. I went to one of the doctor. His clinic is far better and well equipped. There was absolutely no fees charged for consultation and X-rays. It was all done in one visit within the office. The treatment plan was also given at the same time. And the best part the estimated cost was only 60% of the estimate given by Dr Nerad. This does not get over. I receive a letter from Dr Nerad office that I owe them some $. My insurance have already paid them and on top of that they are asking more money ?? and to my disbelief they have send that to the collection agency. I am even ready to pay the amount but they should at least provide me the X-ray report which they have done. There is no response yet from their office. I have tried reaching them and left voice mail but nobody responds back on this issue, I only get letter from collection agency !! read more

My son and daughter have seen Dr. Nerad for the last 3 years. They love going and are very comfortable there. Every month they ask when they get to go back. We really like his new office. It's clean, spacious and modern. My daughter likes the playhouse in the reception room. My son likes - what else - the video games. My son just started his braces and his teeth look much nicer already. I'm excited about how beautiful his smile will be when done. It's so convenient to have his pediatric dentistry and orthodontics at the same office. My friends all bring their kids to Dr. Nerad. They say Dr. Nerad is the only pediatric dentist and orthodontist specialist in the area. I don't know why anybody would go someplace else. read more

I just got a call from my 29 year old daughter. She went to a dentist in Roseville and he complemented her on the excellent dental work she received at Dr Nerad's office! He said fillings were still tight, not cracked or chipped as they can be after 20 years. All four of my kids went to Dr Nerad's and, knowing that we did not have dental insurance, he always did only what was necessary or explained other options. Never was told to put my kids in braces and they all have beautiful, straight teeth. He was kind to the kids and a great dentist! Wish I could have gone to him as a kid. Maybe I would have the fear of a dentist like I do now. read more

Best dentist and orthodontist I have ever had, if I were still in the area I would bring my son to him. Started seeing him when I was in the second grade and continued to see if even after moving to Sacramento. My last appointment was in my senior year of high school. He was the only dentist to get me over my fear of having dental procedures. read more

I have a low functioning 16 year old Autistic son. He has always been deathly afraid of the dentist. He would never be able to sit in the chair and open his mouth long enough to get a check up, never mind a cleaning. Dr. Nerad was able to take x-rays and give him a cleaning at his first visit and another cleaning at his second visit. I never thought my son would ever be able to tolerate a cleaning and x-rays without being put under anesthesia. My daughter has been a patient of Dr. Nerad's for 14 years and got her orthodontia work done there as well. Debbie and Dr. Nerad have always been very kind, caring and patient with both my children. When we got slammed with an exceedingly high dental bill from another dentist in San Francisco, Debbie took the time to provide cost comparisons of the dental procedures we incurred. I would highly recommend Dr. Nerad and his staff. read more

Dr. Nerad took care of my 2 sons since they were 5 and 6. We had a great experience here.

Starting with the end in mind, I'll let you know that this is the worst experience I have had with a medical "professional" in my life. Two words "CASH GRAB." Only after reviewing these occurrences with other medical professionals did we realize hoe egregiously and boldly this dentist attempts to take advantage of his patients. According to some of the local dentists, apparently stories like this about Dr. Nerad are "his brand". . . no one was shocked about what happened to us when we told them who we were talking about. Just having moved to Pleasanton, CA, we became victim to this 4 star review. We brought our 5 and 6 year old to see him last year. Actually scheduling the appointment was the first of many challenges. The receptionist (Becky or Rebeccah, I believe)She scheduled the appointments, and we showed up twice at the appointed time only to find out that there was no record of our having an appointment. We were apologized to, and told the receptionist was new the first time. Apparently she didn't learn by the 2nd time it happened. If scheduling difficulty was the only challenge, I wouldn't have even bothered to post on Yelp. Here where I believe things get - at best - untoward, and - at worst - borderline criminal. Despite having all of his adolescent teeth, Dr. Nerad explained that we NEEDED to come out of pocket because his grown teeth were bursting to come through and the old teeth weren't vacating quick enough. Despite seeming counter-intuitive, we asked them to price it out for us. Becky (?) reported that it would be around $300 out of pocket. We asked her if she felt confident that it would be in this range as if it were any higher, our preference would be to wait for these teeth to fall out naturally. She said she is confident it will be within that range, so we went ahead and scheduled. When we got the bill, it was over $830. When we called in to discuss the difference, we got an "it is what it is" answer. After letting him know we wouldn't have gone ahead with the elective procedure had we known it was going to be that price, he conceded to giving us a 3% discount IF we paid by the end of the month in full (YAY. . .$24 discount . . .now I can almost pay for the wasted gas in driving to your office three times for the same appointment!) Turns out, after my son's teeth were extracted (with A LOT of pain for days), his adult teeth didn't come in for well over a year afterwards. Leaving him missing front teeth for a year, and without much understanding as to why this was such an emergency when diagnosed. During the same visit, Dr. Nerad suggested we put my 4 year old girl (all baby teeth) in braces - even prior to her getting her adult teeth. We found that odd, and completely ignored this advice. After much headache in getting a chance to talk to Dr. Nerad, we were able to get him on the phone. He talked to me like I was one of his toddler patients. Very condescending, patronizing, and unbending. After bringing our kids to another dentist, we were made aware of how poor our initial selection was. After examining my children, he addressed every bit of "treatment advice" Dr. Nerad gave us as silly. He even suggested that this "doctor" probably took a good look at our insurance policy before making these recommendations. He specifically mentioned that extracting my son's teeth was completely unnecessary, that putting braces on my daughter @ this age was just silly, and that the doctor was probably using his business acumen more than his medical expertise to make these recommendations. Of course, Dr. Nerad doesn't want to talk about anything but the bill collection efforts @ this point (despite my promising him I'd rather go to debtor's prison than paying him for the pain and attempted robbery he's caused my family). If you are still reading this novel, I implore you to benefit from our horrible experience with this joker. He is the epitome of everything that is wrong with our healthcare-for-profit system. There are some INCREDIBLE medical professionals in the Tri-Valley. This is just an old-school dinosaur desperately clinging on to profits and relevancy. read more

I can't believe Dr. Nerad has no reviews! Everyone I know has their kids go to him for dentistry. Well, we love him. We love his new office even more. Very kid friendly, with a TV and playhouse/block area in the waiting room, a Wii in the back room to play while waiting there, and TVs at every chair for the kids to watch. Dr. Nerad is so nice, he is extremely calm and soft spoken, and most of all PATIENT. His assistants are fantastic, they have worked there at least since we started seeing him about 5 years ago. Debbie, the receptionist, is extremely helpful. We changed dentists (we were seeing a pediatric dentist in Hayward) because my son needed a filling and the doctor we were seeing required the kids to have a mummy wrap for the procedure and I wasn't allowed in the room! We high tailed it out of there before my kid could be subjected to such torture. What a way to make your kid hate the dentist! We found Dr. Nerad and he doesn't use a mummy wrap except in extreme conditions, he said probably 1-2 a year, and I have always been able to be with my son no matter what procedure he is having done. They totally understand and it has never been an issue. I recommend him to all my friends. I have had some people tell me they think he recommends braces too often and too young, but he had told me my son would need preliminary braces and now has said he won't need them til 12 or so after all, so I feel he only suggests braces when necessary and appropriate. read more

I am surprised about some of the bad reviews here! For me and my daughter,5 yrs old, it was an amazing experience!! My daughter HATES doctors! She was screaming and squirming when she had to get her TB skin test for kindergarten and her pediatrician actually recommended Dr. Nerad to me. Well, I was prepared for the worst because she couldn't go through a dental visit at a different dentist's office a few months earlier. We stepped in about 5 min. late but the receptionist was extremely kind and patient. Another assistant was also very friendly and she explained all the procedure to my daughter when taking her xray. Dr.Nerad blew a balloon out of his rubber glove and drew a face and asked my daughter to finish drawing one eye, which she was happy to do. Then he asked her to hold onto the balloon while he was looking at her teeth(explaining every step of the procedure), which I think really helped her be less nervous- like a comfort doll. He gave her a sticker prize after her xray and also let her choose a little toy prize after her treatment(reward system). She didn't cry or squirm or anything!! Amazing! She was pretty happy and very proud of her first visit to the dentist. He was a BIG help (since she had some cavities to be treated asap.)!! read more

I went to my friend's appt. with her to help her with her child who has austism for his check up. We anticipated difficulty because the child doesn't speak and has the tendency to be aggressive. The secretary was nice to let us in so we could get the child use to the room but once Dr. Nerad walked in, the child became anxious. Dr. Nerad didn't explain what he was going to do and was going to be examining him WITHOUT the mother in the room. I said I was there to help and he said only one person could be in the room. He was very rude. I would not recommend him if you have a child with special needs. He ended up holding the child down for over 5 minutes and I don't think he even asked the parent permission. He obviously has no experience or concern for children with special needs, or children for that matter. I was appalled. read more

Dr. Nerad is great as well as the other staff members. My five year old daughter had two teeth pulled and she told me today was the best day ever!! Dr. Nerad was very kind and thoughtful. She was well entertained during the procedure and to top it off Dr. Nerad called me to check in on my daughter after his very hard and long day of work. I would highly recommend this dentist. read more

I am SO grateful to Dr. Nerad!!! While we are not a patient of his, I contacted him late Saturday night on an emergency. He was out of the area but spent some time on the phone talking me through and helping me stabilize the situation. The level of professionalism, help and humanity he showed to me was above and beyond. HE REALLY CARES ABOUT PEOPLE!!!! I then received a follow up call from him to check and see if everything was alright. Just Amazing! This is definitely someone you could trust your dental care to. Thank you Dr. Nerad for not only being a SOLID Professional, but for being a WONDERFUL human being!!! read more

I have been brining my family to Dr. Nerad for several years. I am so happy with his dental work and the care he gives that I pass along recommendations as often as I can. He is so patient with the kids. I've seen him calm down troubled kids, talking at their level and getting them involved in the visit. It is just amazing. Plus he is very patient with parents too. He'll explain his approach and is very good at answering whatever questions you may have. Dr. Nerad will work with you to decide on the best approach, both for the dental or orthodontic treatment and the financial side. For anyone with kids (no matter how timid or rambunctious) I would highly recommend Dr. Nerad for his orthodontic and pedodontic services. read more

We just LOVE Dr. Nerad. My boys are 3 and 5. Dr. Nerad has a very calming and reassuring presence. They are never anxious or nervous to go to the dentist. They look forward to it as a visit which makes life so much easier! read more

I would have to disagree with every review less than 5 stars. Dr. Nerad is unique in his field in that he's both a pediatric dentist and an orthodontist. This makes him skilled at identifying and solving orthodontic problems early on so that braces can be either delayed or maybe even not needed at all. My 10 year old child has been Dr. Nerad's patient for several years and thanks to his skill and methods her teeth are so beautifully straight that she's always getting compliments. She hasn't had braces yet, and may down the road for a short period of time, but I'm incredibly happy with her healthy, beautiful smile. And feel free to decline any medication you are not comfortable giving your child. That's never been a problem. Dr. Nerad also has an incredible bedside manner and my kids love going there! read more

I went to Dr. Nerad because he came to my kids' school and they sound so excited about him that I decided to give him a shot. Unfortunately, I was running 5 min late so when i came in, everything was rushed and messy and Debbie at the front didn't do anything to make me feel better. We were taken right away in the treatment room, which from there my 2 kids were separated (even though I took 2 separated appointment one after another). I had no clue what was going to happen. I normally have one kid taken after another so I can check and understand what is done to them. My little one (3 y.o) was taken for X-rays when I specified that he had already done X-rays 6 months ago and that the previous dentist should have forwarded them. By the time they found the X-rays, they were already done taking theirs! In the meantime, my 5 y.o. is with someone else getting his teeth checked and cleaned but my little one is so scared I can't go check how the job is done. Then Rebecca forces my little one, who is extremely shy and doesn't warm up quickly with strangers, to sit down on the chair and starts threatening him to send me in the waiting room if he doesn't cooperate. What a way to warm up a 3 y.o! Of course, his reaction was to cry and hold me tight. I got the look from Rebecca who made me understand that I'd better make him cooperate or things could turn sour for everyone. Then when they were done with my oldest, they took him for X-rays saying that his previous X-rays were not readable (of course!) So here you go another set of X-rays for young kids who never had a cavity so far and whose teeth look really good! And for those who will defend the fact that sometimes you can't see cavities, I still believe exposing kids to X-rays every 6 month is a bit too much and he could have waited next session. By the time we were done, their teeth didn't even look they had been cleaned properly. Then Dr. Nerad took me apart to show me the X-rays and you want to know what the news was??? My kids will need brasses because their adult teeth don't have enough space. (I can understand that experience can help you forecast, but making such a firm diagnostic so early sounds really pushy). I was shocked that it was even a topic for now. They are still years away from losing their baby teeth and they are are so spaced that I can't imagine that it can happen. And even if it happens, it's not happening until many, many years. So don't you have anything else to say??? Oh yes, he did mention they have an over bite, which honestly I don't see and again I would rather wait for their adult teeth to come up with such a diagnostic! Bottom line, if my kids need brasses one day, he is not the one who will take care of them! read more

ABSOLUTELY AWESOME! Dr. Nerad and his staff are simply amazing... Growing up in Pleasanton, seems like every one of my friends went to Dr. Nerad. I've know Dr. Nerad since 1995, when my family moved to Pleasanton and he and his staff have taken the best care of my teeth through all these years. They have always been so patient and attentive to details and thanks to their work I have perfect and healthy teeth as an adult. Over the years, with EVERY visit Dr. Nerad always remembered what I was up to - from elementary, middle and highschool through college - always with encouraging words. Needless to say, ortho appts flew by! In 2009, I got married and we were happy to have Dr. Nerad there to celebrate with us! Afterall, it was thanks to him and his staff that I had a perfect smile that day! I've since moved to San Diego, and haven't been able to find a dental office to the standards of Dr. Nerad and his staff, so I picked up the phone and (kind of embarassingly) called to see if they had any openings for cleanings as I would be taking a last minute trip to Pleasanton. Mind you, I had pre-planned the explanation I was about to give, on how I'd been a patient for years yada yada yada... To my surprise, Debbie picked up the phone, and immediately after I introduced myself, she replies with a big over-the-phone smile "Hi Barbara, how've you been?". When I apologized for being so old and still calling for a cleaning (since I haven't had a great one here in SD), she laughed and told me not to worry as they have older pts than me! She made me feel so happy, that after all these years they still remembered me. I know that within the next few years when we have kids, we'll be taking trips up to Pleasanton to see my folks and to go to Dr. Nerad's office! read more

ok first of all i am a kid and this is my review first of all ive got my cavitie filled other places multiple times so when i went to this place they gave me 7 shots laughing gas and put a rubber glove thing over my mouth the results me puking in the parking lot this has happend multiple times also when i went to go get a rooten check up just to clean teath and what not and rite after my mother said no to pulling teeth and no cavitie fillings he pulled 2 baby teeth that was still rooted down hard and after that he mad the announcement that my gums could not grow back without putting on medicine well i went to a diifrent dentist and he said it was easy to fix them also he made one of my teeth jut out the wrong way because he put a band on the wrong way and nowingly put them even though i had my last teeth coming in so those are the teeth that now stick out the wrong way it seems like he just did that to get more busness read more