Davis Smiles Dentistry

Very courteous and professional!

Today was my first time visiting the dentist in about 2 years or so. Being the proper hypochondriac I am, I came to see Dr. Vicuna with a pocket full of money for all of the fillings and caps and root canals I was sure I needed, based on the sheer amount of nights I’ve fallen asleep without brushing having sour patch kids on the breath. I had never been to this dentist office but the word on the street around Sacramento city center is that this office is worth the drive to Davis. Took me 10 – 15 mins to get there. No biggie at all. I made it clear to the doc and the staff I was prepared for the worst. To my surprise after some congenial conversation with the doc, I was informed I was cavity free and received a clean bill of dental health! What?! This office has a wonderful staff with a great attitude and an environment to match. I set my next appointment for 6 months from today and will be staying a regular. No more long time gaps away and no hopping dentist to dentist anymore. I’ve found a great Dentist and I’m sticking! Did I mention it was $ 59? Come on now. My lunch cost more than that

Overpriced! I got some quotes from them for some work I possibly wanted to have done and they are extremely overpriced for no reason. I went to two other dental offices to discuss the procedures I want to have done and Davis Smiles prices were inflated for sure. There are plenty of great dentist in the Davis area, my advice, skip this establishment.

Bad experience! I would never go back. I was trying to get a teeth cleaning and a new teeth retainer because my old one was broken. I was waiting for about 30 minutes until a hygienist to do my x-​ray examination, then waited again for another 20 minutes for the dentist. Keep saying useless things, keep telling me how bad my teeth are, but do nothing about. After the conversation I still need to make another TWO appointment for my teeth cleaning! WHY AREN’T YOU DOING IT DURING THE FIRST APPOINTMENT!!! And the end I asked“How about my new retainer cause I need a new one?” They said:“Oh, we don’t do teeth retainer here. You have to find a orthodontist.” What the hell! I said that I need a new retainer when I was making the appointment and the person on the phone said:“just tell it to your dentist and he will take care it for you.“Seriously, I would never go back, it is waste of my time.

Dr/​DDT Patel was great and the overall process and experience was pretty easy. I have UC SHIP, and the reception even looked up my insurance number for me when I didn’t know it.
My entire appointment lasted about 45 minutes, from a quick couple xrays with a painless standing rotating machine to the cleaning and then varnish flouride. Dr/​DDT Patel was very clear, though I’m not sure if he really advised me on my best options. The cleaning was quick, and then the hygienest applied the flouride varnish. It seemed like the application was somewhat uneven, but maybe that just varies per mouth.
Overall, they run a smooth operation here and I wish I took advantage of my SHIP the past two years!

I had a very serious tooth issue arise while I was home visiting. I was preparing for travel within days and was stressed out. I was referred to Davis Smiles and I am so damn happy that I was. I have never experienced a group of people working so hard to make sure my need was met, and they had just met me. They took me in with no appointment (on a busy day, might I add), they called every oral surgeon in town (and the next town over) until they found someone that could get me in the next morning, and then they scheduled a follow-​up appointment with me on yet another one of their busy days to make sure that I was all good before I got on the plane. I am so grateful to Sergio and his team at Davis Smiles. I truly believe their sense of urgency and their dedication to me really saved me from a very painful and potentially dangerous situation. Thank you so much Davis Smiles!
Highly recommend this place. Ask for Sergio.

Went for a cleaning and fillings, came out five hours later with a crown that is super sensitive even almost a year later. When I mentioned the time, was offhandedly rebuked that I «didn’t have anything else better to do anyway».
Was convinced if I didn’t get the type of fillings they recommended that the other option would be dangerous to my health and need imminent replacing.
Dr. V had a rough way of doing procedures, from the crown to even the adjustment I tried to get at a later date. I told him the way he was working hurt and he said there was nothing he could do about it.
Thousands of dollars later, I now have sensitive teeth/​gums, a fear of manipulative sales tactics, dental treatments, dentists with no compassion, and zombies (five hours of walking dead inches from my face that I tried to insist I didn’t want to watch, I never watch tv at home and have no love of zombies!).
I originally chose this dentist because it accepted my plan and I mistakenly thought it was the dentist recommended by friends, turns out to be incorrect, and lots of friends actually have had equally bad experiences here.

Ok I have to say that my experience with this place is continuing to improve. I had another appointment in October and was very pleased. Hardly any wait. Everyone was nice. Switched to Dr. Fowler who seems professional and pleasant, though to be fair an exam was all that was needed. Hygenist (Sonja– sp?) was excellent. Most pain free cleaning I’ve ever had.
I’m hoping the trend continues. Good work, Davis Smiles!

How can I give a zero star rating? I came here for 2 reasons– 1. My insurance was 100% accepted. 2. From the Unilocal reviews.
Boy was that a mistake to go here. I should have known as soon as I walked in this wouldn’t go well. I arrived about 5 minutes prior to my appointment, as soon as I walked in the office was probably 70 degrees with the AC going, I had to walk out and get a sweater because it was so cold. Then I sat in the waiting room for over 20 minutes. I was taken back to get my X-​rays done by a girl who had very little experience. I told her how small my mouth was and she shoved a huge bite wing X-​ray in my mouth which I then spit out. I told her again and she insisted. I was then led to another room and was seen by a Dr. Fowler who basically said that she could do a root canal and would need to pull my tooth out because their wasn’t enough tooth to do a root canal on. At this time I am shaking in fear of losing my tooth and then the office manager lady comes in and goes over the financial part. They try to up sell this crown called a lava crown and I walked out of their with an estimate of almost $ 5,000. Yeah never going back.
I went back to my dentist who has 25+ years of experience and he said my root canal is a text book one and can be saved. This place is a joke! BEWARE!!!

TWO IMPORTANT THINGS FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS TO KNOW ARE IN THIS REVIEW. This is my second time coming here. The first was for a root canal (which I was terrified of), and then getting all four of my wisdom teeth taken out.
I have always HATED the dentist. I hate the atmosphere, I hate dreading the procedure, etc. But all of these things were not a problem at Davis Smiles Dentistry. I was so amazed at how un-​intimidating the atmosphere was. It made visits much less terrifying. (They even have a Keurig and a Playstation!)
#1 All of the staff there are really sweet and friendly. Even the doctors/​surgeons/​dentists that are technically not a part of the office. PLEASE READ WHAT FOLLOWS: Shout out to Crystal at the front desk who really advocated for me and my case when I had to pay for my wisdom teeth surgery, which is pretty much a $ 2800 procedure without insurance. When my first insurance was pretty much spent from the recent root canal, Crystal really tried to work things out with me so that I wouldn’t have to pay $ 2300 out of pocket. She was working with me for at least three weeks where we were calling back and forth trying to figure out secondary insurance. The results? I ended up paging only $ 235 out of pocket. That is amazing. Be in a college student I felt so lost navigating the health and insurance system but Crystal kept encouraging me to see it to the end. Come here for people who don’t just see you as a number, or a piggy bank that’s easy to take advantage of.
#2 UC Davis students, they take UCSHIP here! That helped me a lot.
I just got the surgery today. I was treated so well and the recovery seems to be going great. Totally recommend this place for those who just want a seamless and painless visit to one of the places people tend to dread the most. Thank you Davis Smiles Dentistry! :)

My recent experience with this place did not warrant the 4.5 star rating it currently holds. I should preface my review by stating that I am a 20-​something year old with limited financial resources.
I felt without question that they were focused on removing as much money as they could from my wallet rather than establishing a trustworthy relationship with me as a patient.
The cleaning I received was very brief, and I spent far more time insisting over and over to the front desk girl that I did not need the expensive Cerec fillings than I did speaking with the dentist. That is no exaggeration, they must offer her a bonus or commission on the stuff (of which they have posters up on the walls).
The point isn’t whether the Cerec fillings really are better than metal fillings, but simply that I have financial reality that I have to contend with, and they use hard sell tactics at this place that I personally find irritating and exploitative.
For example: the front desk girl insisting that the metal fillings would «just fall out,» and it was also implied by her that they were unattractive. This was at the front desk in front of other clients, after we had already had the same conversation in the operating room. Then a few days later over the phone I was offered the Cerec fillings at a discount but told that I have to opt for them now, if I turn them down they will not offer the discount for me if I reschedule say… a week or two in the future. Is that someone concerned with offering the best for their client, or with prying money from their wallet?
Also, you will likely be waiting in the dentist’s chair for quite some time before they see you. Enjoy the HGTV.
If you are financially comfortable and just looking for something local, I’m sure you will have a fine experience with this place.

I went here the other day to get my teeth cleaned and was specifically told by the receptionist and the dentist assistant that everything is 100% covered by my plan. My bill arrived today and I was charged $ 718 just to get my teeth cleaned. My Delta Dental plan provided by UC Davis only covered 185 $. So I am left paying $ 370 out of pocket. I was charged 4 payments of $ 75 for a 2D X-​ray I had no idea was not covered by my insurance and the dentist assistant never mentioned the extra charge of doing this procedure on me. I assumed what she was doing was regular X-​rays. I was also charged $ 70 for «oral hygiene instructions». I have no idea what that means. The dentist never gave me any oral hygiene instructions. Just to floss my bottom teeth more. Is that what they’re charging me $ 70 for??? I’m enraged by this. I’m a broke college student who came here due to the good reviews and it seems as if they’re trying to charge me for anything they can possibly receive money for.
UPDATE:
After speaking with a receptionist I was informed that the amount Delta Dental had sent me was just an EOB. Big mistake on my part! Apart from that mistake made by me, my experience here was pleasant. I was helped right away by the receptionist and only waited for about 10 minutes after my scheduled time. I will most likely return for my second dental cleaning in November!

Dr Fowler and her team are wonderful. Everything in the office is state of the art with in office, 2 hour crowns! I cannot say enough good things about this office and Dr Fowler.

They OBLITERATED my dental anxiety forever, I’m so grateful. The staff is great and ‘modern equipment’ is an understatement. They have an awesome coffee station too. but I don’t know how I feel about drinking coffee before seeing your DDS lol.

My rating speaks for itself.

I can’t say enough good things about the Davis Smiles team! Crystal & Kelli are wonderful — they were able to work me in for a same-​day appointment for a root canal, which was expertly performed by Dr Fortman. I experienced absolutely no pain or discomfort during the procedure, and was so grateful to not have to go through another night with a toothache! The office is beautiful and modern, but the kindness of the people who work there is what truly makes Davis Smiles a 5-​star place!

Really cool place. Nice modern design, nice waiting room, good new equipment, friendly staff, did not take long at all.

Absolutely wonderful experience! I have not been to a dentist in the better part of a decade, this visit made me wonder why I ever waited so long. Staff was absolutely wonderful. Very kind, made me feel like I was back in the south with all the hospitality. The woman who helped me with the insurance too was very helpful in making it easy for me to afford. The doctor was amazing, very sweet… not to mention beautiful! Same goes for the assistant. A wonderful environment to walk into!

Do you hate the dentist? That’s because you haven’t been here. I am plaqued by chronic mouth sores and on my first visit, I had one under my tongue the size of a dime. I hadn’t eaten in two days. They used a laser on the sore (and the three other smaller ones) and the next day the pain was totally gone and within 5 days it was completely healed. When I went back a few days later for a cleaning, Dr Vicuna found that my 20 year old fillings and tongue-​ring cracked teeth (don’t do it kids!!) were severely in need of MAJOR work, as bacteria had gotten under the old fillings and was millimeters from my roots.
Now, I’m a single mom who’s Obamamcare hadn’t gone through at that time yet, so I was able to save a down payment (which took me all summer) and now I’m paying the rest over 4 months, praise be to whatever g-​d you choose or don’t choose. I spent all summer avoiding caramel because I was afraid my teeth would fall out. That ends next week!
The actual procedure to fix my teeth happened 2 days ago now. It didn’t hurt until about 4 hours later, when the Novocaine wore off, but that pain was gone in another hour. And the Valium Dr Vicuna prescribed not only helped with the dental visit, but later that day, it allowed my partner and I to have the best relationship counseling session we’ve ever had. I was so calm! I’ll be sure to plan the work on the other side of my mouth on another day we have therapy!

As someone who has been on «hiatus» from going to the dentist, let me just say I was happy with the office as a whole, from the billing to the Dental Assistant to the actual dentist.
When unsure, go to any family dentistry. They are trained to be understanding towards children, and that reflects in how they treat all patients, no matter what the age. Non-​judgmental, and very supportive in how they coach you through the procedure.
The whole experience is not the most pleasant in the world (chipping away at plaque on a tooth is not very comfortable), but it was not that bad, and I honestly believe that is due in large part to the staff.
I have a follow up in three months. Am I looking forward to it? Hell no!
Am I glad that this office will be doing the dental work? Absolutely.