Gentle Dental

I came to this dental office to get consultation of the wisdom teeth and regular cleaning. I am a new patient.
The xray they use is very outdated and not comfortable. Who still use bitewing xray for a full mouth examination nowadays? I have had panoramic xray 15 years ago!!!
I believe Dr Shepard is very knowledgeable but I have only got to see her for 5mins. She said i should remove all my 3 wisdom teeth (which 2 of them grow perfectly fine), and I need scaling/​root planning simply by looking at the xrays. She then checked my gums with her fingers (Yes just her fingers). After that she used some tools to scratch my fillings with force and said i need to replace the fillings. The entire process took not more than 5mins, and that is the ‘comprehensive exam’. Really?
I am not questioning anything about the profession of Dr. Shepard, she might be really experienced and thats why the checking went so fast. But as a new patient I expect to have more explanation of the treatments I will be receiving. Also, this dental office is just way overpriced for the treatments.

I LOVE this place. I’ve been going to Gentle Dental for 2 years now, and I chose to try out this company because they have so many locations, in particular because they have a location near where I live, and a location near where I work (Renton and Kirkland). I haven’t been to the location in Renton, because I found I loved all the people (doctors and assistants) at the Kirkland location. I see Dr. Shepard every six months and I cannot say enough good about her. She is so kind, super friendly, and incredibly careful (my mouth is sensitive) and ALWAYS remembers little personal details I didn’t think she’d remember after six months have passed. It makes it much easier to get my dental work done, which is never fun, but at least if you have to get something done, better to have a dentist who can make you genuinely smile at the same time of getting work done to your mouth. :P Anyway, I just love Dr. Shepard and will continue to see her specifically until she isn’t practicing anymore. Oh, the other thing I truly appreciate is Dr. Sheppard’s availability and hours. I work odd hours and can’t usually make it in during a typical 9−5pm day, and one day a week she stays late until 7pm, which makes it so I can actually get in to see her regularly for my check ups. This is EXTREMELY convenient and helpful! :)
The other doctor I’d like to mention is Dr. Buddula. I had to have a procedure done to my gums that Dr. Sheppard couldn’t do (the work was meant for a specialist). I was really nervous about the procedure, but Dr. Buddula was incredibly nice and very gentle. The procedure went far faster than I thought, and I didn’t feel a thing! When he said I was done, I actually said, «serioulsy?!» It was so fast and painless and he was so nice about the whole process.
I can’t give this place high enough praise. Both Dr. Sheppard and Dr. Buddula, and all the assistants that have done my dental work have been amazing and super nice. I would highly recommend this place to other people (especially any that are as nervous about dental work as I am). :)

Dr. Shepard is amazing. I would recommend this place to anyone.
I tried another dentist that was closer to my home and instantly regretted that decision. I’ve since returned to this office and will stay for good.

Dr. Sheppard and her crew are the best!!! My whole family goes there including my toddler and I’ve never had such a good experience with a dentist. The one time I had an issue she personally called me and followed up to make sure the issue had been resolved. I no longer live in Kirkland (now I live in Seattle) but I will be driving back to Kirkland every time I need something done because the service is unbeatable!

Dr. Chelsea Mortell is wonderful and has made me a beautiful smile after 15 years of avoiding going to the dentist. She is caring, compassionate and listens to her patients.

We needed a new dentist when we moved here from Iowa City where we’d had our pick of the best dentists anywhere. A friend recommended Dr. Shepard so we gave her a try. I’ve never been a huge fan of dental visits so there’s always a bit of trepidation on my part just walking through the door. The folks here are wonderful though and I know that they make every effort to allay my anxiety.
Dr. Shepard is personable, compassionate, and top-​notch. I never feel rushed. She explains every step along the way of any procedure and regularly checks on my comfort level.
I don’t share any of the negative experiences that I’ve read about this office at all. Everyone here — from the front desk to the back end — is polished, professional, friendly, and on top of their game.
I have no reservations about giving Gentle Dental a 5-​star rating.

My family has been coming to this office since we moved here 12 years ago, and have only good things to say about them. They are courteous, accommodating, friendly, and competent. Dr. Sheppard and the hygienists go out of their way to get to know us, to make sure we’re comfortable, and to explain things and answer our questions. We’ve never had a problem with billing, even with changes in insurance. They also know their limits — when my young daughter had a cavity in a really tight space between teeth, Dr. Sheppard recognized that it needed the specialty skills of a pediatric dentist and referred her out. Would recommend this office in a heartbeat.

My experience has been much like the story Rachel M from Kirkland describes above. I’ve been trying to get my dental records since the end of April because I will never, never patronize this inept office again and want to move on… but instead of sending the records for my family to me, they sent them to storage. These people are truly incompetent.
I marked one star above merely because I had to mark something to get this review to post.

I have always had anxiety about going to the dentist, such bad anxiety that I actually forced myself to live with cavities. In the past I felt like dentists made me feel ashamed of my teeth and didn’t really want to help me, they just wanted money in there pocket.
Dr. Shepard is the most wonderful dentist I have ever been to. She took such care with my teeth that I went back to her 3 times in 2 weeks when in the past I would cancel or just not show up. She fixed a problem with my front tooth that I had for years, so easily infact that I was upset that no other dentist in the past could fix it causing me to live with it for 4 years. She said that she wasn’t going to let me walk around calling her my dentist if I was ashamed of my teeth and that she’ll get me all fixed up.
I agree that some of the assistants aren’t up to par, they are learning and if you listen to Dr. Shepard you will hear her explaining and coaching them. I didn’t mind being that she was training someone to provide the kind of care she gives to patients.
There xrays aren’t fancy, the don’t have to be. She still got all the information she needed from them, she did some other tests I’ve never had done before, and I don’t really see a problem with it.
I do agree that the duration I spend in the chair is a little long but she is the only dentist in the office and I think what she does is timely enough and her quality of work/​personality are enough to keep me going back.
The girls at the desk are friendly too, they know me by name. It still surprises me when they say Hi Amy when I walk in the door. I suppose if I’m there on time all they have to know is who is on the schedule but it really puts a personal touch on it.
I just can’t believe that I’m actually writing about a good experience at a dental office. I hate the noises, feeling, smells, and embarrassment. I would get physically ill, cry at home or cry at the office in the past but there is just something about Dr. Shepard, I like her.

I’ve been coming to this office for over 10 years and Dr. Karen Sheppard has been absolutely great (and worth the money). She’s a very good dentist and really cares for her patients. Some of the staff has changed over the years and some are better than others, but the doc makes this place worth the drive from Redmond or Seattle.

I’ve never been terrified of dental offices until I came here. The one thing that went right was the front office staff and scheduling flexibility. They open early allowing time before work to squeeze in a cleaning or exam and still make it to work at 9am.
The downsides were the lack of attention to detail, the outdated x-​ray system, incompetent dental assistants, small unfriendly exam rooms, long wait, corporate feel and many more.
Needless to say I was very unhappy with my experiences with gentle dental. I’m sure Dr. Sheppard is a nice person, but I only spent a whole 5 minutes with her lecturing me.: /​
I would never recommend this dental office to anyone. It left a bad taste in my mouth.

Would highly recommend. Very friendly and curious staff. Have been there for cleanings, fillings, and other procedures. They always make you feel comfortable. Very punctual and allow family to make back to back appointments (been to other dentist that’s wouldn’t allow that).

THE GOOD:
Nothing that I can write about
THE BAD:
Billing, insurance look up, comfort
THE LOWDOWN:
Well they haven’t got the billing down since day one. Service isn’t their forte. What you put down on your questionnaire when you first go will come back to haunt you if understand your options (if they tell you) when you get service done.
You would be much better off if you do your homework and go with a dentist that has his/​her own established practice. (There is probably a reason why they have to work under a big corporation like Gentle Dental instead of succeed on their own)