Katherine Toubian, DDS

Stay away!
I decided to see this person because I had just moved and she offered a free whitening. Not really though. It was a kit that I took home to do myself, basically a bedtime bleaching.
She seemed fine at first but was always pushing me to buy her $ 300 toothbrush and a night guard to prevent me from grinding my teeth. I declined on both because of the cost even though I was convinced that I should use them.
On my second 6 month visit she said I had a small cavity, a surprise for me since I take care of my teeth, but not to worry because it may fix itself. On the third 6 month visit she said the cavity was very bad and that I needed a crown because it was too big for a filling. She also said that I needed two other teeth with crowns because I was grinding them in my sleep too much.
I agreed to do the work because before her I had not seen a dentist for several years and thought that I had let my teeth suffer while unchecked, even though I always take care of my teeth. She made impressions for the 3 teeth and gave me temporary crowns that were supposed to last a few weeks until the permanent ones were ready. All three temporary crowns fell out within a few days and I had to return to her office, not once but twice, to have them glued back in. It was pretty scary to see how much she had ground my teeth down when the temporary crowns were out. After the second time she said to just put them back in myself if it happened again. My mother in-​law said I should go to her dentist and leave this woman but she already had impressions of my original teeth, which my mother in-law’s dentist would not be able to obtain since my teeth had been ground down. Finally, the permanent crowns were installed and I felt some relief.
Unfortunately it was not over. I was told that there would be some sensitivity for a short time. At my next check up I said they were still sensitive to cold and biting down too hard. I had actually had to change the way I chewed to avoid the sensitivity. I decided to start seeing the other dentist that my wife had been seeing since she wad a child. I told him my problem. He had to speculate but he said that the teeth were probably still wet when they put in the crowns and it was causing hydraulic pressure that was affecting the nerve or there was not a good seal and liquid was able to get beneath the crown or both were happening.
A year and some months go by and one of the permanent crowns pops out while eating. I called my new dentist for an emergency appointment and luckily he was able to put it back in. I now have no sensitivity with that tooth only. I asked him about the other teeth and he said if they also pop out then he can do the same and put them back in and the sensitivity should go away, or I must have a root canal and replace the teeth because they are permanently damaged. At times the sensitivity is not that bad but recently it has become increasingly uncomfortable, more like pain. Every drink of water, not just cold water, chewing a piece of meat, and forget about crunching some ice or anything hard. I used to have strong healthy teeth before I met Katherine but now I have two bad teeth that I’m actually thinking about having removed with hopes that two false teeth will be better than the two damaged teeth.
Just to add a little more background. During the time I was still seeing Katherine she canceled one of my appointments for a family emergency. When I saw her she said she had a family member that needed immediate attention. I hope that person did not have a crown fall out. She also had acquired the office space next to her old office and had completely remodeled both, paid for with the money she took from me. However, I am still paying while she is making profits.
I really can’t say if she is doing this on purpose or if she and her team are just incompetents but I recommend very strongly to go somewhere else. I actually wish that I had not started seeing a dentist again and had continued taking care of my teeth on my own, considering I had done a better job than her. I still have to question whether or not I ever had a cavity or grinded my teeth too much.

GREEDY. UNPROFESSIONAL. UNETHICAL.
I met Dr. Toubian over ten years ago at Westwood Farmer’s Market where she had a table and was looking for new clients. I still was covered under two insurance plans and not knowing so much about what an inexact science dentistry was, I assumed she was a nice lady and would be for me.
I went in for a check up and I kid you not, the dental hygenist is three feet from my mouth and exclaims, «Do you brush your teeth?» And then she brings in Dr. Toubian, who without me even opening my mouth all the way exclaims with the same seemingly rehearsed and concerned reaction, «Oh my? Do you brush your teeth?». They proceeded to tell me I had 13 cavities (some insane number like this) and the only way around it was to have all my teeth gutted and have this smooth veneer put in which is VERY EXPENSIVE but mostly covered by insurance (isn’t that lucky for her?). It seemed like an extreme way to deal with cavities, to gut all your teeth pre-​emptively before they get cavities and fill them in with a veneer. This logic is like, «Your house will one day disentegrate, so remake it out of steel. NOW.» And mind you, I was only 22 years old then. I consulted with my last dentist in San Francisco about her findings, because I was upset that he didn’t spot all these cavities or see the need to gut my teeth. My old dentist saw me in SF after my visit with Dr. Toubian, and was in coversation with her and looked at her X-​rays and said that his approach is less aggressive than hers. That the cavities she marked as «Urgent! Gut them» were tiny tiny tiny cavities he had put a «watch on» over the last few years, many of them had not gotten worse.
I declined Dr. Toubian’s intense procedure. She did a cleaning with me on the follow up and literally put the pick on my gums and made it bleed and then said, «You need deep scale cleaning. I told you.» I kid you not she was PURPOSELY TEARING at my gums. And then she walked out, obviously annoyed that I wasn’t planning to do any expensive treatments with her.
It’s been over ten years. My teeth are fine. They have not fallen out for lack of Dr. Toubian’s fancy unnecessary treatment. I pay out of pocket in Koreatown and see a dentist who tells me my teeth are fine and what tiny cavities to keep an eye on. HE does not tell me like Dr. Toubian does that I need every tooth gutted out and filled in.
Shop around and see someone HONEST and not so MONEY GRUBBY.

I have been a patient of this office for 2 years now. Dr. Toubian is the most honest, informative, perfectionist, knowledgable dentist I have ever gone to. She takes her time to educate the patient and just advice the necessary procedures that needs to be done. The office staff are amazing. They are friendly, welcoming and they provide an exceptional customer service. I highly recommend Westwood family Dental.

Dr Toubian and her staff are very friendly and very thorough! I usually hate going to the dentist, but ever since I started going to Dr Toubian, I’m not so terrified. She is kind and attentive and really cares about her patients. She’s been in the business for over 20 years and there’s a reason why her practice keeps growing! I recommend her to everyone — Westwood family dental is a MUST!

I’m usually so afraid of going to the dentist, but Dr. Toubian and her staff were very patient and friendly. I felt very at ease and will always go to her from now on!

Dr Toubian has been my dentist since 2007 (eight years)! She has helped me achieve optimal dental health. I have replaced old fillings over the years with cubic zirconia onlays that look just like real teeth. I have also re-​learned proper flossing and brushing techniques. I continue to see Dr. Toubian because (1) she is highly knowledgeable, (2) explains with as much detail as you would like her vision for your treatment plan, (3) she’s ok with implementing the dental plan over time (for me it took about 7 years to do all the things she recommended and that I wanted at a snail’s pace – my choice), (4) she remembers what you tell her, (5) she’s patient, caring, compassionate, responsive (I.e. Great bedside manner). I know I am obtaining the very best with her and that’s exactly what I want!

A really great place to take your family for quality and professional dental care. I’ve been taking my kids since they were 5 years old (almost ten years ago!) and I couldn’t be happier with my experience.
The office is always clean, and they offer drinks and magazines for waiting. Although I’ve never had to wait more than ten minutes for my appointment!
The nurses and Dr. Toubian really know what they’re doing, and always take the time to thoroughly explain everything. They always give me options for my treatment plans, which is helpful because I can’t always afford the most expensive ones.
With the help of Dr. Toubian and Westwood family dental, I now have a smile I can be proud of!

I went to Dr. Toubian about six months ago because she accepted my dental insurance. It was the worst experience I’ve ever had. What she does should be illegal. I’ve only ever had one cavity before and she told me that I have 5 cavities and she wanted to do a $ 2,000 dental plan. I was in shock when I was told I have 5 cavities and I was suspicious. I got a second opinion from my old dentist back in my hometown. It turns out I had 1 cavity and didn’t need all the extra sealants for the ridiculous priced dental plan. It is a really scary thought to think this woman was going to drill into my perfectly fine teeth just to make money. She is a crook! When she did my cleaning she was really rough and pretty much scraped my mouth raw. I asked her to be more gentle because my mouth was in so much pain, she responded back with a rude comment. I will never be going to this «dentist» again. Please be careful and if something doesn’t feel right always get a second opinion!

I’ve been going to Dr. Toubian for the past couple of years and decided it was time to write a review. If you are looking for a new dentist — Dr. Toubian is the one.
They have a Friendly Staff that walk you through the whole process. This place is always clean, and has a great décor.
Dr. Toubian is very thorough, professional, and explain everything. She makes sure the patient is very comfortable during the procedure. I would say she is a perfectionism. You never have to wait in the waiting area, they get u right in.
I highly recommend Dr. Toubian.

Dr. Toubian and Aurora are always so attentive and accommodating with regard to appointments. Thanks!

I am new to the neighborhood and found Dr. Toubians office conveniently located next to my work. My first impression is excellent, the office is well maintained and staff is super friendly and organized.
I can feel that Dr. Toubian is very passionate with her work and she takes the time to get the job done right. I had my teeth cleaned today and feeling like a million bucks right now. Highly recommended for anybody that fears going to the dentist, Dr. Toubian has the ability to make the whole procedure pleasant. Keep smiling!

the most comprehensive teeth cleaning ever! love Dr. Toubian!

Dr. Toubian was fantastic!!! She was kind, professional and extremely thorough with all of the work I had done with her. It’s probably my third visit so far, twice for cleaning and the third time for teeth whitening. All of the experiences were great!
The best thing is Dr. Toubian is such a perfectionist and you could tell she is really good at what she does and takes it seriously. I’m so glad my client referred me to her! I was so nervous about trying someone new, well not really since I love the client who referred me and trust her taste and judgment. When I met Dr. Toubian she completely put me at ease and now I love my new dentist and never worry about my teeth again!

I really wanted to like this place! This was the first dentist I tried in L.A. (against my boyfriends suggestion to try a different place up the street). When I arrived at my first appointment, I had a bad feeling about this place, even though the front desk staff and assistant were very nice and accommodating. I received full-​mouth bitewing x-​rays and also photos of my teeth. After going over my x-​rays and performing an exam, the dentist suggested that I basically replace all of my fillings, and told me that I need additional work that amounted to thousands of dollars. All of my fillings were «leaky». This may or may not have been the case, but it would’ve been nice if she pointed out what she meant on an x-​ray or something quantifiable.
That being said, I then had a cleaning. The dentist suggested that I get an antibacterial irrigation for an additional 50 bucks that I opted out of. She was very rough with the cleaning (which I know many people like), and made all of my gums bleed more than I had experienced from any other dentist.
I finally made a second appointment 9 months later for a cleaning and filling when I had enough money to do some of the work that she suggested. I decided that if I was going to pay $ 400 for something I wanted to get a second opinion, so I requested my x-​rays in advance. When I got to the office I was greeted by Lisa at the front desk who had a bunch of papers for me to sign. She explained that I had to sign for my records to be released, then told me that I had to sign a new treatment plan and another page. At my previous visit I had signed similar looking treatment plans that had dollar amounts on them, but she told me that I was just acknowledging the treatment and not agreeing to pay. Things then got really shady. While I was walked back the dental assistant said «oh you’re here for a cleaning» and I said «no, it should be a filling too»…she said she would ask the dentist, then came back with «you can discuss it when the dentist». Once I got in to see the dentist, I was told that the cavity in question got worse, and again she didn’t bother pointing this out to me on an x-​ray. I hadn’t been to a dentist before this in years, so I was immediately suspicious. Lisa then came back in to explain to me that the new treatment was going to be $ 600. When I told her I need to go home and think about it, she pushed a payment plan on me, which made me very uncomfortable, and I had to decline. She did a «tisk» and reminded me of how important it was that I get this treated right away.
At this point, I just wanted to get the heck out of this place. I went to the front desk after my cleaning and asked for my x-​rays, and Lisa tells me «ok, it’ll be $ 55»…and I said «huh? Wait, what was $ 55?» She then told me that it was for the antibacterial irrigation I opted for and that she «thinks» that I got that last time. I said no, I didn’t realize that was extra (the dentist or anyone else never mentioned it to me), to which she said «oh, but you signed for it». She knew that she had me agree to pay for something when there was no mention of it verbally. This is unheard of in honest practices. I was so fuming mad that I just wanted to get out so I paid and left and will never return. Obviously, I should’ve read what I was signing, but I have never experienced a dentist so shady that they would try to slip in costs without carefully explaining them to you. This place is for people who have money to throw away at unnecessary dental costs, not normal people or grad students like myself.
I finally tried the dentist up the way that my boyfriend suggested, and they told me that there was nothing wrong with the tooth that Dr. Toubian wanted to charge $ 600 to fix.

I wasn’t going to write this review a year ago because I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, but after seeing my new dentist this morning I feel like I have to share my experience with my fellow Unilocalers.
I came to Dr. Toubian last summer for a regular check up, and I remember feeling that something was off the minute she started talking about what I needed to get fixed. Long story short she and her finance lady told me that I needed over $ 2000 worth of procedures done which really shocked me because I have always had a good record with my regular check up. I decided to not do the procedure, but I still ended up getting the «special» cleaning which cost me $ 30 on top of the copay.
A year later, I just got back from my regular cleaning and I was pleasantly surprised by the recommendation of my new dentist. It turns out that I only needed one filling which cost me $ 85, with no special cleaning required and no other frills. That’s a $ 2000 difference compared to what Dr. Toubian quoted me a year ago. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
I am glad I got a second opinion on my own situation, and I strongly recommend you to go with your guts in case you fee like «something is off».

Feb 6^th 2013
Today I saw Dr. Toubian for a cleaning. I have to say again how much I appreciate this dentist & her entire office staff. I will continue to tell all my friends if you’re looking for a fabulous dentist on the West side go to Westwood Family Dental. You’ll love your smile :)

Dr Toibian was a wonderful discovery for me back in the late 90’s. I have been with her ever since and have referred friends, family and my wife. She is highly skilled, friendly and fairly priced. A great staff and they all stay current on the latest research & technology.
FWIW, what brought me in for my first ever visit was a neighborhood mailer she had done for a introductory cleaning and inspection. Not sure the back story on the the rude guy below… maybe people don’t like to be told they have major issues that actually cost money to address properly.
Regardless, I recommend her highly.

By far the greatest and most professional dentist I have ever had. The staff is very impressive and the experience (s) I have had have been terrific.
A note for all the 1 stars out there. Look… first and foremost, Dentistry is not a non-​profit business and you have choices (and decisions that go with aforementioned choices). For those who are complaining about recommendations for things that need to be fixed, make your decisions, but don’t lambaste a health care professional because you find there are other alternatives to her advice.

There isn’t an option for negative stars? it is unbelievable that this scammer is still in business.
I visited «doctor» Toubian back a few years ago having received a coupon in the mail (hint: don’t ever go to dentists or doctors that send out coupons in the mail… or ones that have their businesses in strip malls — both of which she does). So, I went in there and she did some x-​rays, then told me that I had a bunch of cavities and broken fillings. She wanted to do a ton of work on my mouth and charge thousands of dollars, of course.
I went for a second opinion. And then a third. After visiting my childhood dentist in the Bay Area. And a legitimate dentist in LA, it was clear that everything Katherine Toubian had told me were flat-​out lies. My teeth were fine. There was no work needed.
Can you imagine going to a dentist, having them drill into your teeth, and paying a lot of money for it… WHEN YOU DON’T NEED IT?! Unreal. This person is a total con-​artist and a disgusting scumbag.
I see that she has a number of positive reviews here on Unilocal but please, if you are a new patient, don’t believe them. They are probably all friends and family. This person is a full-​on criminal. Back when this happened to me, I considered reporting her for malpractice. But I was young, broke, and lazy at the time. At any rate, now I get to fight back against liars like Katherine Toubian on Unilocal.
If you are looking for a great dentist, go to Cesear Segovia at Sunset and Doheny. He’s more expensive, but in this business, you truly get what you pay for.

I’ve had two visits with Dr. Toubian so far. The first was a consultation. Dr. Toubian was thorough, friendly, and seemed very concerned with her patients. I felt well taken car of by her staff, and very informed of the procedures to come.
My second visit consisted of the first half of my deep cleaning procedure. Dr. Toubian was sensitive, and kept me informed of every step she was taking. I was completely surprised at how informed she kept me!
So far, so good. I’m returning sometime next week for the second half of my cleaning. For the first time, I’m looking forward to going to the dentist!