Joanne V. Lagos, DDS, MSPH

As a patient of Dr. Lagos for over 25 years I can’t give her enough praise. Through orthodontics and maxofacial surgery she has guided me along each step of the journey. Her staff is always friendly and caring. I think it would be difficult to find another dentist that will show as much care and concern about my oral health as Dr. Lagos.

I saw Dr. Lagos for two years, and it was my worst experience with a dentist. I’ve seen a lot of dentists due to a genetic condition that has required multiple surgeries and braces (2x). I had braces during the time I was seeing Dr. Lagos.
Here are some of my experiences and observations:
— Dr. Lagos seemed to not trust her staff. I noticed that a lot of the staff were standing around the majority of the time, and they were rarely asked to participate in patient care.
— The office is ALWAYS running late. Not one of my appointments started on time. At my last appointment, Dr. Lagos was 1.5 hours late!!! I asked several times if I should reschedule, and the staff kept saying that she’d just be a few more minutes, and they kept me sitting in the chair for 1.5 hours.
— Every time I went to the office, one of the staff showed me how to brush my teeth. According to them, I was always brushing my teeth incorrectly, and they kept referring to methods that I (and the other dentists I was going to simultaneously) had never heard of. I felt like a child being admonished, which was rather demoralizing.
— They gave me a «report card» on how well I was brushing. While all my other dental providers (I had 5 total at the time) praised me for my dental hygiene, Dr. Lagos admonished me for not doing a good enough job. She attributed things like gum recession to my not doing a good enough job brushing. It is actually common to get gum recession when you have braces, and it turned out that I was allergic to some of the dental products I was using. These explanations were never considered; any problem I was having was declared to be my fault.
— She was extremely rough with her teeth cleaning, and I would frequently leave her office with chunks of my gums missing
— They do not look into insurance coverage before giving you a price on how much a procedure will cost.
Yes, Dr. Lagos does care about her patients and tries to be thorough, but her efforts are often misguided and end up being harmful or demoralizing to patients. Also, please keep in mind that this review is in reference to Dr. Lagos only, and not her staff (her staff were just following orders).

OMG, I just read her reviews and what schools/​organizations she is affiliated with now. NO way would I EVER go to this DDS… EVER AGAIN. I witnessed her THROWING instruments at her assistant. Listened to her blame the assistant for giving me a hematoma during an injection. This woman is seriously damaged. Ask her about the scar on her hand-​she did it to herself-​self mutilation. She overcharged my insurance company, I found out when I CHANGED dentists. The INS. Co. refused to cover a procedure as «Lagos had billed them for it 4 months earlier” — and this procedure is something she DID NOT do in my mouth.

I saw Dr. Lagos for three years and highly recommend her. I’ve never liked going to the dentist (shocking, I know) and at first I didn’t love going to Dr. Lagos, either. As other reviewers mentioned, she is definitely a bit of a perfectionist and will call you out on not brushing/​flossing correctly etc. But that is what makes her an incredible dentist. My dental habits are SO much better having gone to her. I moved away and just saw a new dentist for the first time; it really reminded me of how thorough she is. Her office is really easy to get in touch with, and she deeply cares about her patients and her work.
If my review hasn’t convinced you already, I’ve saved the best for last. As I mentioned, I moved away a few months ago. She called me yesterday to tell me that she was thinking of me and to see how I was doing. WHAT!!! I sincerely doubt I’ll ever find a dentist as caring and thorough as Dr. Lagos.

Wonderful dentist. I switched to Dr. Lagos because my partner raved and raved about her. I’m so happy I did. I had some problems with my teeth that needed a lot of work, and Dr. Lagos prioritized them and worked on them over a period of years, structuring a plan to keep within my insurance limits. I am very pleased with the results. Also, unlike too many other dentist, Dr. Lagos is primarily concerned with your oral health, not on selling expensive cosmetic services.
I second the comments about her modern equipment and especially the great office atmosphere.

I went here for a few years. Dr. Lagos does a good job, but she is way too rough and is too much of a perfectionist. After every appointment, my mouth was sore and I dreaded every dentist appointment.
She also has her own little methods of brushing and flossing. I found this out when one of her staff members asked me to show then how I brushed and flossed. When I showed them, they scolded me for not doing it «their way» and showed me how to do it «right,» a way I had never seen before.
Before I changed dentists, she started to overcharge my insurance for procedures. Yeah… no.
I would only recommend her if you want a perfect smile and aren’t too sensitive.

I don’t know about you… but any visit I have ever had to a dentist I never exclaimed to myself afterward: «Too bad the appointment wasn’t longer… that sure was a bunch of fun!» No… I do not like going to the dentist but I do like going to Joanne Lagos and seeing the results of her expertise and care. She, as well as her whole staff, is kind, pleasant and disarming. I trust her with whatever suggestions and procedures she recommends because I know she is looking out for what is best for my teeth and my health and not trying to manipulate a «Porsche payment» out of me. I feel comforted by the fact she stays current with the ever evolving dental industry and waits and investigates before using a new product or procedure. I feel so assured with her being my dentist I commute all the way in from Stockton. If you are looking for a dentist you can trust look no more! She is not just good… she is exceptional!

I have been to a few dentists and I have to say, Dr. Lagos and the staff here are awesome! When I went in for my first appointment they took time to explain how to floss, check how I brush and the whole dental hygiene routine. I always receive personalized, non-​rushed attention :) I think I have been going to Dr. Lagos for two years now and I hope I never leave the bay area because I don’t think I’ll find a dentist like Dr. Lagos. My husband heard me rave about the attention and great customer service and he switched dentists and is 100% content, as am I. A bonus is the option of listening to music or watching a movie while they do what they do best :) On my second appointment they asked– So… what movie were you watching last time? Pretty cool, but they earned the 5 stars from me even without that option.

Great family dentistry! I’ve been going to Dr Lagos for over ten years. She’s polite, precise and has all the latest equipment. My teeth are in great shape and I even got them whitened! Definitely a trustworthy DDS.