Belmont Family Dentistry

Let me start by saying that I am TERRIFIED of the dentist. I had bad teeth as a child and needed fillings often and after a couple bad experiences I’ve garnered a pretty intense fear of dentists. And that’s how I found this practice.
I had gone to another dentist and left in tears after a horrid experience despite my sharing my fears looking for a replacement but moving forward with finding an oral surgeon for part of my treatment (I never got some adult teeth so I have baby teeth still that are finally needing to be replaced).
Lucky for me I ended up finding a wonderful oral surgeon who happened to have an office manager that used to work at Belmont Dentistry. She was kind and understanding of my issues and immediately recommended Dr. Tinkle with strong reassurances. I made me appointment and Paula at the front desk was wonderful. Another genuinely nice and compassionate human soul.
Finally my appointment came and I was exceedingly nervous. But when Dr. Tinkle came over he was so gentle, patient, and kind that I felt myself feeling naturally a little better. He was incredibly honest about reviewing my previous treatment recommendation and delivered his opinion in such a way that I was much less overwhelmed than I had previously felt.
I’ve now had three appointments there and can say that not only is his work as excellent as his care for his patients, but he has helped me feel immensely more confident at a dentist office. His staff is also incredible, every person I’ve met in there clearly loves their job and where they work.
Thank you for all you and your office does!

Dr. Tinkle recommended an intensive (and pricey — more on that later) cleaning for «gum disease» following an initial dental examination. I am in my 40s and have always had good dental health, despite skipping the occasional biannual cleaning. Dr. Tinkle was brusque in explaining why this procedure was required, and his assistant was far worse — she seemed annoyed that I was not willing to sign up for the procedure right away, and was entirely unwilling to explain anything or even answer basic questions. Unacceptable. Incidentally, the cleaning would have cost my insurance company almost $ 600, and me nearly $ 200 out-​of-​pocket (and I have pretty amazing dental insurance).
Had there been any indications that my teeth had issues from prior dental visits (to other dentists, out of state), I would have been more inclined to schedule this procedure with Dr. Tinkle. However, my dental history, coupled with the general attitude of Dr. Tinkle and his staff, made me decide to get a second opinion. So glad I did.
Long story short, no gum disease, no need for anything more than a normal cleaning.
In addition, they gave me a pretty hard time when I tried to have my x-​rays forwarded to my new dentist — they kept saying they couldn’t locate my request form, despite the fact that I had faxed it twice and, finally, dropped it off in person.
Although this practice may be modern and flashy, the staff are lacking in basic customer service skills, Dr. Tinkle has a questionable bedside manner and they only seem interested in overbilling you for services you don’t need.

I will start out by saying that I love the dentist. I love my teeth and the people who help me keep them. The staff is always very pleasant. I still have baby teeth (I’m 40 now) and keeping them as long as possible is the goal. So I go in more often than others. I’ve had a root planing (had one many years ago too) as well. I was actually left numb for a few weeks after, but I know that is not the fault of the dental team. My sister worked in an oral surgery clinic and often people don’t really understand the risks involved with dental work. This is really in response to a previous review where clearly the patient didn’t understand that this can happen. They signed a form that warned them of the risks. In my case the feeling eventually came back completely. They were very concerned, but I knew there wasn’t going to be anything they could really do for this and didn’t blame them, although I appreciated their concern. They are always really careful around one of my baby teeth that is very loose (thought I’d lose it a couple years ago, but it’s still hanging on with no pain). I had a baby tooth that cracked down the middle and was in extreme pain. They got me in quickly and I had it pulled. They advised me of all my options at the time and gave me pricing info. I decided just to have it pulled since it was further back. It healed as expected. They are very thorough and noticed that there looked like a cavity under a 20+ year old crown. When they got in there to do the work they realized they couldn’t just remove the cavity and replace the crown. It too had been a baby tooth and there wasn’t enough to work with. This one is closer up front so I opted for the root canal. It wasn’t bad at all and I felt perfectly fine within a day or two. Dr Tinkle did an excellent job of matching the color as my teeth are pretty white (previous one was not as good a match). It feels just like it used to. I pay out of pocket for all services, so it was nice that they were willing to work with me when it ended up being a more expensive procedure. I still paid in full at the time of service, but I think this goes to show how they value their patients. I’ll happily continue to go here for all my dental needs.

If you can get past the fact that the dentist’s name is Dr. Tinkle, this is the best dentist practice I’ve ever been treated by. The good doctor himself is a super nice guy (especially when you imagine the grief he endured growing up) and his staff are super nice as well. The front desk lady Paula is totally on top of your insurance and billing stuff, too. They use all the latest digital X-​ray equipment and techniques, and the office is very nicely decorated. There’s even a room at the back with big windows that looks out on a little rock-​garden. And as someone who’s had a TON of dental work done in my life (I was the kid who got fillings in her baby teeth, for pete’s sake), what I love about Dr. Tinkle is that he’s happy to refer you to a specialist like oral surgeons if you need complicated work like root canals and implants, because he wants you to have the best possible care. This has been a god-​send for dealing with replacing all the crappy work I had done in previous decades that’s now failing.
I recommend Belmont Family Dentistry to anyone and everyone.

I absolutely love them! I had a few bad experiences with dentists in Portland when I first moved here, so by the time I got in touch with Belmont Family Dentistry I was behind on dental check-​ups and not feeling great about my prospects of finding a good dentist. From my first phone call to set up an appointment, I’ve been nothing but pleased. Every one of their staff members is friendly and easy to work with. Confirmations and reminders are reliable without overwhelming my inbox. Most comfortable dental cleaning I’ve ever had (but thorough, too). Dr. Tinkle never makes me feel rushed. He also didn’t make me feel bad about the abysmal state my teeth were in (blame a past juice addiction), just worked with me on a plan to get them fixed. I had my first set of fillings with them today and once again, they’ve exceeded my expectations. I came in pretty anxious, due to childhood experiences with inadequate pain control during dental work, but by the end, I was thinking to myself, «That was it?!» Dr. Tinkle and his assistant made sure I was numbed up thoroughly, and they were so efficient that I even got out early. I recommend them whole-​heartedly!

New client, definitely wary of dentists, had to jump ship from my tried and true as they became spotty on returned calls.
These guys are not pushy, have friendly service, are professional. I’ll now be bringin’ my family along with me as someone had to test the waters first — now we’ll all be jumping in together!

Talk about a great place! Every member of the staff I came in contact with was extremely nice and helpful. Everything was done very thoroughly, and I felt like they really cared instead of seeing me as a dollar sign.
I can’t stop raving about my new dentist office to everyone, so if you’re currently searching for a new one, you can end it here.

After a year I want to clarify my review as I was angry with an office person and was unfair to Dr. Tinkle and his practice. My tongue situation has since resolved and will say that Dr. Tinkle did personally treat me fairly by seeing me in an expedited fashion at the time. In retrospect I believe he is a good dentist, great person, and patient focused. Great music selection as I recall.

Very pleased with the quality of care and genuine friendliness from everyone in this office.

I had not visited a dentist office in over ten years. A couple of weeks ago I broke a tooth and called Belmont Dentistry to see if I could get a quick appointment. They were actually closed on the day that I called, but the woman who answered the phone scheduled me for an appointment later that afternoon, even though they are closed that day. After that quick visit to get my broken tooth taken care of, I made an appointment to get an exam. Things have changed a bit in ten years. It is nice to see the benefits that new technology brings, like digital x-​rays that are shown immediately on the lcd screen in front of you. The entire staff was friendly and efficient and all the work I need to have completed was explained in detail. The dentist even supports our local school, so I feel good about handing over my money to support them. I will definitely be mentioning this office when anyone asks for a good dentist!

I am one of the many people who have hated the dentist. After a chipped tooth this summer, it was unavoidable. I found Belmont Family Dentistry on Unilocal and followed the reviews. Everyone who hated the dentist had a good experience here so I gave it a whirl…
My first visit was quick and painless, and left with my chipped tooth repaired. Exactly what I wanted, to get shit taken care of. I then came back for cleanings, a crown, and have to say almost everyone on their staff is amazing. Dr. Tinkle is gentle and personable. He listens to concerns and does his absolute best to help you out.
I am totally happy with my overall experience at Belmont Family Dentistry and totally recommend Dr. Tinkle, Tiffany, and the super sweet Paula at the front desk.

When I moved to Portland almost 2 years ago, I tried to find local professionals in my neighborhood for all my needs (chiropractor next door, veterinarian a few blocks away, dentist close by, etc) and Dr. Tinkle fit the bill being just down the road a couple miles. I can’t remember how I found him other than based on proximity. Flash forward and I’m within a 10 – 15 min walk from the office. I walked to my cleaning appointment today in fact! Since my first visit, Belmont Family Dentistry has undergone a huge renovation and is now very modern and new looking with tons of space and the latest equipment and technology. Everyone at BFD is super friendly, from the front office staff, to the hygienists/​dental assistants to Dr. Tinkle himself. Audrey, my hygienist, is awesome and always fun to talk to. She is super fastidious in her work and very knowledgeable. She makes me want to do a better job with brushing and flossing. Dr. Tinkle is very personable and definitely a dentist of the gentle variety. The banter in the office between the staff is comfortable and casual. If you are afraid to go to the dentist, this is a great place to go. You will feel at ease.

This is a nice, modern, professional office. Dr. Tinkle is great and Audrey, who cleans my teeth, is fast but super thorough, almost a little obsessed, which is exactly what I want in a cleaning! I would recommend this dentist to anyone.

Throw me on the bandwagon of folks who hate the dentist– wait, make that hated the dentist. I will actually make and keep my appt. now that I have Belmont Dentistry and Dr. Tinkle.
If you are used to old men dentist and elevator music that makes you want to scream, this place will make you rethink all that. Really nice staff and assistants, and Dr. Tinkle is totally laid back and seems pretty adaptable to different personalities. No elevator music here– the music is current (not to my taste, but at least it wasn’t classical or musak).
I went in for a check and ended up with a root canal– didn’t even have to rebook, he just did it right then. Totally didn’t feel like 2 hours and VIOLA– I was done. Stop being scared, just get in there.

I hate the dentist. Ever since I got my wisdom teeth out, I have a giant aversion to the dentist. Add to this the fact that I have had the same dentist since I was 10 and you can see why I dreaded finding a new tooth specialist.
But Dr. Tinkle’s staff is friendly and professional. They have good recommendations on everything, from Happy Hour to flossing techniques to cosmetic procedures. Their billing has been a little iffy (get pre-​authorization from your insurance, don’t just blindly assume the staff can give you an exact quote). Dr. Tinkle is always super complimentary of my teeth and it doesn’t feel fake. It probably is. But it feels genuine.
The minus (or plus maybe) is that they stay busy. Don’t flake out on an appt or you’ll have to wait awhile to be rescheduled.
Nice office!

I love Belmont dentistry! They are so friendly and helpful and continually impress me with their quick responses to questions and their ability to accommodate my schedule for appointments. Dr. Tinkle is easy to talk to and I really feel like he’s there for the patients – not for pure monetary gains. The reception staff are just a delight – so positive, upbeat, and friendly. I would highly recommend this dental office to all my friends and family. They are terrific and by far, the best dental staff I’ve ever worked with.