Paul-Ryan Lake, DDS

I called to make an appointment after being recomended to Dr. Lake from a friend. The front desk «checked» my insurance and told me that unfortunately I would have to cover $ 100 out of pocket. No biggie, I hadn’t been to a dentist in a few years and liked what I had heard about the office.
A couple weeks later, the appointment itself was very professional and I left feeling my $ 100 was well spent.
Fastforward a month, and I recieve a bill for an additional $ 200! That brings my total to $ 300 out of pocket for just a cleaning and a couple XRays (that in reality weren’t needed). I understand the «bill the insurance» hustle, but this is ridiculous!
Buyer beware, I wouldn’t recomend this office unless you go through the full 4 – 6 week pre-​submission process with your insurer. Ive never paid more than 50 for a dentist appt, have BlueCross Coverage and am appaled they would run up such a large charge without alerting me. Completely misleading and irresponsible.
Edit– the Bill was 500 for a cleaning! Insurance (rightfully so) only covered 190 sticking me with the rest of Dr. Lake’s overbilling

I cannot recommend Dr. Lake enough. His office is incredibly efficient, you do not wait in the waiting room a minute past your scheduled time. He is very professional and takes time to explain any issues. He also builds rapport with his patients and actually remembers conversations from 6 months prior! He has never tried to upsell me on services or products I don’t need, something that annoys me about other medical professionals. His office is clean and his staff friendly. I recommend him to all my friends.

I had a very bad experience with my past DDS and have been very scared to go to dentist for sometime. Upon researching, i came across Dr. Lake and I can testify that he is different.
First, they are on time. When I book my appointment for 8am, they have everything set by 7:50am with Dr. Lake and his staff are waiting for you. This is pretty amazing, given that most doctors just have you sit around for 15−30min at minimum while you read old Highlights magazines,(Really these are still in circulation?)
Second, when you go see Dr. Lake, you see Dr.Lake. And he will sit down with you and do basic procedures that he can easily pass onto his assistants. I think he does this to build a relationship with his patients. Besides, how can he tell his staff what to do with the patients teeth if he has never seen them or checked on it himself?
Third, i think all this desk manager and insurance comments have to take it with a grain of salt. I read the reviews regarding billing for Dr. Lake but i also took it upon myself to check with my insurance all the details before booking my appointment. This way, there are no surprises. We are all adults here, we can do our homework as well from patients end
Fourth, minimal pain. Dr. Lake is about comfort. I did not feel any pain. Really, no pain. There was slight discomfort of taking pictures initially (biting down, left, right) but other then that, no pain.
Overall, i highly recommend Dr. Lake to those who appreciate high quality dental work. I am certain that they might be a bit $$ then other places, but when it comes to health. i think its worth investing for a service that suites you best. I can’t wait to go back for my cleaning. (yup, i said ‘i Cant wait to go back’)

Very nice office. Front desk was nice and prompt. The cleaning was very thorough. The lady who did my cleaning was super nice, informative, and helpful. She seemed really passionate about teeth! Dr. Lake’s process of showing detailed photos of the teeth and describing what he’s seeing is super informative. It’s the first time I’ve seen a dentist do that. I’m happy I found Dr. Lake’s office.

This continues to be my favorite dental office. Dr. Lake is the best, always makes me feel comfortable and cared for and his staff is helpful and professional. Can’t go wrong here.

Terrible experience with cavity being filled. Chipped after three days.
Horrible front desk manager that lied to me about my coat being in network. I should have not trusted him to tell me info. Paid a lot more than I would have being in network. Didn’t discover until insurance sent bill. Only positive is this office taught me a lesson in being more aware of my coverage and crooks in the city. I would not recommend my worst enemy.
Dr Lake is a good guy but I question why he keeps front desk Mgr, Fabian on staff.

I am definitely one of those people who has avoided the dentist and taking care of my teeth. I’ve paid the price in dental work and scoldings from dentists and hygienists over the years.
Dr. Lake is different. He took the time to explain why it’s so important to take care of my teeth, to make me feel supported, without scolding or shaming me. He helped me understand what was going on in my mouth, the conditions that lead to decay, and led me to my own conclusion that I would finally take this seriously.
He and his staff are great — friendly, professional, and prompt. When Dr. Lake is working in my mouth, he takes great care to make sure I’m not in pain, that I’m comfortable, and that I know I can stop any time I have a problem. My dental care was so smoothly executed, it was boring at times. I’m now on a really positive trend with my oral care, better than it’s ever been. I highly recommend Dr. Lake and his staff.

Dr. Lake’s office provides thorough and thoughtful service. I went to Dr. Lake after leaving my previous dentist who constantly tried to up sell me on expensive procedures. My first interaction with Dr. Lake make me feel comfortable and secure like an experienced professional, and he provided me the right level of information to make me feel like I could make informed decisions about my teeth. He was honest about things that needed to be addressed immediately and things that could wait and be addressed later. He provided a fail balanced consultation. Although his office is posh, he is practical and trustworthy when it comes to his patients.

It is pretty clear that the office doesn’t do much to verify insurance. I knew much more about the insurance coverage than they did in spite of them having «called to verify coverage» which they got wrong. They gave me ridiculously high estimates, which I knew were not correct based on my read of and discussion with the insurance. Turns out, I was right. They simply say they verified coverage. They later admitted they just verified I was «active» and that their estimates are not based on actually checking anything but what happens with «most insurances.»
I experienced miscommunication from the office over calling one office to confirm an appointment, which was apparently scheduled for the other office. (Yes, there are apparently two offices with different phone numbers. So beware if you look them up on google and have the misfortune of calling the wrong number). I rec’d the wrong information from the office I called. Of course, the two offices do not speak to one another. So, the actual appointment was missed. They wanted to charge me $ 100. I do not mind this, if I had been given the correct information and simply didn’t show up.
I called back and cancelled the other appointment at the other office. I further didn’t pay them the $ 100 they wanted for giving me wrong information.
I am thinking Dr. Lake is a good dentist. But, the issues with less than pleasant staff, appointment miscommunication between the two offices, and failure to really verify actual insurance coverage makes this a VERY DIFFICULT PLACE to be a patient.
I won’t be back.

I’ve had a great experience with Dr Lake over the past few years. He is one of the friendliest, most welcoming dentists I have encountered. He is also extremely competent at his job, which is equally important when it comes to health matters! The office is modern but comfortable, and there is a great view looking out over Union Square. I would highly recommend his practice.

He got me to floss every day of my own accord. Is there anything else I can say?
Well, I guess there is actually more I can say. My whole family (including 11 year old daughter) see Dr. Lake. I thought our previous NJ-​based dentist was the best, but Dr. Lake transcends. He’s fantastic, immediately puts me at ease, doesn’t berate me for intermittent dental practices, and even gets me to willingly take better care of my teeth without guilt or fear.
His office is spotless and graceful. His staff are friendly and warm. He’s got a small-​town welcoming vibe in a beautiful, shiny, gorgeous space.
I couldn’t be happier with Dr. Lake and am thrilled to recommend him.

I’m cautiously optimistic, but so far, so good!
I’ve had some interesting dental experiences, but I really enjoyed my first appointment with Dr. Lake. Yes, it was a full two hours, but it was the most pleasant two hours I’ve ever spent with a dentist.
The office is super modern and relaxed feeling and there was pleasant top-​40 music playing in the background. The receptionist, Fabian, instantly introduced himself and offered me water before walking me through the forms I needed to fill out (on an iPad! Hello 2015!)
Dr. Lake came out to meet me himself and bring me back, and then he sat and explained how the appointment was going to go. He introduced me to his assistant, who would be doing some x-​rays and photos. The assistant was incredibly friendly and proficient with the x-​rays and photos, and even conversational along the way.
Dr. Lake came back in and walked me through all the x-​rays and photos, explaining what he looked for in each, what things were good, and what things were bad. Then he asked what questions I had, and no matter how many I had, sat and answered them all patiently. Even when I was out of questions, he asked me a few times to make sure. Then he introduced me to the hygienist who would be cleaning my teeth. Francha (spelling?) was militant about getting my teeth clean, but in the best way possible. She was leaving no plaque behind! She was like a skilled masseuse though, starting off gentle and then applying more pressure as needed in those tricky spots. Along the way she checked in to make sure I was comfortable and doing ok. Such a sweet little woman!
By the end of it, my teeth felt sparkling clean and polished and I walked away with the most thorough goodie bag yet — not just the standard toothbrush and floss but samples of threaders, gum cleaners, mouthwash, gum, and more. I even got hugs on my way out!
Like I said, I’m cautiously optimistic. So far, it’s «expected» that my insurance will cover everything in the appointment, and I think nailing the initial appointment is table-​stakes, but we’ll see how things progress. Issues have a way of sneaking their dirty head up when you least expect, but I can tell you that until any of those things happen, Dr. Lake is definitely the best dentist I’ve been to yet.

To add insult to injury (literally), they billed me $ 414.00 for a cleaning and xrays only $ 90 of which was covered by my insurance so I owe $ 324! I have never paid more than $ 150 for a cleaning and xrays, even when I had no insurance! Beware!!!

It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed going to a dentist, but Dr. Lake is awesome. Not only is his office super nice and modern, but everyone who works there is really friendly. The first visit might seem long at two hours, but it was very thorough. Dr. Lake is always really friendly and seems to really care about how his patients are feeling during the visit. Love that he gives me lots of opportunities to ask questions.
Already recommended him to at least two people

Best experience at the dentist I’ve ever had. the front desk receptionist was pleasant and offered me water right away. the dental assistant talked me through everything he was doing and explained why they were doing it. it was very comforting. Dr Lake then came in to introduce himself and go over the pictures with me. again talking me through everything and we looked at the pictures together. he wanted to make sure i felt comfortable so during the cleaning he checked in every couple of minutes and asked if i needed a break. obviously going to the dentist isn’t the most comforting thing ever but they definitely did everything they could to make sure i was ok and comfortable.
the location is great and the office was very modern and clean.
i also had no problem booking an appointment. i booked one with in the week! i was even able to book my follow up appointment for a filling in the same week as my first visit.

For me, going to the dentist is a nightmare. Perhaps it’s based on my past dental experiences. As a child, my dentist did not believe in Novocain. And then there was that unfortunate wisdom teeth removal experience that led to as much bleeding as a bad horror film. Thus, I tend to be quite nervous at the dentist, on the borderline of having a total melt down.
I managed to avoid it for a while. Then, one Sunday I was out riding my bicycle. When I stopped to eat an energy chomp, I felt something hard in the center. Turned out I ripped out an old crown, leaving me missing a tooth. Had to go to the dentist ASAP. :(
The next morning, I called about 15 dentists in SF, just to see who could get me in on an emergency basis after work that day. Thankfully, Dr. Lake’s office could.
The entire office staff, from Fabian, the receptionist to Justin, the assistant to Dr Lake himself were fabulous. Additionally, the office was really nicely decorated in that it almost didn’t feel like a dentist’s office. Dr Lake and Justin both really helped calm my nerves as it probably looked like I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. They quickly glued my crown back in, which was far from traumatic.
Turns out, though, I needed some work done aside from the crown that needed to be glued back in. Reluctantly I made follow up appointments to have my dental issues handled.
When it came time to drill, as nervous as I was, Dr Lake and Justin did anything that they could to calm me down. Though I would have rather been in far off lands than at the dentist, Dr Lake and his staff made what had been torture for me in the past, as good of an experience as possible. And for that they get five stars and a huge thank you. PS– I already have my next routine cleaning, months away, scheduled with them.

After reading all these reviews I knew I wanted him to be my new dentist. The only downside was trying book an appt for over a month I finally got to see him and it was by far the most detailed & amazing check up I have ever gotten. Even did a 3d panoramic X-​ray like when I got braces, who does this at a cleaning appt?! The office and service was all a 5 star experience and all his friendly staff topped it off perfectly. The view of union square from the dental chair didn’t hurt either ;)
Came back a week after for some cavity work and was just as impressed as my first visit.
I found my dentist for life. There’s a reason for all these reviews!

Dr. Lake is the best dental experience I have ever had, hands down. It’s taken me too long to write a review (mainly bc i suck at Unilocal,and am lazy writing these) but i think people need to know how great he is!
I moved to the Bay area about 1.5 years ago, and blindly chose a dentist in my network, and hoped for someone that didn’t suck. First, I was excited that I could book an appt on a Saturday morning, which is very rare for dentists. When i came for my first appt last year, I was taken back by the clean and modern interiors of the office! I met Lisa, the super friendly receptionist, who is the kind of person you feel is you BFF after talking for just 5 minutes. Dr. Lake was just as warm and seemed very genuine in making sure i was comfy and relaxed. He is quick, gentle, and it was the first time i did not hate being in the dentists chair. I was also pleasantly surprised that he did my x-​rays, cleaning, and exam all himself, which may have been because he was a smaller operation back then.
At the end, he gave me a hug! I mean, when’s the last time your dentist gave you a hug? I always look forward to seeing him. I just got a cleaning yesterday, and this time I had Alicia as my dental hygenist, who as also great. This appointment was rescheduled from another date, and I had no problem working with Lisa to change my appointment time. I never hesitate to recommend Dr. Lake to my coworkers and friends!

Save yourself the wasted time and find another dentist.
They ruined two separate appointments for me with their lack of organization and complete unprofessional behavior.
The third time I came, the receptionist couldn’t even find notes from my last appointment, which was less than two weeks prior. There was no recollection of my visit (other than the date I was in), though her and the Dr. Lake were standing right next to me as we scheduled the appointment. She said that the doctor had left for the day and instead of trying to reschedule with me, she just sent me home. This really disappointed me as I took the whole day off work to come in.
To make things worse, they didn’t even reach out to reschedule or apologize until I sent them another email myself. Extremely unprofessional.
Finally, I emailed them to receive my x-​rays so that I could go to a better dentist ASAP. I am still waiting on one final x-​ray, despite three emails that I’ve sent, with no response.

Loving our new dentist, Dr. Lake! The staff is great and Dr. Lake is super nice. The office is comfy in a convenient Castro location one block from muni. My last cleaning was with a hygienist who was very thorough. Dr. Lake came in when she was done to do the examination, so I didn’t feel like I was just handed off to someone else. I like that. When I had an emergency he fit me in next day before work and was really easy to get ahold of for follow up.
My husband has been going to Dr. Lake too and was impressed how fast he was in and out for a pesky filling. Big thumbs up from us!