Union Square Endodontics

Ok, you probably won’t hear this often but just had a root canal and I am smiling, never felt any pain and came back relaxed enough to go back to work. Doctor Alex Hanley did the procedure, talked to me the entire time and always made me feel comfortable and cared for, it doesn’t get any better than this. I would highly recommend this office and in particular Doctor Hanley, he gets a high five in my book.

I saw Dr. Jew and he was simply wonderful. I had my root canal in August of 2015 and was SO nervous before my procedure. I honestly could not stop crying because I was that anxious, it was quite embarrassing. The assistant asked if I always had that much anxiety about the dentist and I said no, which was true, but this root canal issue had been lingering and I’ve had multiple dentists do other procedures on that tooth for years to prevent the need for the root canal and none of it worked. So I just went into it fed up and really built up about it… I would have preferred to do it years ago.
Anyway, Dr. Jew talked to me about the procedure first in an effort to help me relax and they also gave me some anxiety meds (because I was so on edge) and told me to come back in an hour after letting the meds kick in. I went back and actually fell asleep during the procedure ha! It was completely pain free. Even my recovery afterward wasn’t bad at all — I went on vacation to the Dominican Republic a few days later! I took a few IB Profin the days following the procedure but didn’t even take all of what they gave me.
If I ever needed another root canal I would see Dr. Jew again, no question. He is great with patients. I was probably a worst-​case scenario in terms of nerves and he was extremely understanding and compassionate.

I had three root canals done by Dr. Sean Bardsley this month. It was my first time having root canals. I was so nervous. Dr. Bardsley did them quickly, perfectly and painlessly! Even after numbness, I didn’t feel any pain.
If you need a root canal, I’ll definitely recommend Dr. Sean Bardsley!

As usual my visit to Union Square Endodontics was excellant. Dr. Hanley was on time, extremely pleasant and informative. He always is. He is a genuinely nice person and a skilled clinician. Having personally worked in dental offices for many years, I can say that I never mind coming to a dental appointment at Union Square Endo. Anita Siskind

Root canal? Sounds horrible. I have to say it was no big deal due to Dr. Machule. A little pill to take the edge off and I barely noticed the hour long procedure. Don’t be scared y’all, go see him.

Dr. Hanley performed a root canal this morning. He was very attentive. Excellent beside manner. I felt very comfortable with him. There was a question concerning my referral. He made sure that everything was in order before proceeding. He explained all steps of the procedure. I would highly recommend him. The staff were nice and personable.

My dentist referred me to this office for evaluation because my crown broke and I may need re-​treatment of a root canal. The doctor, Ratiner, was professional. She cautioned me that my procedure could be easy or difficult. If the x-​rays were correct, the procedure could be easy and under an hour, she said during the consultation. (Another review of her on this site sounds very similar to my situation so perhaps it’s best she didn’t treat me.) On my way to the office for treatment, after driving an hour to get from Berkeley to SF, I called to let them know I was going to be late because of traffic. I estimated 15 minutes late, but I had no idea about San Francisco construction issues, which added time. By the time I arrived I was a half an hour late and harried. The receptionist Jessica rolled her eyes at me and snapped that my appt would have to be rescheduled. I asked why she didn’t call me back to at least tell me that I was already too late — or let me know that if I was X minutes late I would have to reschedule. That way I could have turned around and avoided SF traffic and parking. She whined that it wasn’t her responsibility to call me, and when I asked for some sort of apology about not offering office policy to me on the phone, she walked away. A simple apology for the hassle or some sort of compassion would have made the experience much less annoying.

I am extremely disappointed by the care I received from Union Square Endodontic for the room canal procedure. On April 22, 2014, Dr Ratner began my root canal process. At first it appeared to be a standard procedure, and I was comfortable and in no pain. After cutting into my tooth, she informed me that I needed to make a decision. Because the cavity and nerve damage was below my gum line, I needed to either cut my gums to access to tooth, or pull the tooth altogether and put in an implant.
As a patient already in the chair and barely able to talk, I was in no position to make a medical decision like this. I asked if it wasn’t better to try and keep the tooth? She said yes, generally you want to keep the tooth if possible, so I agreed and she proceeded. She left a portion of the tooth in tact for my dentist to build the crown on, but I had to return in a week to finish the root canal because my gums needed time to heal.
Immediately after leaving the office, the first bite of food I ate broke what she left of the tooth. I came back and she said «don’t worry about it, that happens all the time» and just buffered the tooth down so it wouldn’t be sharp.
I came back on ⁴⁄₂₉ to complete the procedure. Dr Ratner used much less of the local anesthetic, and about 20 minutes in I suddenly felt a wave of heat roll all over my body, then I instantly broke out in a violent sweat as the most intense pain I’ve ever felt rushed from the top of my head to the bottom of my toes. I struggled to keep consciousness and raised my hand for her to stop working. I said «I’m feeling really bad pain!» to which she replied «well I’m almost done, let me just wrap up.» I insisted she give me more anesthetic.
I then visited my dentist to put the crown on, and she was shocked by Dr Ratner’s work. Dr Ratner left almost no base of the tooth to seat the crown. As a result, my temporary crowns broke off THREE TIMES. In addition, my dentist said that I can only expect each crown to last a max of 5 years, and that I will need to get frequent replacements. My dentist was surprised to see how much of my gums were removed. I now have a massive hole in between my teeth and a visible gap where the gums were cut out. My dentist said this is a very clear case of where an implant would have been the perfect solution, but now that I have so much of my gums missing, she cannot put an implant in. Instead, I will have to continually replace the crowns as they fail.
I am also experiencing a mild throbbing pain at least once every two weeks. I have to carry special tooth tools to remove large pieces of food from the hole in my gums, and the trapped food will speed the decay of the neighboring tooth. Regular brushing, flossing, or picks cannot remove the food since it goes so deep into the cavern that Dr Ratner created.
Dissatisfied doesn’t even begin to express the sense of anger and loss I feel now that my gums have been permanently removed. She should have reviewed the X-​Rays, discussed a gameplan with my dentist or consulted someone more experienced before drilling into my mouth. Instead, she got half way in, realized the situation, made a decision that was most lucrative for the practice but that will have a detrimental impact to my long term oral health. Not only will this cost me thousands in the long run as I will have to get new crowns very frequently, but her poor dental work has made it very difficult to maintain basic oral hygiene. I also will never be able to replace the work with an implant, and my dentist said that she was almost not able to cap the tooth because of the poor condition that Dr Ratner left the crown base.

Had a root canal done this morning by Dr Sean Bardsley D.D.S. The office got mi in first thing after having been referred last evening by my regular dentist.
I am grateful for not only a treatment well done but also how quickly I got in.
I am a bust Plastic Surgeon in San Francisco and know what it takes to run an office.
BRAVO for the three A’s. Availability, affability and of course ability.
THANK YOU AGAIN,
MFH

I recently moved to San Francisco and didn’t know who to call when I experienced the worst tooth pain of my life! I couldn’t even think from the throbbing in my mouth. To make matters worse it was on a Friday which makes it harder to find a dentist as a new patient. Thankfully, I found Union Square Endodontics. They responded right away and I had an appointment within the hour. Turns out my tooth was badly infected and I needed a root canal, which was promptly taken care of. They were professional, sympathetic to my pain, and the work was meticulously done with minimal discomfort. I would give them more stars if I could!
PS — Dr. Alexander Hanley, D.D.S., M.S.D. is the dentist who did my root canal. He’s a perfectionist!

I saw Dr. Hanley for a repeat root canal over a month ago. I work in healthcare and appreciated how professional, thorough, and detailed with his work. I first went in for a consultation, where Dr. Hanley went over the procedure, and possible risks and concerns for each route that was given to me. The costs were discussed with me (they checked my insurance and gave me payment estimates). I went in for the procedure a little over a week later and Dr. Hanley was really gracious and made sure I was comfortable the whole time. He also called me later that evening after I went home and my mouth was feeling numb for a few hours to ensure I was doing okay.

Who ever thought I’d be writing a Unilocal review about my root canal but… well I think Dr. Machule and his assistant (sorry, I forgot her name) deserves a good mention! I’ve had a lot of dental work, crowns and such, but this was my first root canal. Root canals seem to have a sort of urban legend scariness about them. But all I can say is, towards the end of the procedure, when I realized Dr. Machule was actually finishing up, I was literally thinking «is that it?! What is the big deal about that?!» Dr. Machule definitely made it feel like no big deal.
I did not even really feel the needle going in for the local anesthetic, and the rest of the procedure was really sort of a breeze. You cannot get your teeth fixed without getting a shot for anesthetic, hearing those drilling noises, and having someone working in your mouth — so no, that part does not go away! But there was no being put in awkward, uncomfortable positions, no puddles of water making me gag, no real discomfort or pain, no sitting there thinking «when will this be over.» It seemed very quick (less than an hour), and efficient — aka they knew what they were doing, they were in the zone, got in, got out.
I was going to write a review right afterwards, but then I figured I should wait until after the local wore off, to see what happened. What happened? Nothing! Tooth definitely feels better and there’s no swelling, no ache, no need for a Tylenol… no nothing. Like I said, no big deal, which is sort of (pleasantly) surprising to me since I was told I had some bone infection that needed to be cleaned out (yikes).
I should also say that I went into the office sort of doubting that I really, truly needed a root canal (who wants one, if you don’t really really need one). But Dr. Machule took the time to chat it out, explain the xrays, and all that. He and his assistant were just super friendly and easy to talk to – what nice people!
The only problem with Dr. Machule is that he is a root canal specialist, so I can’t see him for regular dental work or crowns! :(What a bummer, because I really wish I could have him do all my dental work. I think my regular dentist does very good work, which is why I stick with him. But frankly it is not as comfortable or pleasant a time, and I sort of dread going. If only I could go to Dr. Machule!!!

My father had to visit this place for an emergency root canal. Dr Ratiner saw him promptly and was very polite, professional and concerned for his comfort. My father was terrified of the procedure but it could not have gone smoother. She made the whole experience go as smoothly as possble while doing a top notch professional work. I would highly recommend her and her staff is also very courteous and knowledgeable.

I am not a good dental patient. I become irrationally freaked out by the sound of the drill and by any kind of pain. I honestly feel sorry for any dental professional who has to deal with me.
Dr. Handley knows how to deal with me. I’m very impressed with him, with the endodontic assistants, and with the administrative, billing, and reception staff. All of them are consummately professional, highly knowledgeable, pragmatic, and just really nice and understanding about my dental anxiety. I’m very glad I found this place. Highly recommended.

Efficient, organized, knowledgeable and consistently nice people through the team. I had a root canal procedure here in 2015, having been assured they were the best in SF, and was not disappointed. Dr Chew initially consulted and identified that I have a rare tooth formation called dens en dente, which no prior dentist had seen from X-​rays. The procedure was done expertly by Dr Machule who was friendly and a clear and patient communicator.

Great people! So calming and professional. The storm blackout cancelled my initial appointment but they got me back in quickly before my insurance deadline. No pain and the x-​ray showed a work of art. Thanks folks!

Dr. Machule provided me with excellent care. His upbeat manner, combined with a deep and impressive knowledge of endodontics, put me to ease immediately.
In addition, while I am always wary whether some dental procedures are guided more by the need to generate income for the dental office than the practical needs of the patient, my impression is that Dr. Machule is very trustworthy in this regard and does only the best work, and only when it is needed.
Highly recommended.

When it comes to the quality of work mixed with customer service, you do not get more professional than Union Square Endodontics. I came in on a last minute emergency root canal and they were able to fit me in between patients. Dr. Handley was not only very professional, but wow, when it came to the procedure he made sure I was very comfortable and kept me informed on every single detail of work he was performing.
I had the surgery yesterday, left sore but work up this morning feeling like nothing had ever happened. No pain, I don’t feel loopy and I just feel like a new person.
Thank you Union Square Endodontics for all your help in assisting me yesterday! Definitely the best in the biz!

In SFO from out of town and needed a Root Canal! I called their office at 8 am and was in Dr Machule’s chair by 10am and out by noon. They have a great staff, incredible doctor!

I saw Dr. Livingood for a re-​root canal based off-​of Unilocal reccomendations. He is solid — knowledgeable and good at what he does — and I would recommend him to others needing a re-​root canal. That said, the only reason I am not giving him the additional stars is because (1) I did not appreciate him reviewing another patients file while in the middle of my operation, I mean here I was in the operation chair and my mouth wide open. plus, this procedure isn’t cheap so I would appreciate the time I paid for be spent on me only exclusively (2) he dropped a tool on my head (he did apologize immediately).
Re-​root canal isn’t fun, but if I had to do it again, I would go to him but this time, discuss my past experience and request it not be repeated.
–Dori