Don Kobashigawa, DDS

Dr. Don is the best. I have had nothing but great care from him for over 25 years there. The staff is always personable and efficient and always reminds me when an appointment is coming up. A number of times I have had emergencies, like a broken tooth or pain, and they managed to rush me in to see Dr. Don. He always takes the time to explain exactly what is going on in a professional, thorough way. Great chair side manner. Over the years I’ve had two primary hygienists and they have been terrific. Barbara and Kim and the others at the front desk are totally attentive and friendly. I go three times a year. Turning 65 this year and I want my teeth to hang around for a long time!

REVISED: I’ve since left Dr. Don for a different dental practice and the quality of care between the two is noticeable. I switched practices for cost, but I feel like I’m getting better care at a better cost at the new practice, Dr. Ruiz also in Burbank. They showed me films when I got there that really educated me about dental hygiene in a way that really landed. They’re very against using crowns, and consider that old technology, and took a much more comprehensive assessment of my mouth as a new patient than I’d ever received. Main office is extremely well run.
Dental tech I was working with was so into her work, she took time to scrape away stains on the inside of my teeth that posed no danger and that no one could see… just because. I saw them within a few months of my last appointment with Dr. Don, and they also caught some budding problems Dr. Don’s office missed. True they might not have been present at the time, it’s impossible to know for sure… still. Even if I could afford to go back to this practice, I would stay where I am now.
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ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I’ve been a patient of Dr. Don’s and at this office for over 10 years. In that time, I’ve had cleanings, fillings, and I think one crown. All the work has lasted in my mouth for a long, long time. Dr. Don and all the hygienists are nothing short of excellent. And man are they prompt.
The only downside is that it’s expensive. I had insurance when I started going and don’t now. You can see where the money goes — high tech chairs and equipment, large staff. As for the «gossipy» women at the desk — hey, they work together and like each other — what’s wrong with that? They’re nice ladies and they are on top of their game — they ALWAYS call me about upcoming appointments.

I’ve been to Dr. Don quite a few times this year and let me say that my rating is NOT representative of his care. I found him to be a fantastic doctor and a very gentle dentist. This rating is reflective of his negligent billing department.
I went in for my consultation and was given a brief rundown of what they recommended. At the time, I was made to feel as though it would all be covered under my insurance. Toward the end of this year, I was alerted that I may not have enough to finish my treatment plan this year, because I’m approaching the annual maximum my insurance will pay. I still needed a deep cleaning and 2 fillings. They said that I had enough left for either the deep cleaning or the fillings, so I chose to do the fillings.
Then, I received a bill for over $ 500 in the mail for my previous visits. I called and was told that the insurance had just come through, I only owed $ 89, and that they would resend the bill, so I disregarded the $ 500 bill at that point. However, they never resent the bill.
I went in for the 1^st filling and paid the additional $ 89, because «estimates are not a guarantee that the insurance will cover all of it». Okay… whatever, I just paid it.
Then, I go up to the front desk after my the 2^nd filling only to be told that there had been a mistake in their system and I was over my insurance maximum by an additional $ 460!!! They said that the PATIENT is responsible for tracking THE DENTAL OFFICE’S charges and making sure that I stay under the maximum. I asked them how I could do that if they never provided me info on what they were charging. She responded with, «don’t you receive a statement every month». The answer was, «No, I have only received one statement and was told, by their billing department, that it was incorrect». At that point, the front office person told me that she would talk to the doctor, but that I held some responsibility for this, because they are just «too busy to keep track of every patient’s insurance charges» and «they don’t have time to call the insurance companies for all of their patients since the computer calculates everything for them». All of which, should’ve been divulged to me before my first consultation so I could have found a different dentist who’s staff could handle the workload.
To their credit, she was able to knock it down to $ 145 and was going to allow me to make payments; which I am appreciative of, but it still doesn’t put that money back in my pocket when it was THEIR system’s mistake and it’s hitting me during the holiday season to boot.
It was gross negligence on their part for not alerting me that I had gone over the maximum before walking in for the second filling. Then, it’s toppled by the fact that they are going to charge ME for THEIR MISHANDLING, NEGLIGENCE, AND MISTAKE. I love Dr. Don and wish I could continue to go to him, but I don’t feel safe going to a dental office who cannot manage their billing better than this. You never know what you’ll get charged when you go in for an appointment, because the staff will tell you one thing and then charge you another after the services have been rendered. You have been forewarned!!!

No one likes going to the dentist. But if you’re going to go, go to «Dr. Don».
What a great dental operation they have here. Organized to a T! I went there yesterday for my twice-​a-​year cleaning. Firstly, Dr. Don is a total pro, always explains to you clearly what is going on with your grill, is positive and patient, and is meticulous with his work.
I’ve had a number of different hygienists there for cleaning and they have all been fantastic. They are all friendly and very effective, and I always leave there feeling like it was as painless as a dentist appointment could be. Plus, each visit, they give you a set of sample sized flosses and toothbrushes, which are always good to have handy for the occasional guest or for traveling.
Some amenities in the experience… Each chair has a personal tv with a ton of channels, so if you’re there for a minute, you’ll be able to zone out. After you’re done, you’re given a hot disposable towel to wipe your face down. It’s these little things that make what is stereotypically a painful experience less of a bother. Parking is free on their lot outside, and you can pay to get your car washed while you’re getting your teeth cared for inside. Also, for those that like coffee, there is free coffee in the lobby with ample seating and reading materials.
Barbara and the rest of the scheduling staff are totally on point. You can always expect a reminder call the day before your appointment. I’m invariably running a little behind getting to Toluca Lake from the Westside, but they are always understanding and greet me with recognition and a smile upon check in and check out.
Toluca Lake is a trek from me, but this is the last set of teeth I’ve got left, and I’m gonna treat ‘em right. I trust Dr. Don and his staff with them.

I’ve been going to Dr. Don for over 10 years. I moved to Orange County a few years ago and thought I’d try another dentist that was closer. After that experience, I really appreciated how thorough and professional Dr. Don is. Now that I’m back in LA, he’s the only dentist I would consider. The second most important consideration of any dentist in my opinion is the staff. I can tell you they are nice, friendly and accommodating in every way. But the real gem of this practice are the hygienists. I’m lucky to have healthy teeth and they do perhaps the most thorough and detailed job of any group I’ve used. I’ve had Joyce the last few times and she is great.

Been coming to Dr. Don since I moved to L.A. and I can say with a great degree of certainty that he is the best dentist I have ever been to. While you don’t get as much face time with him during your yearly cleaning as you may get at other dental offices (sometimes you will just see the hygienist if you have had no recent dental problems or surgeries), he is great at what he does and worth every penny. Not sure what all the hubbub is about the staff being unfriendly because I find them to be very pleasant and helpful. I love all his hygienists and have had nothing but positive interactions with the ladies that work at the front desk.
Dental cleanings aside, I got to see Dr. Don’s real talents when I had to have 2 veneers redone. Based on a harrowing initial experience with my dentist in Houston, I was feeling a bit trepidatious — even when you have a good dentist, the entire procedure is uncomfortable and laborious for both patient and doctor. Having a skilled doctor definitely makes it easier overall, and the «temps» (temporary crowns) you have to wear before your custom porcelain veneers are finished can be pretty ugly if you have a dentist that is all «science» and no «art». Did I mention it could take 3 – 6 weeks before you get your temps off? Not cool if yours happen to suck. Thankfully, Dr. Don made temps for me that I wanted to keep. They were so incredible that I didn’t want to take them off and actually had the veneer technician mimic the shape and size of my temps when he created my veneers.
The only portion of the veneer process at Dr. Don’s that was an issue was the fact that I had to drive all the way to a lab in Chattsworth to have my veneers moulded, colored and fitted. Kind of inconvenient when you have to stop at the dentist first to have him pull off your temps and then drive 20 miles to a lab with your temporary teeth loose. It ended up taking about 6 trips to get the color, shape and size the way I wanted them. This might be tough for anyone who has work hours that aren’t flexible so beware.
On the plus side, the lab that Dr. Don outsources his veneer production to is AMAZING. Eurodent Lab is a cosmetic dental laboratory that specializes in custom milled veneers, crowns, etc., so my veneers were PERFECT. The technician personally worked with me to make them exactly what I wanted and I couldn’t be happier with them. I’ll chalk this up to the fact that Dr. Don knows quality cosmetic dentistry and picked a great lab to service his business. High five Dr. Don, high five.

I don’t get the recent bad reviews — gossippy office staff and higher than average prices have very little to do with why I would or wouldn’t go to a certain dentist. The staff is fine, FYI. They’ve never been other than nice and professional to me.
As for the cost… Dr. Don is the best dentist I’ve ever seen. That’s why his prices are higher. Not prohibitively high, just a little higher than the average 1 800 franchise dentist. He takes plenty of time with each patient, does impeccable work, has great bedside manner and his hygienists do the most thorough hand-​cleaning I’ve ever experienced. I lost my fancy insurance a few months ago and had a near panic attack that it would mean I might have to have someone else treat my teeth. I have pretty sizable fear of dentists so being comfortable with the dentist is, uh, perhaps more of a priority than is healthy. Luckily I found some insurance I could afford that his office would take so I don’t have to switch.
I’ve been going to him and his hygienists for four years and I’ll continue as long as I’m in the area. Knocked a star off for the slightly inflated prices but that’s only because I’m not rich. The price has nothing to do with the quality of his care, which is excellent.

I have had multiple terrible experiences here, particularly with being overcharged. The front office staff are beyond unprofessional with their gossiping and chatting to each other and completely ignoring patients. One time I went in there I was in so much pain I threw up and not one of them even blinked an eyelid or asked if I was ok. On another occasion I had a crown that had been put in by Dr. Don only two years previously come off. They charged me $ 350 for less than ten minutes of his time to glue it back on and there were no x-​rays involved whatsover. While Dr. Don definitely does good work most of the time, his staff and his prices negate any positive feelings I used to have about that place. I have found someone new and will not be going back there.

Few weeks ago i took my dad to Toluca Lake Dentistry to see doctor Don Kobashigawa. I am NOT giving 1 star to doctor Don or any other dentists at this place. Dad had no problems with doctor Don or the lady who did the teeth cleaning, even though she was trying to push on him some extra cleaning that the insurance does not cover.
I made an appointment for him with a very nice lady, i believe her name is Barbara. We came to the office at our appointment and saw about 4 or 5 !!! women sitting at the front desk talking to each other. We told them that we were here to see doctor Don. It turned out that my dad was «Barbara’s patient «and she was out on lunch. So those 5 started to argue among each other as to who should handle the paperwork for my dad. Finally, one of them gave him forms to fill out. About 30 minutes later he went to see doctor Don. I spent about 2 hours in that room waiting for him. OMG i thought i was going to lose my mind in this «spa like» dental office for the stars!!! I’ve never EVER seen such unprofessional and just sickly front office like this one. First of all, these 5 women did not have much to do, so they were gossiping about some people and arguing with each other. One of these girls was on a phone with her friend talking about some personal crap for about 40 minutes. After they were done gossiping about their i assume co-​workers, they started to talk about patients, they were laughing at some woman patient who according to them came to the dentist wearing something very skimpy. A little later some guy came in. He went behind the counter and started to laugh and talk VERY LOUD about some personal matters with one of these women. At the same time a patient (some older lady) was trying to talk to one of these girls and she simply could not hear anything because of the loud laughs of the these two who were sitting right there. And it was like this for 2 hours. Finally, my dad came out and we got the hell out of this nightmarish office. He hated this kind of environment too and is not coming back even though he needs a crown on one of his teeth. We had found a small professional office where he is going to do this work.
I don’t know but i think there is something really wrong with a dental office that hires 5 people to sit around to do nothing and gossip about patients.
No wonder people are complaning about very high prices at this dental office. They gotta pay salaries to their large gossipy useless clerical staff and hell knows what else is going on there.