Camino Dental Group

Do not go here EVER. I went here to get teeth pulled and dentures (due to genetic defect) a couple of years ago (my review is gone). First I was told I needed a deep cleaning before the extraction to minimize infection ($ 300) with insurance. I had to pay alot (over $ 1,600) for extraction. I had to go back three times due to small parts of teeth that were still in my mouth and causing pain. Then there was the dentures (add $ 600) I was told they would adjust the dentures for free for one year or a maximum of six adjustments which ever comes first. After the first adjustment, which made my dentures rock from side to side.
I went back for another adustment.
They said I had to pay $ 150 per adjustment (with insurance) after the first. I reminded them what they said (see above) they then told me that the policy had changed, and was no longer valid (I had lost my dental insurence as my job let people go due to cut backs), so I could no longer pay cause the price was so high with no insurance. All together I paid over $ 2,500, and all I got was teeth extraction, three pieces of teeth romved do ti their incompetence just to have $ 600 paper weight. I would not go back here if I was given free service for the rest of my life.
I hope this review helps others not to get scammed by this business that just see money instead of patients. I do think a business should maked a profit, but gouging a customers is just wrong.

«Camino Dental Group» in Encinitas told me I needed a root canal but I’m glad I decided to get a second opinion, it turns out I only needed to replace the bad filling that «Gateway Dental Group» in Carlsbad did. I went to my new dentist to have the filling replaced and sure enough that quickly fixed the problem and I’m now pain free and able to chew on the right side of my mouth. If Camino Dental is where you go, just make sure that you get a second opinion from another dentist/​endodontist before you proceed with them.

Well, I am even more in love with Dr. Park than ever! He is just a great person. Next week, I will be up to 21 dental implants. The two teeth that have to be extracted no one and I mean no one wants taken out, but they have to. Dr. Park has made me a retainer type appliance-​that looks like an Invisalign which I will wear for the next 6 months. He will then have these two teeth custom made-​a color specialist will come from Orange County (at no extra cost to me) to help me color match these teeth to my other ones. Losing these specific teeth is going to be very traumatic, and Dr. Park, in conjunction with my oral surgeon, Dr. Adel Tawfalis, are working together to make it as stress free as possible. I am incredibly grateful to them both, and to both of their office managers-​Dan at Dr. Park’s and Veronica at Dr. Tawfalis’s.
Can you be in love with your dentist? I mean platonically? If so, then I am in love with Dr. Park. I see him at his Encinitas Office (1340 Encinitas Blvd, 92 024). I found him through my insurance, which is Anthem Blue Cross. Before Dr. Park, I had been to 7, yes 7 dentists all of whom were awful. So when I went to see Dr. Park I did not have high expectations. I was so wrong. That was back probably in 2006-​07 and I’ve been with him ever since. I am not the easiest patient-​I can be ornery, cancel appointments at the last minute, cry when I’m in pain, yet he sticks with me. Since 06 – 07, in conjunction with my oral surgeon Dr. Tawfalis (see my review on him) we have done 13 implants together. Actually we are working on the last three. I actually might have to have more done, unfortunately. Dr. Park always greets me with a smile, and no matter what, always has a positive attitude. He does not advertise this, but every year he goes to Haiti, on his own dime, and does dental work for free there. If that doesn’t tell you what kind of man he his, I don’t know what will. In the summer of 2013 I had 10 dental implants placed. When he had all the crowns in and set, he held up the mirror and I really smiled for the first time in a long time, and I cried. Dr. Park gave me back my smile. His dental assistants are absolutely the best. I am especially attached to Sophia. I arranged to have her be the assistant on the day I had the 10 implants placed. She came in, even though she was sick, to help me. That is the kind of loyalty Dr. Park has in his employees. I also adore Norma, who has helped me so, so much. I have had so many root canals I have lost count. Dr. Park’s office staff has found me appointments on Friday afternoons with endodontists (something equivalent to getting an appointment with President Obama-​trust me). When I walk in to his incredibly clean office, I am always greeted with a smile and by name-​that goes a long way with me. His office staff is just top notch. They go to incredible lengths to work around my schedule and get me in. They know I have a terrible fear of getting my teeth cleaned (strange, I know) and they have helped me find the perfect hygienist who makes me feel comfortable and alleviates my fear. Dr. Park’s skills as a dentist are extraordinary. If there is any pain, it is just due to the fact that my body seems to gobble up lidocaine rather quickly which can lead to misery. I hate shots, but with Dr. Park you hardly even feel them. Even though I have insurance, it doesn’t cover a whole lot and he will work with you on pricing-​especially if it is something major and costly. I cannot recommend Dr. Park highly enough. He is an amazing dentist and a genuinely good person. If you need a dentist he’s the one. He also has a Carlsbad office which is located at 2635 Gateway Rd, #101, Carlsbad, CA 92 009.

If I could give negative stars I would. It’s a sub par establishment with sub par care. I got a crown put in (didn’t set it correctly) ended up having to get a root canal Bc of of that. They denied any wrong doing. (Btw it took them three times to set it and they still messed up!!) what a joke! Also this is the only dentist I have been to that has an E-​signature set up right next to the chair you get your work done. (Based on the other reviews I’m assuming they want to charge you the most expensive option when you are at your most venerable.) I have never had a good experience here. I would rather pay out of pocket than give them a cent!

RUN AWAY!!! GO ELSEWHERE.
This is a horrible business. They are only looking at you as dollar signs. They up sell everything and try and make it seem necessary. Don’t fall for laser or deep cleaning scam. I have also had really crappy work done. In the process of replacing old crowns they gave me a major infection that led to two root canals and a major surgery to remove the infection. This was life threatening and if you saw the swelling in my face you would understand the severity.
I also had a crown, that they put on, fall off when I was chewing and damage another tooth. Of course they made sure I had current insurance and we’re looking to bill for an exam that was created by their shoddy work. Can’t stand this place although some of the assistants in the back are sweethearts.

I just received a check for $ 320 from the State of California Unclaimed Property from Camino Dental Group. They had my money and did not return it to me. They know where I live, my phone number and even my wife’s business. Yet they kept the $ 320 until the State of Calif required they fork it over. Any care to put words as to why they kept my money? Why they would not return it to me? I can think of several and they are all pretty base and slanderous. Perhaps there is an opportunity in their future to serve the State of California… as in serve time.

Same things everyone else is saying– last time was especially bad. After measuring my gums and saying I had lots of «deep pockets» (sidenote: I’ve NEVER had a cavity and my former dentist always raved about how healthy my teeth and gums are) they tried to charge me hundreds of dollars for a deep cleaning and wouldn’t let me do a normal dental exam and cleaning. I told them I wanted a second opinion. The dentist came back in to check my teeth and, without asking or telling me first, began using some type of REALLY painful electric tool (that I’ve never seen in my life) on my teeth. When I cried out in pain, she told me, «See that’s because you have gum disease and have such deep pockets.»
Very bad bad bad.

I came to CDG to get a second opinion and was told I needed to crown everything in contrast to my other Dr. who recommended a crown and a few fillings. I got the feeling that doing fillings is not worth the Dr’s time at CDG.

This place will not make you smile… :(I don’t have any new news here, but would like to confirm the experiences I’ve read in many other Unilocalers reviews. It’s all about upselling very expensive services as «necessary». My second-​opinion dentist (now my primary dentist) didn’t seem to find any of the urgently pressing problems that were apparently threatening my very ability to continue eating while at Camino. Whew! Didn’t fall for it, and I’m now back to dentistry as usual.

0 stars. this place is terrible. went here due to my dental plan. they filled cavities that weren’t there and even worse, left an opening in my
filling which led to a crown and possible root canal ($ 2000+) spent on originally unnecessary dental procedures. do not go!

If you’ve ever been afraid of the dentist office, then this is definitely the place to come get any work done! From the moment I walked into the office, I felt welcome.
To start with, the receptionist, Lupe greeted me with professionalism and a smile! As she asked me questions about my dental past, it was really apparent that she was sincere and really cared. Next came the dentist. Dr. Arjmandi came out and introduced herself to me. She then invited me into her office for a private consultation. She was so sweet. She asked about my past experiences. Dr. Arjmandi then proceeded to give me the game plan for me. Talk about making me feel at ease! Wow, how I wished she had been my dentist from a long time ago. Next came Norma who was the X-​ray tech. I never knew taking x-​rays and pictures of my teeth could be so fun! She had me in stitches. Very professional, but yet VERY funny! Right when she was finishing, Dr. Arjmandi came over and went over the X-​rays with me. She definitely came across as a perfectionist and for the first time in my life, I was actually excited about having my teeth worked on. Lastly, the dreaded part was next. What was it going to cost me? The person who I had to check out with, and I apologize in advance if I spell it wrong, Hortencia went over my insurance information with me. She had a contagious laugh. Talk about having fun actually giving somebody money, well here it was. She called to verify my coverage, and to my surprise, was less than I thought it was going to be. Nice surprise! But what really amazed me the most, was when I was walking out. A lady came up to me and asked me how my overall experience was? Her name was Veronica and had the title of office manager on her badge. She really wanted to make sure that my experience was good. She thanked me for coming in and said she was looking forward to me coming in again. Never before have a ever had this good of an experience. I highly recommend this place!

Dr. Park is not a nice person. He is very rude, heartless and unethical. I went in with a really bad tooth ache and left crying without having any work done at all. He insulted me and talked down to me. He made me feel because I didn’t have money that I wasn’t worth his time. He had no intention to look at my aching tooth. He just wanted to up sell me all this dental work that made no sense at all, and had nothing to do with the reason I came in for. I took the day off to get my toothache taken care of, and am now frantically looking for another dentist to see me.
Beware of this Dental Office– They are not friendly and Dr. Park is very MEAN and INSULTING! I have never been treated so badly in my life. I literally ran out of his office.

Why did I wait to read reviews until after this horrible experience? UGH. Very unprofessional and dirty. Working in the health care profession I should have known to avoid such a group. D. Arjmandi specifically was very rude and condescending. My son didn’t like it the first time we went there, and then feeling very uneasy coming this round. We stopped treatment immediately. They were a waste of time and money. These type always are… even prior to being on the medical side of healthcare– I worked on the specialist side, and all had always warned people about going to such establishments. Shame on me.

Hopefully you’re reading this before giving them your patronage, if not, my heart goes out to you! To sum it up, Camino Dental Group has some very unethical and dishonest business practices. Fortunately I came out mostly unscathed, but please allow me to share my experience with you as it will serve as a cautionary tale and I’m certain a very compelling reason for you to look elsewhere for your dental care.
I was referred to CDG by my family here in Encinitas, having only recently relocated to the area. Unfortunately I did not complete any due diligence, because I feel very strongly about word of mouth recommendations and have never really had any trouble with dentists in the past. If only I had checked Unilocal first!
To be completely fair, at first my experience was excellent. I made an appointment for a routine checkup/​cleaning and was pleasantly surprised to learn that the x-​rays, dental exam, and teeth cleaning were offered for only $ 59. Then I was able to complete all of my initial paperwork online, much to my suprise and delight.
When I went in for my check up, I was happy to be seen more or less right on time. I met with Dr. Park and explained my dental history to him, noting that it had been a couple years since I’d seen a dentist. From there things took a nauseatingly nasty turn from great to unspeakably bad and wholly unethical, even fraudulent one could say.
Dr. Park began to plant the seed that I might need a deep cleaning because it had been so long since I’d had my teeth cleaned. His hygenist measured my gums and claimed she had found very deep pockets, calling out lots of 4 and 5 mm measurements. They recommended that I have all four quadrants deep cleaned at a cost of $ 1,912!!!
That wasn’t the only terrible news I got. They found a cavity and predicted I would likely need an inlay at a cost of $ 555, if not a full crown at a cost of $ 1,750!!!
While my head was swimming from the possibility of having to foot a $ 3,662 dental bill – I have no dental insurance – they appeared to take pity on me and offered me the option of signing up for their dental plan in lieu of having an insurance provider. The plan would have cost $ 95 a year and made the totals go down to $ 979 or $ 1,479 depending on whether or not I needed the crown. If I hadn’t been suspisicous before, the difference in payment between having the plan and not having the plan really served to heighten my concerns.
When I got home I started talking with my family about the deep cleaning and found out that they hadn’t been able to get a regular cleaning for at least a year. They strongly felt that I shouldn’t get the deep cleaning done which had come as a bit of a shock to me because the office had so strongly recommended that I needed it.
With Camino Dental Group’s recommendation brought into question I went online to Unilocal and learned the truth about them. After finding out I cancelled my coming appointment for the cavity and found another local dentist with an amazing 15 five star reviews. Here’s where it gets really interesting!
The dentist I went to came back with completely different measurements of my gums, showing they were totally healthy – mostly 3’s and 2’s with only two 4’s – and that a deep cleaning was not at all necessary, let alone warranted. They also made no mention of my cavity needing an inlay or a crown and took care of it for less than $ 300. Boy am I ever glad I went and got a second opinion.
As soon as I learned CDG’s measurements of my gums were falsified and that they had treacherously recommended an inlay or crown that wasn’t even necessary, I knew I had to get the word out to as many people as possible about them. I will also be reporting them to the Better Business Bureau as well as a regulatory authority for dentists if one exists here in the state of California.
I will never do business with them again and would encourage others to steer clear of them as well. Also, have the courage to run away if you have been unfortunate enough to fall into their avaricious and ruthless clutches – you don’t have to settle for CDG, there are true, trustworthy professionals to be found, just look on Unilocal

Ugh. I came here a few years back when I didn’t have dental coverage and it was NOT a great experience.
They were running this awesome special in which you get a cleaning and x rays for $ 40, something like that. X rays went ok, when the dentist was poking around for the consultation he put his dental pick in a sensitive pocket at the base of my gum line and it caused me a lot of pain. Years later, when I described the experience to a dental hygenist, they told me that he only could have done that on purpose to see how sensitive the area was. Weird. He then proceeded to try to sell me their in house dental insurance.
They tried to upsell me on some sort of irrigation cleaning, which might have been legitimate because I hadn’t had a cleaning in a while. Though I have been told my dentists that irrigation is basically useless. Regardless, I couldn’t afford it at the time. The lady who did my cleaning was really disappointed that I didn’t buy it and seemed to dislike me, or her job, or both.
It was really cool to get cleaning and x rays for $ 40 because that’s a total bargain. But after experiencing their staff, I won’t come back.

If you want your dental experience to be similar to listening to a timeshare rep try to sell you something you don’t want, be sure to pay this place a visit. This dental office is only concerned about one thing — making as much $$$$ off of you as they possibly can. They up-​sell you from the moment you set your foot in the door, and it continues throughout your visit. Each time I visited, the very first thing they would do is to up-​sell me on my cleaning, telling me that I needed a special rinse that would cost an extra $ 70 (out of pocket) — without even looking in my mouth! I refused each time, and they would get somewhat pissy about it, insisting that it was «such a good deal.» Please!
Then, when it came time to get a crown installed, a young girl (who had obviously been to plenty of sales courses and seminars), sat down with me and tried her best to sell me the top-​of-​the-​range crowns for upward of $ 1,200 (most of which you have to pay out of pocket because insurance typically only pays a fraction of the cost for these super-​expense crowns.) When I settled for the $ 800 crown, the dentist (Dr. Park) kept telling me all the reasons why it wasn’t a good crown. This practice doesn’t care about the personal touch or making you relaxed and at ease — they’re only focused on the mighty dollar, and it sucks. I have thankfully found a different dentist that cares about me and my well-​being, not my wallet!

Let’s start off by saying that any business that strongly encourages Unilocal reviews (as seen on the poster in the reception area, and on the back of every appointment card) should take heed to the reviews posted!
I’m embarrassed to say I’ve been going to Camino dental for 3 years now, mainly out of the inconvenience of finding a new dentist.
After my last visit, I’m willing to make finding a new dentist a full-​time job.
This dental practice is a corrupt corporate industry hidden behind a bleached smile.
Through the years, I’ve noticed routine cleanings (which were paid in full by my dental insurance) have been up-​sold.
I’ve left each visit with less and less money in my wallet and a distrust in the world at large.
My last check up, I purposely left my debit card at home.
Only to be manipulated into getting laser for my gums at an added expense of $ 125.
Of course, they’re «happy to have me call in later with payment details»
Don’t ask me how this happened or what gum laser even is!
Urgh!
I feel like a blind folded child, spun around in circles, with the promise of cracking a candy filled piñata… only to fall into a cactus and hit myself with the stick.
Read my lips «Do not go here» :)

If I could give these jerks a stinking negative star I would. It made my hate and fear of dentists even worse. As luck would have it, I had such severe tooth pain that started a week ago and I couldn’t control it. I had to call them because my insurance assigned them to me. Unfortunately, I didn’t look this place up on Unilocal before going. I made an appointment but their only appointment available is at 7:30am several days after I called. I took it because I needed it but I also had to take time off from work. Ok, whatever… I can tough it out for a few days and probably need a day off anyway.
I told the appointment setter that I’m in a lot of pain. She said «no problem» and that «everything will be taken care of during the visit». Being it my first time to their office, I didn’t know where their office is located and it wasn’t printed on my insurance card so I asked her for it. She gave me an address. So far, so good…
When I got there that fateful morning, the lights were off and nobody seemed to be there so I called them. Lo and behold, the appointment setter gave me their company’s office address and not the actual dental office. Retard much? Seriously. I’m so angry right now my toothache isn’t bothering me so much anymore.
So I was finally given the right address and it would take me another 15 minutes to get to the right place. They said too bad, they’re gonna have to reschedule me and the next one will be a week and a half from then. So, I gotta take time off from work again only so I could deal with incompetent people? I don’t think so. And what about my tooth pain? «Oh, yeah, sorry about that.»
Only go here to have a horrific time or if you have absolutely no standards. The reviews don’t lie.

The dentist and staff seem professional enough but my problem is this. They seem to up-​sell services you don’t need. Me they tried to sell me bonding sealant on all of my teeth. Completely not necessary or my previous dentist who just retired would have suggested it at some point during my 10 years with him.
My son who was being seen the same time as me was told that he needed «deep» cleaning so they weren’t going to have the hygienist clean his teeth. What? So a «deep» cleaning negates the need for a simple cleaning? What deep cleaning actually is to them is a way to make more money. It’s actually called root planing and costs about $ 300 out of your own pocket while insurance covers the rest. There is a high deductible because the procedure is typically not needed on anyone who takes decent care of their teeth. And certainly rare for a 15 year old to need it. It seems a little suspicious that they determined he needed the expensive treatment without bothering to measure the pockets in his gums. So it all seemed like a scam to me.
This place seems like it’s just in it to make the highest buck possible for services that are not needed. The don’t seem to put the patients first. I have never been to a dentist that didn’t clean your teeth as part of the exam. But there is no money in that. Apparently.

If I could give 2.5 stars I would. I’ve had the same dentist since I was a kid, but since I moved here I had to find a new one. Camino Dental Group is right next to the BofA on El Camino and Encinitas Blvd. Yes, they are doing construction there so the parking lot can be a bit of a pain, but the office is really nice and clean inside. Setting up an appointment was fairly easy and they even have a web registration so you don’t have to fill out a bunch of paperwork when you get there. I think I saw an advertisement that said your first visit is only $ 39 for exam, xrays, and cleaning, but my insurance covered it all.
When I got there, I was seen right away and was taken back to a room where they took a bunch of digital xrays of my teeth. There was a screen in front of me and I was able to see the images right after they were taken! I loved everything up to this point because of the technology and efficiency I was greeted with. I give this part 4.5 stars.
Then…I was then taken to another room where the dentist looked at my images and teeth and told me everything looked fine. He kind of just glanced in my mouth and didn’t examine the gums or throat! The dental hygenist came in to do a cleaning and it was over within 5 minutes, not exaggerating! I was very disappointed because she didn’t even bring out any tools to scrape my teeth. All she did was polish them, which I probably could’ve done myself. I feel like the cleaning was very minimal and that was the main thing I went to the dentist for. This is where their efficiency works against them! And I didn’t even get a bag with dental care products! This part gets 1.5 stars.
Unfortunately my insurance will no longer be accepted here so I need to find a new dentist anyway…