Beautiful Smiles of La Jolla

I just had, as many other REAL reviewers have stated, a surreal experience. First off, notice almost all the 5 star reviews have only rated this one business? Hmmm, just saying.
My experience begins with a Groupon offer for X-​rays and cleaning $ 35. I drive from downtown to la jolla for the services. I was initially impressed with the «high tech» appearance of the initial photos, large screen view, etc.
However, the immediate high pressure sales antics kick in, and it goes south very quickly. My teeth are rotten, a cleaning is worthless, and I left with a proposed list of services totaling over $ 3k, and an appointment for a «deep cleaning» which apparently is over $ 500! I was amazed at the choreography of the «you’re going to lose your teeth» sales pitch. Oscar worthy performance, but I’m not inclined to go to the dentist for theatrics.
I’m concerned with the lack of comprehensive information. The total focus was on my dentist thinking it’s appropriate to comment on my physical appearance; then predacious efforts to exploit insecurities and social awkwardness in an attempt to up sale. Pretty shameless.
Update: as you can see, utter disregard of my actual concerns. Two grown educated men walk into an office for a dental cleaning. I’m 36 years old, I’ve had my teeth cleaned before.
Where in the history of dental hygiene has a cleaning been deemed «promotional service» that would be a travesty to the dental profession to be performed?!
On what planet is a cleaning comprised of 40 minutes of dramatics and literally (and begrudgingly) 5 minutes of polishing!
If you feel your services are «promotional», I’d be concerned you have your liabilities mixed up, and you may be in the wrong business. I definitely encourage you to have a conversation with an attorney well versed in malpractice… Just an observation one professional to another.
At least disclose In your solicitation that your «high standards» may result in a waste of time and long drive. Telling clients to «pick a PPO» so they can receive service sounds like a sales pitch that could ultimately result in «negligent referral, again a serious liability.
Dentistry shouldn’t be treated like a high pressure car wash. Services rendered while a patient is feeling pressured, humiliated, or intimidated is a malpractice attorney’s best case scenario. Please read your reviews and implement a little humility. Your customers aren’t idiots.

OK, third update:
The office looked back through the billing history and (finally) cleared the insurance issue, giving me a refund, which I consider to be fair and am thankful that was done. I won’t question the mechanism that caused this event to occur.
I’m still concerned about the difference between the ‘crown’ that I was supposed to get and how that same crown ended up as a more minor filling when done by another dentist, but I have to recognize that different dentists will see a person’s mouth and teeth in a different way.
All the more reason to get second opinions when faced with suggested multi-​thousand dollar treatments. I am still wary of this practice and won’t return, but I’m respectful of the extra work that was done to make up for the way I was treated earlier.

I’m definitely not a fan of visiting the dentist but Laurie and Roxanne made me feel at ease. Roxanne explained the cleaning process and reassured me that it is painless. She was right! Laurie was great in talking me through my chart and the best options for me. I am very please with the no pressure feeling and working with me.
Thank you to the whole team!
Amy

Got my teeth cleaned after several years of not doing so, even smoked tobacco for years without getting them cleaned. After the cleaning my teeth were incredibly white and clean. Jillian the hygienist who cleaned my teach made sure I was comfortable the entire time, Dr. Kim did some additional work also with easy and comfort. The rest of the staff was great including Roxanne the receptionist who explained all the financial stuff excellently. Definitely recommend this place to anyone!

I recently moved closer to La Jolla so I switched dental offices and wow this place is amazing! I called and spoke to Roxanne, the receptionist, who was upbeat and so friendly scheduling my appointment. When i walked in I felt like I was walking into a Spa. It’s absolutely amazing inside. The hygienist took me right on back and it was the best cleaning of my life. Usually it hurts but she was so gentle. Oliver and Dr. Kim both took very good care of me for a procedure that I wanted to get done and were so professional. Laurie checked me out at the end of my visit and gave me a hygiene pack and was very kind with helping me schedule my next appointments. Amazing customer service! Definitely recommend! Everyone is so friendly!

Amazing office! It had been a while since I’ve gone to the dentist due to previous bad experiences but Dr Kims team definitely made me feel comfortable. From walking in and welcomed by Roxanne and her great smile to a great cleaning with the hygienist. Thats not all, Dr Kim and Oliver were able to take care of a couple of fillings right then and there! Must I add, no pain! Lori was able to help me with my insurance and got me great coverage. I am so happy that I found this place!

This office is awesome! Great energy here, and very very clean establishment, definitely going back

I’ve been going to this dentist for a while. I really like them a lot. If they say I need more work than I went in for I ask them the bottom line and how much it will cost. If it’s a little much they’ll work with me. They always explain why. Sometimes I have to wait and they respect that. They all have families too. Any questions are answered promptly. Very nice staff. Excellent dentist quick and good.

Nice and friendly staff, easy to schedule appointments, great office, great location!

Beautiful Smiles of La Jolla is great! The staff are all super nice and competent. Dr. Alice Kim is amazingly smart, nice, funny, and easy to talk to. Roxanne is their receptionist and is always helpful and will work around your schedule to make the perfect appointment time. Jillian did my annual cleaning and I always come out looking flawless. Oliver is also one of the dental assistants — he’s super nice and makes you feel at home even though you’re getting your teeth drilled. I give this place 100% satisfaction. They also have giveaways during the holiday seasons. I won a free movie ticket from spin-​the-​wheel, but you could’ve won a free whitening or fluoride treatment! I also told Dr. Kim that I got engaged this past weekend and she offered a free bleaching before my wedding so that I would have the brightest smile on the big day. Could you believe that?! I’ve been here about 4 times now and I ALWAYS leave this place satisfied. 5 stars for sure.

I have to say I’m really not impressed with the dentist office. I really felt like they were trying to sell products and unnecessary services throughout the entire appointment.
We came here because we got a Groupon for the a standard cleaning and a dental exam, and boy do they try to sell you on different products as soon as you walk in. The front desk girl and a dental hygienist verbatim said the exact same thing to us about our teeth, which made it so obvious that there are so many sell tactics going on there.
The boo had his teeth cleaned first, and they told him he had all kinds of gum diseases, which we’ve never heard from any of his previous dentist before, and gave him a $ 4000 bill option at the end for all the services that he would need. I had seen a previous dentist who did similar things in terms of trying to upsell products, so I walked in to my appointment very firm and clear about the fact that I just wanted a cleaning and my x-​rays done. And for whatever reason, magically my teeth had no problems with them, I just think that’s ridiculous, and so obvious that they think they can just upsell whatever. The dentist office is incredibly beautiful, and super modern with all the latest unnecessary technology. So it was very obvious where all of that extra money was going. I just wanted a freaking cleaning not to go to a five diamond movie theater.
They told the boo they would not do the cleaning for him, because and I quote two different people said this, «doing a standard cleaning would just be like rubbing salt into a wound». So ridiculous I paid you money, if I wanted a deep cleaning then we would book for another appointment, I asked for standard cleaning just provide the service I asked for or give me my money back, simple as that. we have to go back unfortunately, because we purchased the two appointment plan, but I promise you this, we will not be going back after the Groupon has finished.

Just went back for a follow up cleaning. I havent taken care of my teeth as much as i should and bad teeth run in my family so i told myself id be better at it. My gums are already better since the last time i was there. Jillian was great as always and the staff is always super nice. I paid $ 119 for the cleaning, which i guess seems to be norm based on what my friende say. My work has weird dental insurance where we pay upfront and get reimbursed afterwards so keep in mind thats the price without insurance.
Thanks for the hard work Jillian!

I was staying in the La Jolla area and I had a dental emergency. I knew I was taking a chance by going to an office I wasn’t familiar with, but this is definitely one of my better finds! The décor is pleasing as soon as you walk in. I didn’t have to wait which was a big plus. The entire staff is friendly and they all have beautiful smiles. Roxanne greeted me with her big white smile and wonderful personality and I knew instantly I was going to be in good hands. Dr. Kim was genuinely concerned for my comfort. Dr. Kim fixed my tooth perfectly. Her warmth and professionalism is a combination that’s hard to come by in dentistry. She is meticulous, gentle, and honest. And, this was on an emergency appointment!
I definitely found my dentist for my future stays in La Jolla, and already recommended this office to my friends. I really like the vibe at this office and my experience was extremely positive. Also, they are in a great location. Give this office a try. You won’t be disappointed.

I won’t go to another dentist ever again! From the moment I walked in the door, the receptionist, Roxanne, greeted me warmly and made me feel welcome. Jillian, the hygienist, gave me the most thorough cleaning. I am usually in pain during a teeth cleaning, but Jillian was very gentle and made me feel 100% comfortable the entire time. Dr. Kim was friendly and professional. Thank you, Beautiful Smiles of La Jolla, for making me feel excited to take excellent care of my teeth!

I haven’t given many 1-​Star Reviews but it’s important that people are warned…
SHORT STORY: $ 520 CLEANING WITH A GROUPON!!! High Pressure sales while your sitting in the CHAIR. GO ANYWHERE ELSE
LONG STORY: I purchased a Groupon for this establishment. It was for cleaning and x-​rays. It was listed on Groupon as a $ 310 value. In addition to the $ 40 spent on the Groupon I left paying $ 520 for a cleaning! I was put on the spot and told that i needed a deep clean. Once I saw the price I asked if we could do a basic cleaning and was told it would be mal-​practice for them to just give me a basic cleaning. They said I could either pay for the $ 520 cleaning or have nothing done. I was a sucker and succumbed to pressure. When I got home and cooled down I realized I had been taken advantage of. They credited only $ 119 of the groupon out of the supposed $ 310 value. They also said I needed two crowns and pressured me to get them done that day. They estimated $ 4,500 of work. I went to another dentist that I trust who took x-​rays and said those cavities did not need to be crowns and that this dentist was simply attempting to have me get unnecessary work done! BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THIS OFFICE AND ITS HIGH PRESSURE SALES TACTICS.
This office claims that a deep cleaning was necessary, which is billed at $ 189 per quadrant. They credited me $ 119 out of the supposed $ 310 value. I’m not the best at math, nor do I claim to be an expert on dentistry but that comes out to a $ 639 CLEANING. I have never heard of those kind of prices before in my life! I emailed them and asked if they could at least credit me the remainder of the groupon value as advertised and was denied. Lesson learned. Hopefully this helps some people avoid this place.
They had a good office, clean and nice. They had great technology, but I don’t think they are trustworthy.

Dr. Kim has to be the finest DDS I have ever encountered in my dental lifetime. She prides herself on her wonderful staff and has built such an incredible team around her. The hygienists and techs I came in contact with were professional, courteous and made for a very comfortable environment. There is also a noticeable element of professionalism in the office and when you are finished, you sit comfortably at a small desk-​area where you have your toothpaste samples, your receipt and a farewell gift waiting specifically for you (after you set your next 6-​month appointment of course). I seldom write reviews, and when I do they are often for restaurants, but as a first-​time patients of Dr. Kim, I felt compelled to do so. Strongly recommend.

I recently bought a Groupon to come here, and I ended up getting dental insurance partly so I could ensure that I could always return here every 6 months! Dr. Kim is wonderful and super sweet, and everyone on staff is so genuinely nice. I ended up having 3 cavities, and they showed me each one on the camera, which I liked. I came back today to get them filled, and am still so impressed. I’m surprised they don’t have more reviews, but I can fully vouch for this place 100%.