Bruce R. Baral, D.D.S., Inc.

Thanks for the warning. I just switched to this dentist, but the «in house resident» that is a dog is SO unhygienic! Switching again now…

I’ve been a patient with Dr Baral for a year now. Dr baral and his team are always friendly. One of my favorite things about this office is how prompt they are, if your appointment is at 2pm then you’re seen at 2pm. I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a more prompt and efficient office. Dr Baral doesn’t try to upsell you and even suggested I get a night guard from Walmart rather than having one made to save some money. It is so hard to find a trustworthy dentist like Dr Baral.

My family and I have used this office for about 3 years. We were looking for a family dentist located near our home; however, this office is far from a «family» environment. The office manager has been rude and inflexible from day one and the only reason why my family and I continue to go to this doctor was because it is very hard to change doctors with HMO insurance. Most recently my kids missed their appointment because they both had the flu and she sent us a bill for $ 50.00. I do not have an issue paying, in fact I told her I would. I have never had an outstanding. The problem was that she refused to make an appointment unless I paid this fee PRIOR to making an appointment. My son had a terrible toothache and she told me could not help him, I could not believe my ears and requested to speak to the dentist to inform him that this was a matter of urgency for my son — she told me that she was «the doctor’s wife» and I was not allowed to speak to the doctor. It was really horrible!
The doctor is ok but does not spend enough time answering questions and clearly does not seem to care about the concerns of his patients. If you are looking for a «family» practice environment where you are treated like a person instead of a number do NOT go to this office.

I am most happy with the service provided by the Bruce R. Baral Dental Group. Dr. Baral is thorough and takes the time to explain my dental needs. The staff are friendly and personable and help relieve any stress I may be feeling. I feel i am receiving the best dental care possible and recommend this office.

Great dentist great great staff, we’ve been going to Dr Baral for 14yrs… I’m hoping he doesnt retire soon…

For the longest time (read 6 years) I failed to maintain any sort of oral health. I was really scared upon my return to the dentist, but this office was given great reviews by other users.
My initial visit couldn’t have been more pleasant, and I’ve been coming back every six months ever since! The doctor, his assistants, and the front office staff are always welcoming and friendly. When I leave, my teeth always feel clean and refreshed, and I’ve never felt like I’ve been forced to add a procedure or extra, unnecessary addition.

I’ve been going to Dr. Baral for over 20 years. Over the past 5 it’s mostly just cleaning, but since I have fairly advanced periodontal disease, I need to go 4x a year. His hygienist is an angel.
I read with some interest a couple of other reviews. One cited the fact that Dr. Baral gave his professional opinion that a particular procedure would not be worth doing unless a far more expensive «overhaul» were done. I fail to see how that is «offensive». Maybe we should be grateful if healthcare professionals tell us not to waste money on unnecessary procedures. Of course, some people «need» to have plastic surgery every three weeks, so I could be wrong.
The selling point for Dr. Baral is that he is scrupulously honest. He is in the business of helping people keep their whole mouth healthy. He doesn’t attempt to spare our feelings in the process, and why should he? There is far more at stake than hurt feelings.

I am a scardy cat when it comes to the dentist. I avoided going for about 3 years. My mom recommended Dr. Baral. My first appt. was great. He noticed that I needed a deep cleaning and prescribed me a prescription mouth wash. He wanted to wait to clean my teeth to give the mouth wash time to work on my very sensitive gums. My first cleaning appt. was awesome. I found out that the hygenists can use a numbing agent on your gums while they clean! No shots needed! I felt very little pain. I am actually now no longer afraid to go the dentist. If you are a scardy cat like me, I highly recommend Dr. Baral!

Review #500 is dedicated to my dentist with a dog! Over the last few years, I’ve been to four dentist offices and this is my favorite by far. With several dentists to compare to this office, I feel comfortable recommending this dentist.
Why is this office so awesome?
#1– The DOG! They have an office labradoodle! I guess she started hanging out there when she was a puppy and the patients fell in love with her so now she comes to work each day. (I wish I could have a dog at work!)
#2– (This should really be number one, it’s hard to beat a dog) They really take their time with you and actually care. When I am there, I feel like I am the only patient there, as they take time to share their knowledge with me.
My first cleaning was done by the dentist himself, Dr. Baral. While doing the cleaning, he told me about recent studies and the benefits of mouthwash (not just for fresh breath!). Steve did my next cleaning and spent a great deal of time showing me the latest in floss, mouthguards, and other useful tools. At another office, I might expect this to be a sales pitch, but here it’s just pure education!
I’ve only been here for cleanings, so that’s all I can speak for, but what Steve told me on my last visit really speaks to what this office is all about. Before starting my cleaning, he told me a cleaning shouldn’t hurt, so if it hurt at all, let him know. It didn’t hurt because he was careful and didn’t accidentally stab my gums (like I’ve experienced elsewhere).
This isn’t a fancy office, but it’s clean, local, friendly, and there’s a dog! I really believe they are there to help and educate their patients. You’re a person, not just a patient here.
Other little things I like about this office:
–Lots of parking
–Postcard to remind you of next appointment
–Easy to make appointments
–On time appointments
When searching for a dentist close to home, I used Unilocal to find Dr. Baral’s office, so thanks to Unilocal for guiding me to this gem!

My family has been going here for years, can’t think of 1 complaint. This place is clean and that is important to me. Love that there is a dog to greet you ! I get the same speech every time I go, ya I know floss and rinse. My son has only gone to Dr Baral and he has no complaints either.

I’ve been going to Dr. Baral for about 4 years and have been more pleased with him than with the two previous dentists I have used in Long Beach (who shall remain nameless, but I wouldn’t refer my worst enemy to either.)
I find Dr. Baral and his staff to be pleasant to deal with, honest and considerate. I originally chose Dr. Baral because of his motto «We Cater to Cowards» which was me at the time after two sadistic dentists in a row. So far, he has met my expectation and been kind to a dental coward.
He also has really hammered home to me the importance of proper daily dental care so that I don’t have to see him as often. I think the paraphrased quote was along these lines «it’s not that we don’t like the business, but we will see you less often for major work if you floss more and get a Sonicare toothbrush…» You gotta love that.

Very nice staff. dental Hygienists all do their job and don’t try and sell you stuff or unnecessary procedures. Doctor is the same way. Just does whats needed, tells you what you need to do to keep your teeth and gums healthy, and is honest. Doesn’t have all the bells and whistles some dentists have for equipment, but they are just cool toys, they don’t make the dentist better

Very disappointed. After spending hours researching dentists, I decided to enroll with Dr. Baral’s office. The front desk staff was very cordial. The woman that did my x-​rays was very nice and efficient. Dr. Baral was also very professional. I thought, «Wow, I finally found a great dentist for my family.»
One week later, I took my two daughters, ages 8 and 10, in for their appointments. When they called them to go back, I stood up to follow them. However, I was immediately stopped by the front desk staff. They said I was not allowed to go back. When I inquired why not, they said they wanted to keep the area sterile and because they found children to behave better when their parents are not present. I stated that I always accompany my children for all doctor’s appointments and dental appointments. They said, «I’m sorry, but that’s our policy.» So, I sat down. I did not feel comfortable that my children were in a new place, with new people, and about to be poked and prodded without my being there. So after 5 minutes, I went back to the front desk and said, «I’m sorry, I just don’t feel comfortable not being with my children.» I then asked to speak with the dentist. The office staff seemed alarmed and disturbed by my request. After 5 minutes, the dentist came out and asked what the problem was (he was already on the defensive). I asked Dr. Baral why I could not go back. He said, «The staff would feel uncomfortable.» I asked, «Why?» He said, «How would you like it if someone went to your job and looked over your shoulder?» I said, «I’m a teacher and I have parents and other people in my classroom all the time watching what I do and I don’t have a problem with it.» He said, «Well, we’re uncomfortable with that here.» I began to wonder what they are doing back there that is so private. In the end, he told me, «Well, if you don’t like our policy, then you can go somewhere else.» So, I immediately asked the office staff to bring me my children. After researching on the Internet, I found that many dental offices allow parents to accompany their children during their appointments. I am still wondering what they are hiding and why they would feel uncomfortable with parents being with their children. I will not go back there especially if you have small children!

I’m starting to feel like I love everyone… I guess if I take the time to review, I either love or hate you — mediocre is the norm :-)!!!
But I really like Dr. Baral and his staff. My son and I both went to him and he is truly a good guy! Great dentist, nice staff… adorable grand-​daughter (and really cute dog!)…
Was referred by a friend and told he was good with kids, after my sons bad bad bad experiences, I was seriously reluctant to ever go to anyone again except Dr. Darrin Hirt in BH… BUT
Dr. Baral has restored my faith in dentists…

I had the worst experience with Dr. Bruce Baral. He has the worst
bedside manner of any doctor I have ever met. He seemed so negative and bitter.
My appointment with him was so incredibly disappointing especially since I had seen so many good reviews on him and was really looking forward to meeting him.
Whenever I asked about a cosmetic procedure, he basically said it wasn’t worth it unless I was ready to spend $ 20,000 to do a complete overhaul! Of course he said he didn’t mean to be offensive, but he
was!
Maybe he is a good dentist as far as his work, but I guess I will never know.

It’s hard to rate to a dentist, because no one likes going to the dentist except that masochistic guy in Little Shop of Horrors. Every time a dentist tells me I don’t have an old molar filling needing to be drilled out and replaced I feel like the judge gave me a reprieve. I’m just relieved to get out of there.
Dr. Baral’s assistants that clean my teeth are good, no one had accidentally poked me. The dental assistants and desk staff are basically nice people. I dumped one dentist because his receptionist was like the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld — «No medical care for you!»
His office, lobby and bathroom are clean. My insurance covers cleaning and check up 2 times a year. Dr Baral and the staff have been doing a good job with my teeth and my husband’s.