Diablo Valley Endodontic Specialists

I don’t trust glowing reports without anything negative, but I can’t think of anything negative about this place. The people on the phone and the office staff were very friendly. I filled out the forms on-​line before I arrived. Everything was explained well. I didn’t feel the shots, and of course everything was numb after that. The assistant and Dr. Tittle worked so well together that they didn’t talk, so with the quiet I almost fell asleep during the root canal. I have a very small mouth and a large gag reflex, so the x-​rays afterwards weren’t fun, but they worked hard to make that go as fast as possible. It was my first root canal (of course, the tooth had to be all the way in the back of my mouth) and I actually enjoyed being at the office. I highly recommend Dr. Tittle whenever you need a root canal.

I had a root canal performed at Diablo Valley Endodontic Specialists (DVES) yesterday. A general dentist had begun the procedure last week; I was in excruciating pain four days later. A friend told me to go to an endodontist; she suggested DVES and Dr. Jensen in particular. I live in the City, so going out to Pleasant Hill (there’s also an office Walnut Creek) seemed far, and I don’t have a car. I also got a referral to an SF endodontist, who is supposed to be great. He wanted $ 2K up front, and he didn’t take my insurance. Pleasant Hill instantly sounded a lot less inconvenient.
I called DVES, and Dr. Jensen was able to see me the next day. I made the appointment; Ann from the office called me later that afternoon to get my insurance info and email address, so I could register online; I gave her both, and she told me she would contact the insurer and get back to me with a figure to cover my estimated portion. A little while later she called back to say that after confirming my benefit with the insurer, I would be responsible for 20%. I was totally ok with the quote. (The base price for root canal was $ 1,390.) I was also impressed with the follow through.
Yesterday, I took BART to Pleasant Hill and a $ 7-​Über ride from the station to the 401 Gregory office. From the moment I got there, everything worked seamlessly. That’s also a good way to describe the experience: seamless. Erika at the front desk checked me in; I had filled out all the «paperwork» online (there’s even an App!), so there wasn’t much for me to do. Ann made sure that everything was correct in their systems. Lisa brought me back to do the 3D x-​ray.

What made the biggest impression was the continuing communication between everyone in the practice; everybody was on the same page. I was never asked the same question twice. To me, this level of coordination is very rare in any health-​service-​delivery setting. I usually feel like medical and dental practices are uncoordinated – that the right hand never knows what the left is doing. Not so here. This place is a Swiss watch, but everyone was kind and warm.
With the admin and 3D x-​ray out of the way, Lisa took me back; Dr. Jensen got me numb, then she told me we needed to wait for the anesthetic to take effect. I had explained to Dr. Jensen that my prior procedure had been very difficult for me, and I was nervous. She told me that she performed extensive research into pain management, local anesthesia administration and oral sedation, and I felt confident I was in good hands.
Once Dr. Jensen was able to see inside my tooth, she found highly irritated nerve tissue the general dentist failed to remove in his first pass. That tissue was going to be resistant to anesthetic, but Dr. Jensen was still able to remove it with minimal discomfort. After that tissue was excised, Dr. Jensen and Lisa, who was assisting, were able to finish the procedure without issue.
After Dr. Jensen and Lisa were finished, I went out to the front desk, saw Erika again, paid the portion Ann had quoted me over the phone, got an Rx from Dr. Jensen for painkillers, and booked an Über. I didn’t end up needing the pain pills, so I never had to fill the prescription. Ann called me the next day (today) to follow up, and I am totally fine.
Knowing what I know now, I unequivocally recommend Dr. Jensen to anyone in the Bay Area needing endodontic intervention. It’s an easy endorsement because not only is Dr. Jensen a highly skilled expert with a fantastic bedside manner, but the ENTIRE practice team with whom I interacted – Ann, Lisa, Erika – were also fantastic.
God willing, I will never need another root canal, but if I do, I’m going straight to Dr. Jensen at DVES. No question.

For the past week I did everything I could to avoid going in for what my dentist said was needed, a root canal. I would look at the pockets in my gums every 3 hours to see if they were going down, but no such luck. I dragged myself into Dr. Jensen on my dentist’s referral and from the first minute I entered, her staff gave me a high degree of confidence I was in very capable hands.
Dr. Jensen was professional, forthright and took the time to answer my questions, which I feel like many doctors sometimes rush to get to the procedure. Dr. Jensen and her assistant Patty performed the root canal in a manner that greatly reduced my stress, frequently checking in with how I was doing and generally keeping the atmosphere light. I walked out of the office feeling so much relief and am very grateful to Dr. Jensen for her professionalism and thoroughness. I’d like to say I’d definitely go back, but I really I hope I don’t have to return.

Phenomenal experience with Dr. Tittle! He was gentle, professional and extremely thorough at explaining everything that he was about to do, what I would feel etc. I called in with somewhat of a dental emergency, experiencing excruciating amounts of pain and was seen very quickly. When I arrived at the appointment, I was very anxious as I have heard only horror stories about how painful root canals can be– this was not the case here. From the moment I walked in the doors to his office– staff did an amazing job of calming my nerves. The root canal was a smooth, pretty amazing experience to be honest– hence the reason for writing a review. He is truly an incredible Endodontist. For anyone dreading but needing a root canal– I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND Dr. Tittle. He is the Best.

Dr. Jenson is a super Endodontic Specialist. She is one of the best that I have ever been to. She is very down to earth and makes good analytic decisions. Her work on my teeth has been superb. She is very gentle and natural at what she does.

I had a root canal from Dr. Jensen back in 2012, and was very disappointed with the overall experience. The office staff failed to obtain authorization before my appointment, didn’t tell me, and forced me to pay for the entire root canal before leaving (I also have excellent dental insurance).
The worst part, however, was the severe throat infection I developed a few days later. The bacteria cultured was not the type that routinely routinely causes strep throat. From this, I developed severe bronchospasms and missed a month of work. Dr. Jensen was very rushed, and had a very abrupt attitude. The experience could not have been any worse.

I can’t believe I’m writing a review for my root canal. Let me just start by saying that I’ve experienced both Dr. Jensen in Walnut Creek and Dr. Tittle in Pleasant Hill. Dr. Jensen made the whole experience as good as it could be and the staff was very nice. I recently saw Dr. Tittle in the Pleasant Hill office for yet another root canal. I was experiencing extreme pain. Long story is that Dr. Tittle could have performed a root canal but chose not to because he didn’t think his work would last. He didn’t want me to pay for a service that would not last. I am having to have the tooth extracted :(. I appreciate his honesty. He went out of his way to make me comfortable and to provide a «Band-​Aid» on the problem before I have my tooth extracted. The staff in the Pleasant Hill office was extraordinary. They were very friendly and went out of their way to help me in any way they could. Impressive!

I had a root canal plus post removal performed on my front tooth (#7) this morning.
I have had four previous root canals over the last twenty years. I found Dr Tittle and his staff to be quick, professional, thorough and friendly. I did not feel any pain during the procedure (phew). FYI: the office was roomy and the equipment up-​to-​date.
Thanks to one and all.
C

Who gives 5 stars to getting a root canal done, seriously? The day of my appointment, their office called telling me they were running late because the previous patient was taking longer than expected and I could come later so that I didn’t have to wait so long… NEVER gotten a call like this… EVER. Service providers would rather you be waiting on them than vice versa. Think about it, have you gotten such a call? Friendly staff, procedure was quicker than I expected and was surprised when Dr. Tittle was done. He has a great ‘chair’ side manner, always asking if you are doing ok during the procedure and letting you know what to expect. A root canal is a never pleasant thing to have done but I imagine it doesn’t get any better than this.

Hate the dentist. Had to get a root canal. Very quick to schedule and accommodate. The staff are very friendly and Joanne Jensen, DDS was very good. I was totally petrified of the pain, it was actually a pleasant surprise that it was fast and the numbing shot was the only unpleasant part. Great work. I would definitely recommend!!!

After a check-​up at my dentist it was decided that I needed to have an old crown removed. I was given a temporary crown and referred to Dr. Jensen to determine if a root canal or an extraction of the tooth was needed. Dr. Jensen was able to see me right away (she actually stayed after hours as I could not get to her office until 530) and after looking at the X-​ray gave me the pros and cons of both choices. The responsiveness, diagnosis and work performed were excellent and very professional.
On top of all this my temporary crown fell off 2 hours before a party and a 3 day weekend. I called Dr. Jensen’s office and she made time to get me in and put the crown back on. This service was above and beyond what was required.
If you need to go to an endodontist I would certainly recommend Diablo Valley and specifically Dr. Jensen.

I had a difficult situation going in — granted. I had a horrific tooth-​ache in my mouth. Dr. Jensen was able to see me the same day on a referral. I had pain on the other side of my mouth that had to be resolved by a root canal earlier, and was experiencing similar pain, so I figured I needed a root canal. She performed a few diagnostic tests to determine the origin of the pain. The testing itself was professional and thorough. Based on testing the lower-​left side of my mouth with various pressure and sensitivity testing, Jensen determined the cause of pain was my wisdom tooth and recommended extraction, which wasn’t necessarily a bad determination, since the tooth was severely decayed and near the pain I was experiencing.
I get the wisdom tooth pulled that day from a different specialist, and afterwards, am still experiencing the same awful toothache. I give it two days, thinking it may just be a nerve sensitivity issue, since I was still healing and post-​operation. However, when I still had an identical tooth-​ache as before, I called Diablo Valley Endodontic, asking if I could speak to Dr. Jensen. I wanted to know if it was possible I was still experiencing the same exact same pain as a result of nerve sensitivity, or if perhaps her initial diagnosis was incorrect and I did need a root canal after-​all.
The receptionist told me she was busy all day, and couldn’t speak to me, but suggested maybe the pain was dry-​socket, from the wisdom tooth extraction. I told her I appreciate her opinion, but I would really like to speak to the dentist regarding this issue, since the toothache was severe, and since it’s identical to the original pain I had before the extraction, making me doubt it was dry socket. She again said she was busy all day, and did not have the time to speak to me, even when I implored and asked for five minutes of time. I then got a call back from the receptionist 20 minutes later, saying she had spoken to Dr. Jensen, and Dr. Jensen said it may be dry socket also, and that she already performed testing on the teeth. I then asked AGAIN if I could speak to the dentist, since she apparently wasn’t too busy to speak with the receptionist, but was too busy for me. I was told she was with a patient and was busy all day again.
Fed up, I sought out the services of another endodontic specialist, whom saw me immediately, tested my teeth, and performed a root canal that very same day on the back molar, relieving me of the terrible tooth-​ache and solving the problem of what was severe pulpitis (inflamed pulp within the tooth).
Granted, the wisdom tooth Dr. Jensen identified did need to come out, and it was a reasonable place to start, since it was the most likely culprit of the pain. Unfortunately, in this instance, it didn’t solve my pain. I have no problem with that. My frustration and the mediocre review is for the poor follow-​up service provided. I was in severe pain and my issue hadn’t been resolved, and yet the dentist was too busy to even speak to me over the phone, or even identify a time when she could speak to me over the phone, or have a follow-​up visit to confirm her initial diagnosis.

I know this is odd… I can’t believe I’m saying it myself… but I enjoyed my root canal here. Please… stop laughing.
Shortly before new years, my son complained of tooth pain. Being a boy, he has fallen and chipped his front tooth and then, months later, had it kicked during flag football (so much for ‘non contact’ sports). He woke up one morning clearly in allot of pain. Went to the dentist and were immediately referred to Dr. Jensen at Diablo Valley.
My boys a brave guy but not crazy. He was in pain and knew this procedure could be painful and tensions were running high. Dr. Jensen and then entire staff greeted us with warm hospitality. Her polite and calm manner soothed a nervous little boy who would have bolted for the door should an opportunity arise. Because of his advanced infection, the novocaine would not work very well but Dr. Jensen stayed cool and calm, talking my boy through it. When we came back for the actual root canal, my son wasn’t even phased.
So.about a week later I felt some tooth pain. Sure enough, I got to experience Dr. Jensens’ deft touch myself during my root canal. Clearly she’s nice to her younger and older (cough cough) patients.
I’m sorry you have to get a root canal, but since you do… get it done here.