Gentle Dental Makakilo/Kapolei

Hmmm. Not sure why previous reviewers had such bad experiences. I am very satisfied. My son had an appointment and we got there 5 minutes early. He was seen right away and I could see the sparkle in his teeth after his cleaning.
One very positive note is that I received an email and text reminder of my appointment. Much appreciated and preferred over the phone call reminder calls some offices give. It’s 2016 people
While I sat in the waiting room, the staff was very friendly. They have water and several magazines to choose from. I was comfortable. I also thought it was nice to see another patient come in and bring in treats for the staff. It seemed like she was a loyal and satisfied customer/​patient.
After my son came out, I checked out. They explained my insurance benefits and scheduled my next appointment and we were on our way.

Convenient since I live up the Makakilo road. The staff are friendly and helpful. Overall great service.

I haven’t been here in a while I switch dental. office cude my parents seitch… but anyways I can’t go to my current one because of my insurance… so I came back here… I called and asked if they accept my ins. Sure enough they did I asked if they had my old records ironically they still did damn… I haven’t gone I. Like over 10 years lol… anyways the parking at the time I went was pretty empty I got a little worried because all the reviews were kind of band… I parked walked through the door and went to sign in the receptionist asked my name and I told him for some odd reason everyone remembers who I am or they say I’m familiar but honestly I have no idea who they are (shhh sorry) but he greeted me nicely asked politely for my ins. Card picture id… a day he explained the firm’s to me throughly be gore handing it to me… the office wasn’t pscked seem kind of empty but there was people here a day there as I was filing out my forms. I gave it back to and waited to what seemed like 5^th nuts and was taken in. Upon getting taken in. the tech told me his name and explained we we going to take x-​rays so small talk after the x-​rays I waited for what seemed like 15… minutes before the dr… and tech… came back he checked my teeth and told me what I had okay I thought I was getting a cleaning done with these x-​rays.. all they did was check my teeth and do my x-​rays and come back for my cleaning and treatment okay wow… really couldn’t x-​rays be done with cleaning idk… you need an x-​ray in order to tell me I need my teeth clesn?!?
I honestly wish I didn’t have the ins. I have I want to go to my current dentsl. office my experience is so much better sorry… but I won’t name which one… until I get a ins. They accept I guess this office will have
till then I don’t want to go through paper work of becoming a new pt. Again …
Sorry but I don’t recommend this office

I had a horrible experience at Gentle Dental. I moved to Hawaii from the mainland and made an appointment at this location because they accepted my insurance and it was close to home. Not only did I have to go twice, once for x-​rays and another time for cleaning, they made me have x-​rays taken when I had all my previous dental x-​rays done & sent from my previous dentist. After my two visits to Gentle Dental, I did not want to go back. I felt as if the staff was rude & they did not do a good job cleaning my teeth.
Since I was not happy with my services at Gentle Dental, I ended up changing dentists. I am extremely pleased with my switch. When I went to my new dentist, they mentioned that the filling in my tooth had fallen out. The x-​ray from Gentle Dental showed this but the Dentist at Gentle Dental did NOTHING about it! I had no idea! So my NEW dentist said that I could possibly have to have a root canal now! This is something that Gentle Dental SHOULD have seen & that they did not fix! I am extremely upset and would NEVER recommend this dental clinic to anybody! Be aware!

DO NOT recommend!
Receptionist does not care! The dentist will NOT take care of you & refer you out. Even though I have visited this location many times, they can’t remember my name or even how to pronounce it. Shared my concerns with Dr Lee «oh I’m sorry. If you want to visit the Mililani location, you’re more than welcome». That’s it! I’m moving my business to where the services are better. Ps: the 2015 NFL draft is on TV, where is the workers?

New to Makakilo and in need of a dentist for myself and children. Called the office and inquired about our insurance and if they are accepting new patients. When I asked what the process was to set up a new appointment she told me she would need to call me back later. She then said «Nevermind, hold on one minute.» She placed me on hold for a minute or so and then came back just to tell me again that she needed to call me back because they were too busy at the moment. I said I would call them back. In the time I was waiting to call them back, I looked at their Unilocal reviews. After seeing all the horror stories — NO THANKS!
Even though I think it is rude to make patients call back because you are too busy — especially new patients, this was a blessing in disguse. After seeing multiple similar stories about their strange new patient practice, I have no interest in taking my children to this office.
Dental Care Kapolei here we come! They were super nice over the phone and took all my information and scheduled 4 different appointments in minutes. That’s customer service! Take note Gentle Dental…

Don’t Go Here! As new patients, we waited over an hour to just get X-​rays. They told both of us that we had exactly 5 cavities each!!! I was suspect, so I went to another dentist for a second opinion… come to find out I only had ONE cavity and my husband only had to FIX a filling on the one HE ALREADY HAD!
Our family went from potentially having to pay for 10 cavities, to paying for only ONE AND A HALF. I can only imagine if we did not have insurance and would have had to pay for all of that on our own. I felt compelled to share my experience and to encourage people to get second opinions.

We have been going to Gental Dental Makakilo since we arrived on the island 2 years ago. I have been nothing but pleased. The office staff is all very nice. My only complaint would be that orthodontic appointments are only once a week. It’s not always convenient to go on a Thursday. And if we forget or have to reschedule, it’s a long time before we can get in again. Otherwise, I love this office.

Like it!
Was going to Mililani for years… then we enjoy the service at Makakilo office much better. less waiting and sincere (esp the orthodontist & mgmnt) employees.

Gentle Dental = Terrible
I had a terrible experience at Gentle Dental and will never go back! I recently moved to the island and was due for a teeth cleaning. I called and they could get me in — they do the visits separately and could get me in first for x-​ray and exam, after which I could schedule a cleaning. That was fine; I was happy they were able to get me in when I needed and that they took my insurance.
From start to finish for x-​rays and seeing the dentist, I was there nearly an hour and a half — that is ridiculous on its own. When they took me back to get my x-​rays — they did like 18 of them which seemed totally unnecessary — the guy who started them was nice, but then all of a sudden he up and left — no «bye» or «someone else is going to take over for me», he just flat out left. A few minutes later another lady came and finished taking the x-​rays (she was nice and I have nothing bad to say about her.) Then she sat me back in the waiting area until the dentist was ready.
When I finally went back again, Dr. Patel introduced himself and then started pointing out all the things wrong with my teeth, basically saying I had about 6 cavities, all of which needed to be filled, and that I needed a crown. He said the checkout lady would give me the estimates (which totaled over $ 1500), and I could come back to have them fixed. When he was done looking at my teeth, he also just up and left. He didn’t say «bye», or «nice to meet you.» Remember, this was my first visit as a customer and they’re running a business, most people would generally be a bit more personable to keep my business. Aside from the lack of friendliness on the dentist’s part — it also seemed interesting that all of a sudden I needed all this dental work done. (I go to the dentist twice a year and didn’t need anything on my last visit — how did I grow 6 cavities in 6 months? Seems pretty strange to me, i.e. looks like someone is trying to make money off of me.)
To add to all of this, when I tried to schedule a teeth cleaning, the first available was in January! That would make it over 8 months since my last cleaning which is unacceptable in my opinion. How convenient they could schedule me for x-​rays and exam, but not a cleaning? The checkout girl was nice and asked if there was anything they could’ve done better, to which I replied that I’d been there nearly an hour and a half, and that Dr. Patel was not personable at all. I have a friend who went to Gentle Dental and saw a different dentist and he had a really good experience there, but I did not. I went to another dentist today at a different facility, got my cleaning, and he said everything looked good!
No one likes to be taken advantage of, and there is no need to have unnecessary dental work done when it is not yet needed. When dentists graduate dental school they are given a license to steal; however it is only the dentists who provide genuine and honest dental work who honor their profession. To me Gentle Dental seeks profits only and is not concerned about the welfare of their patients. I would NOT recommend this place, nor go back.

It has been over 5 months since getting my fillings done here, and even then had to go back a few different occasions to get them fixed so that it wouldn’t be so painful to chew etc. It is very evident that there is still something wrong with them with the pain there is with eating and the sensitivity to even room temperature food/​beverages. I regret having them done and wish I could go back to having cavities instead. Pretty disappointing.

RUN! This place is out to make money…
I came here as a new patient, looking to just get a checkup, since I already had my 6 month checkup and cleaning. I had all my records, including a ton of x rays that were just taken two months ago. I came and filled out paperwork for 15 minutes.
Finally, I got called back by a middle aged woman. She was rude… did not say hi, or anything. I would say that I walked into the room, except it is just an open hallway of a bunch of rooms. There is no privacy! What kind of a set up is this?
When I sat down, she asked me about my implant. Well, I don’t have an implant so that was kind of scary. She then realized I was the wrong patient and moved me.
Upon moving me, she said they were going to take x rays. I informed her I already had my x rays in my files. She goes back to look at them and then comes back to tell me the x rays are not good enough and that they need to take their own so they can read them on their screen. (which I guess only reads their x rays) I tell her I’m not okay with that, so she proceeds to bring in a form showing me how much I will have to pay out of pocket for the x rays they are going to take. I again tell her that I am not paying money out of pocket for x rays I’ve already had done. I don’t understand why a perfectly competent dentist can’t read any x rays? I even asked her this and she said «No she won’t be able to read them.» I offered to have them sent another way and she said no that was not okay either. She rudely snaps «Then you’ll just have to come back when your insurance will cover it.»
With that I stood up and left. While I was waiting to get my files, she continued to harass me about why my x rays were not good enough and why they were in the right.
Dental Care Kapolei just got a new patient. I will not be back.

The staff is very nice, the hygenists are very nice and knowledgable as well. I like this location better than the Mililani location; the staff at Mililani is not friendly at all. I would recommend this dentist.

The low rating is just from the recent dental visits. My last experience topped the cake. I waited for 1 ½ hours in the dental chair before a dentist came in… running behind… But first I heard the tech and dentist talking about a patient– like making fun of them… broke hipa laws. i had extreme pain in my upper gums. They did an exray but dentist said…” don’t see anything. I don’t THINK it’s infected.” filed down my denture– still has sharp edges digging into my gums– and that was it. A wait for an hour and a half and work was maybe 5 minutes.
not too professional. Not impressed at all.
When I first went there it was alot better. This place disappointed now.
Made an app with another dentist. They lost a patient. Too bad.

I came here about 3 times.
First time, was as a new patient. What I didn’t like, is that new patients have to come in TWICE. Once for x-​rays and to «chat» with the dentist, and then you need to find time in your busy life to come back for your cleaning. I don’t see why they can’t just do it all one time like every other dental office I’ve ever been to. Strike One.
Second time was for my cleaning. The dental hygienist was actually really nice. Then comes the dentist. Not so much. Not to mention I don’t appreciate being talked to like I’m a child or her demeanor overall. If you’re in a field where you work directly with clients, please learn to put a smile on your face (especially in this field), and learn what it means to be personable. I have no idea what the dentist’s name was, probably because she was so off putting, I didn’t care to retain that information. Strike Two.
Third time back 6 months later, yet again, can’t stand the dentist. Not to mention the wait here has always been RIDICULOUS. Expect to be anywhere from 30 – 50 minutes PAST your appointment time before you even get seen. Strike three, not coming back. :)
I will say one more good thing to end on a good note. The place is really clean and spacious. And to reiterate, the hygienists doing the actual cleaning were always very nice and friendly.

Im not one to write reviews, but after previous dental expereince in Kapolei I just had to say how GREAT this place is!
Staff are super nice and polite and Dr. Mukai is really nice and explains everything she is going to do before it gets done and explains what is going on, during her work.
Highly recommended and will be back there again… gotta keep my smile! :)

My insurance changed so I had to find another doctor in my area. This dentist office is very busy due to the high volume of clients they recieve at their location, although the receptionist that assisted me to make a appointment as a first time paitient, she seemed a little stressed out and busy, but she was still able to squeeze me in as soon as possible. The wait was a little over 30 minutes, but once I was called in, the assistant immediately started. I really like how they also work out the financial part to make payments easier for you. Care credit (charge card for medical expenses) is highly recommended! They have the application form available.

Well, Unilocalers, it was back to Gentle Dental again today for filling a cavity and getting an impression for my implant crown. Dr. Yokota continues to dazzle me. I had a very deep filling which could have led to deep decay, infection, and another root canal. Luckily, he noticed it. He was so thorough. He spent over 2 hours with me making sure everything was done correctly and thoroughly. I feel so comfortable and relaxed getting worked on by him.
I made an appt. for my boyfriend to see them. Although he has great dental insurance, he has avoided going to a dentist for at least 10 years, due to an early traumatic experience. Turns out he has 8 cavities. Lucky for him, none of them are too deep. They will take great care of him.
I want to give a shout out to LaVerne and Vince, who are great assistants and dental technicians. They went to a lot of effort to help me pick out the right color for the crown I will be getting. They are both caring, attentive, and skilled. Vince makes everyone laugh, which can be tough when you are dealing with getting dental work.

Been coming here for years. Never had a problem, except for flossing. Damn dentist always get me!

I decided to switch dentists because I didn’t like my previous one (she kept missing my teeth and hitting my gums during cleaning) so decided to try Gentle Dental in Makakilo. When I made the appointment, I was told that I first needed to make an «initial visit» before getting my teeth cleaned. It was a little unusual, but I decided to try it out anyways since they said my insurance should cover it.
On the date of my appointment, I show up 5 minutes early to fill out the paperwork and give the receptionist a copy of my x-​rays taken at my previous dentist. 15 minutes later, a tech calls me in because there are ‘issues’ with the insurance. Apparently, the x-​rays taken 6 months ago were not good enough to do a teeth cleaning and since my insurance will only pay for x-​rays once a year, they told me I had to pay out of pocket (almost $ 100).
Now, I’ve never heard that x-​rays taken 6 months ago were not good enough to do a simple teeth cleaning. That’s why insurance companies will only pay to get them done once a year. When I told them that it was good enough for me and asked them to do the cleaning anyways, they told me that their policy prohibited performing any procedures until they had current x-​rays. So basically I wasted almost an hour at the dental office and driving to/​from.
So I called another place called Dental Care Kapolei and made an appointment. They were absolutely wonderful and did a great job! Not only were they able to see me fairly quick, but the tech was really friendly and gentle too. This is the dental office I’ll be going to from now on!