Nina N Madavi, DDS BDS

In the past I hated going to the dentist. SInce going to Dr. Madavi (for 9 years), I now enjoy going to the dentist. Her staff, especially Millie are awesome. In addition, for years I neglected my teeth because I did not have dental insurance. The kindness and patience that Dr. Madavi and her office staff have shown me over the past 9 years have made me feel like I am ‘visiting family’ rather than going to a dental appointment. I initially needed a LOT of hand holding because I had so much anxiety around dental work. If you live in the Santa Barbara or Ventura area and are in need of dental care, I strongly recommend Dr. Madavi. She is a gem. You will not find a better dentist on the Central Coast.

I called in and made an initial appointment back in October. I asked what the price of a regular cleaning was out of pocket since I do not have dental insurance. I was told that they did a slight discount for non-​insured persons and a cleaning was around $ 100 dollars (cant remember the exact amount I was quoted now) which is right about normal.
I was examined by Dr. Medavi and she did the cleaning herself. I had recent X-​rays sent over since I had gotten oral surgery in San Diego a few months before. Dr. Medavi definitely goes for the hard sell. I was told I would need sealants in all of my molars– at $ 50/​tooth out of pocket and should get Invisalign to «prevent tooth decay» caused by crowding. Side note — I have an uncorrected overbite that has never bothered me and every other dentist I have ever seen has told me that Invisalign would be purely cosmetic.
At check out my discounted cash total was $ 150 not $ 100 apparently because Dr. Medavi had to do the initial exam. Whatever. After leaving the office and explaining that I wanted to get a second opinion on the sealants I started receiving calls from her front desk staff telling me that I had a procedure they needed to schedule and to please call them back to get this taken care of. I get it, dentists have to make money but why is it so hard to just get my regular cleanings without being bombarded by sales pitches?
Demonstrating my pure laziness in finding a new dentist I called back today to try to get my 6 month cleaning. I figured, hey at least I know what to expect right? Be strong, just say ‘no’! Unfortunately, you cant get a regular cleaning. They do check up exams every 6 months that include a full x ray and evaluation… costing $ 200. Since a regular cleaning schedule is every 6 months that means that every cleaning is a $ 200 exam. No thanks.
Bottom line: This office needs a do not call list.

Friendly Santa Barbara dentist. Went in for my usual check up, and as always had a fantastic experience. Thanks Dr. Madavi for making sure I have a great smile!

Went there for a cleaning and had a wonderful experience. The dentist was very nice and quick! I will recommend to my friends and family!

Amazing! I would definitely recommend Dr. Madavi. She is by far the best dentist I have ever been to. She is patient, careful, sanitary, and personable. Her staff was beyond patient everytime I go. She makes sure to explain to her patients what’s necessary to maintain ideal oral health. I am beyond satisfied with her work!

Not what I would expect from a professional. The staff was very rude and the service was almost insulting. I WOULD NOT recommend Dr. Madavi to anyone. BEWARE!

Horrible dentist. In fact, she was the worst one I’ve ever met. She told me she does things «the right way» rather than «cheap». I trusted her and fixed my filling. When I had sensitivity with that tooth, I asked to see her. I saw her during her normal hours but took the first opening. Guess what? She wanted to charge me for an emergency appointment. I protested and ended up paying for a regular appointment (no work was done other than looking at the tooth).
When I changed to another dentist, I had x-​rays done again. He pointed at the filling Dr. Madavi did and commented that it is done very poorly. He said whoever did the work didn’t spend proper time carving the filling, which is why it was so sharp at the end. He asked for the name of the dentist. I would NEVER recommend her to anyone.

My husband and I have had a really great experience with Dr. Madavi. We’ve lived in SB for 9 years and have been to other dentists and Dr. Madavi is the best. I feel like Dr. Madavi is really knowledgeable, talented and wants what is best for her patients. Her attitude and the attitude of her staff proves that she is invested in your teeth, smile and overall care of your mouth. Her office is really clean and has great new equipment. My favorite is the which camera she uses to show you the work she is doing inside your mouth — also before and after pictures.
I don’t know that anyone enjoys getting dental work done but I really trust her and the quality of her work which makes it a better experience.
Thanks from a satisfied customer!

I had my best dental experience at Dr. Madavi’s office. I was referred to her by a friend of mine who had veneers done by Dr. Madavi. and was very happy with the outcome. I scheduled an appointment and found the office & staff very pleasant & professional. On my first visit, Dr. Madavi spent alot of time & explained everything in detail. To make a long story short, I now have 4 beautiful veneers, love the way they look and get compliments all the time. I am a patient for life.

I adore Dr. Madavi and her dental practice. She is not the only dentist who works there, but they are all consistently as nice and as competent as she is. I had not been to the dentist in three years when I first visited Dr. Madavi because I had most recently had a negative experience with another local dentist. Dr. Madavi was understanding and patient, provided me with thorough advice and encouragement, and never made me feel embarassed or uncomfortable.
She has redone three of my fillings — all of that work was relatively pain-​free. She has also outfitted me with a night guard to protect my teeth from grinding. She has been able to deftly identify previous dental/​orthodontic work and I can honestly say that she has been instrumental in improving my dental health and my own dental habits.
I recommend Dr. Madavi frequently. While I’m sorry to hear someone else has had a bad experience (a. h., 1÷8÷2010), I will definitely continue to go back.
P. S. On a side-​note, Dr. Madavi’s office uses a blue light teeth bleaching system that many dentists use. About 80% of the reviews that I have read about that particular bleaching system say that it is very painful and not worth it. So I WON’T be bleaching my teeth there any time soon. But all other Madavi services are recommended. :)

I have been a patient of Dr. Madavi’s for about 3 years now. It goes without saying that she and her staff are nothing less than the best! Dr. Madavi is not only an exceptional dentist, but a most caring and wonderful person. I have seen many dentists and have never received the kind of care that I have received from her and her office staff. They are all so wonderful to me and for that I am so grateful. As long as Dr. Madavi is practicing dentistry I will be her patient!

I would NOT recommend Dr. Madavi. I had a really bad experience there, Her camera/​digital display is a joke. She looked at my teeth and said that i didn’t have fillings (i had three), but I was like, well anyone can make a mistake… she told me that i had a crack in a tooth that needed to be drilled and filled, because it may turn into a cavity. I guess she wanted the extra $ 100 bucks for filling a cavity.
Then I asked if she could file out a tiny chip in my front top tooth. She got out the drill thing and kept drilling… and drilling. The technician started making comments about how a little off went a long way. I told her is was starting to hurt, but she kept drilling. She drilled until is was incredibly painful, and i actually screamed-​seriously, this was classic dentist nightmare material, people. The woman drilled into my dentin, all the way through the enamel. I wouldn’t let her do more after that, and i was talking with a lisp for the rest of the week, because she took so much off. And enamel doesn’t grow back. Let my pain be your gain — -find a different dentist.