Smile Designers Dental Implant Center — Attraction in San Diego

My girlfriend went for a series of three fillings. The first two seemed to go well, but the third was a disaster. They changed the type of anesthetic they used, and she had an allergic reaction to it. However, no one in the office seemed to recognize it, and repeatedly said that her spiking blood pressure, closing throat, and swelling eye was not an allergic reaction, but instead a product of her being numbed and being anxious about it. After many minutes of discomfort, they eventually called a doctor, who held up an anti-allergen shot and asked if she wanted it, without any diagnosis, explanation of what the shot was, the effects, etc... They entire office seemed to be operating with the goal of not being sued rather than medical care. Seemingly wanting to avoid doing something wrong, the doctor just called EMTs instead of treating her. The EMTs promptly treated her for an allergic reaction, which almost immediately solved all issues. At a follow up visit to a different dental office, they further critiqued the fillings she had received at the earlier appointments. Would avoid if possible.

Edit response: I verified, and this is indeed the practice where...

my name is Mitchell i had dentist tell me i needed to pull all my teeth got a second opinion sure enough i need to pull all my teeth for health reasons. You must do your research for the next step false teeth or implants. i did 4 different implant places in San Diego. the first three were all greeted and explained by a nurse or management and then see the dentist for 2 minuets. then i found Dr. Armin Hage the whole consultation was done by the dentist who is going to be doing all the work surgery. yes, it is expensive but because it is medical i am able to write off on my taxes. I started this journey in March 2024 my decision to got with this implant process was a life changing process to have the technology they have today. i must say i would do it ten times over because of Dr Armin Hage and his staff they are top notch class act to make sure everything you ask for yes, it is a lot of money but worth every penny. Thank you again Dr.Armin Hage and his wonderful staff if you have any question just ask the receptionist for my number i be glad to answer any questions to help...

Unpleasant experience.

I went in because a small filling had fallen out. After taking X-rays, the dentist immediately recommended a crown that would cost over $500. I agreed at first, not wanting the issue to worsen.

While under anesthesia, I asked what the crown procedure involved—since no one had explained it beforehand. When the assistant told me it involved shaving down the entire tooth, I asked them to stop. The dentist then came in and confirmed the process, and I asked if a simple filling could be done instead. He said no, claiming there were no other options he would recommend.

That didn’t sit right with me, so I told them I’d think about it. I got second opinions from two other dental offices in San Diego (not across the border), and both confirmed that I did not need a crown. One of them fixed the issue with a regular filling for just $62, and my tooth is perfectly fine now.

I’m glad I trusted my gut and got another opinion—this experience could have cost me more money and an unnecessarily...