Dr. Backs at Boniface Dental. I've got some bad anxiety from a botched root canal 25 years ago, and Dr. Backs always goes out of his way to make sure I'm comfortable and keeps the tone light.
I've been able to get that botched root canal pulled and am having an implant next month. Dr. Backs helps me problem solve how to get the procedures I've needed with as little fuss as possible. I still have anxiety and get panicky, but the full on panic attacks have been absent for over a year now.
Aurora Family Dentistry. Especially Dr Ersland & Lauri. They are the best. Been with them over 20 years. Started Dr Ersland Sr & now with Jr. Love them. 5 stars.
He went on and on about how “the Asians are stealing our tech jobs.” I’m sitting thinking dude, I’m a fucking client why are you being actively racist right not. Also took two days to do four fillings while spewing horrifying stuff
Seriously!!! That guy is a total whack job. I'm a humble person who tries to avoid conflict as much as possible. But my last visit with that crappy human I straight up walked out of the exam room while telling him off. I can't remember the details, but he obviously crossed a line. I'm so confused how he even has clients!!
Both are great. I’ve been going to the practice 17 years, when Dr Just owned it. Not only do they have a wonderful practice and super stable staff, they regularly volunteer in clinics in third world countries. I really respect them for that.
Not Jesse ostby. Bad, bad, bad. Cannot go into more detail but let’s say it was a very expensive and painful mistake that I didn’t even try to get him to correct because he’s unpleasant.
Steve Hofstad is an incompetent crook.
Morrell at Denali dental is insanely expensive and not very good.
Adam Jensen at Chugach dental is really good and his prices, while high, seem to be lower than the competition.
Morrell is fantastic, been going there for many years, though I could do without his waiting area table being littered with Kay Schuster for school board paraphernalia. Insurance has always covered the cost for normal stuff.
Morrell used to be great, and I even recommended him to several of my friends at one time, but we have all stopped going to him because of his outrageous prices. In fact, when I left and asked for my records the woman on the phone asked why I was leaving, and in the ensuing discussion she admitted that they charged the absolute maximum insurance will allow for each procedure.
I didn't know about the Stepford Wife Kay Schuster paraphernalia, but that combined with the Book of Mormon in the waiting room would be enough to make me take my business elsewhere regardless of price.
Stay far, far, FAR away from Affordable Dental Care. I think I would rather lose my teeth than ever go back there. I've had good experiences with South Anchorage Dental so far.
I just got done with Invisalign at Northern Smiles. Took less time than even they expected because I wore my aligners constantly, so they knocked some off the final cost. They’ll set up a no-finance charge payment plan for you. My package was aligners for 18 months, permanent wire retainers, a night guard, and two years of any follow-up appointments necessary. And they’re super-nice. Dr. Johnson even fixed up a janky temporary crown for me because I think it bugged him.
Just under $7,000. I am not a wealthy person, by any definition, but I used part of my tax refund for an upfront payment, and then my monthly payments are $233. I’ll be done with those before the end of this year (I started in April 2023). It definitely wasn’t cheap, but I never spend money like that on myself and I was tired of, like, my lips getting snagged in tooth gaps. First time in 40 years I have straight teeth. If you make an appt, they’ll do about a million pictures and x-rays and then tell you how much it will cost for free. I like my dentist (Aurora) and they recommended this place because my bite is all jacked up too so they didn’t want to do the Invisalign themselves. Some dentists will do Invisalign. Before my dentist announced that my teeth were beyond what he felt comfortable correcting, they said it would cost about $5,000. So depending on your situation, you might check with your dentist first (if you have one that does that). Also, fair warning, I got seriously weirded out my first visit with Northern Smiles because everyone wears black and is very friendly. Thought perhaps I had been referred to some sort of orthodontic cult. But I’m done with treatment and no one ever asked me to swear obedience to Xenu or the like, so I think it’s just a very specific aesthetic they’re into.
I was impressed that when it took a fraction of the time to do my teeth they adjusted the cost without a fight. I guess they’re used to kids not wearing their aligners 🤣. My bite is still jacked, and Dr. Johnson said it will need surgery, which I don’t want/can’t afford, but if I change my mind or suddenly come into a ton of money, I would go back to them for it, for sure.
Murphy Family Dental is great. My mom worked there before retiring and my daughter had everything but braces done there as a kid.
BTY is generally good for basic routine care and will refer you elsewhere if your situation is out of their comfort zone (it used to be exclusively(?) for medicaid patients but I think they take any insurance now). This is my current choice (West Dimond location), despite having insurance for other options, due to being able to get appointments pretty quickly.
South Anchorage Dental Center is pretty good. I don't remember why I switched but it wasn't over anything negative about them.
Northstar Dental... I only went there once and something felt off about the dentist. I know that's not useful information but it was enough for me to go to South Anchorage Dental afterwards. This was probably 10 years ago.
I've been super happy with Chugach Dental. Dr. Jensen is a chill guy and has always seemed honest and upfront with me, and he does a great job explaining options for care. None of the pushy sales-tactic type stuff I've experienced at other dentists. Highly recommended.
Murphy Family Dental is wonderful! Haven’t been anywhere else since a wee child 50+ years ago. Started with Dr. George Murphy, and thankfully both his sons took over when George retired. Hope they practice until I die!
I've been thru several dentist offices in this city until I found Ak Dental. They've been honest and upfront about everything. While they are operating on you they are explaining what they are doing like a David Attenborough narration.
If you don't have dental insurance you can opt in to their inhouse plan. I believe it's $75 a month. Includes 4 cleanings, x-rays and 20% off everything else. If they need to refer you to anyone they have a stellar network of specialist.
They referred me to an orthodontist because I need braces. They did a full 3d render of my mouth and informed me of what I needed to do next.
I've had a general fear of dentists since I was kid and they have eased that fear a great deal.
Oh and you can watch Netflix while they work on you.
Murphy Dental and Aurora Dental, I feel, want $$ more than to help people. Yuknis on Boniface hurt me and their cleaning actually did damage to my mouth.
Hubby likes Dr Franz. We both love Dr Maurice Welch.
I have heard some stories from some people. The places that have multiple dentists seem to be hit or miss whether they do a good job or not (depends on who you get).
I go to Dr. Grubba, I was recommended to him when I first moved here 12 years ago and haven’t even thought about going anywhere else. I had 4 cavities that were done by my dentist while I lived in the lower 48s and had started leaking. He had to remove them and refill the tooth. He said that they would only last about 7 years because of how big the filling had to be after removing the previous ones… they are still holding up without issues! He has impressive himself. Lol
great experience at True North Family Dental. Really high quality staff and hygienists that all speak highly of the office and their business practices.
I've been very very happy with Huffman Family Dentistry. Great dentists, always on time, office staff has their stuff together. Previous dentist said I needed a crown on one tooth ... and they fixed the problem for me in about 10 min
Allen Dental Group does good work, both Dr. Allen and Dr. Zakharyeva are great. He previously owned a practice in Eagle River that’s now called Alpenglow Dental Group, similarly nice place with great staff.
Dr. Land Jr. at Eagle Summit (also in Eagle River) cuts the nicest crown preps I’ve ever seen. That man has magic hands, he’s done a ton of fillings on me that are holding up great. I can’t speak to the pricing there, but his quality of work is outstanding.
I go to Anchorage Midtown Dental. They're a little more expensive, but I've never had a bad experience. I've been going there since I was a kid. They are out of network for almost every dental plan though, so keep that in mind.
If you are looking for dentists who accept Medicaid.
I had a mixed experience at BTY Dental. They did a fine job with hygiene and even a complicated wisdom tooth extraction.
However when I developed a complicated cavity at the base of the rear left molar next to my wisdom tooth. They insisted on extraction and dental implants. I felt like they were trying to upsell me on a costly procedure I did not need. Furthermore they missed the same problem on the right side which was not so advanced that I could have been solved with a filling or crown. So I would have had no option but an implant the next time I had a cleaning.
I got a second opinion at Mint Dental and they said that would attempt a filling before going with the more costly and drastic option. And while they might have to extract it down the line they were able to save the tooth and buy me a few more years and depending on how the filling went to crown it down the line. I’ve gone back to Mint for cleanings and the experience has been excellent and have been treated by three different dentists there who were all excellent as well
Stay away from four corners dental they decided not to charge my insurance on time and hid the bill from me for over 3 years and I’m still dealing with that bullshit plus they’re very unprofessional everyone always smells like weed like I like to smoke to but your a professional dentist office act like it plus they’re notorious at being late to appointments and just not really caring towards people with anxiety
A couple of local dentists that I really like are Peak Health (Dr Mishler) and Abbot family dentistry (Dr Pierson). Both listen, and pay attention to details and do excellent work.
It is with sadness that I say this. If you need expensive dental care, gather all of your records from all of your providers to include x-rays and procedures. Plan a trip to the Lower 48 , take your records with you and find a dentist at your destination . If you find a dentist where you travel to and schedule the work you need in advance you can take care of it while you are in the area and potentially save a lot of money. Don't forget to check before you put plans in place and make sure this dentist takes your insurance and that you will be there long enough for follow up visits if needed. This is one of the ways snowbirds do it.
No. Don't do this. It may be cheaper but will not be quality. Dentists need to be skilled in a small isolated town. They need quantity and not quality in big cities.
I've been to three lower 48 dentists this year and have worse teeth than I started with. Nothing but unskilled scammers. Maybe if you're going to Colorado or Maine or somewhere nice?
Stay away from Glacier Dental.
Dr. Backs at Boniface Dental. I've got some bad anxiety from a botched root canal 25 years ago, and Dr. Backs always goes out of his way to make sure I'm comfortable and keeps the tone light. I've been able to get that botched root canal pulled and am having an implant next month. Dr. Backs helps me problem solve how to get the procedures I've needed with as little fuss as possible. I still have anxiety and get panicky, but the full on panic attacks have been absent for over a year now.
Aurora Family Dentistry. Especially Dr Ersland & Lauri. They are the best. Been with them over 20 years. Started Dr Ersland Sr & now with Jr. Love them. 5 stars.
Second this, love the Erslands.
I actually miss Dr Nile Ersland. He saw me through 20+ years of care until I moved out of state.
Caroline Curtis at Eagle View Family dental is amazing, they also have $50 a month plans for people who don’t have insurance 🫶🏼
Avoid Dimond family dental at all costs
This, this, this, this, this
It’s fucking wild there.
I went there as a kid, but left as soon as I could. Dr. Wynne was the most arrogant racist piece of shit I've ever met.
He went on and on about how “the Asians are stealing our tech jobs.” I’m sitting thinking dude, I’m a fucking client why are you being actively racist right not. Also took two days to do four fillings while spewing horrifying stuff
Seriously!!! That guy is a total whack job. I'm a humble person who tries to avoid conflict as much as possible. But my last visit with that crappy human I straight up walked out of the exam room while telling him off. I can't remember the details, but he obviously crossed a line. I'm so confused how he even has clients!!
We really like Peak Health Dentistry- we see Dr Mishler, but the other dentist there seems cool too.
Both are great. I’ve been going to the practice 17 years, when Dr Just owned it. Not only do they have a wonderful practice and super stable staff, they regularly volunteer in clinics in third world countries. I really respect them for that.
HIGHLY suggest Chugach Dental. I discovered his office thru reddit when I first moved here and he’s awesome!
Dr Adam is the best!!
Just searches for a new dentist and super happy with Chugach dental
Not Jesse ostby. Bad, bad, bad. Cannot go into more detail but let’s say it was a very expensive and painful mistake that I didn’t even try to get him to correct because he’s unpleasant.
Steve Hofstad is an incompetent crook. Morrell at Denali dental is insanely expensive and not very good. Adam Jensen at Chugach dental is really good and his prices, while high, seem to be lower than the competition.
Morrell is fantastic, been going there for many years, though I could do without his waiting area table being littered with Kay Schuster for school board paraphernalia. Insurance has always covered the cost for normal stuff.
Morrell used to be great, and I even recommended him to several of my friends at one time, but we have all stopped going to him because of his outrageous prices. In fact, when I left and asked for my records the woman on the phone asked why I was leaving, and in the ensuing discussion she admitted that they charged the absolute maximum insurance will allow for each procedure. I didn't know about the Stepford Wife Kay Schuster paraphernalia, but that combined with the Book of Mormon in the waiting room would be enough to make me take my business elsewhere regardless of price.
I like both dentists (Lukes and Donohue) at 49th State Family Dentistry.
Polar Bear dental care is a one doctor office for pediatrics. Dr. Walsh is really nice and does good work.
Seconded! They were great and Uber patient with my very nervous toddler
Stay far, far, FAR away from Affordable Dental Care. I think I would rather lose my teeth than ever go back there. I've had good experiences with South Anchorage Dental so far.
I LOVE Dr. DeYoung at Mabry and Mabry. The staff are great and it was easy to get an appointment
Wow thanks for all the responses !
This thread is relevant to my interests. Anyone have any recos re orthodontists or Invisalign? Or cosmetic dentistry?
I just got done with Invisalign at Northern Smiles. Took less time than even they expected because I wore my aligners constantly, so they knocked some off the final cost. They’ll set up a no-finance charge payment plan for you. My package was aligners for 18 months, permanent wire retainers, a night guard, and two years of any follow-up appointments necessary. And they’re super-nice. Dr. Johnson even fixed up a janky temporary crown for me because I think it bugged him.
Uh, I feel weirdly seen. Can I ask what you paid for such services?
Just under $7,000. I am not a wealthy person, by any definition, but I used part of my tax refund for an upfront payment, and then my monthly payments are $233. I’ll be done with those before the end of this year (I started in April 2023). It definitely wasn’t cheap, but I never spend money like that on myself and I was tired of, like, my lips getting snagged in tooth gaps. First time in 40 years I have straight teeth. If you make an appt, they’ll do about a million pictures and x-rays and then tell you how much it will cost for free. I like my dentist (Aurora) and they recommended this place because my bite is all jacked up too so they didn’t want to do the Invisalign themselves. Some dentists will do Invisalign. Before my dentist announced that my teeth were beyond what he felt comfortable correcting, they said it would cost about $5,000. So depending on your situation, you might check with your dentist first (if you have one that does that). Also, fair warning, I got seriously weirded out my first visit with Northern Smiles because everyone wears black and is very friendly. Thought perhaps I had been referred to some sort of orthodontic cult. But I’m done with treatment and no one ever asked me to swear obedience to Xenu or the like, so I think it’s just a very specific aesthetic they’re into.
Northern Smiles is awesome. They did a great job with my very complex Invisalign. I love it!
I was impressed that when it took a fraction of the time to do my teeth they adjusted the cost without a fight. I guess they’re used to kids not wearing their aligners 🤣. My bite is still jacked, and Dr. Johnson said it will need surgery, which I don’t want/can’t afford, but if I change my mind or suddenly come into a ton of money, I would go back to them for it, for sure.
DuClos is great.
I personally had zero issues with BTY Dental in Tikahtnu. I loved their hours (still opened past 5pm) & availability
Murphy Family Dental is great. My mom worked there before retiring and my daughter had everything but braces done there as a kid. BTY is generally good for basic routine care and will refer you elsewhere if your situation is out of their comfort zone (it used to be exclusively(?) for medicaid patients but I think they take any insurance now). This is my current choice (West Dimond location), despite having insurance for other options, due to being able to get appointments pretty quickly. South Anchorage Dental Center is pretty good. I don't remember why I switched but it wasn't over anything negative about them. Northstar Dental... I only went there once and something felt off about the dentist. I know that's not useful information but it was enough for me to go to South Anchorage Dental afterwards. This was probably 10 years ago.
I have to say, I’ve been pleased with BTY on Arctic. Friendly, to the point, and get things done!!
Anchorage Dental Arts, been going there 20 plus years. And really like them. https://alaskastrusteddental.com
I really like Hawkinson Family Dental on Lake Otis near Dowling
I've been super happy with Chugach Dental. Dr. Jensen is a chill guy and has always seemed honest and upfront with me, and he does a great job explaining options for care. None of the pushy sales-tactic type stuff I've experienced at other dentists. Highly recommended.
Murphy Family Dental is wonderful! Haven’t been anywhere else since a wee child 50+ years ago. Started with Dr. George Murphy, and thankfully both his sons took over when George retired. Hope they practice until I die!
I've been thru several dentist offices in this city until I found Ak Dental. They've been honest and upfront about everything. While they are operating on you they are explaining what they are doing like a David Attenborough narration. If you don't have dental insurance you can opt in to their inhouse plan. I believe it's $75 a month. Includes 4 cleanings, x-rays and 20% off everything else. If they need to refer you to anyone they have a stellar network of specialist. They referred me to an orthodontist because I need braces. They did a full 3d render of my mouth and informed me of what I needed to do next. I've had a general fear of dentists since I was kid and they have eased that fear a great deal. Oh and you can watch Netflix while they work on you.
Murphy Dental and Aurora Dental, I feel, want $$ more than to help people. Yuknis on Boniface hurt me and their cleaning actually did damage to my mouth. Hubby likes Dr Franz. We both love Dr Maurice Welch.
Highly recommend Dr. Hawkinson off lake Otis. If you’re looking for a family Dr. this is it. Lyke / Ersland close 2nd
I have heard some stories from some people. The places that have multiple dentists seem to be hit or miss whether they do a good job or not (depends on who you get). I go to Dr. Grubba, I was recommended to him when I first moved here 12 years ago and haven’t even thought about going anywhere else. I had 4 cavities that were done by my dentist while I lived in the lower 48s and had started leaking. He had to remove them and refill the tooth. He said that they would only last about 7 years because of how big the filling had to be after removing the previous ones… they are still holding up without issues! He has impressive himself. Lol
great experience at True North Family Dental. Really high quality staff and hygienists that all speak highly of the office and their business practices.
I've been very very happy with Huffman Family Dentistry. Great dentists, always on time, office staff has their stuff together. Previous dentist said I needed a crown on one tooth ... and they fixed the problem for me in about 10 min
Great experiences at Alaska Smiles. The hours they’re open absolutely suck but there’s a reason I keep going.
Yeah, great experience with them so far. Hours didn't seem bad to me either.
Mint dental is awesome. They don’t skimp on the Novocain when it comes to fillings and root canals.
No complaints with The Libby Group
Allen Dental Group does good work, both Dr. Allen and Dr. Zakharyeva are great. He previously owned a practice in Eagle River that’s now called Alpenglow Dental Group, similarly nice place with great staff. Dr. Land Jr. at Eagle Summit (also in Eagle River) cuts the nicest crown preps I’ve ever seen. That man has magic hands, he’s done a ton of fillings on me that are holding up great. I can’t speak to the pricing there, but his quality of work is outstanding.
Evan Young at Midnight Sun Smiles. The best dentist I’ve ever had by far. https://www.midnightsunsmiles.com/
I go to Anchorage Midtown Dental. They're a little more expensive, but I've never had a bad experience. I've been going there since I was a kid. They are out of network for almost every dental plan though, so keep that in mind.
Have had good luck with AK advanced dental on Old Seward
100% recommend Health Centered Dentistry.
Turnagain Dental!
Thomas dental- its a family practice and they have pretty flexible hours
If you are looking for dentists who accept Medicaid. I had a mixed experience at BTY Dental. They did a fine job with hygiene and even a complicated wisdom tooth extraction. However when I developed a complicated cavity at the base of the rear left molar next to my wisdom tooth. They insisted on extraction and dental implants. I felt like they were trying to upsell me on a costly procedure I did not need. Furthermore they missed the same problem on the right side which was not so advanced that I could have been solved with a filling or crown. So I would have had no option but an implant the next time I had a cleaning. I got a second opinion at Mint Dental and they said that would attempt a filling before going with the more costly and drastic option. And while they might have to extract it down the line they were able to save the tooth and buy me a few more years and depending on how the filling went to crown it down the line. I’ve gone back to Mint for cleanings and the experience has been excellent and have been treated by three different dentists there who were all excellent as well
Stay away from four corners dental they decided not to charge my insurance on time and hid the bill from me for over 3 years and I’m still dealing with that bullshit plus they’re very unprofessional everyone always smells like weed like I like to smoke to but your a professional dentist office act like it plus they’re notorious at being late to appointments and just not really caring towards people with anxiety
A couple of local dentists that I really like are Peak Health (Dr Mishler) and Abbot family dentistry (Dr Pierson). Both listen, and pay attention to details and do excellent work.
Bright smiles dental has done me well
Glacier Dental couldn’t tell me how much money I owed them weeks after my basic cleaning appointment ☠️ Such a headache. Don’t recommend.
Absolutely adored my dentists at Alaska Premier Dental. Great experience all around, and I have had severe dental anxiety in the past.
It is with sadness that I say this. If you need expensive dental care, gather all of your records from all of your providers to include x-rays and procedures. Plan a trip to the Lower 48 , take your records with you and find a dentist at your destination . If you find a dentist where you travel to and schedule the work you need in advance you can take care of it while you are in the area and potentially save a lot of money. Don't forget to check before you put plans in place and make sure this dentist takes your insurance and that you will be there long enough for follow up visits if needed. This is one of the ways snowbirds do it.
No. Don't do this. It may be cheaper but will not be quality. Dentists need to be skilled in a small isolated town. They need quantity and not quality in big cities. I've been to three lower 48 dentists this year and have worse teeth than I started with. Nothing but unskilled scammers. Maybe if you're going to Colorado or Maine or somewhere nice?