Dr. Craig Thiedewas born in Barstow, California. However, he was raised most of his life in Hacienda Heights, California. He did his undergraduate work at the University of Southern California. He received his dental degree from New York University, School of Dentistry in 1988. He received his postgraduate training inOral and Maxillofacial Surgeryfrom New York University Woodhull Hospital.
Naman Desai was born in Torrance, California, and grew up in the city of Orange. Incidentally, he met Dr. Thiede in high school, which sparked his interest in the field of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. With that goal in sight, he attended the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA, where he earned his BS in Biology. He then returned back to Southern California, where he earned his DDS at the UCLA School of Dentistry. After which, he matched and moved across town to complete his training in the rigorous six-year Oral Surgery program at the LAC-USC County Hospital and the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry. He earned his MD from the Keck School of Medicine of USC during his training. With some luck, he was able to come full circle in his journey back to where he was initially inspired. In his free time, he enjoys running, swimming, hiking, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
I have knownDr. Thiedesince he graduated from dental school and joined his team as Office Manager in 2002, bringing a total of over 40 years oral surgery and general dental office experience to his practice. I attended Cerritos College after graduating from high school where I received my dental assisting training and later earned my RDA and coronal polishing license.My area of expertise is with all aspects ofmedical and dental insurance billing,patient finance and collections. My personal knowledge in oral surgery allows me the ability to assist in back office surgical procedures and that gives me the opportunity to be involved in direct patient care which I also enjoy.
Graduating from Laguna Beach High with my CA Dental X-ray License and Dental Assistant Certification by attending night school my senior year, allowed me to start working in the dental field right out of high school. While working, I obtained my Liberal Arts degree at Saddleback College, then my Oral Surgery Assistant Certificate. I have always enjoyed Oral Surgery and throughout my career in dentistry this fact has never changed. I particularly enjoy meeting new people, assisting and responding to concerns patients may have, and trying to help families feel at ease throughout their treatment process. Working with Dr. Thiede since June of 2018 I have been able to do what I love most, educating and helping patients feel warm and welcome in our office.
I joined The So Cal Oral surgery team in 2014, after working as a sales rep for a title company I decided I wanted to do something more fulfilling like help people smile in a situation where they could be nervous. The one on one experience side of my job is my favorite. I know being face-to-face with patients and doctors is a perfect fit! Becoming a member of Dr. Thiedes team was a smooth transition for me from surgical assistant, Treatment Coordinator, and now our offices Professional Relationship Director. My favorite part about my job is seeing all our patients happy and hearing their stories. I enjoy learning more about new advanced procedures, technology and working together with our local Doctors on continuing education.
Malissa has worked for Dr. Thiede for over 23 years. She is a certified Oral Surgery Assistant. Her functions include case presentation and assisting Dr. Thiede in all surgical procedures in our office. She performs all extended back office functions of a Certified Oral Surgery Assistant. She is also in charge of all Orthognathic Surgery cases and helps guide our patients preoperatively and postoperatively during their surgical procedure.
I have worked in the dental field for 39 years and have been a part of Dr. Thiedes surgical staff for 14 years. I am bilingual in English and Spanish. As an RDA and certified Oral Surgery Assistant, my duties in our office are to assist in all surgical procedures and assist patients in education of oral surgery procedures. I have extensive knowledge of dental implant procedures and enjoy helping patients achieve a beautiful smile.
Elisabeth has been employed with Dr. Thiede just over one year. With her more than 25 years of experience working with some of the top Oral Surgeons in Orange County and the South Bay area. Elisabeth is a certified Oral Assistant through CALAAMOS. Certified in BLS, ACLS, and PALS through CALAAMOS.
Starting my career as a registered dental assistant and earning my oral and maxillofacial certification, Ive enjoyed working in the dental field for many years. Joining Dr. Thiedes practice in 2014 as implant coordinator has allowed me to expand my skills. My passion is finding solutions for our patients. As a treatment coordinator my primary focus is education and serving as a person liaison between the treating dentist, dental lab and our office to ensure the best outcome.
Reviews
Rating 4.8 out of 5 based on 125 reviews
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newest oldest highest lowestSkylar Sharp
a year ago
I went here for an extraction of all four impacted Wisdom teeth. The front desk ladies are kind and friendly, and they actually managed to get me the entire surgery + anesthesia for free which saves me a ton of money. The last place I went to wanted me to pay over $2000 out of pocket, but these folks actually made an effort to make it affordable for me--kudos to them on that one! The surgery itself was painless and very quick. When I woke up I didn't feel too groggy at all and the recovery's gone by really fast--the worst pain was on day one, but it hasn't gotten worse than that. They even let me keep the teeth and provided some extra care items to take home. The one thing that makes this place a 4 and not a 5 in my eyes is how my anxiety was handled. I was very nervous due to a history of PTSD and never having surgery before, and the doctors seemed really pushy and a bit callous. They tried to hold me down solely for being scared which only made me get even more uncomfortable. I was given a rather crass "do you want the surgery or not, we got you in early at your request" instead of comfort... Obviously, everything turned out fine, but I implore the doctors and nurses here to adopt a better bedside manner with their traumatized patients.
baby cakes
a year ago
Dr. Desai was wonderful. Very great with kids. My son had a couple of teeth extracted back in June and everything has healed nicely. I would highly recommend him, he was great !
Kim Jennings
a year ago
Dr. Thiede and his staff are brilliant professionals. My rare tumor was expertly handled with dignity and precision. Great office staff.
susan kaye
a year ago
What a wonderful doctor and staff. I can't say enough about Dr. Theidie. He was wonderful . Very professional and caring and an outstanding oral surgeon. I highly recommend him. Administered general anesthesia and extracted 2 teeth. I recovered rapidly without side effects. Thank you Dr. Theidie and staff.
Steve Chew
2 years ago
Beautiful new ground floor office. Beautiful people. Very competent.
Floriana Wilson
2 years ago
Dr Desai ,Dr Craig Thiede and his office are simply AMAZING, our daughter had a surgery to remove her 4 wisdom teeth and one impacted tooth.They were so professional and carrying, they made sure we fully understand the surgery and made sure she is comfortable. Beyond AMAZING,.... They called several times to check on how she is feeling and advise on home care for a speedy recovery! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Alicia Macnamara
2 years ago
Dr.Desai has gifted hands , what a fantastic job with the removal of my sons Wisdom Teeth. My son is 19 and has Severe Autism . I was so Afraid of him dealing with pain and Aggressive Behaviors after surgery. He's doing Amazing second day after surgery no swelling and only on Advil.Thank you Dr Desai and Staff I'm so Grateful and Thankful .Alicia MacNamara
EMPRESS Heather
2 years ago
Very kind although I did end up with a dry socket. I am prone to dry sockets though. I do not think it was the surgeon's fault that I have a dry socket. I don't think I clot right. They did a great job and gave me dry socket paste when I called about the throbbing. Eventually,I plan to get an implant where the back molar is now gone and I would return for the oral surgeon to do it. I do trust them and I have not had great experiences in the past with other dentists in California. after I turned 18 anyway.
Aaron Lee
2 years ago
Dr Desai is an amazing provider with incredible bedside manners, making sure i was okay during the entire and took the opportunity to explain the wisdom tooth removal and allowed me to ask any questions i may have (w/ consultation and procedure). You are the best Dr Desai, thank you for your hard work and making this arduous procedure seamless and easy.
Raylene Blodgett
2 years ago
Best service ever I would highly recommend them to anyone
Mackenzie Weil
2 years ago
Dr. Thiede performed my wisdom tooth extraction in 2015. I'm coming back here 7 years later to note that the parasthesia he caused in my jaw has never gone away. I went back for several follow-ups after the operation, worried because the numbness in the right side of my face, lower jaw, and mouth lining was not subsiding. He continued to brush it off and tell me over and over again that it would go away and to come back for another follow up in a few weeks. To this day, I have no sensation in about 25% of my face because of something that happened during the operation, which they refused to specify, explain, or take responsibility for. ALSO- I'm petrified of needles and it took the nurse EIGHT tries to get the IV in correctly. Eventually I started to panic and another doctor ran into the room and jabbed it into the top of my hand. I had massive bruising about 8 inches up and down the inside of my right arm for weeks. I'm not usually one to write reviews, but I hope this office has better practices in place since my experience there.
Rodrick Heffley
2 years ago
Great experience with wisdom teeth removal
kim Gregory
2 years ago
Right as I walked in the door, the staff gave me a friendly welcome! I was super nervous but after meeting Dr. Theide , felt right at ease!
Catherine Nguyen
2 years ago
Dr. Thiede, Dr. Desai, and their wonderful staff are the very best. I had a wonderful and comfortable experience during my wisdom teeth extractions. They are so professional and their beautiful, clean, modern office reflects their amazing care. Thank you for taking care of me! :)
ld ldyaro
2 years ago
Excellent service. The procedure went fine. I'm most grateful to Dr Craig & his Staff. Blessings
Adilene Rodriguez
2 years ago
Exelent Service
Savannah T
2 years ago
Dr. Desai does phenomenal work and has a fantastic bedside manner. I got 4 wisdom teeth extracted at once and was very nervous beforehand. Dr. Desai made sure that I felt comfortable and at ease through the whole process. He initially consulted with me on a day that they didn't do consults because I was in pain, and he answered every question I had (& I had a lot of them) with an eager to help attitude. Post op, he followed up with me on the phone to make sure I was okay. I never imagined that I could have this great of an experience with oral surgery. You'll be in very good hands if you choose him as your surgeon. Highly recommend.
Joseph Gilreath
2 years ago
Dr. Desai and his team were highly professional and very caring through out the process of having my upper wisdom teeth removed. They got me in earlier than expected and made the entire process a breeze. I'm so lucky to have found such a great doctor!
Ronald Galvin
2 years ago
I cannot say enough about the professionalism in this office. Everyone in the office was so helpful and makes you comfortable. Dr. Thiede was very easy to talk to about the procedures and his explanations were easily understood. GREAT EXPERIENCE! Ron Galvin
Janet Gugino
2 years ago
Dr Thiede, his assistant and staff is awesome and considerate. I was having my 4 wisdom teeth removed, no anesthesia. They asked questions to make sure I was comfortable and if I did experience pain, he stopped immediately and handle the situation with such kindness. Definitely would highly recommend his office. Thank you for taking such good care of me.
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