Roderick Place was named COO of InterDent in 2017 and assumed Co-Leadership as Chief Executive Officer in 2018. Mr. Place has extensive experience transforming private equity backed healthcare companies through his strategic leadership, focus on operational excellence, clinical leadership collaboration, and structuring of field operations and corporate support teams. Mr. Place is also accomplished in leading boards and executive teams through expansive growth in mergers & acquisitions, DeNovo, due diligence and market consolidation. Before joining InterDent, Mr. Place served in executive level operations roles with Western Dental, MedQuest Associates and Alliance Healthcare. Mr. Place is also the Managing Director and Co-Founder of MedSummit Solutions, LLC. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting from Grand Valley State University.
Matthew Wickesberg joined InterDent as EVP/CFO in 2016 and assumed Co-Leadership as Executive Vice Chairman two years later. In 2019, he was further elevated to Co-Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Wickesberg is an experienced board member, executive officer, and lender with a deep background in multi-site hospitality and healthcare industries. He is also experienced working with lending institutions and private equity firms through structuring capital, due diligence, mergers & acquisitions, and uncovering portfolio synergies. Prior to joining InterDent, Mr. Wickesberg served in various senior finance roles with HOA Restaurant Group, ZTejas, Inc., and GE Capital. Mr. Wickesberg received his Bachelor of Science in Finance from Oklahoma State University and his MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Dr. Heather Hawkins has committed her career to patient care while understanding current healthcare trends and value-based comprehensive care. Dr. Hawkins has an expansive clinical, academic and operational background, including leading medical-dental integration as well as quality and risk management for multi-site healthcare organizations. After 12 years of practicing general dentistry, she expanded her skills with several key roles in academia. In 2012 she joined the team at Adventist Health in Northern California, a multi-site health care organization with over 5,000 medical and dental staff physicians, as the Director of Quality. In her leadership role there, Dr. Hawkins led expansion and integration across the health system with medical and dental clinic management and an emphasis on comprehensive care models addressing patient risk factors, active disease and preventative measures. Dr. Hawkins earned her Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry (DMD) from Nova Southeastern University in Florida and her Advanced Education in General Dentistry Certification from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Dr. Manu Chaudhry has dedicated his career in the pursuit of dental health care, improving clinical quality and access to care, and transforming delivery of care to improve overall health outcomes. He is a dynamic and mission-driven leader with extensive leadership experience over multi-region dental practices, and has also founded multiple collaborative organizations that reduce oral and overall health disparities. Dr. Chaudhry is a board member of Healthier Kids Foundation and holds a Masters of Science in Biomedical Engineering from the University of California, San Diego and earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery from University of the Pacific.
Sandra Lau is a seasoned legal adviser with over fourteen years experience acting as General Counsel of multiple dental healthcare corporations. Ms. Laus responsibilities include advising executive management, supporting strategic growth initiatives, overseeing all aspects of the corporate legal function including HIPAA, state and federal regulatory compliance, corporate transactions and governance, mergers and acquisitions, and risk and litigation management. Before Joining InterDent, Ms. Lau served as General Counsel at Western Dental. Ms. Lau holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Juris Doctor from Loyola Marymount University.
Bernard Piccione has extensive experience across a wide range of industries delivering complex enterprise-scale information technology solutions to achieve major global business value and objectives. Mr. Piccione excels at driving sustainable business growth through IT modernization, solution development, and global transformation initiatives while building strong partnerships to better leverage technology solutions. Prior to joining InterDent, Mr. Piccione served as CIO for Ingenuity Advisory Partners, Inc., Complex Care Solutions, Inc., and MagnaCare. Mr. Piccione holds a Bachelors and Masters in Computer Science from Boston University.
Darrin Kellaris is a senior marketing executive with over 20 years experience specializing in digital marketing, social media, and brand strategy. Mr. Kellaris offers a record of success in creating and driving marketing strategies that strengthen revenue, margins, and market share by elevating brand authenticity and relevance. At InterDent, he leads all aspects of marketing including digital and social media, brand positioning, and performance analytics. Prior to joining InterDent, he led marketing efforts at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and IHOP. Mr. Kellaris holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing from San Diego State University.
Diane Stern brings almost 20 years of dental services organizational experience specializing in organizational design and strategic partnering. Ms. Stern is responsible for Human Resources planning and strategy for recruiting, retention, benefits and performance management. She built her HR leadership experience through roles at Coast Dental, PrimeCo Wireless Communications and LabCorp where she focused on employee programs to increase engagement and satisfaction along with operational efficiencies. Ms. Stern holds a Bachelors degree in English Literature, Education, and Business from the University of Tampa and volunteers at KMR Group Foundation.
Reviews
Rating 3.6 out of 5 based on 128 reviews
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newest oldest highest lowestMichael Wilds
a year ago
Terrible,terrible,terrible!!! I arrived twenty minutes early for my 9am appointment. I had all the necessary paperwork filled out. Four patients came in after me,and all four were called back before me! When I was called back this man told me that a tech had called in sick? Don't you think that information could have been provided while I was patiently waiting? The same person took my xrays,and he was very rough throughout the whole process! Would not recommendthis office to anyone!!!!PS. Only good thing was young lady at the counter Janet. Very professional, polite,and helpful!!
Kenneth Martinson
a year ago
Good luck getting the incompetent front office staff to pick up the phone when you need them too. Multiple issues at this place in the past. Baa-Byeee!
Heather Marshall
a year ago
Feels very scammy. Recommended a $700 deep cleaning at my first visit, oddly my last dentist i saw less than a year ago had no such concerns. Now charging me $74 for co-pay for initial x-ray and consultation (no cleaning). Just crazy exorbitant prices and significant upsell with no explained justification. These prices are WAY out of line with anything I have encountered in the past.
DEN-9261 Palm Springs - 20th
2 years ago
The staff is so friendly!!! Edgar took such great care of me. I felt so welcomed and at ease love this place .
Rosemary Duggan
2 years ago
Little Janet is the best. I've been going to gentle dental for about 6 years. Service is excellent and caring. Give her a raise
Gail Kibe
2 years ago
They have been unsuccessfully trying for three years to get a partial plate to fit me right. I had hundreds of visits over the past three years. They adjusted, sent them back to the lab, started over completely three times. I suffered a lot of pain while wearing them to come back to be adjusted. They never did fit without pain. After having several adjustments on this third set I was still in pain from them. When I called Gentle Dental to tell them this third set was not working Dental Assistant Edgar answered the phone. He said to make an appointment and he would see if he could fix them. He spent about an hour localizing where the pain was coming from and fixed that. Then they still did not fit correctly, so he fixed that. After three years I walked out of there with perfectly fitting partials with no pain.
Robert Nunes
2 years ago
Great staff and great doctor. The staff is very informative and ensure I know exactly what is being done and why. I have never had that before. Manager Esteban is always very informative and friendly. Looking forward to my next check up. Thank you Desert Dental and team!
Denise King
2 years ago
Dr. Jai, Janet, Edgar and the whole team are excellent. Friendly and yes, gentle. Dr. Jai listened to my concerns and I feel for the first time that I don't need more work done then really necessary Highly recommend this office.
James D LaCour
2 years ago
The entire staff has excellent customer and make you feel that your there only customer.
G Berry
2 years ago
I had to come here for an emergency treatment. I'm so glad I did I have never been treated so well as a new patient from the reception to working with Perla (she's so kind and friendly) who is amazing at her job and really made me feel very comfortable. Dr. J explained everything to me in a way that I could understand. I am so glad I found this dental facility. I feel taken care of and feel like I am getting the very best of care.
Harvey Helfand
2 years ago
Office can use a GOOD CLEANING!!
Dawn Hammerton
2 years ago
Had a very bad experience.Staff was rude, demeaning and all the people acted unhappy to be working there. I'll never go back. Have changed dentists with scan . The worst was the girl doing x-rays she was very abrasive and rude and hurt me many times when I told her she was pinching my gum she said in .
Branden Shoemaker
2 years ago
I've never had anything but problems with this place. I went here over 10 years ago to have my wisdom teeth removed and the oral surgeon damaged the root canal I had done just a couple weeks earlier due to an abscess and then had to have it removed after paying to have it put in. I returned last year for a root canal and was met with unprofessional behavior and overpriced dental work. The dental assistants are terrible. I had to go for weeks without my crown and when I first went in to get it I was told it wasn't there after I had taken time off work to go and I was rescheduled for another week later. Save yourself the trouble and the money and go somewhere else.
Jeff Anderson
2 years ago
I was concerned to learn my old dentist was no longer here. Not to worry though, I was absolutely impressed with Dr. Jai, Edgar, Janet and the rest of the team. They all provided exceptional service.
Brenton Wilson
2 years ago
Unorganized wouldn't recommend
Rusty Canzoneri
2 years ago
This is the worst Dentist , don't go there!!!!!!!
cindy lepley
2 years ago
Thanks to Greisy at the call center for making my appointment Dr. Jai Narula for truly comfortable and gentle care - Extracted a broken deep seated root and tooth - Set up for follow up treatments Edger - Dental aide - very attentive to my concerns Perla - who was my first contact and during X-rays and initial consult Estevan - who explained my financial options - all costs quoted fell within what my insurance would cover and I do not feel there was any upselling done Janet who assisted with my temporary partial and was my last contact thru payment I went in expecting the absolute worst due to previous experiences and the medium rating on google I am please to say they well exceeded my expectations
Michael Sancineto
2 years ago
Looking for a "Good Dentist?" Your search is over. Dr. Namla is excellent! He actually listens to you and what you have to say and follows through with you needs. Also the entire staff is welcoming and understanding. Treatment Planning is also excellent. After discussing the plan with the Doctor, Esteban Comes in and discusses your payment and payment plans. I have to say that was also a pleasant experience. He explains all my options and put me on a payment plan that doesn't break my bank. All in all a good experience. I highly recommend them. So don't wait anymore. Give them a call and make an appointment.
Miss Jessii Babyy (LovelyyJ)
2 years ago
First time Patient, and loved my experience from walking in to walking out. Special thanks to Edgar & Dr.Jai & Janet for their help on my 2 front teeth. Esteban is very informative and pleasant to speak to. I will definitely be recommending Gentle Dental. Can't wait for my next visit.
Suzanne Christensen
2 years ago
Dr. Malak is an incredible and talented dentist and cares a great deal about her patients. I am so glad she joined Gentle Dental. Ruth, the dental hygienist has many years of experience and was very gentle. The entire staff are very knowledgeable and caring from the dental assistants, to billing and reception. Thanks for all your hard work.!!!
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