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 4.6 out of 5 based on 39 reviews
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newest oldest highest lowestZaneta Zhao
a year ago
The absolutely worst place to go for dental care. I just got a call from a collection officer saying I owe $270 for care from April 2021. That's 1.5 years ago. I had provided my husband's insurance as a secondary but they said they didn't have it on file. They then claimed that they called me multiple times about the bill, which never happened. I switched dentists summer 2021 because I was sick and tired of Gentle Dental's shady practices, and I guess this was their way of getting that last $$$ from me lol. These people should not be in the healthcare industry.
Jay L
2 years ago
If I have the chance to reverse all of Gentle Dental's work, I take it in a heartbeat. Years passed, and I have gone through multiple dentists as an adult. The treatment from my new dentists to this company is incomparable, and it is harrowing to think Gentle Dental took greed over my long-term benefit and health. After Gentle Dental's braces treatment, I had teeth and jaw problems that grew every year. There were unnecessary procedures for my non-impacted teeth that included removing four bicuspid teeth without a second opinion. After removing my braces, my teeth were still crooked, and I was still with an uneven bite. I trusted my dentist did the best work (defending against all criticism from my friends and family), and thought the slant was insignificant. After seeing multiple dentists and receiving better insight about my teeth, this is no longer the case. I wore my retainers consistently and showed off my new smile for the past nine years, but I am now embarrassed and disheartened. The way to correct some damage is to go through the procedure again. I requested Gentle Dental for my dental records to provide them to my new dentist. However, no records exist because they destroy them after some years. The only history that exists in their database is the dental payments. Upon reading through the payment plan, they charged my procedures to the maximum amount they could. "Your mouth is too small; we need to remove some teeth." "Your teeth are not growing properly; you need braces." They would suggest this repeatedly after every cleaning, and as a teenager, this made me very self-conscious about showing my teeth. The absurd part about this experience is that this saying is not the dentist but the hygenist. Not only was I pushed to take a crucial dental procedure but convinced to do so from a non-professional standpoint. My advice for anyone making a life-changing decision for their health or their child's health is to seek multiple recommendations from different dentists. No dental office should be treating their patients like an auto shop.
Reginald Niles
2 years ago
I've been a patient at Gentle Dental since the 1980s because I'm always confident that I'll be well taken care of and can rely on the doctors, and assistants' careful attention to detail.
Henry Song
2 years ago
I have been to this office since 2006. It has been almost 14 years now, nothing but gratitude. In the 14 years, Rey has been taking care my wife and me on cleaning. He is simply excellent on what he is doing, gentle and professional. In the last 14 years, both my wife and I had quite a few crowns and many filings done by Dr. Ma. He was super professional. I can not ask for a better doctor other than Dr. Ma. Every time I call the office, I always got a joyful and gentle greeting from Virginia, that always made my day. Above all, office manager Sonja is the nicest and kindest person I have ever met in my life, gentle voice, soft tone. In front of her, there is nothing that cannot melt away without filling your heart with joy and happiness. In my opinion, you can not go wrong with this office. and I hope our relationship with this office can continue for many years to come.
Jesse Haro
2 years ago
I broke a crown over the weekend and Gentle Dental took me in Monday and gave me such great care. Dr. Ma works with great detail to ensure the tooth is getting the best treatment. He considers all the history, my medical condition, always checking in with me through the process. His assistant was awesome today, ensuring my comfort during the whole process. The temporary she created and placed fits perfect. Thank you guys for getting me through this emergency.
Henry Song
3 years ago
I have been to this office since 2006. It has been almost 14 years now, nothing but gratitude. In the 14 years, Rey has been taking care my wife and me on cleaning. He is simply excellent on what he is doing, gentle and professional. In the last 14 years, both my wife and I had quite a few crowns and many filings done by Dr. Ma. He was super professional. I can not ask for a better doctor other than Dr. Ma. Every time I call the office, I always got a joyful and gentle greeting from Virginia, that always made my day. Above all, office manager Sonja is the nicest and kindest person I have ever met in my life, gentle voice, soft tone. In front of her, there is nothing that cannot melt away without filling your heart with joy and happiness. In my opinion, you can not go wrong with this office. and I hope our relationship with this office can continue for many years to come.
Jesse Haro
3 years ago
I broke a crown over the weekend and Gentle Dental took me in Monday and gave me such great care. Dr. Ma works with great detail to ensure the tooth is getting the best treatment. He considers all the history, my medical condition, always checking in with me through the process. His assistant was awesome today, ensuring my comfort during the whole process. The temporary she created and placed fits perfect. Thank you guys for getting me through this emergency.
Karthik Srinivas Ghantasala
3 years ago
I am going here from past 2 years Edelman is the best dentist. Prices here are very reasonable and everything is done on time.
Julia Wiggins
3 years ago
Best dental office around! The staff, doctors as well as managers are wonderful! Dr. Ma did a filling on a front tooth for me a few days ago. Very gentle and highly skilled. Looks beautiful and you can't tell that I have a filling on that tooth, it looks so natural and perfect. Thank you! 5 Stars given!
Sylvia Barrientos Camacho
3 years ago
I thought I was doing the right thing by coming here. I was so wrong. I came in with severe tooth pain. Dentist said there was nothing after test/ xray and gave me antibiotics as a just in case. Fast forward 8 months later- I have an infection so bad that it went to my sinuses and it ate more than half the tooth. Tooth had a root canal over 10 years ago, you could only see metal where the root should of been. I had to go to another dentist to find this out, costing me way more than it should have due to thier negligence. Also asked them to release my medical records for the new dentist. I understand Thanksgiving is tomorrow and people want to leave early. I asked if it'd be easier for me to pick them up. She told me that I could come but she doesn't know if people will be there. I dont know how that makes sense but I guess it did to her because she wanted to get off the phone. She kept telling me she had to go and she had things to do. Well if that's the case why did she answer the phone? As her being the manager-totally unprofessional. And just pushed it over the edge and made it clear to me that this is not the place that I want to handle my dental work. All these other reviews must be fake because I can't be the only one that have gone through this.
Steven Finet
3 years ago
Pediatric dentist and her assistant were great with our son, very fast, made procedure experience positive, and they sing !:). Also I have been a patient here for past 25 years since being a child and now nring my own son here.
George Huang
4 years ago
I have been coming here for fifteen plus years, Dr. Edelman and all of the staff here are always friendly and very professional. Thank you again.
Cherie Ruiz
4 years ago
My family has been coming to Gental Dental for over fifteen years. We appreciate the professionalism, preventative treatment and advice from the Hygienists, Dentists and Staff.
Sharon Shupe
4 years ago
My family and I have been coming to Gentle Dental McCarthy Ranch for a few years now. They have wonderful customer service, great office hours and the best dentists, orthodontists and techs :)
David Aranda
4 years ago
I been coming to Dr. Edelman's office for over 40 years now,and I have to say that I have never been disappointed in any of his work or procedures he has provided.He's been informative on his work provided,and is gentle and concerned about about my wellbeing.He done work for my family, and I still have siblings who still are using his services. He's funny and I consider him more than a dentist, he's a friend! David Aranda
Deepa Anand
4 years ago
It was great experience with Dr. Edelman. I had my crown done. Perfect work!
Killwm Quick
4 years ago
Best dental experience I have ever had. The staff and the doctors were super friendly and nice! I will not be going anywhere else ever. The facility is very nice and they use all stay of the art equipment and tools. I recommend them to anyone looking for great service and a new dental home.
Karthik Srinivas Ghantasala
4 years ago
I am going here from past 2 years Edelman is the best dentist. Prices here are very reasonable and everything is done on time.
Sylvia Barrientos Camacho
4 years ago
I thought I was doing the right thing by coming here. I was so wrong. I came in with severe tooth pain. Dentist said there was nothing after test/ xray and gave me antibiotics as a just in case. Fast forward 8 months later- I have an infection so bad that it went to my sinuses and it ate more than half the tooth. Tooth had a root canal over 10 years ago, you could only see metal where the root should of been. I had to go to another dentist to find this out, costing me way more than it should have due to thier negligence. Also asked them to release my medical records for the new dentist. I understand Thanksgiving is tomorrow and people want to leave early. I asked if it'd be easier for me to pick them up. She told me that I could come but she doesn't know if people will be there. I dont know how that makes sense but I guess it did to her because she wanted to get off the phone. She kept telling me she had to go and she had things to do. Well if that's the case why did she answer the phone? As her being the manager-totally unprofessional. And just pushed it over the edge and made it clear to me that this is not the place that I want to handle my dental work. All these other reviews must be fake because I can't be the only one that have gone through this.
Julia Wiggins
4 years ago
Best dental office around! The staff, doctors as well as managers are wonderful! Dr. Ma did a filling on a front tooth for me a few days ago. Very gentle and highly skilled. Looks beautiful and you can't tell that I have a filling on that tooth, it looks so natural and perfect. Thank you! 5 Stars given!
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