Dr. Kris Hamamoto graduated from the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry in 1991. She entered the United States Navy in 1993 and toured San Diego and Sasebo, Japan. When her service in the Navy ended in 1996, she began practicing dentistry full time and is now the owner of her Palo Alto practice. Dr. Hamamoto is dedicated to continuing her education so she can provide the most up to date dental procedures. In 2001, she graduated from PAC-live (Pacific Aesthetic Continuum), the nations premier, hands-on, live patient continuing education program. Dr. Hamamoto has been a member of the California Dental Association (CDA) and the American Dental Association (ADA) since graduation. She is married and has one child. Dr. Hamamoto enjoys the outdoors and ran the Honolulu Marathon in 1979 and 2000.
Dr. Tran earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Cell and Molecular Biology from San Francisco State University in 1985, and her Doctorate of Dental Medicine from the Medical College of Georgia in 1990. She joined the Navy Reserve while in dental school. She practiced as a general dentist for 7 years before returning to graduate school. She completed residency training in Periodontics in 2000 at the Naval Postgraduate Dental School (NPDS) in Bethesda, Maryland, and became a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology in 2000. She completed an additional two year training program in Orofacial Pain in 2006 at NPDS and received her board certification in 2007. In 2010, she was selected for acupuncture training with the Helms Medical Institute and received a certificate in Medical Acupuncture.
After completing Officers Indoctrination training at Newport, Rhode Island, in August 1990, Dr. Tran reported to Oaknoll Naval Hospital in Oakland as a General Practice Resident. She went on to serve 12 months in Diego Garcia, a British island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Then she returned stateside to work at the Marine Corps Recruiting Depot in Parris Island, South Carolina. From 1994-96, she served as the Dental Department Head on the USS Comstock (LSD-45) homeported in San Diego. In 1997 she started residency training in Periodontics and was subsequently assigned to 13 Dental Company, Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar in 2000. In 2004, she returned to Bethesda to complete training in Orofacial Pain. In 2006, she accepted orders to 1st Dental Battalion/Naval Dental Center in Camp Pendleton, where she is the department head for Periodontics and Orofacial Pain and mentor for the AEGD and GPR residents.
Dr. Tran retired from the US Navy in September 2013 after completing 23 years of active service. She has relocated to the Bay Area and loves the challenges of getting re-established as a periodontist in private practice.
Dottie has been my right hand for over 15 years. Her dental career goes way back when she was a dentist in the Philippines. Her skills as a Registered Dental Assistant in the US are by far the most outstanding.
My name is Rupinder Kaur. I was born and brought up in India. I graduated in dental science from Baba Farid Dental University India in 2004 and then I moved to United States. I received my Associate Degree in Dental hygiene from San Jose Carrington college. One of my great passion is to educate people about their oral Heath and spread awareness how oral health is correlated with their systemic health. I am always keeping my knowledge updated by taking new classes and attending Seminars. I am married and mom of two boys nine and fifteen years old. My hobbies are gardening, cooking and go for walk with my family.
After graduating from SJSU, Rachel Hamamoto started working for her Auntie in 2019. She is Dr. Hamamotos insurance coordinator, payroll manager and bookkeeper. She likes to do arts and crafts, watch Asian dramas and spend time with family when shes not working.
Hi Im Mavlyn, better known as Mave. I was born & raised in the Palo Alto area. Im married with 2 children. Ive been in the dental field since 2002. I started out as an Assistant & transitioned to the front office. Ive been part of Dr. Hamamotos team since 2015. In my spare time I like to read, workout, spend time with family & friends and help out with my church when possible.
Dr. Hamamoto and her personable team of Palo Alto dentists pride themselves on their patient-centered practice. Together, they provide the highest quality dentistry for people of all ages. Through an equal commitment to cosmetic, general and family and restorative dentistry techniques and with the latest technology, they create healthy smiles for every patient they treat.
Our team has earned the loyalty of our patients through our commitment to providing beautiful, natural smiles. Dr. Hamamoto herself has worked in the office since she was 15. The long retention of staff results in a warm and friendly atmosphere and helps us to establish long-term relationships with each of our patients.
Reviews
Rating 4.9 out of 5 based on 307 reviews
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newest oldest highest lowestSarah E Chase
2 years ago
Excellent care, I never worry about if I'm getting the best care or suggestions. I am always confident that the right amount of solutions are recommended. All the newest proven tech and services.
Abdel Fahmy
2 years ago
Wonderful doctor and staff!
Abdulrahman Hazem
2 years ago
Dr Hamamoto is amazing! Always goes above and beyond!
Abdulrahman Hazem
3 years ago
Dr Hamamoto is amazing! Always goes above and beyond!
Andrew
4 years ago
My overall experience here was excellent, they managed to remove three years worth of tea stain from my teeth in about an hour. Both Dr. Hamamoto, and her assistant were gentle yet thorough.
M C
4 years ago
This is a long due five-star review for Dr. Yen. I have been coming to this place for over two years, initially it's because of the location, only two blocks away from my office, and very good reviews. At the beginning, all I wanted was just to do the teeth cleaning, but Dr. Yen pointed out all the problems my teeth have and he showed his confidence that he could make them perfect for me. Honestly, I thought Dr. Yen was this cocky young guy, who just wanted to make more money. So I did not listen. Through the years, all the problems he identified earlier have been proved they were true. He fixed all of the problems with his outstanding skills. Especially the crown reconstruction he did, was way better than my last last dentist, who was appeared to be more experienced on paper. After my 70 years old dentist retired, I was sad for a long time. But now I think I have found this amazing dentist, Dr. Yen. His hands are very steady, and he is skilled, professional, considerate and humble. In addition, he has this awesome support team in his office: everyone is super nice and sweet. I love going there.
Leigh Klotz
4 years ago
Excellent!
sue ruzhnikov
4 years ago
Great experience getting a crown replaced today. Dr Kris is an exemplary dentist, highly skilled, professional with a warm and kind way of putting her patients at ease. And very thorough, careful and friendly hygienists, who gently but firmly encourage healthy dental habits. :)
Harlan Sexton
4 years ago
Consistently high quality of treatment. I've been a patient for years and will continue to be so at least until Kris retires.
farideh moraveji
4 years ago
My family and I have been going to Dr Kris for more than 25 years. Dr Kris and her staff are very professional, knowledgeable, thoughtful and caring. We are extremely delighted to have her as our family dentist.
Bill Quarre
4 years ago
Kris is the best! I had to have a last minute root canal. She referred me to a awesome endodontist, then she put on a temporary crown the next day. All of this in a matter of two days and just in time for my holiday. She and her staff take great care of their patients
Briana Rico
4 years ago
Alex Yen provides exceptional service. The first time I've ever left a dentist feeling confident about my oral health. I absolutely recommend.
Katie T
4 years ago
Dr. Kris takes the time to make sure I understand why I have those problems with my teeth. I'm feeling really confident that I know what to do to improve my dental health. And everyone in the office is really nice. I'm completely satisfied and look forward to my dental visits.
Sheri Morrison
4 years ago
Dr. Kris does excellent dental work. She cares about her patients and makes herself available. Her staff is fantastic!
Bruce N
4 years ago
Dr. Hamamoto is great. I had a loose filling and she was quick to take care of it. She's caring and very nice. Her quality of work is great. I highly recommend her.
K S
4 years ago
I have been a client of Dr Hamamoto for almost 20 yrs and have been exceptionally happy with the quality of her services, as well how she considers her patients personal needs on treatment.
Giordano Bruno Beretta
4 years ago
They have been taking good care of my teeth since 1984 and they are in good shape. I highly recommend Dr. Hamamoto for her expertise and humanity.
Abigail Green
4 years ago
Another update: I just had another cleaning (this time with Christine). Gentle, thorough and informative as usual! Dr Yen does excellent work and so does all the staff! Just an update: I've had a few fillings and a wisdom tooth extraction from Dr. Yen. He's still the best dentist! For detailed reasons see below. But in brief he is efficient, gentle, has excellent bedside manner and does great work. His hygienist is also fantastic. The receptionists are prompt and friendly. Love Dr. Yen and friends and have recommended it to anyone who's brought up dentistry with me. Initial review: I have Dr Yen as my dentist. Unequivocally, he is the best dentist I have had. There are several reasons for my saying this. Below are these reasons broken into categories (so you can look at what you want to know most about Dr Yen and the Kris Hamamoto office) Dental health education/bedside manner: Dr Yen (Alex) explained everything about my dental health with photographs of my teeth, a dental model, and detailed descriptions. He used this info to not only direct my future dental work (a few fillings) but also to help me focus on problem areas that I wasn't getting clean enough in my daily oral routine. He explained everything without assuming I should just know this, and he didn't insult my intelligence either. I think he balanced his communications like this with me so well because of his true care for my dental health. His assistant, Laura, was also excellent about answering my questions in a clear and friendly manner. Transparency of diagnosis: I have had dentist in the past who look at my teeth and my X-rays and then just tell me what I need done. Although Alex did tell me quickly what I should do, he also asked me if I would like to see why he suggested what I needed done. He then showed me the images and explained what I needed. The previous dentist I had gone to tried to upsale me to more expensive dental work, but Dr Yen explained my options with pros and cons. It's refreshing to have this conversation and have options (not be stuck with the black box of diagnosis). Actual dental work and cost: Both my cleaning and fillings were painless. Dr Yen and Laura are gentle and efficient. They're also good about telling you what to expect next, so no surprises! Time for two visits/five fillings (including 2 deep/in between teeth fillings) was a little less than 2hrs. And this time is including anesthesia and the time, in which he waited, for me to become completely numb. The fillings themselves are perfect: smooth, no burrs or bite issues, no shredding of floss in between them. There was a little cold sensitivity on my deep fillings the first couple days, but that's cleared up too. Based on the cost of my two previous dentists, Dr Yen is also the cheapest pre-insurance (~half the cost). So overall, excellent painless work at a completely reasonable cost. Office/scheduling: The office staff are super-friendly and efficient! Mave is always upbeat, helpful and patient (which I need because I tend to be a real space cadet). I was able to get the appointments that I wanted, get the itemized receipts I needed for my claims, and have it all done quickly and courteously. The facility is sparkling clean, and there is a beautiful tropical saltwater aquarium and nice little garden. The whole atmosphere puts me at ease, which is good because I've never liked going to doctors/dentists and am usually quite anxious in these types of facilities. Overall: I love this dentist office. Dr Yen, Laura, Mave and the rest of the staff are just fantastic! I have recommended this office to my friends, coworkers and family that live in the Bay Area. Follow up: went in for my cleaning last week and again, everything perfect. Great scheduling/intake service, gentle but thorough cleaning. Dr Yen's advice has my teeth in great shape and I'm feeling very positive about my dental hygiene. Thanks again!
George Fisher
4 years ago
Rachel was terrific, and Dr. Hamamoto always is.
Robin Sullivan
4 years ago
Always professional, caring and empathetic. Wonderful.
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