Dr. Michael French received his dental training at University of the Pacific School of Dentistry in San Francisco. He spearheaded many outreach events for children while he was a dental student and continues to be involved in many outreach projects as senior class president. His passion is participating in overseas dental missions which he finds enriching to the soul. He loves working with children. It warms his heart when he can relieve a child's pain and put a smile back on his or her face with his compassion, his sense of humor, and his dental expertise in treating children. He believes in positive reinforcement in creating a lasting relationship with his patients.
Dr. Chris M French is a third-generation dentist and proud to carry on the family tradition. Before dentistry however, Dr. Chris worked for 10 years as a graphic designer, web developer, and digital marketer in freelance, startup, and corporate capacities. He is completely self taught and although retired, he still loves reading up on the latest tech and does graphic design projects for enjoyment (including this website). Dr. Chris earned his bachelors degree from beautiful Sonoma State University and trained at the Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health for his Doctorate of Dental Medicine degree. It was there that Chris fell in love with all things dentistry. His philosophy on dentistry is based in providing whole person healthcare and providing the best possible patient experience especially for kids who are anxious or afraid of the dentist. For him, true professional fulfillment comes from building and earning the trust in patients to create or reinforce good overall health.
When Dr. Chris is not in the office, he spends time with his girlfriend Dr. Quyen and his two cream shiba-inus Hana and Hiro. He also enjoys anything physically challenging and relaxes with a good book or podcast.
Reviews
Rating 4.3 out of 5 based on 9 reviews
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newest oldest highest lowestAngela Isbell
a year ago
I love this dentist and staff!! My child is special needs and the dentist talks to him and treats him with total respect. He is working with my child and taking small steps to build a bond with him and hopefully make my child more comfortable about going to the dentist. I appreciate him and the staff for having patience with him and I don't want the dentist to ever retire!! If your child is terrified about going to the dentist I highly recommend giving this dentist a chance because we have been everywhere and no one compares.
Burcu Ersoz (Istanbulliotte)
2 years ago
I had a rather unfortunate experience with them. They told me my son didn't have an active insurance!!!! We have one of the best insurances in California and it's active. So they didn't even bother to check again with insurance company but instead bill me whole amount. Unfortunately we won't go there again.
Autumn Amick
2 years ago
My kids have been going here for years and this place is truly the best! My daughter had major trauma from another dentist office and Safari Smile made her feel comfortable going to the dentist again! Love the staff and the comfortable environment!
Cassidy Dean
2 years ago
The BEST pediatric dentistry in the area. Fun atmosphere and caring staff.
DB
2 years ago
Absolutely would not recommend treatment at this location. This facility refers to their patients or the patients guardians as "customers" rather than patients or guardians of the patient. I have never been to a healthcare of dental facility where the term "customer" was used. In addition to that, the dentist at this facility does not seem confident in his ability to decide which treatment is best and he is not good at answering questions. He doesn't actually listen to the concerns of the parents, he just kinda says what he thinks and brushes you off, which is very disconcerting when your child is in pain and want 100% confidence they're in good hands. When researching possible treatment options for our child, nearly every website recommended the same things. However, the Dentist at Safari Smiles recommended something completely different. On top of that online it states that: "if it is only a small chip on your child's tooth your pediatric may recommend doing a resin filling. Probably the most common, simple, and INEXPENSIVE route for a chipped tooth is bonding. This process consists of applying or bonding a composite resin to your tooth's surface to fill in the chip area." However when asking about what I read online he said "well if thats what ya want that's what we'll do"...but "just so you know its very EXPENSIVE." So what multiple dental websites say online and what the dentist here says completely contradict eachother. To top it off, this facility unlike many others, does not provide you with a preauthorization ahead of time so you know exactly what procedure is recommended, what your insurance will pay and any oit of pocket expense. They only offered to provide one literally seconds before the scheduled appointment time, which is completely unacceptable. Lastly I must comment on what I witnessed this morning and I can't make this up. I saw the dentist literally roll up to the facility 5 minutes before our scheduled appointment time, how unprofessional is that? Then when checking into the facility there was no front desk staff even though it was time for our child's appointment there was a sign displayed saying staff was in a meeting. When the lady finally appeared 5 minutes past our appointment time, there was no good morning, how are you guys doing this morning or an apology about them running late. Instead just a very blunt and cold "we'll be with you in a minute." When voicing our very reasonable concerns the lady at the front desk ended up walking away and laughing, not taking our concerns seriously in the slightest way. So yes this facility has video games, balloons, stickers and lollipops for your kids, but there's MUCH more to operating a professional healthcare / dental facility than just giving the kids gifts. The dentist themself should be professional, well spoken, and more than anything instill confidence in the parents than they know what they're doing. It shouldn't be "well if thats what you want, that's what we'll do." Overall again would absolutely not recommend this facility if you want to be respected, treated with dignity and most of all know your child is in good hands.
Autumn Amick
3 years ago
My kids have been going here for years and this place is truly the best! My daughter had major trauma from another dentist office and Safari Smile made her feel comfortable going to the dentist again! Love the staff and the comfortable environment!
DB
3 years ago
Absolutely would not recommend treatment at this location. This facility refers to their patients or the patients guardians as "customers" rather than patients or guardians of the patient. I have never been to a healthcare of dental facility where the term "customer" was used. In addition to that, the dentist at this facility does not seem confident in his ability to decide which treatment is best and he is not good at answering questions. He doesn't actually listen to the concerns of the parents, he just kinda says what he thinks and brushes you off, which is very disconcerting when your child is in pain and want 100% confidence they're in good hands. When researching possible treatment options for our child, nearly every website recommended the same things. However, the Dentist at Safari Smiles recommended something completely different. On top of that online it states that: "if it is only a small chip on your child's tooth your pediatric may recommend doing a resin filling. Probably the most common, simple, and INEXPENSIVE route for a chipped tooth is bonding. This process consists of applying or bonding a composite resin to your tooth's surface to fill in the chip area." However when asking about what I read online he said "well if thats what ya want that's what we'll do"...but "just so you know its very EXPENSIVE." So what multiple dental websites say online and what the dentist here says completely contradict eachother. To top it off, this facility unlike many others, does not provide you with a preauthorization ahead of time so you know exactly what procedure is recommended, what your insurance will pay and any oit of pocket expense. They only offered to provide one literally seconds before the scheduled appointment time, which is completely unacceptable. Lastly I must comment on what I witnessed this morning and I can't make this up. I saw the dentist literally roll up to the facility 5 minutes before our scheduled appointment time, how unprofessional is that? Then when checking into the facility there was no front desk staff even though it was time for our child's appointment there was a sign displayed saying staff was in a meeting. When the lady finally appeared 5 minutes past our appointment time, there was no good morning, how are you guys doing this morning or an apology about them running late. Instead just a very blunt and cold "we'll be with you in a minute." When voicing our very reasonable concerns the lady at the front desk ended up walking away and laughing, not taking our concerns seriously in the slightest way. So yes this facility has video games, balloons, stickers and lollipops for your kids, but there's MUCH more to operating a professional healthcare / dental facility than just giving the kids gifts. The dentist themself should be professional, well spoken, and more than anything instill confidence in the parents than they know what they're doing. It shouldn't be "well if thats what you want, that's what we'll do." Overall again would absolutely not recommend this facility if you want to be respected, treated with dignity and most of all know your child is in good hands.
Cassidy Dean
3 years ago
The BEST pediatric dentistry in the area. Fun atmosphere and caring staff.
Kevin Diamond
5 years ago
Great honest people and the kids actually look forward to coming here!
Kevin Diamond
6 years ago
Great honest people and the kids actually look forward to coming here!
Rhiannon K
6 years ago
The best dentist ever.
thom heath
6 years ago
Great environment for children, fast work. Highly recommend!
thom heath
7 years ago
Great environment for children, fast work. Highly recommend!
Rhiannon K
7 years ago
The best dentist ever.
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