Well done dentistry that is comfortable lasts a long time, looks good and functions well requires attention to many little details. Safely removing silver/mercury and old fillings, carefully preparing the tooth, removing the cavity, disinfecting the remaining tooth structure, sealing the tooth, and rebuilding it in small increments are just a few. And to do this while keeping the tooth isolated and protected from saliva and contaminants.
A lot of what we do is changing recently done dentistry that is not well done. The stories patients tell us are shocking and makes me disheartened about where dentistry has gone. The focus seems to be to get as many patients processed through the practice as possible and sell as many procedures as possible without thorough conversation and using fear, most often unfounded, as a motivation.
The patient will say the dentist only spends a few minutes because he/she is quickly moving from room to room rushing through as many procedures as possible. And the dental assistant is doing a lot of the steps. A trained and certified assistant is legally allowed to do this but I dont agree. I feel that the patient is paying me so I should be the one doing all the steps. And think about itwhy would the dentist want to have the assistant do some of the steps? One main reasonso he/she can be seeing more patients!
We also get patients who want another opinion on the dentistry that was just recommended, which is usually a crown or a root canal and crown. Dentists seem to be quick to recommend that. It can be done quickly and a lot of the steps are delegated to the assistant. Sometimes teeth need crowns but many times a more conservative direct bonded composite restoration will work as well, if not better, and be much kinder to the living pulp of the toothif care is taken with every step.
At our practice, you will see me for the entire exam. I first spend the time listening to your story and review everything on your history form (yes, I read it all before we talk!) and then do an exam that includes 35mm photographs. Photos show things that X-rays dont show and as a result, we dont need near as many Xrays. Many offices have a policy that all new patients get a full mouth series of 18-24 images. Wellnot everybody needs that! Thats why we start with the minimum and if we need to see something more in-depth, we can do that afterward.
After you leave, I study all the info gathered and put together an easy-to-understand report of findings and a treatment plan for suggested treatment, and email it to you. You will have all the time you need to review it and ask any questions for clarification. Only when you feel that you can decide on your dental treatment that is in your best interest and has a rationale that solve a specific problem are you and I ready to proceed. Proceeding with treatment just because the dentist said so is not a good reason.
Reviews
Rating 4.7 out of 5 based on 36 reviews
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newest oldest highest lowestRene Hall
2 years ago
Dr. Tarantola is wonderful. If you are looking for a holistic dentist I highly recommend this office. They are caring, friendly and always professional.
Barbara Beckford
2 years ago
Best dentist I've ever been to. Got pretty badly needed major work done. He saved teeth I'm pretty sure most dentists would have done root canals on. Very pleased. He and Cheryl are a very good team.
ILYA L
2 years ago
Dr. Tarantola saved my teeth. I had horrible amalgam fillings and a few poorly installed composite fillings. He safely removed them all and replaced them with gold on-lay's that I invested in. It wasn't cheap, but you get what you pay for and 4 years later I'm chewing like a king and have no issues or complaints whatsoever. Just recently, I had another old composite filling crack and I had it removed and replaced with another gold on-lay that went as smooth as before. Very high quality dental work and professionalism from my personal experience here. Thank you Dr. T, Cheryl, and the rest of the team!
Paula hall
2 years ago
I am very happy with the care that I got from dr. Tarantola . I am a holistic physician myself and was impressed with his honesty and skill. I was able to keep my tooth whereas any other local dentist would have recommended a root canal. My husband who was also an emergency physician for 40 years stated that Dr.Tarantola is the best dentist he has ever been to in his life. His wife who is his assistant makes for a perfect team of caring individuals. We do not mind driving over an hour and a half to see them both.
Kuji Datastream
2 years ago
Getting an appointment here is like pulling teeth! Nobody answers, nobody calls back. Why not say 'sorry, we are not taking any new patients' instead of wasting peoples time?
courtney blackburn
2 years ago
A fantastic and caring dentist and staff. I appreciate their care of my overall health.
sabrina bair
2 years ago
I have been coming to Tarantula Dentistry for a year or so and I have to say they are the best I've been to by far! I have had an extensive amount of work done and I can now smile with full confidence again. I am amazed with the work they have done and Cheryl is very welcoming and just the sweetest Lady. Dr. Tarantola is awesome with giving Novocaine shots which for me is the worst part however he is able to make it as painless as possible and I am very thankful for that and for everything they have done thus far. Their dental hygienist is wonderful as well very helpful with letting you know how to better take care of your teeth and what are the best products to do so. Thank you all so very much for giving me a beautiful smile again! I appreciate you all!
Greg Freyman
2 years ago
Stay away, these people do NOT care about your health. I came to them with "extremely" high mercury levels in my system, they stretched out my initial visit for two weeks. Then finally I get there and I am met by Cheryl, she was rude, and snide multiple times in email and in person. They find a tooth that was as old as I was and claimed it was infected, it was not and I had that confirmed by two dentists, it was merely irritated from food getting stuck on it. This was an old tooth that root canales and crown that fell off many years ago. They took a quick glance and claimed it was "infected". They refused to give me any dates over email or by phone (they don't pick up their phone) as to when I will have the tooth pulled and as to when we can get the mercury fillings out. Instead I received snide remarks from the wife Cheryl by email again. To me getting the mercury out was a priority and to them it was to string me along as long as possible to squeeze out as much as possible out of my wallet. These people aren't healers or holistic doctors they are simply low class individuals that claim to be healthcare providers. They should be ashamed of themselves. I hope for their sake that they are never in a situation like I was where they will be at the mercy of someone else. Karma can be a real pain. Go to a place e that will take care of you. I drove 100 miles in the middle of the night to get the emergency care I deserve.
Anita Farace
2 years ago
Dr Tarantola and staff are the best dentist office ever! I have had some bad experiences with dentist offices. I could not ask for more from this office! Professional and friendly, they really care about you and the work they do. I would give them 100 stars if possible.
Jessie Tampoc
2 years ago
Dr. Tarantola holistically removed a root canal that had been infected for my wife, and she raved on how thorough, educated and gentle that he and his wife were, as a team. She was so thankful to have found them through a search online. We'd highly recommend anyone seeking an excellent and holistic approach to visit this office!
Renee Rossop
2 years ago
I have been to Dr T a few times, for root canal tooth pulled & 4 mercury fillings replaced. Another dentist started to replace my mercury filings, and the tooth was gray afterwards. When Dr T took the mercury fillings out my teeth are not gray as previous dentist explained this is normal.. NO IT ISNT!! Dr T has pictures of before & after from his patients and he & his wife Cheryl are very kind, knowledgeable and take time w/their patients. I have and will keep on recommending them
June Gentle
2 years ago
TY to Dr. Tarantola and the staff. I felt very comfortable. Dr. Tarantola was very knowledgable in proper nutrition, the use of less chemicals, and safety. I recommend this office. TY
Meagan Northup
3 years ago
I have been going to Dr. Tarantola's office for about 7-8 years now. If you want personal one-on-one care, a dentist who truly cares about you and your health, and someone you can trust, look no further! Prior to Dr. Tarantola, I had horrific experiences with dentists. I'm very conservative with my teeth and I had dentists telling me years ago that I needed several root canals. My fillings all kept falling out because the work was rushed. I was in tears about my teeth all the time. From the first day I walked into Dr. T's office, I knew I had found my new dental home. He sat me down, talked about my future care plan -- what we needed to do right then and what could wait. And I've been going there ever since. I love his gentle, conservative, holistic approach. I am still dealing with leftover issues today from my other dentists, but instead of having dread and fear when a new issue arises, I'm at peace and confident that I can call Dr. T and go to a dentist I 100% trust to make the best decision possible for my teeth, my health, and me as a person. Also, his wife Cheryl is SO sweet, accommodating, helpful, and personable. They make an amazing team. And Annette is just the kindest hygienist ever! I love her so much! Bottom line. If you have fear or anxiety surrounding your teeth and you're looking for a dentist you can trust and who can put you at ease, go to this dental office!! You won't regret it!
Greg Freyman
3 years ago
Stay away, these people do NOT care about your health. I came to them with "extremely" high mercury levels in my system, they stretched out my initial visit for two weeks. Then finally I get there and I am met by Cheryl, she was rude, and snide multiple times in email and in person. They find a tooth that was as old as I was and claimed it was infected, it was not and I had that confirmed by two dentists, it was merely irritated from food getting stuck on it. This was an old tooth that root canales and crown that fell off many years ago. They took a quick glance and claimed it was "infected". They refused to give me any dates over email or by phone (they don't pick up their phone) as to when I will have the tooth pulled and as to when we can get the mercury fillings out. Instead I received snide remarks from the wife Cheryl by email again. To me getting the mercury out was a priority and to them it was to string me along as long as possible to squeeze out as much as possible out of my wallet. These people aren't healers or holistic doctors they are simply low class individuals that claim to be healthcare providers. They should be ashamed of themselves. I hope for their sake that they are never in a situation like I was where they will be at the mercy of someone else. Karma can be a real pain. Go to a place e that will take care of you. I drove 100 miles in the middle of the night to get the emergency care I deserve.
Rebekah
3 years ago
I love this Dental office, so much so I drive a 12 hour round trip to go there. After researching the dangers of conventional dentistry I knew a holistic approach was all I was interested in, and finding Dr T and Cheryl was a real gem. They really do have your best interests at heart and only recommend what you actually need doing. I can't recommend them enough.
June Gentle
3 years ago
TY to Dr. Tarantola and the staff. I felt very comfortable. Dr. Tarantola was very knowledgable in proper nutrition, the use of less chemicals, and safety. I recommend this office. TY
Renee Rossop
3 years ago
I have been to Dr T a few times, for root canal tooth pulled & 4 mercury fillings replaced. Another dentist started to replace my mercury filings, and the tooth was gray afterwards. When Dr T took the mercury fillings out my teeth are not gray as previous dentist explained this is normal.. NO IT ISNT!! Dr T has pictures of before & after from his patients and he & his wife Cheryl are very kind, knowledgeable and take time w/their patients. I have and will keep on recommending them
Anita Farace
3 years ago
Dr Tarantola and staff are the best dentist office ever! I have had some bad experiences with dentist offices. I could not ask for more from this office! Professional and friendly, they really care about you and the work they do. I would give them 100 stars if possible.
Jessie Tampoc
3 years ago
Dr. Tarantola holistically removed a root canal that had been infected for my wife, and she raved on how thorough, educated and gentle that he and his wife were, as a team. She was so thankful to have found them through a search online. We'd highly recommend anyone seeking an excellent and holistic approach to visit this office!
Charlene Carlson
3 years ago
I went to see Dr. Tarantola for the first time and like many others was very nervous to go to the dentist. He made me feel at ease and was very thorough. Cheryl is assistant is great as well. They were both very kind. From the moment I walked in, the office was spotless. I would not hesitate to recommend Dr. Tarantola and his team.
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