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Van Ness Oral Surgery and Implantology Center
Category: Health and Medical Dentists Oral Surgeons Oral Surgeons [Edit]
1 Daniel Burnham CtSte 366 C
San Francisco, CA 94109
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights
(415) 346-5966
- Hours:
Mon 9 pm - 6 pm
Tue-Fri 8:30 pm - 5 pm
- By Appointment Only:
- Yes
About This Business:
We specialize in all aspects of general and cosmetic dentistry. Our services include Invisalign, Crowns & Bridges, Whitening Services, Checkups &… read more »
32 reviews for Van Ness Oral Surgery and Implantology Center
32 reviews in English
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Review from Dmitry O.
Pleasant Hill, CA
12/29/2011
If you need your wisdom teeth extracted, Dr. Tolstunov is the man for you. He is great ,quick, and affordable. I have made a few appointments in other places before I saw Dr. Tolstunov, and with my insurance, (which is one of the best ones out there) other places quoted me ALOT more than this place did.
Couple of hours after the surgery, someone from the office called me to see how I was and to ask if I had any questions/concern or if I needed anything.
P.S. take a look at all the other review, usually people write this much when they are unhappy about someone ;) but not about this place. -
Review from Carpe D.
San Francisco, CA
7/22/2011
I waited until the last minute to remove my wisdom teeth. I had all kinds impacted not out yet, one next to the nerve etc... The surgery was really a piece of cake, (it happened 4 hours ago) and I feel amazing!!!!
The doctor is not into small talk and I am not either he is straight fwd and I like this.
He knows what he is doing his front desk stuff is very helpful and patient.
Love this guys!!
and highly recommend them -
Review from Andrew H.
San Francisco, CA
8/19/2011
Len Tolstunov is the MAN when it comes to oral surgery! I recently fractured one of the roots of my upper left molar and had to get it extracted. I also decided to get a dental implant, so that I could chew again on the left side of my mouth. My dentist recommended the Van Ness Oral Surgery & Implantology Center.
Dr. Tolstunov was very professional and explained all the potential risks of getting an implant. He also teaches part-time at UOP dental school down the street, so I felt more comfortable with his ability. Initially, I was very nervous about getting my molar pulled, since I had a traumatic experience several years ago with a wisdom tooth extraction. However, he was very efficient and the whole experience was pain-free and done before I even knew it! I came back 4 months later to get the actual implant and that procedure was also quick and easy.
I highly recommend Dr. Tolstunov for any type of oral surgery procedure. -
Review from Katrina C.
San Francisco, CA
10/15/2010
OMG, I just had the greatest medical encounter here...
I had jokingly said that I wished I had more wisdom teeth to remove so I can come back to experience the service again-or maybe I was serious...
I had made an appointment for wisdom tooth with none of that " sorry that day is booked, not available, he's on vacation"yap yap. I was able to get a date and time that I requested.
I arrived early and as expected I had some paper work to fill out and when I got to meet Dr. T, we found out there was a miscommunication that I was only there for a consult- at no fault to them ( my dentist filled out the wrong portion of a referral form) after 5 minutes of mumbo jumbo, I decided to pay upfront and have them deal with the insurance portion later.
Then back in the room I go, in the 10 minutes since I last saw him. Dr. T was ready for surgery. I had an IV put in ( I am extremely scared of needles), and Mandy ( Thank god for Mandy) was there holding my hand and comforting me while Dr.T was poking around looking for a vein(to those who says he doesn't have a sense of humor- he does.. kinda dry but it's there he told me that" I might need to go home and bring my veins". Then Mandy put an oxygen mask on and I was out! 30 minutes later, I was up, the tooth was out it was not nearly as painful as I thought it would be. Mandy was sweet enough to call me later on in the day to check up on me.
Dr. Tolstunov is highly skilled and his staff were really nice and efficient. Solved problems on the spot, I would of hated to have to go back home and take additional days off work.
I wouldn't wish the pain of wisdom teeth impaction on anybody, but if it were to happen, I would recomend removing it here. -
Review from Ashwinee H.
Richmond, CA
11/26/2011
If someone told you wisdom teeth extraction was fun or easy, DON'T believe them...it's not. It hurts a bit after the surgery, ofcourse it depends if your tooth was impacted or not and not all after-surgery experiences may be painful. Mine was but it was not because of Dr.Tolstunov :). He was a fine doctor, surgery was quick and painless and I was done even before I knew it. I was given straightforward instructions which I followed carefully, I had very minimal swelling, no infections and no dry sockets. The pain did not wear off for at least 4-5 days but I understand that is normal for an impacted tooth. So, all in all I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Dr.Tolstunov. I wish I didn't have wisdom teeth in the first place but if you do like everybody else I believe this place is as good as it could get.
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Review from Aurangzeb M.
San Mateo, CA
3/21/2011
THE DARK SIDE OF DR. LEN TOLSTUNOV
This is a 100% accurate factual account of what happened:
- In the middle of my wisdom teeth surgery, with lights staring in my eyes, Dr. Tolstunov made me sign a release form. Of course, I couldn't read it. I could barely see where I was signing.
- Later on I found out that he had severed (partially cut) my Lingual nerve. And to cover his ass, he asked me to sign the form that said that I was pre-warned of such possible side effects. And that he his staff had shown me a video highlighting the possible side effects. A BIG FAT LIE!
- He knew he had severed my nerve and pretended to not know. Sent me home without any warnings. Knowing that the first 24 hrs are extremely critical to attempt and recover a nerve damage.
- Lingual nerve damage causes damage of tongue's motor functions and taste. And since the last 6 yrs I have a constant tingling sensation on the right side and tip of my tongue. I've had to change my eating habbits - eating from left instead of right. I can not drink any hot beverages ( I used to love those). I have no tolerance for spices. I tend to bite on my tongue while eating. My tongue gets tired of talking. The list goes on....
Dentists like him are taught by their lawyers how to cover their ass. I never sued Dr. Tolstunov because he had his bases covered. The least I can do is warn people to stay away from such an un-ethical dentist. -
Review from Valerie D.
San Francisco, CA
5/15/2008
I came to Dr. Tolstunov on a referral from my dentist to get all 4 wisdom teeth removed (1 was even impacted). Let me just say that they dentist terrifies me and needles are even scarier...especially an IV...Ahhh.
Dr. Tolstunov is no nonsense. He's not going to coo to you and tell you not to be afraid. In my initial consultation, I asked about how he gets those suckers out and he said, "do you really want to know? why?"...than explained. When he came in for the procedure and had the dreaded IV, I explained that I was scared as heck. He was all, "don't be" and than I was out. Woke up and healed in a timely manner w/ no dry sockets or issues w/ excessive blood.
The staff is great. They reviewed my insurance and we realized it was best to wait for a few months (I wasn't in pain) until I had my insurance full force for the new year.
The meds. were great. The gave me Valium before I went in to calm me, a ton of vicodin afterwards, mouth rinse, low dose pain reliever and an infection helper. -
Review from Alita M.
San Francisco, CA
5/30/2008
This review is only for the consultation, I have yet to schedule my surgery.
I was referenced here by Citident- Dr. Ben Amini, and had no issues getting an appointment to come in. Jasmine was very helpful over the phone and made sure to call me back to let me know what insurance covered and the fees I could anticipate for the consultation.
Of course, I didn't check to see that walking from Civic Center MUNI would take me through a crappy part of town, but I managed to get there right on time and safely.
I was sort of pissed because Jasmine had told me over the phone it would only be a 20 minute appointment, but I ended up sitting there waiting for a half hour just to get in on my extended lunch break after a 30 minute train ride and walking commute. Dr. Tolstunov has two other patients he was seeing simultaneously with my appointment, so I ended up leaving over 45 minutes later than I expected. The x-rays took no time at all. Then, they make you watch a cheesy, informational DVD and then he spends 10 minutes talking to you. That's it! Granted it he probably spent less time with me because I had to tell his assistant I was in a hurry and kind of annoyed that I was put on the back burner for so long.
They don't even really ask you that many questions, and he pretty much said "Well that should cover everything then, just go over to the front desk now and she can schedule a date for you." After I explicity told him that I couldn't do this anytime soon, I was really only here for an out-of-pocket estimate as no one was willing to quote me without a consultation. They were a little too pushy about trying to get me in for surgery, telling me that it was urgent to address my teeth (which I've been dealing with for two years and can wait a few more freakin' months for my wallet to billow some more!)
They work really well with Aetna dental - their rates are actually really cheap if you have this insurance, so the good thing is it's going to cost me a lot less then I thought. Pretty much this and the good reviews on the actual surgery are the reasons why I'll be back. The place was clean, quiet and relatively friendly, but I'd really like to see them manage their time better. I can assure you that all three of them were just standing around while I was waiting outside. -
Review from Nicole F.
San Francisco, CA
6/29/2011
Will Len hold your hand, give you a big hug and tell you everything is going to be OK? Hell no he won't, but he'll do a damn good job not screwing up your mouth.
I put off getting my wisdom teeth for 10 years. I started having terrible headaches, and finally it got to the point where I couldn't take it anymore. Two weeks ago I scheduled an appointment with Len's office and got in two days later.
I was so scared I cried through the entire consultation. Len comforted me and told me everything was going to be OK (the first and last time he did that, LOL) and gave me a prescription for Valium to take before the surgery. The surgery was scheduled for the following Monday.
He put me under just enough so I was semi aware of what was going on, and successfully removed all four impacted wisdom teeth without any complications.
The jerk-off family member who was supposed to be taking care of me did a crappy job and subsequently I left my gauze in for three days instead of 24 hours and I subsequently developed dry sockets and irritated my wounds. The doctors office kind of made fun of me, although I cannot blame them it kind of angered me because I had no recollection of the care instructions after the surgery because I was completely drugged up from the anesthesia.
Had I not screwed up by leaving the gauze in I probably would have healed much quicker. This guy is good, I'm serious.
All 3 follow up visits have been complementary, and tomorrow I am seeing him for my last follow up, because although Len is a bit cold he does really seem to care and he wants to make sure I am fully recovered.
Bottom line is that he will do a great job on your mouth, he won't hold your hand through the process, but he will make sure you have enough pharmaceuticals to get you through the process comfortably. That's essentially exactly what his job entails, so A+ for him. I highly recommend him. -
Review from Darren I.
Orange County, CA
1/1/2007
I got my wisdom teeth pulled here and Dr. Tolstunov gave me drugs drugs and more drugs. I don't know if they were all necessary like the valium and the 30 vicodine. I went to fill my 5 prescriptions and the pharmacist was utterly suprised that I had so much medication for wisdom tooth extraction.
As for the surgery, the IV in my arm left a bruise from the inability to find my vein but all in all everything went well. I was on the golf course the day after the surgery and was eating solid foods 2 days after.
Quick tip, don't eat pineapple after this surgery, something in the pineapple makes your mouth burn and sting! -
Review from ninja M.
San Francisco, CA
11/13/2007
Dr. Len you rock.
I wasn't even finished crossing my hands after he said open wide to extract my upper wisdom tooth when he goes "here it is". Hot. Literally 1.5 minutes. Master of masters. No-non sense, silky smooth operator.AND NO PAIN AT ALL. wow Im in love.
Vilma, the receptionist is also super mellow and nice/informative. -
Review from Patrice W.
Emeryville, CA
6/9/2009
Hands down, the best dental procedure I have ever had anywhere..ever.
So, I had three remaining wisdon teeth that needed to be removed (the dentist that removed my first was a complete nightmare, he didn't even numb the area properly and he did a teeth cleaning right afterward.. no care instructions, no follow-up..nada...wtf!) and I had put it off for as long as I could because frankly, I was terrified. But it had to get done, whether I liked it or not.
My new dentist referred me here to have the wisdon teeth extracted. Right off the bat I liked the place. Quiet, clean serene office space. The women at the front desk were very nice and professional. Dr. Tolstunov was fantastic. We went over my Xrays, answered any questions I had and I made the appointment. I also love the fact I can pick up all the care essentials I needed for preparation and aftercare in a bundle right there in the office at a reasonable rate.
For the procedure itself? Excellent. Completely painless. All I remember was "Ok we're going to start the medicine"...and I was out. They called my ride and let him know I was done so he could come back and pick me up (I sent him to go get himself some breakfast for the fav). And they also called me later in the day just to check up on me and see how I was doing. THAT is service indeed :). The next day I attended a co-workers house party and everyone was stunned I was able to eat and converse freely. If I hadn't told anyone my wisdom teeth had been removed the day before no one would have known.
Highly Recommended. And a huge THANK YOU to Dr. Tolstunov and his team. -
Review from susan m.
San Francisco, CA
2/20/2011
It's a "customer-driven economy," this is something Dr. T's office manager needs to remember, every morning. I initially wrote a scathing review of this place but would like to amend to educate anyone thinking of going here for the first time.
I'm also writing this review hoping that Dr. T will see it, so he will change this policy, because what happened to me, below, is not only dishonest (and cost me an additional $175 that I wasn't supposed to pay), but also resulted in my being treated disrespectfully by the office manager at a time when I was already very nervous about having the extraction (which then didn't happen until a week later even tho I had an infection that was ready to burst). Terrible. Now, here's the advice to the newcomer, below.
First, you need to know that if you request a 'fee waiver' for the consultation, you can get it -- IF you have the consultation right after the consult. But this is where they get tricky. (FYI: They're also supposed to throw in the cost of the X-ray., they said.) What they don't tell you, is that the consultation and the extraction (in they minds) are both supposed to happen in ONE HOUR. Both! Now this an example of misleading advertising because (1) a usual consultation, esp one that's worth $300 -- even one worth $175, for that matter, is generally 45 min, not the 15 minutes they supposedly give you, (2) even point one, before, is a bogus claim since a total of one hour is not long enough for even a too-short 15 min consultation (don't ever settle for a consult that short, by the way 'cause it doesn't allow you to discuss anything of any complexity, and the dentist just isn't worth $300 for 15 minutes, no way) AND an IV-extraction. But they thought one hour was enough for me to have both, and they blamed me for taking too long filling out forms (I was there 15 min early, so that blame-game was some more BS) and blamed me some more for asking too many questions during the consultation (wrong again).
The dishonesty in their policy of a too-short consultation (for which you're supposed to pay $300), along with the staff trying to cover up how they'd double-booked the dentist's appointment really made me feel sick inside, which is a good sign you're dealing with people you'd rather not.
All of that happened on Thursday. I couldn't come back later that day for the extraction (I was supposed to have had the extraction immediately after the consultation . . . but they had another appointment so they told me to come back that afternoon -- but have you ever gone 15 hours w/o drinking any water? It's not easy.). And by then I didn't trust the way the office manager had deferred any responsibility and, instead, blamed me. By Monday, she'd sent me a bill for $270! (Another reason I couldn't stay for the afternoon extraction, besides the fact that I'd scheduled it for the morning, was, because of the IV, I was expected/required to have a friend their to make sure I got home OK; a cab driver is not allowed for insurance reasons; well, my friend has 4 kids and scheduling her to be there that morning was a big enough achievement; I couldn't repeat it). But, of course, the dental office, the dishonest dental staff, insisted on charging me, even tho the whole thing was fishy, no dishonest is the right word.
The sad thing is this dentist is great; so is his assistant, so is Vilma. But the office manager (the blaming office manager) is a ball breaker, and this policy of advertising free consultations w/o telling people that the consultation is only 5 to 10 minutes long (and costs $300) is pure BS. This needs to be changed.
Would I return here. Yes, but beware when setting up your appointment. Make sure they know that you won't pay if they double-book their appointments and make it impossible for you to have your scheduled extraction at the time that was implied in the phone conversation.
P.S. The extraction was nerve-wracking, but not as bad as I thought, thanks to Mandy's kindnesses and Dr. T's gracious confidence. Too bad about their office manager's way of doing business. DR. T., it's time to step up and do some training. -
Review from Shannon H.
Chicago, IL
4/13/2007
Sidenote- "Implemantology" sounds like a made up word.
I would give 5 stars, except I got the dry sockets after getting all 4 wisdom teeth removed. I'm told this is partially my fault for waiting in excess of 10 years to get this done (note to other yelpers, get those things out as soon as possible...it only gets worse if you wait.) Dr. T was nice although I couldn't convince him to just take out two instead of all 4. I for one appreciated the drugs because I had a pretty bad recovery. Time off of work + vicodin= 4 stars. -
Review from Tane B.
San Francisco, CA
12/16/2009
Overall, I thought Dr. Tolstunov and his staff were very nice. I don't doubt that Dr. Tolstunov is a highly skilled surgeon. Also, the office has great technology - I loved seeing my x-rays on a flat screen. The receptionist went out of her way to mail me an itemized bill for my HSA the same day as my surgery, which I really appreciated.
Dr. Tolstunov's office followed up with me afterwards to discuss a misunderstanding, which was cleared up. I believe the doctor and his staff are very dedicated to their patients. -
Review from Jen Jen W.
Palo Alto, CA
2/12/2009
I just got my wisdom teeth pulled last week (all 4) and let me tell you this was probably the best doctor trip for me...EVER!
I was super nervous before I went in but the Dr. Tolstunov was super cool about it...he just told me to relax and the next thing I knew I was out...and then ta da...my wisdom teeth were gone! It was very fast and I didn't even feel anything!
Also I hate IV because in the past nurses for some reason always would miss my vein and then they would be poking me three to four times before they found it! But Dr. Tolstunov was so good that he got it on the first try! thank god!
I had to call them today because my left side has been hurting a lot so they were able to squeeze me in for quick check up. Got it done and it turned out to be dry socket on the left side...Doc said it'll be ok in the next few days and to call him if anything happens...it was awesome!
I highly recommend this doctor! he's good/fast and his staffs are always helpful/friendly! -
Review from tim t.
San Francisco, CA
10/25/2010
Dr Tolstunov have changed allot, unfortunately.
10 years ago he was very honest and professional, I referred to him many patients.
Now he is not, doing unnecessary surgeries just to get money....
He don't talk to patient, no smile, no explanations about surgery.
Dry socket and pain for more than 2 months...
And all just to get my money...Hi give me great pain, and more - I lost my tryst. After surgery I went to 2 doctors for consultation and both told me( and I know this, too,) that surgery was unnecessary and didn't help my problem, and anyone can see it on x-ray. It was clear, but I just trysted his opinion...
I really was respecting him before, but not now and wouldn't recommend him to anybody.
Also - his office not very honest with money, please check.
Dr Tolstunov, I'm very sorry you became just money grabber and forget who you are... -
Review from Melinda B.
San Mateo, CA
5/27/2008
Seriously this guy is rated to be the best for a reason... check out his website. Guys' Russian, totally has a serious face, and he's just as serious about his surgery. He has you take x-rays, and watch the movie about the surgery and what to expect. Then he talks to you, asks you questions, you ask him questions, etc...
The day of the surgery: as the other girl said, it's funny... I remember him asking if I was nervous, and I said a little... then he fixed my arm in the position, said he was going to give me the drug to make me go to sleep, and well... that's all I remember. Next thing I know I'm in my boyfriends car with an ice pack fixed on my face. I had this done last friday... and all I have to say is this is honestly the best experience I have ever had with a doctor, or dentist, or surgery... or well.... Dr. Len you rock!
The nurse even called me later that day to see how I was hangin'. How nice right? I mean for having all four teeth impacted and putting this off for 5 years I really wish I had done this sooner... amazing service! Thanks so much!!! -
Review from Justin J.
San Francisco, CA
9/11/2009
He ended up cutting some bone out of my jaw to get my bottom two wisdom teeth out. I understand that has to happen sometimes. Then I got dry sockets. The whole experience was super painful and the prescription that he gave me (1 to 2 vicodin) was not enough. I couldn't sleep and the pain was so bad for 2.5 weeks that I could hardly focus on anything. I called him and told him that the medicine was not helping and all he said was for me to take up to 4 at a time depending on the pain. A week later when the pain was not that much better and I needed my third refill he was very rude on the phone and made a comment about starting to rely on a medication (he was in Napa wine tasting at the time... a thursday I believe). My other friend who had a perfectly normal procedure got stronger medications that they didn't have to take 4 of, and their Dr. saw them for a complementary follow up visit even though everything was going just fine.
Now 8 months later they are calling me for another $500 charge!!!!!!!!! They blame the insurance company, stating that I should think about switching my coverage... Super lame on every front. I picked this guy based on a combination of his yelp reviews and the price he was quoting me. Not only that but I made sure that he was in my insurance network. At the end of the day I had a bad experience in every aspect and it is still haunting me 8 months later. LAME. -
Review from Richard W.
San Francisco, CA
7/15/2010
Dr.Tolstunov is a true professional and on initial consultation with him and a scheduled appt for early am next day I realized I was going to be well taken care of. With his wonderful assistant Mandy who teamed with him as he extracted a wisdom tooth in less than a half hour.Dr.Tolstunov
Is pleasant and caring ,do not hesitate to call his office,his admin staff is lovely as well. -
Review from Linda L.
San Francisco, CA
5/23/2009
I just got all four of my wisdom teeth pulled out this Monday and it was done better than I expected. My mother being the queen of nagginess and haggling tried to get a lower price for the whole surgery procedure because I didn't have health insurance. (You know how pricey procedures get without insurance!) After some talk, we got a small discount which came to my surprise because most surgeons would look at you funny and say, "No can do".
So we decided to take the cheapest option with no sedatives, just numbing shots. I must say, I was pleased with this option because all you really need are the shots and everything is virtually painless. They said the procedure was to last an hour, to me it felt less than that, perhaps just 15 minutes.
I got out with my mouth full of those cottony thingies to clog up the blood which was coming out. Don't freak out, this is normal. They gave me a bunch of medication, which at first I thought I didn't need. But soon after the numbness left, I could feel the pain. I took the ibuprofen and the vicodin which helped tremendously!
After 6 hours or so, the receptionist lady there called to see how I was doing. I thought, wow this is tremendous service and I got a discount!
5 stars!! Bravo
Added Note:
I recently had throbbing pain on my lower teeth and I thought I might have developed a dry socket, so I called in to get it checked up early. The receptionist was caring and polite, asked me to come in that same day. When I came in, I found out that I was taking poor care of my gums and it developed some kind of pus (due to my insomniac lifestyle I suppose). The surgeon came in to help me get out all my gunk and gave me a syringe to help me clean my gums at home. I left the office feeling better and to my surprise it was free. Must have came with the price plan we had. -
Review from Stacy M.
San Francisco, CA
6/3/2009
I had all 4 wisdom teeth pulled last Friday at this place. Now, I am still sore, but that's bc my teeth are difficult....of course. From the very first phone call I made to this place, I was impressed. The staff is SUPER friendly and helpful. I went in.... crazy nervous of course and was greeted by a few very nice people who work there.... made me feel a little at ease. Then, I get called back..... terrified.... I meet the office manager, I believe that's who she was, and she explained to me what I was paying, etc. and she was very nice. Then I met the Dr. I really liked him and even though he didn't comfort me or anything.... he made me feel at ease. ( Well, I did say I was very nervous and he said.. "don't be") I felt like I was in good hands, which I clearly was. I went in the other room... he said you will feel sleepy.... I feel like I blink and they are already waking me up. When I woke up.... those suckers were GONE! YESSSS!!
I get home and several hours later.... they call and check on me! This means a lot to me! They are very sweet and don't make me feel stupid when I call with questions right after leaving my follow up. LOL. And NO dry sockets!! Woot Woot!
Bottom line is.... if you're having your wisdom teeth pulled, go here! -
Review from Megan N.
San Francisco, CA
1/27/2011
I had an amazing experience with this dentist and office staff. I needed all four wisdom teeth out (none were impacted), and I was quite nervous. They easily worked with my schedule, and made my healing time very short! A very professional office and I would recommend to friends!
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Review from Richard C.
San Francisco, CA
12/4/2006
Came here to get my last wisdom tooth removed. I don't really need any pampering like others. It was all pretty fast and efficient. I got x-rays done and watched an informational video the first visit, and got the tooth removed in about 15-30 min on the second visit. The followup visit was a week later, and took about 10 min. Overall, as good an experience as you can expect from a tooth extraction, and they take my insurance (Aetna)
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Review from Rosie B.
San Francisco, CA
9/30/2008
This place is all business. I went in there with my eyes welling up from fear and didn't get much sympathy (because I waited waaaaay to long to get my teeth out) but I did get a next day appt and the fastest surgery ever. My top 2 wisdom teeth were pulled out in a matter of minutes, and I couldn't feel a thing. I thought they were just getting started, and it was over. Very highly recommended.
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Review from Michelle A.
San Francisco, CA
8/12/2009
This guy is great. He took me in right away for a consultation, and booked me for surgery within the next business day. He has an awesome no-bs attitude, where he tells you exactly what needs to be done, but he is also appeasing and professional at the same time. After pulling out all 4 wisdom teeth 4 days ago, I hardly have any swelling. Thanks Doctor!!!
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Review from Katarina M.
Redwood City, CA
10/22/2008
This review is about a year old as I'm new to Yelp and just signed up ... I went to Dr. Tolstunov over a year ago to get two dental implants as I had two "baby teeth" which had no replacements and were on the verge of coming out on their own. I had known for awhile that I was going to have to take care of this situation but kept putting the surgery off until I was living in the US again. I thought I was back when life stepped in and told me I was going back to Europe for an indeterminate amount of time. Not wanting to deal with dentists in Europe, I decided to get this surgery over with ASAP and was recommended to Dr. Tolstunov by a friend.
Since I had left this all til the last minute, I basically walked into Dr. Tolstunov's office and said, How fast can we do this?, knowing that I had previously been advised to be in the US for six months for the operation. Without going into all the boring details, I have to say that Dr. Tolstunov and his staff were incredibly, amazingly responsive to my demanding needs. The office is incredibly professional and on top of things. Not that I recommend harrassing the office as much as I did, but I will admit that every email filled with 101 questions or paranoia were immediately answered and put me at ease.
Dr. Tolstunov is no-nonsense, but I prefer that when it comes to such a serious surgery. You know you are in the best hands and there's a reason why he's got the reputation he does. I ended up getting an infection (my own fault for not following post operation instructions), forcing me to postpone my move to Europe, and Dr. Tolstonuv did scold me, but in such a professional, effective manner that I got the message and had no more problems.
I will also say that I had really no pain after this operation...getting 4 wisdom teeth pulled out 15 years earlier was a much more stressful and painful experience.
He's the best and worth every penny... Highly, highly recommended! -
Review from Daniel H.
San Francisco, CA
4/15/2009
Wow 5 stars is not enough for this guy. i had my wisdom teeth growing in for like 3 years, and every other month they would give me a ton of pain. I have been keeping them safe in my mouth since my last oral surgeon consultation REALLY scared me, and wanted me to start (HIV) medications right away, and then re-assured me that he's worked on people with a CD4 count of 1, YIKES!
NOT this guy Dr. Len He rested assure that the surgery would go without a hitch and gave me some really strong antibiotics saying "This will clear any infection in your mouth, Yes".
I am also not that fond of needles, like AT ALL! and he was able to stick in the IV needle ONCE and i didnt feel a thing, Then they but on the Nitrous Oxide, and told me to breath deeply saying that i looked really nervous. So i beathed a little deeper, and the next thing i knew i was watching a video giggling as my boyfriend was walking me to the car.
Now 3 days after the surgery I have NO swelling! and maybe have taking a total of 3 Vicodin for the pain. And i am a big wuss when it come to pain. And if i could refer ANYONE to have their wisdom teeth taken out, this would TOTALLY be the guy you should see!!!! -
Review from Cori W.
10/28/2009
The staff is really friendly and they are easy to make appointments with. The office is clean and they run relatively on schedule. I had 2 wisdom teeth removed from my lower jaw last weekend and only had local anesthesia (going under was an extra $200!). The procedure went relatively fast but damn those novocain shots hurt! They did not give me stitches though I wish they did, would have made this whole process easier. I was surprised they sent me home sans syringe; I did get some extra gauze and a sheet of information. I wish that sheet had info on painkillers and dry sockets, I found more useful info online:/ I was prescribed vicodin and ibuprofen, the vicodin didn't help at all. After several days of intense pain I realized I had a dry socket and called to get in immediately. I was told it was only mild, given a syringe (finally!) to clean out my sockets and told to take more painkillers. I wish he would have treated the problem as the painkillers haven't been much help. I researched online and ended up getting some clove oil to treat the pain, it's actually the same ingredient they use the treat dry sockets. All in all having my wisdom teeth removed has been a sucky experience, I wish Dr.T had been more comforting and helpful (the syringe!).
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Review from J. Kate M.
San Francisco, CA
10/3/2009
I did NOT have a good experience having a wisdom tooth removed from Dr. Tolstonuv's office, and even though I now have to have another tooth removed, I will definitely NOT be going back there.
Before going on for the appointment, I spoke on the phone with one of the staff who told me it would cost about $100 or so for the removal (because Dr. Tolstunov was in my insurance network, it'd be cheaper than their regular fees). I made an appointment and went in for a combo consultation/removal all at once (which was great to do all at once but I still got charged the extra $75 for the consultation - not a huge deal but whatever.)
So on the day of the appointment then, I went in and another staff person sat down with me and explained that I'd have to pay about $250 for the removal now plus a $20 co-pay (so much for "about $100"!) because my "insurance won't cover it." So I paid the $250 and went in for the procedure.
Dr. Tolstonuv was pretty cold - not very reassuring even though I told him I was really nervous. I tried to crack a joke, but he barely talked and didn't even smile! Who wants to get their teeth yanked out of their head by someone who won't even smile?!
So this all made me more nervous and probably contributed to my feeling traumatized during the removal. Obviously, a tooth removal is not a fun procedure, but a doctor's manner can definitely have an impact. The removal took a long time (probably not the doc's fault so I won't mark him down for that one), but when it was all over (it honestly felt like it took forever; I felt like someone was yanking my jaw out) I really felt like crying.
About a week or so later.... I go onto my insurance website (Aetna), and notice a new claim was filed (under MEDICAL insurance, not dental) and it turns out Van Ness Oral Surgery filed a claim for payment of my tooth removal (even though I had to shell out $250 for insurance "not covering" it.) So I call up the doc's office and get a bit of a run around that ends with the staff person telling me to call my insurance company. So I call Aetna and sure enough, they ARE covering my tooth removal and because Dr. Tolstunov is "in network", he should be accepting their Aetna payment and nothing more should be required from me except a $20 copay. I called back the doc's office and after another 20 minute conversation, they finally agree to pay me my $250 back. A check arrived at my home about 4 weeks later for that amount. But what would've happened if I hadn't called the doc's office about the insurance claim? Would I have gotten repaid? I don't know... but I really hate feeling like someone's trying to rip me off. -
Review from T N.
San Francisco, CA
3/22/2010
I managed to eat seafood and Singaporean spicy food the day after the surgery (I probably shouldn't)... I didn't even take any medications after the first six hours. I took all 4 wisdom teeth out with 3 that are impacted and the whole procedure was only around 30 minutes.
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Review from Jen L.
El Sobrante, CA
9/12/2007
I wish Yelp had negative stars b/c I would have used them for Dr.Tolstunov's office. The receptionists there are LIARS. I wouldn't recommend this office to anyone. I went to his office to get my wisdom teeth pulled. The receptionist specifically told me that my insurance would fully cover pulling my teeth so that I wouldn't have to pay anything. She then proceeded in selling me the medicine & gargle I would need post-surgery even though I hadn't even scheduled the surgery yet. I bought the stuff for $70 and then got a letter two weeks later saying that I would have to shell out $300+ for one tooth being pulled. I then called to return the medicine since I never used it and would never pay $300+ to get one tooth pulled, but they refused. AN ABSOLUTE SHAM. I had my tooth pulled later from another dentist office and they never sold me any medicine, nor did I require any. DON'T GO TO THIS OFFICE UNLESS YOU WANT TO WASTE MONEY AND BE LIED TO.
