Delta Dentist

Dr. Dukes on the Mesa is great. Aimee is the best hygienist I've ever had if you can get her.

You'll have to ask a lot of questions once you decide which dentist to contact, because 1) there are at least two different versions of Delta insurance, and 2) some dentists take the insurance, but the patient has to pay an additional amount, even for the services that Delta pretends to pay in full. Basically, Delta doesn't pay enough for dentists to cover their costs, so most local dentists have altered how they deal with it. Beware of dentists that accept the Delta fees without asking the patient for more--are they cutting corners, or making up costs elsewhere? But maybe I'm wrong. I'd love to hear from some dentists about this...

I have Delta Dental USA (HMO) and recently went to Dr. Cecelia Ordonez -- I really liked her. The office is basic, staff is friendly. And, should you need a root canal, a great endodontist who takes it is Kathy Patmore.

Johnson's family dental...

Dr. Barnard Valeska is the best! In El Mercado.

I've had Delta for 15 years, the best Dentist I've had is Benjamin Laudig DDS in Goleta!! He is at 7127 Hollister so parking is super easy. I had been with Dukes on the Mesa for too many years but he kept sending me to a specialist for root canals etc. who would take phone consultations WHILE I WAS UNDER SEDATION and forget I was there...then try and try to do the root canal! YEOW!! I would complain to Dukes who did nothing. They were good friends!! Also, his people could never get their billing right, ever!! NO such problems with Dr. Laudig and his office staff!! Great people! Dukes had charged me to put in a 'food block' where food kept getting stuck. Later, he took it out when adjoining tooth needed repair. He then told me I would have to pay for another appointment for him to replace that food block!! Uh, no! My first apt. with Dr. Laudig - he fixed it for free!!! No more having to floss after every single bite of food!! I am like that lion with the thorn in it's paw and Dr. Laudig is Androcles who saved me by pulling it out and earned my unrequited gratitude!!

Dr. Dukes at Mesa Dental takes it and he's the best dentist I ever had. The establishment comes off a little high-class, but he really does do a fine job. He helped correct a root canal gone wrong from a different dentist and many other issues I've had.

This is a more recent update of Delta Dental. They are the largest dental PPO in California, so they have the options to manipulate both dentists and patients, as they market themselves to huge employers like the UC system, Cottage Hospital, and the like. Dentists who are contracted with them often have to see many patients at the same time and run from room to room to make it work economically. They require their contracted dentists to agree to a literal book-full of rules and, of course, their low fees. They require that each procedure billed to them to be done exactly as the rules state, or they won't pay, and this is very controlling of dentists, who often have difficulty assigning a code to what they have done. Many things are just not covered, and Delta does not allow patients covered by Delta to be billed for whatever Delta does not cover. Delta was even sued recently because it enacted procedures that dentists were forced to follow, but this was found to be illegal, and Delta had to stop it. Dentistry is not like buying products in a store; it is a service. Want to feel like a product on an assembly line conveyor belt? Get Delta. Try if you can to find a PPO or regular dental insurance company that provides UCR benefits (usual, reasonable, and customary). Look for a dentist that sees one patient at a time for better service. There are many reasons to not be a Delta dental insurance participant. More and more dentists are opting out of being providers for Delta.