Atlas Dental
Hieu Pham, DDS:
Practice Profile Page

I had all of my 4 wisdom teeth extracted by Dr. Pham 5 weeks ago and the sites seem to heal completely without any complications. I was referred to Dr. Pham by my dentist, when my wisdom teeth started erupting which caused some discomfort. Dr Pham was able to see me the same week, when I called to make an appointment. The staff let me know at a time I made a reservation call that I will need 3D scans to be taken during my first visit. They told me the exact charge for the scans with my insurance. Dr. Pham seems to be a busy person and did not spend too much time with me during my consultation visit. However, he took a careful look at my scans, let me know of specifics of my case and potential risks related to the surgery. He also told me the pros and cons of local and general anesthesia. He answered all my questions and was able to squeeze me in for the following day, since I opted for local anesthesia and my case was not particularly complicated. I felt the consultation visit was short, but not due to the lack of attention from Dr. Pham, but him jumping straight to business and leaving out small talk, chatter and unnecessary coddling. It might make the visit feel rushed for other people, but I appreciated this approach as I was in pain and did not feel like chatting much. The staff explained me how to prepare for the surgery, gave me an exact breakdown of the charges for surgery and anesthesia, recommended me to come with my headphones and some music to block the drilling sounds and gave me valium for anxiety. On the following day I arrived for the surgery. The previous patient was taking longer than expected and my surgery started 20 minutes later. The procedure went well and without any surprises. I did not feel much. The music and headphones helped a great deal as it both distracted me from the surgery and isolated me from all the horrendous sounds. After the surgery, the nurse explained how to take care of the sites in the next few weeks and gave me printed instructions. Overall, it was a pretty good experience and I am very grateful to Dr. Pham and his staff, who did a great job.

Not sure if 5 stars is correct for oral surgery, just seems odd but I I’m motivated to write this review as much for Dr. Pham and the Staff as I am for others who are looking for help and are having trouble sifting through reviews and referral options. It’s tough enough to have to deal with tooth extractions/implants but then to figure out who is best to help you. I was referred to Dr. Pham by my dentist but had also had other friend referrals so was debating who to go to and found that the reviews were not entirely helpful because they were really positive or really negative. Here’s my two cents or thoughts as someone who ended up choosing Dr. Pham. I suspect that when it comes to surgery that if people have a smooth experience their surgeon is the best ever, and if there are complications then they suck. I also suspect that complications are frequently out of the control of the surgeon so this would explain some of the reviews I’ve seen. I had pretty extensive work done and knock on wood no major complications. Dr. Pham is super supportive, available, and gives it to you straight. He’s an MD and knows what he’s doing. In other words if you are unfortunate to have any complications he’s well trained to deal with them. One of my decisions to go with him was how trained/experienced he was and again I was fortunate not to have any major issues but I’m sure that his experience and training helped it be as smooth as possible. I don’t write many reviews (this maybe my 2nd or 3rd) but I hope this connects with you as you read and is helpful because finding an oral surgeon is one of those tougher decisions in life and you don’t want to get this wrong, at least that’s where I was coming from and I could not be more pleased with my decision. BTW – all the reviews about costs outside of your insurance and scans and the like…my experience is that once you hit this level of work you are paying out of pocket either way these days so I’d not get to hung up on that. (It was one of things that originally added a negative for me when looking at Dr. Pham because he was out of network for my insurance.)

Dr. Hieu Pham and staff made me feel very comfortable. I didn’t feel pressured to buy products or forced into having unnecessary procedures. Compared to other dental offices that I’ve been to in the past. When Dr. Pham injected local anesthesia for before my filling, he carefully and simply used a technique that help relief the spreading of anesthesia. Plus, the staff are genuinely kind!

My visit from start to finish was everything I hoped for and more! Every member of their staff was friendly and welcoming. Dr. Hieu was very thorough and knowledgeable. My hygienist, Camille, did a fantastic job taking care of me today! She took her time and explained everything in detail. A spa experience but at the dental office 🙂 highly recommend coming here for all of your dental needs!

Great experience!! I came in and Anna checked me in to my appointment was very friendly, relatable and professional. She set the mood for the rest of my visit. Dentist there was great. Seems like a very lively, hip staff. Would and will recommend to family and friends. 900 out of 10!! Already planning on my next visit

After finding my new regular dentist (Dr. Macaulay) on Yelp, I went in for my first checkup in about 10 years. Dr. Macaulay determined that I needed to have all four of my wisdom teeth extracted, and soon (two of them were causing me a lot of pain). He referred me to Dr. Pham with a high recommendation. During my first visit to Dr. Pham’s office I had a panoramic x-ray of my mouth and a consultation with Dr. Pham himself. His staff was very friendly and knowledgable, and patient with my many questions. When I spoke with the Doctor, he walked me through the procedure and what to expect. I was very concerned about one of my teeth due to the nerve being very close to it (and the small risk that I might loose sensation in my lower lip and chin permanently). I appreciate that Dr. Pham was very thorough explaining the risk, and in his high level of confidence that there would not be any issues. I went to an advanced imaging clinic (next door to Dr. Pham’s office) to have a CT scan of my mouth to be 100% sure that the nerve was far enough from the tooth to not be damaged (this was an out of pocket expense, but worth it in my opinion). I was really pleased with the time and care that Dr. Pham took reviewing my CT scan and reassuring me that the risk was low – even though it existed. On the actual day of my surgery, I was prescribed valium to relax before heading in to calm me down. The procedure itself was very comfortable and the staff set my mind at ease. I didn’t feel any pain during the procedure and was completely relaxed. When they finished up they told me everything went really well and that I should start on my pain killers in about an hour as the anesthesia was wearing off. Being my first surgery I was pretty nervous about it, but the outcome was fantastic and I am really happy with the results. I would recommend Dr. Pham to anyone who needs oral surgery, I was dreading this surgery, but they made me feel comfortable and safe. Also as a side note – I have called a couple of times during my recovery with questions. Kim, the assistant, has been super helpful and friendly over the phone with instructions and advice to make my recovery less of a pain (being on a liquid diet sucks…)

I’d highly recommend Dr. Pham to anyone who needs their wisdom teeth removed. I got all four of mine removed a couple months ago and by now everything is fully healed. With that said, almost all of my teeth had grown out to some extent and must have been a relatively simple procedure, but overall Dr. Pham – who got both his DDS and and MD degree from UCSF – and everybody at the office were very professional and I would have trusted them had I needed a more complicated surgery. They will start by bringing you in for a consultation that includes a panoramic x-ray. This experience was very comforting for me, since I had never been to them and, like anyone, was skeptical before coming in for surgery. All of their equipment is up to date, and Dr. Pham does a great job explaining the options you have (how many teeth you want out, being put to sleep vs. local anesthetic) as well as the risks involved. Kim, the receptionist, is very helpful and went over the pain killer/antibiotic instructions and the billing very thoroughly. I was impressed that she was able to tell me specifically what my insurance was able to cover and how much it was covering. In addition, she even informed me that choosing local anesthetic over being put to sleep would save me a bunch of $$ that my insurance wouldn’t cover, and I decided to do so and would recommend others to do the same 🙂 I have no complaints with the surgery. Though I was under the effects of the valium and local anesthesia, I could still see everything that was going on and was able to communicate with them throughout the surgery. They did a great job, and everything was pain free as promised. The whole procedure took about thirty minutes and I got out feeling better than I thought I would. Oh yeah, be sure to follow all of their instructions and don’t forget to eat a light meal before the surgery like I did! After surgery, I was hungry and slightly lightheaded but immediately felt better after eating a little.

I was referred to Dr. Hieu when my bottom wisdom teeth began to compact and cause pain (I’m 23 and still had all 4). In the beginning, Dr. Hieu’s terseness was a bit off-putting, but I realized it was simply how he carried himself. He was actually highly helpful during my consultation and made sure I understood everything that needed to be done. I required 2 wisdom teeth extractions and opted for general anesthesia, which Dr. Hieu performed in less than an hour. His staff was immensely valuable and flexible in scheduling follow up appointments, or answering any questions I had pre- and post-surgery. I would certainly recommend his practice to anyone in need of oral surgery.

I’ve delayed extracting my wisdom teeth for as long as I can. My dentist (which I LOVE) recommended me to Dr. Pham. And at first, I thought…not another asian doctor (growing up, I’ve never had good experiences with asian dentists but those were the kind my parents took me to and trusted). But I was so busy with work and other things in my life that I didn’t have the time to find other oral surgeons or even do research on Dr. Pham’s credibility. I came to the consultation knowing nothing except a few feedback of wisdom teeth removal from close friends, and absolutely knew no info on Dr. Pham and his office. I met with Kim first and we went over the cost of the consultation, mainly the x-ray cost, how much the overall procedure would cost, how much my insurance would cover and how much I would need to pay out of pocket, and payment plan options. After all that, we took the xray and I met with Dr. Pham. I didn’t have too many questions (mainly because I wasn’t prepared for any questions to ask). But the few questions that I did have on the fly, Dr. Pham answered with confidence. He also went over the facts, risks and disclaimers and offers his best recommendations. Already found a great general dentist and having no fear like I did when I was young, I decided to give Dr. Pham the benefit of the doubt for the oral surgery. I opted not to go under (it would cost more to be put to sleep but that wasn’t my main concern – heard you get very groggy when you wake up). I was given a prescription to get vicodin after the consultation, which I got for very cheap (thank goodness for awesome dental benefits and copayments) but didn’t even need it! I was given 4 valiums to calm my nerves: 2 to take the night before (which they said they would call to remind me but I never got a call. It’s ok, I still remembered to take it); and the other 2 to take an hour before the procedure. My appointment was scheduled 3 weeks after my consultation (I think it could have been earlier but they were willing to accommodate for MY hectic schedule). Kim suggested I do an afternoon session, so that I would have the chance to eat a hearty (but light) meal for lunch. Let me just add here that Kim is delightfully wonderful! First time meeting her in person and it felt like I have visited this office countless times before. The day of the appointment, I knew the procedure would take about 45 minutes to an hour, but it felt like I was in and out in 5 minutes! Since I opted not to go under, I was very well aware what they were doing, though I can’t feel anything at all. Before I was numbed up, the assistant went over what to expect and what to do after with my goodies bag (which included some pain killers and gauze and post procedure instructions). I was surprised they draped a cover over the top part of my body so that only my face was shown (I was seriously expecting a small bib that we typically get at the dentist). The laughing gas made me threw up because I had gag reflexes and there wasn’t enough suction (boy, was I thankful for not getting that small bib!). They immediately replaced the draped cover with a new one. The assistant was very supportive, always asking if I’m OK and encouraging me to hold on a little longer. For what seemed like only minutes, all 3 wisdom teeth was taken out, made an appointment for a follow up a week after and I was DONE! As the anesthesia wore off and about an hour after I left the office, the left side (where 2 was taken out) was hurting super bad (to the point where I was nearly in tears). But I took one of the pain killers that was given to me (not vicodin) and it immediately went away. It also helps when I was icing it. I never received a follow up call the day after, but I really wasn’t expecting one. I generally don’t like taking meds at all, so I took very minimal amounts. I slept a lot to avoid the pain and discomfort, though it still wasn’t much painful even when I was conscious and going about my day regularly. The swelling was the worse the next day, but definitely started to decrease the following days. I stopped using the gauze the 2nd day. I write this review on the 5th day after removing my wisdom teeth. The stitching has not dissolve yet and there’s very minimal discomfort. I’ve attempted to eat udon soup on day 3 but took me 2 hours to eat just half because I was chewing with my front teeth. (Sorry for going off on a tangent but…) I’m really craving for a burger and that is going to be the first thing I eat when I can eat real food again! =) Yogurt, ice cream, and pudding are your best friends (sucks if you’re lactose intolerant though, maybe you can eat clam chowder and drain out the chunks). Thankfully I only have to go through this once, but my overall experience with Dr. Pham and his staff has been nothing short of amazing. If I have to do any future oral surgeries, this place would be the first on my list.