RSD Dental Group and Orthodontics - El Cajon, California

Andrea Mapula

I had my first experience here for my retainers, mouth guard, and a cleaning. The team - dr. portalas, assistant octavio, hygienist adian, and
dr. helal, are all so incredible and personable. i’ve had several not so good experiences at other dental offices however, this is the best experience ive had so far. they all made sure I was comfortable and had no pain 🙂 would recommend!

Jake P

Just started going here but so far very happy. Professional, friendly, helpful and upfront. Have options if you don't have insurance.

Richard Johnson

I went by here a few months ago because they take my insurance, Metlife. They did x-rays and discussed treatment with me. They wanted to do a "Deep Cleaning", which would cost well over $1000 and would not be covered by my insurance! I told them I didn't want to do anything and I left.

Today, I see the bill:

Total Dentist Charges: $817.00
Total Allowed Amount: $40.00
Total Benefit Paid: $40.00
Total Patient Responsibility: $296.00
Total Negotiated Fee:$336.00

So, x-rays and a discussion, with no treatment at all, cost $817, but they negotiated down to $336 and apparently the types of x-rays they took are not covered either, so I have to pay almost the entire amount!

I'm glad I left when I did! Be careful with these people and make sure you exactly what they're charging you for!

Jesse Ray

This dental office is the best in San Diego. The staff is extremely kind and informative. They are not just trying to push sales like most others. My then fiancé (and now wife) and I went in to get a deep clean and whitening before our big day. We were kind of pushing it close but Dr. Tran and her team were more than able to accommodate. Thank you. I highly recommend.

Laura Grimm

I went to RSD Dental back in July 2023 and had 2 root canals and 2 crowns plus a cleaning, x-rays, exam. Everyone I talked to was really friendly and the dental assistants are great. However, I'm now questioning if I even needed such extensive work because my initial concern of pain in my lower jaw was never even addressed. The dentist just said she would ask her colleague and call me back, but never did. Looking back, I also realize they pressured me into getting the procedures done the same day and I wish I would've waited and given it more thought or gotten a second opinion. The biggest issue I had at RSD was that they could not seem to figure out the billing and when all was said and done, it left me feeling really uneasy like something fishy is going on. I paid over $3000 out of pocket the day I had the work done, with my insurance covering the rest. Everything seemed settled and done. A few months later, they called and emailed me claiming I owed another $1900, even though I already paid and had not been to their office in months. Well, back and forth with RSD and my insurance for several months and in DECEMBER I find out they NEVER even billed by insurance. When I tried to call or email, they just seemed annoyed that I would ask them to contact my insurance or clear this up. Eventually they charged the $1900 to my insurance and I didn't actually owe it. They just seem really disorganized. I *think* it's all figured out now, but who knows, maybe they will claim I owe something more in a few months just because they can't figure it out or maybe it's all a scam of some kind. I talked to my insurance company and asked if this was normal (to not bill the insurance for months) and they said "no, this seems strange, they are just making a bad reputation for themselves." I can't really understand why it was such a mess, but I recommend finding a different dentist, or at least getting a second opinion.

Sai Jin

Great, nice kind staff quick and fast for your an appointment. Very nice and clean building.

Norma Solomon

Very disappointed in the speedy teeth cleaning. Hygienist was personable but rushed through the cleaning. Did not do a thorough job. Too many repeat x-rays because first ones were “not good enough.” Seems I was being sold different procedures instead of just my cleaning. All in all, very stressful for my second time in. Will not be returning.

Candace Comer

I would highly recommend NOT going to this dental office. I went here a few weeks ago for a new patient appointment and I was told by Lilia Portales DDS that I needed $8,000+ worth of work done on my teeth. She wanted me to have two root canals done and five crowns. I was so blown away by this so I went and got a second AND a third opinion from two different dentists and they said I only needed a few fillings. I can not believe I was almost scammed by this dental office. Everyone that I talked to there seemed so sincere and kind. Do not be fooled, they almost tricked me into thinking they actually cared about my well-being and health. I originally went here because I saw nice reviews but I was fooled.
To add to this, I found out after my appointment that my mother had a root canal done here a year ago and it was done completely wrong, this caused an abscess in the bottom of her jaw and her throat swelled up like a balloon which prevented her from breathing. This made her go to the ER for emergency surgery.
Please do not go here. They only care about getting money out of you no matter how nice they seem.