Curtis Raff, DDS

Do not come here for a root canal treatment!!! I suggest getting a root canal treatment by an endodontist. I made a terrible mistake getting my root canal done here. It didn’t even last 3 months and my teeth got infected again. Dr. Raff should not be doing any root canal and treatment is very expensive as well. I payed over $ 1000 for no reason, horrible dentistry.

Best dentistry place i’ve been to. Dr Raff explains why treatments are necessary, and gives good explanations why a patient has or doesn’t have any dental problems. He hasn’t tried to sign me up for services that weren’t necessary. I’ve had pleasant experiences with all the dentists and receptionists here.

Best dentist, friendliest staff and state of the art equipment. I have been going here for years and I could not be happier with me experiences.

There’s very little to say that hasn’t already been said about Dr. Raff. He’s honest, extremely approachable, and very intelligent. If you’re looking for the best dentist in SF, you came across the right person. Take this from someone who has fired many.

Dr. Raff is an extremely honest practitioner — he has never tried to sell me any services that I didn’t need. I firmly believe that the measure of a great practitioner is how they spend their professional time off hours. It always impresses me to know that Dr. Raff plays a prominent role with the American Dental Association. I’m not talking about how some people go to a meeting here and there and get a pin. He’s actively involved and that means a great deal. If you care about integrity, honesty, and great customer service you’d be wasting time looking any further.

If you want a dentist who is extremely knowledgable and up-​to-​date on anything related to dentistry, Dr. Raff is the right one for you. His staff is very welcoming and cheerful. Marsha, one of his hygienists, whom I have been going to for many years, always takes the time to explain WHY I should be flossing a certain way or how to improve my mouth hygiene. I love the screen above the dental chair that continuously shows dental jokes and cartoons. Dr.
Raff’s patient rooms are bright and airy and for tech geeks, you would love all his modern technology. I trust Dr. Raff to give me the best dental care possible.

Was a former patient of the Senior Raff and continued on with the Junior. Unfortunately, he botched a root canal… got an infection. I called him on Friday night. Left a message with his service. He never called back. Had a horrible infection by Saturday morning. Left another message. Never called back. By Sunday the pain was excruciating. I kept calling. He never called back. Finally Monday I called the office and they tell me to come in. I was so pissed by then and also very sick at this point. He acted like nothing happened. Ridiculous. He tried to fix it by doing another root canal. (Find out later he shouldn’t be doing root canals, as he isn’t capable!) Then that’s infected months later. All the while he is charging me for this. Then he sends me out to the specialist Endodontist to get it fixed. I have to yet pay for that. I should have sued him for malpractice. Then I get an infection 7 months later. The root breaks and they end up pulling the tooth. I’m now having to have an implant. I have no dental insurance so about $ 7,000 later… I will never go back to this man again. He never apologized for never calling me the whole weekend. I needed antibiotics badly. He was responsible for me losing my tooth. I know of a few people who have not ever gone back to him who live in my the ‘hood for the same reasons; infections, high billings, what he’s done to them and also not called them back when they were infected or bleeding all weekend after procedures. Very callous…

I, and my family, have been coming to Dr. Raff’s office for many years now and have always appreciated the experience. He’s truly a great and compassionate person with a fresh perspective on dentistry that is unmatched anywhere else. I was embarrassed and even ashamed at the state of my teeth. Dr. Raff gave me a straightforward, no BS rundown on what was wrong and how we (WE!) could fix it. No lecture, no more shame. I walked away knowledgeable about my teeth and what I could do for them, not scared, in pain, embarrassed, or «ripped off» (as was my experience elsewhere).
He understands, and does not shame you, for not being able to afford tons of dental work. I put off fixing a cavity for nearly 4 years, and it nearly killed me with the pain. He understood — he didn’t even blink an eye about it. Just got to work on fixing the problem. He was firm in his diagnosis and suggestions, but I never felt pressured. The work he does, while expensive, is top-​notch. He’s already repaired the shoddy crown work done at another office (for next to nothing $), and helped me understand and put together a comprehensive prioritized care plan for my teeth moving forward that will fit with my budget and time constraints.
This office cares about YOU, as a person, and it shows everywhere you go. He has technology in place to help you better understand the work being done and the status of your teeth. (I saw my teeth from behind today! It was way cool!). They offer blankets, coffee, even CD players to make the experience more comfortable. The staff are just lovely — the dental assistant (Marlene, I think? Sorry girlie I don’t think I caught your name!) who took my xrays was such a sweetheart. She was calm, professional, and really nice about me drooling all over the place! Charlotte (the receptionist) was just fabulous — she called me at 9am to schedule an appointment after I sent a desperate request through their online contact form Sunday night.
So this is less a review and more of a thank you note to the wonderful Staff at Dr. Raff’s office — thank you for your professional, and even comforting work. I look forward to seeing you all soon (something I never thought I’d say about a Dentist’s office!)

I have been seeing this Dentist for several months as I am in the process of getting dentures. The treatment I received from Dr. Raff’s staff is exemplary. I have been to alot of Dentists. Never have I met a Dentist (Dr, Raff) whose skill and professionalism radiate forth as his does. He as a quiet confidence about him that is unique and simply puts one quickly at ease.
Every procedure I have been through I have walked away knowing that I had the privilege of being treated by a Dr. and staff that raise the bar in their field.
In closing I feel the Bay Area is lucky to have this Doctor and amazing staff.

He is the best — because he is financial conservative with YOUR money and does excellent work. He took the business over from his dad many years ago. I likely have been going for over 20 years now. Dr. Raff is high tech — you can see (most) everything to do with your teeth on a computer right in front of you. They explain everything. Nice staff and great hygienist (Marsha and another). Check out Dr. Raff’s professional associations and non-​profit work history. He is remarkable and really cares.

Would not recommend. I was giving a cost estimate (free/​$ 0) to get some dental work done and they later requested $ 600 dollars from me after the work was done. Very unprofessional considering that this was the only dental company using my dental insurance during that period. Moved dental company after failed counter offer to pay at most 50%.

Dr. Raff just took three wisdom teeth and a piece of tooth that was left by another dentist… I couldn’t be more thankful to him and his staff. I’m not that brave so I usually need some extra love when it comes to painful procedures: No pain at all during the procedure, of course im in pain meds now, but the whole experience which is never pleasant was simply easier because of him and his staff, from his assistant and her encouraging nice words to the receptionist, who was super nice both times i was there. Professional and friendly: 100% satisfied!

After taking far too long to leave my pediatric dentist, I finally went to see Dr. Raff. My entire family has been going to see Dr. Raff for years, so I was a late convert. I had no idea what I was missing all of those years!
Typically, when I go in for teeth cleaning, I schedule with one of the fantastic hygienists. I’m always amazed that they remember what we talked about the last time I came in (6 months before). They always take the time to explain what’s going on with my mouth and remind me to floss without being mean (I’m sorry! I’m trying!). The entire office is just a really wonderful group of people. Since moving to Oakland, I still make the trek out to visit Dr. Raff — he’s just that good!

He is like the ex-​boyfriend I can’t stay away from! I used to go to Dr. Raff (Jr) from my college years until I got a real job. Then recession hit me like a bad flu, so I had to stop seeing him.
Once I got another job, I tried going to a dentist within the network to save some $. But I wasn’t happy at all, service was bad & ended costing me $ 405! So I decided to reunite w/​Dr. Raff & I couldn’t be any happier. As long as you have a PPO, he’ll take you. He’s so knowledgeable, charismatic, has a pleasant staff & high-​tech equipment. Yeah sure a mouthful of cavities = $$$ so make sure to take care of those pearly whites!

The only dentist that i will see, if i lived 10 hrs away id drive here. All his equipment is state of the art, and the dental hygenists actually have clean teeth that you can admire. Hard to believe but i have seen dental hygienists with teeth that look like they came from a corpse. Anyways Im digressing, if you want a good reliable dentist go here.

My mother is a dental assistant, so growing up I was always subjected to whichever dentist she happened to be working for at that time. Over the years, I was forced to be worked on by some really horrible dentists. I could go into details, but don’t want to scare anyone. So believe me when I say I know a really good dentist when I see one. And Dr. Curtis Raff is a really good dentist. I’m actually quite thrilled that when I finally reached adulthood and got to choose a dentist of my own, I found Dr. Raff.
I have been going to Dr. Raff for about 5 or 6 years now. He is excellent at communicating what needs to be done, what will be done, and why it needs to be done. He’s got a good sense of humor and his general nature puts you at ease.
The office is clean, comfortable and modern. It’s in a good location with plenty of parking, and right on the L Taraval line. The front office staff is nice and friendly, there is coffee and water in the waiting room, great old pictures of old San Francisco on the walls (I love looking at the old photos) and a decent selection of magazines if you have to wait (no need to thumb through year-​old issues of Highlights or Guns & Ammo). Though honestly, I’ve never really had to wait long.
There is a TV in each room with some dental info and jokes scrolling on the screen, angled so you can watch while Dr. Raff or one of his hygienists is poking around in your mouth. He’s got heated neck pillows, too, if you want them. Very nice.
He is also one of only a handful of dentists who uses digital x-​rays, which are awesome. It’s a whole lot less radiation, and there are no chemicals needed to develop them. Better for you and the environment– you really can’t go wrong with that.
I should also say that I always get my cleanings done there by Marsha Mayer, who incidentally is Dr. Raff’s mother. (Dentistry obviously runs in the family; he took over the practice from his father almost 10 years ago). Marsha is a great hygienist. She only works there once a week, on Thursdays, which suits my schedule just fine. She is good at what she does and has perfected being able to talk to you and communicate with yes-​or-​no questions, so you can actually answer her while shes got a tooth polisher and spit-​sucker in your mouth.

Dr. Raff Senior (since 1970) was great, he had a lot of confidence and you trusted him. He would joke with you about the pain you were going to endure, and tell you the B.S. about the hazards of metal fillings. He wanted to get your work done whether or not you could pay all of it that visit. That’s what I appreciated about him.
Now his son has the practice, and there are some issues about payment/​billing. I guess you pay for all the fancy high tech equipment in his office. Too bad.

I had been going to see Ronald Raff, DDS, Curtis’ father, since 1976 and it was like one big family. I had total confidence in his work because he exuded confidence, worked fast/​efficiently and I trusted his skills. When I learned he was going to retire, I was heartbroken as I did not know yet what kind of dentist his son would be who took over the business. Not only is he the spitting image of his dad both in looks and upbeat personality, but he has proven to me that he does excellent work as well with an addition of high-​tech/​modern equipment. I also have to put in a special word for Irene, the dental hygienist, who is SO nice, thorough and gives me some tough love concerning taking care of my teeth and I listen. Dr. Raff also is affiliated with some really excellent specialists in their field.
I do miss some of the previous staff and a few problems have cropped up related to insurance/​billing/​cancellation issues that NEVER happened while I was under Dr. Raff, Sr. care which I think is unfortunate after being a loyal patient for over 35+ years, but I continue to go anyway and give 5 stars because of Dr. Curtis Raff being an excellent dentist.

Dr. Raff is the ONLY dentist i will ever go to, and I have been to quite a few over the years. I can’t tell you how glad I am that a friend recommended Dr. Raff back in 1997. His office is modern with the patients comfort in mind. His staff is fantastic! And best of all you’ll get top notch dental care. My smile has never been better and I owe it completely to Dr. Raff! Quite simply the best dentist in San Francisco!

If my teeth fall out in 20 years, I’ll re-​write it. Dr. Raff is the most modern, conscientious, thorough, professional, laid back, down to earth doctor I’ve had. I’ve know him since the 7^th grade, and to transition from friend, to friend who is my trusted anti tooth decay ally and potential knuckle rapper is a big switch and requires a huge amount of faith in that person, let alone friendship. I’m happy and proud to day Dr. Raff has those in abundance, to the point my parents, uncle, step mother, best friend and two ex girlfriends go to him. He’s that good and trusted.