Star Dental

Dr. Tchaga seems to be experienced, but I didn’t like the service and the way I was treated the last two times that I went there.
I made an appointment after having a very bad toothache. When I got there, she examined my tooth and told me it needs a root canal, but she doesn’t have enough time to do anything for me cause my appointment was a short one and she has another patient to see…
She only spent 5 minutes with me. So I had to stay in pain until the next day that she had a one-​hour appointment. Had she told me this when I was initially made an appointment, I would have gone to another doctor and wouldn’t have been in pain for an extra day. So make sure you ask about your appointment type when you make one!
Secondly, on my last visit, I went there for a feeling but the height of the tooth was not right after the feeling was done. She tried to fix it a few times, but after a while she gave up and told me to come back in a day if you still felt the height is not right. I have had this situation many times in the past where the height of the tooth needed adjustment after feeling and I’m pretty sure if she spent another 5 minutes with me, she could have got it right. Now after two weeks I still feel that the height is not right, but I rather go to another doctor that has enough time for me!
In general her work was ok, but I felt I was rushed and it seemed like if your appointment time is close to the end, she would not do anything for you even if you are dying from pain.

This dental office is a gem with friendly staff and a star dentist — Dr. Tchaga. With her charming Bulgarian accent and professional behavior she makes you look forward to meet your dentist. I have been a patient there for years and so is my wife. We would never consider another dentist.

I was very nervous about having a tooth extracted, but Dr Roja and the staff calmed me and reassured me until I was ready to start. They were so patient with me, reminding me every few minutes that they would stop if I became uncomfortable. Then the Dr. explained the entire procedure — explained everything he would do to insure I felt no pain, and then continued to talk me through the procedure as he worked. I will never be as nervous again.

I’ve been going here for about 2 years. Recently I had my first filling. They numbed the area before administering the anesthesia shot, so it was virtually painless. The doctor explained everything before he did it which helped calm my nerves. Took off a star because I think the dental assistant was watching a tad too much tv.

I thought they were good for a while but I continued to have tooth pain and sensitivity and they gave me a very uncomfortable mouthguard that I couldn’t sleep with. I ended up going to tranquility dental and was SO glad I left star dental. This place definitely does not have the latest technology. They try to save patients money, but it can be at the expense of your dental health and you’ll need to pay more in the end. If you can afford to avoid this place you should.

Dr. Tchaga might be great for quick, routine cleanings if one’s oral health and teeth are already in pretty good shape, but I would not recommend Dr. Tchaga for any dental work outside of cleanings unless you want to experience a lot of pain, a visit to an oral surgeon after having your teeth damaged at Star Dental, and a huge dental bill.
Here’s The Story:
My mother was a loyal patient of Dr. Tchaga for several years until Dr. Tchaga attempted to «fix» a cavity in one of my mother’s wisdom teeth (back molar). The major mistake on Dr. Tchaga’s part was trying to do the work herself and not referring my mother to a specialist (e.g., endodontist or oral surgeon), as wisdom teeth can typically be problematic.
Fast forward the long story:
Dr. Tchaga worked on my mother’s wisdom tooth (without informing my mother that it was a tricky wisdom tooth). After the work, my mother developed pain in her jaw (the same side as where Dr. Tchaga has worked). My mother ended up seeing an endodontist and oral surgeon to have that wisdom tooth extracted as her root had been damaged by the work Dr. Tchaga had done. Btw, if you need a great oral surgeon after a dental disaster, go see Kenneth Follmar DDS in Los Gatos:
End of story: Be careful about what type of work you have done at this clinic!!! Star Dental does not seem to know their limits about the scope of their clinical practice and you can end up paying for their incompetence afterwards in the form of pain, surgery, and a huge dental bill. I would recommend staying away.
Addendum:
if you need a good dentist, check out these competent professionals who know how to refer to specialists when the need arises:
Dr. William Vainer in Campbell
Dr. Jeffrey Krupp in Los Gatos

Dr. Tchaga is the best dentist I’ve ever had. I recently switched to Star Dental from Northern Dental and I was amazed by how wonderful a dentist visit could be. She’s patience and kind, always willing to answer your questions. Also she has a gentle touch and makes you feel very comfortable. Just to put my experience in context, I received a regular check up and cleaning then I had two cavities filled during my next appointment. The two cavities only took about 25mins to fill and I could not feel a thing, not even the needle that was used to numb each area. I wish there were more dentists out there like her.

I like this place. Dr. Tchaga repaired my cavity with skill and speed, and her assistants did an excellent job taking X-​rays and cleaning my teeth. Everyone in the lab and the office was pleasant and professional. I appreciate that Dr. Tchaga was upfront about potential costs before scheduling additional work. Also, the prices seemed honest and reasonable.
Previous Unilocal reviews complained that Star Dental was busy and always booked. I agree, but I think they’re busy because they’re good. Maybe I got lucky, but in less than one hour, Dr. Tchaga and her staff cleaned my teeth, took X-​rays, and repaired a cavity, while also dealing with other patients.

Excellent care at star dental! They are thoroughly to explain everything. Everyone from the front desk to the doctor where friendly and cared about my treatment there. Dr. Roho was wonderful and explained the details behind why he does things. He cared about educating his patient. And… I was done in an hour!

Verginia Chaga is absolutely one of the Best Dentists in America … Very happy with her skills, knowledge, manners and pricing. I dislike going to dentists in general — wonder if anyone does — but with Verginia as my Dentist — I’m fearless …

My father went to Star Dental because of its proximity to where we live. This was a very, very bad choice.
First, when they broke down the costs, they explained it wrong. They told us the fee was for deep cleaning, when it was for the drug administered for then deep cleaning. Not a big of a deal. HOWEVER, when my father got it done he was shocked to find out that it was only for ONE SESSION. The person at the reception desk did not explain that to us and had the audacity to pin it onto me, saying that she had told me it was for HALF THE MOUTH. Wrong, she did not.
When I phoned in and explained, no apology was given. They said it was a misunderstanding on our part. Uh, exactly how is it our fault? Then they told us that even if it wasn’t explained, it is written in clear English that it is only for the left side. Oh, I’m sorry that I didn’t know what LL and UL meant under the «TH» column.
That is not all, folks. My father also had an extraction done and it broke in the process. When I asked about this, the woman in charge (Dr. Tchaga) told us that it was a very delicate process and that it is not their fault because the person taking it out is not an oral surgeon. If she is NOT AN ORAL SURGEON, why on earth would she even TRY TO? It was only after it broke they thought they would so nicely find us a specialist and refer us to them. Thanks, I guess. Now we have to pay 50 $ extra for a consultation that could’ve been avoided.
Dr. Tchaga was not personable and honestly, the staff and the dentists there are not up to par. Just because this place is close, doesn’t mean it’s good ! I’m surprised this place even has 3 stars.

I’ve only had two appointments with Dr. Tchaga, since I just moved to the area about 2 months ago. I was searching up dental offices that were in-​network with my health insurance (BCBS PPO, in case anyone still browsing also has this plan), and decided to try out Star Dental due to their flexible hours and the multiple 4– and 5-​star reviews on here. (Seriously, their hours rock. How many other dental offices do you know are open 11 hours a day? They’re even open on Saturday, but understandably with limited hours — be advised that Saturday appointments are only open to those who need specific work done, instead of a general check-​up/​cleaning.)
Anyway, so far, Star Dental has been nothing but completely satisfactory for me. The first appointment was sometime last month, right before closing hours, so I was lucky and able to have Dr. Tchaga’s sole attention. She was incredibly friendly and courteous, and answered all my questions patiently. Technically, I wasn’t covered for a general check-​up/​cleaning until September, but Dr. Tchaga didn’t mind at all and didn’t even charge me for the brief visit.
The second appointment (which was this morning) went very smoothly. (Star Dental sends appointment reminders via email, which is nice.) The office was super-​busy, even at 8 AM, so I had a wait a few minutes but the staff made sure I was ushered in as soon as possible. (Not at all like my previous dental office, who didn’t seem to care if you’ve been waiting half an hour past your appointment time.)
I want to give props to Dr. Tchaga’s staff, who are quick without being sloppy and very respectful of the clients. It seems like Dr. Tchaga runs a pretty tight ship! My dental hygienist did all the x-​rays and polishing as gently as possible, which makes a huge difference if you’re nervous around dental instruments, like me. She even put a pair of goggles on me to prevent any stray splashes from getting into my eyes. Then Dr. Tchaga did some final cleaning (the part with the sharp metal picks) and scrutinized my x-​rays for any potential problem areas. I really appreciated that she remembered my name and the concern I brought up during my last appointment, even though she clearly has a lot of clients on her hands. Best of all, she didn’t try to push me to purchase products from them that I didn’t need (the way my previous dental office did).
And the receptionists? They clearly know what they’re doing. Mine checked how much my insurance would cover for a tiny filling I have to get, provided me with copy of a detailed cost breakdown, and asked if I wanted to make my next general cleaning appointment (6 months in advance). Then to doubly ensure I wouldn’t forget, she confirmed my email so I can receive appointment reminders.
Of course, personal experiences can vary, but in my opinion, you should at least give Dr. Tchaga the benefit of the doubt and go see for yourself.

Quite frankly, I’m surprised at the level of vitriol in some of these reviews. It seems like some of the one star reviewers actually had problems with their insurance companies, not with this dentist.
I started going to Star Dental four years ago, and my experience has never been less than perfect. I chose Star Dental for my initial visit based on the high reviews that are now being «filtered» by Unilocal.
Over the past four years, Star Dental has probably had three or four front desk assistants. Even so, each one was helpful in finding and scheduling an appointment for me. Star Dental has a system where you are sent an e-​mail and text message two days prior to your appointment, and you reply to confirm. It’s a great reminder system.
I have been treated by both Dr. Tchaga and Dr. Lazarov. Each time, the dentist cleans away tartar and does a rough polish his– or herself. Then the hygienist does the final polish. Each appointment has been very efficient, but the doctors do take the time to ask if you have any questions. It’s as good an experience as a teeth cleaning can be.
My advice? Give Star Dental a shot.

I have been a patient at Star Dental off and on for about 8 years. In that time I have had some minor work and some major work performed on my teeth.
Firstly, Dr Tchaga (who’s from Bulgaria, not Russia as one of the other reviewers angrily claimed) is the reason I visit the office. The receptionist, front office personnel, and the staff come and go. I needed a dentist that I could trust and I found that in her and unless something drastically changes, I am staying with her.
Recently I have had to invest in a set of implants (and I mean invest– it was a pretty hefty outlay). Naturally I could have gone to pretty much any dentist since I was paying cash. Yet, I chose Dr Tchaga to complete the work above the gum line after an oral surgeon performed the implantation into the jawbone. Dr Tchaga had never worked with this particular brand of implants (each company uses a different combination of components). She was candid in her disclosure so that I was well aware of the risk of having myself be the guinea pig. I trusted her to do the job well and that was exactly how it worked out.
She had to get me in to the office a few times to make sure that the fitting was perfect but I appreciated the fact that when she could have called it a day and sent me the bill (for an agreed upon amount) she took it upon herself to re-​do a portion of the work (at no extra cost to me) because she was not happy with the way two of the implant components mated. If your dentist does that for you, you’d keep going to that dentist, right?
That was about a year ago — when I stopped by for my last cleaning, Dr Tchaga personally did the cleaning so we could both admire her handiwork :-)

My experience with Star Dental and Dr Tchaga are the worst I have ever had from a medical provider. The office charges are exorbitant and she rapes both your insurance and you for shoddy work. I have a crown done by her that she wrestled with for a couple of appointments that obviously had a fit problem and was not done properly but she refused to admit it and proclaimed it was an excellent job. Meanwhile she discounted all the previous crowns I had done in gold as old school and inferior work, though most of them are 10+ years old and have never had an issue.
Subsequently I went to another dentist with complaints about this crown and learned it is a piece of crap (at an outrageous price) and needs to be replaced. The real kicker is that my insurance won’t cover a replacement crown on the same tooth for 5 years, so I am either out of pocket $ 1,200 or I have to live with the Russian plumber’s job for another 3+ years.
Recommended only if you have an unloved farm animal that needs a tooth extraction.

I chose Dr. Tchaga based on the reviews and because Star Dental was listed under my dental plan, which is more limited in providers than a full dental PPO.
Unlike some of the other reviews, I had no issues with the staff. They easily scheduled me after my first call, and then called again to remind me before my appointment. The visit itself went well. Since I was new, they did a full set of xrays. Then Dr. Tchaga came, discussed the xrays with me, examined my teeth, and then performed a cleaning.
Everyone I met at Star Dental was friendly and professional. I cannot speak to how they do more complex dental work, but for routine care, they should be fine.

Dr. Tchaga is amazing!
I have a fear of dentists and she was very accomodating to me. She walked me through the entire procedure and made sure I was at ease. She’d ask me periodically during the operation if I was doing ok. I have never felt more secure in a dentist’s work and I have never been comfortable on a chair until I found her. I tend to believe that the people who said that she was rude to them are lying or work for a competing dental office or something. I simply cannot believe that such a kind and courteous person as Dr Tchaga could ever behave like that. Haters!
Dr Tchaga works very carefully and I did not feel any pain or discomfort whatsoever. And, the equiptment she uses is top-​noch so you can’t really feel any vibrations or pressure during your procedure either.
Her office has text message appointment reminders that you can sign up for. The space is extremely clean, modern furniture and fixtures. There is always calming music on, like smooth jazz. The waiting room has a comfortable sitting area with leather chairs, a TV and current magazines. Each patient station also has its own TV.
True, her office is usuallly fully booked. So-​plan ahead before you go. Also, make sure you arrive a bit early for the first appointment, since there’s some paperwork to fill out.

I brought in my 5 year old because of a toothache. We arrived late to our appointment due to some mishaps and were rudely turned away.
There was no offer to wait for another opening, or to reschedule a new appointment. They just wanted us out of their office. Sure, we were late, but this is the worst «service» I’ve ever encountered.
In addition, my crown which Dr. Tchaga worked on required 4 visits. They took two molds because the first set was wrong, so I had to endure another series of gum injections. My previous dentist was done in 2 sittings for a similar crown.
I am currently dropping this dentist and looking for a new one.

I’m lowering my rating of Dr. Tchaga, because the last couple times I’ve not been that satisfied. I feel like she schedules a lot of people in and she is in a rush and that comes across in interaction. I also have had a couple fillings that I have not been completely happy with.
Verdict: I think there are better dentists around. Not terrible, but not the best dentist I have been to. Perhaps the other person in the office is better.

When faced with the unknown I regularly depend upon Unilocal.I chose Dr. Tchaga’s office based on the reviews which proved to be very very wrong.
Dr. Tchaga may as well be the best doctor in the world, but her staff is a different story. The receptionist is extremely rude and unwelcoming toward brand new patients. So much so that my husband and I are looking for new options.
If you are looking for a dentist, don’t chose Tchaga!!! It seems like they don’t want newbies.