Gutgarts Eliozar, DDS

I love these guys I’ve been coming here since 1990. They are old school but their work rocks. I’ve tried much more expensive and modern dentists over the years but they can’t match the skill and workmanship.

I really thought I was happy with this dentist’s office. But, after getting a second opinion I have to give them only one star.
I was told I needed 10 fillings. If they were charged to my insurance, I was told it would be $ 295/​each. For out-​of-​pocket, I was told $ 150. I have a cap on the total amount my insurance will pay in a year, and they’d previously charged about $ 450 for a cleaning and X-​rays, and this would have put me over by a LOT. So, I called my childhood dentist in Michigan and scheduled an appointment while visiting family. Turns out, I only needed three fillings after all. And, the Michigan dentist only charged ~$ 105-​$ 150, depending on the filling.
I asked the Gutgarts dental office to mail my Michigan dentist the X-​rays a week or two in advance. But, somehow they never made it, so new Xrays had to be done.
I found the dentist (Mila) and the assistant patient, friendly, and nice. They gave me very useful tips for better cleaning and I was hoping to finally have a dentist that didn’t live half the country away. But, despite my high hopes what I can I do? No one wants unnecessary dental work, at great expense.

It appears that the Gutgarts come from a long line of dentists, extending for generations back in the old country, which I’m guessing is Mother Russia (However, they may be Chechnyan, I am unable to distinguish). I’ve now had the pleasure of not one but 2 Gutgarts brothers poking around in my mouth.
Initially I went to Eduard Gutgarts on Poinsettia and got 2 root canals done (see my review). A couple of weeks later my tooth started feeling really jagged and I thought the filling may have come loose. Upon calling the office, I found out the dentist was on vacation but that the dentist’s brother, who was also a dentist, could take care of me. I called the other Gutgarts — Eliozar — and the woman was super brisk on the phone but efficient — in fact, I called at 10a and she said to come in at noon. Sweet.
This office is in the same complex as the Whole Foods Market at Santa Monica x Fairfax, which makes it seem kinda classy. It’s a clean and pretty modern office as far as I can tell, and while it, too, seems to have a mostly Russian clientele, this Dr. Gutgarts was rather more friendly than the first and in general the staff seemed to use English more frequently. I only waited a few minutes — and got to peruse a well-​read November 2009 copy of Cosmo — and the dentist saw me immediately. He checked my mouth, said that the filling was fine but the tooth had chipped, and filed it down with the drill. The whole visit took about 10m, and they didn’t charge me — I donno if that’s a family thing or what — though I had to fill out some info.
He’s really a nice guy and though the other dentist that assisted — I believe that would be Luydmilla, the third Gutgarts dentist — was pretty cold to me, everything was efficient and there was free parking, so I have no complaints.