Accepting new patients
Dental care without the guesswork
Clear treatment plans, pricing you can see up front, and a team that takes the time to explain your options.
Most insurance acceptedSame-week emergency slotsPlan for patients without insurance
In network with
Care
Our treatments
Comprehensive care for every member of the family, from routine cleanings to full restorations.
Cleanings & check-ups
Routine exams, cleanings, and digital x-rays.
Fillings
Tooth-colored composite, done in one appointment.
Crowns & bridges
Restoring cracked, worn, or missing teeth.
Root canals
Relieving the pain and saving the tooth.
Extractions
Simple and surgical, including wisdom teeth.
Whitening & cosmetic
Whitening, veneers, and bonding.
Patients
What people say
Insurance & cost
Insurance & payment
Select your plan to see whether we are in network and how billing works.
1Your plan
Pick your plan above and we'll tell you exactly where you stand — no form, no phone call first.
Every treatment plan comes with a written estimate before anything is scheduled, and we offer interest-free payment plans in house.
Your first visit
What to expect
From booking your appointment to leaving with a written treatment plan.
- 01
You call or send the form
We call back the same business day. If you are in pain, say so — we hold slots for it.
- 02
Paperwork before you arrive
Emailed ahead, so there is no clipboard in the waiting room.
- 03
Exam, x-rays, cleaning
About an hour, and we walk you through what we find on the screen.
- 04
A written plan
You leave knowing what is urgent, what can wait, and what it costs.
Your team
Who you'll actually see
Dr. Alex Monroe, DDS
General dentist
Practicing since 2011, in Santa Cruz since 2016. Known for taking the time to explain what she's looking at, and for going slowly with people who'd rather be anywhere else.
Dr. Nina Patel, DMD
General dentist
Restorative and cosmetic work, trained at UCSF. The person to ask about whitening that actually lasts, and the one who'll tell you when a treatment isn't worth the money.
Dana Whitfield, RDH
Dental hygienist
Fifteen years chairside, most of them here. Gentle with sensitive teeth, unfailingly cheerful at eight in the morning, and the reason half our patients keep coming back.
Questions
Common questions
Usually not, and we'd rather over-numb than under-numb. Tell us you're nervous and we'll go slower, explain each step, and stop whenever you raise a hand. We also offer nitrous if that helps.
That's most new patients, and nobody here is going to lecture you. We'll look at where things stand, deal with anything urgent, and build a plan you can actually work through.
Say so early and we'll sequence the work so the urgent things happen first. We offer interest-free payment plans in-house and can set up third-party financing for larger treatment.
Yes, from about age three. First visits are short and mostly about getting comfortable in the chair.
Swelling, a knocked-out tooth, a cracked tooth, or pain that's keeping you awake. Call us — we keep same-week slots open and can often see you the same day.
Visit us
Come see us
Send this and we'll call you back the same business day to find a time. Nothing is booked until we've spoken — and if you're in pain, say so and we'll move you up.
- Where
- 1218 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA, 95062 · Directions
- Hours
- Monday8am – 5pm
- Tuesday8am – 5pm
- Wednesday8am – 5pm
- Thursday8am – 5pm
- Friday8am – 2pm
- SaturdayClosed
- SundayClosed
- Parking & access
- Free parking in the lot behind the building, off Windham. Ground floor, no steps, and the doorway and restroom are wheelchair accessible. The 68 and 69 stop a block away on Soquel.