Independently rated by patient reviews, credentials, and care quality.
Quick answer
Our top ranked dental practice in Santa Monica, California is Dr. Ralph Buoncristiani, DDS, rated 5.0 out of 5 across 1,160 public reviews. Other top choices include Dr. Benjamin Freed and Dr. Brent Hale. Santa Monica has a population of about 92,472, and the 5 strongest local practices are compared on this page.
Whether you just moved to Santa Monica or your old office closed, this page is a fast way to find quality care. We ranked Santa Monica, California dental practices using public reviews, provider registry credentials, and breadth of treatment. You get the strongest Santa Monica dental practices first, with the reasoning made plain.
Across the 5 top practices we highlight in Santa Monica, patients can access general dentistry. The Santa Monica practices on this list average 17 years in practice, with Dr. Ali Mogharei, DDS among the most established at 20 years. Listed offices serve several parts of the city, including the 90404, 90403 ZIP areas. Together these practices hold 3,669 public Google reviews, led by Dr. Ralph Buoncristiani, DDS with 1,160. The average rating across the list is 5.0 out of 5.
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General Dentistry
Provides general dentistry for Santa Monica families, serving patients for 19 years. Rated 5.0 out of 5 across 1,160 public Google reviews.
General Dentistry
Provides general dentistry for Santa Monica families, serving patients for 16 years. Rated 5.0 out of 5 across 1,088 public Google reviews.
General Dentistry
Offering general dentistry in Santa Monica, serving patients for 19 years. Rated 5.0 out of 5 across 422 public Google reviews.
General Dentistry
Known in Santa Monica for general dentistry, a well established practice with 20 years of experience. Rated 4.9 out of 5 across 472 public Google reviews.
General Dentistry
A Santa Monica dental office focused on general dentistry, serving patients for 13 years. Rated 5.0 out of 5 across 527 public Google reviews.
Practice names, credentials, and specialties are verified against the US National Provider Identifier (NPI) registry, the official record of licensed healthcare providers. Listings were last reviewed on August 27, 2026.
Explore where the top rated dental practices in Santa Monica, California are located.
A healthy mouth quietly supports the rest of your health. In Santa Monica, a general dentist is your first point of contact for cleanings, exams, and everyday treatment. When something more complex comes up, they coordinate specialist treatment so your care stays joined up.
General Dentistry5 of 5 listed practices
General dentists are your first stop for everyday care: checkups, cleanings, fillings, crowns, and preventive advice. Most families see a general dentist twice a year.
Dental care keeps advancing, from same day crowns to clear aligners and AI assisted diagnostics. See what is new in dentistry and what to ask your Santa Monica dentist.
Our Santa Monica ranking is editorial, not paid. Each practice is scored on patient reviews and review volume, verified credentials from the national provider registry, years in practice, and online presence. Sponsored placements are always labeled and never change how the organic list is ranked.
Read our full ranking methodologyCheck credentials and experience
Confirm the dentist is licensed and look at how long the practice has served Santa Monica. Years in practice and clear credentials such as DDS or DMD are a strong signal of consistent care.
Read recent patient reviews
Reviews reveal what it is really like to be a patient, from wait times to how comfortable procedures feel. Look for a steady pattern of positive feedback rather than a single glowing note.
Match services to your needs
If you want cosmetic work, implants, or braces, choose a Santa Monica practice that offers those services in house so your care stays coordinated under one roof.
Ask about insurance and payment
Call ahead to confirm the office accepts your plan and offers payment options. Many Santa Monica practices work with major insurers and provide financing for larger treatments.
Visit for a first appointment
A cleaning or consultation is the best way to judge cleanliness, technology, and how well the team listens. Trust your comfort level with both the dentist and the staff.
The first appointment at a Santa Monica practice is as much about listening as it is about treatment. You will typically get a cleaning, an exam, and a clear explanation of anything that needs attention. By the end you should understand your options and never feel pushed into treatment.
Dental fees in Santa Monica depend on the procedure and your coverage. Checkups and cleanings are the least expensive and the most important for prevention, so keeping up with them can save you from costlier work later. For treatments like implants or braces, ask about staged treatment, insurance limits, and financing, all of which many local offices help arrange.
Before you commit to a dentist in Santa Monica, a few direct questions tell you a lot about the practice.
We rank practices using a transparent scoring system that weighs patient reviews, review volume, verified credentials from the national provider registry, years in practice, and online presence. The result is an editorial shortlist of the 5 strongest dental practices in Santa Monica, California.
We refresh our data on a regular cycle and show the last updated date at the top of this page. Practice details can change, so we recheck sources and re rank listings to keep Santa Monica current.
Practices can purchase a sponsored position, which is always clearly marked with a Sponsored label. Sponsored placement never changes how we evaluate or rank the organic listings, which stay based purely on our objective criteria.
Look for verified credentials, strong and recent patient reviews, the specific services you need such as implants or orthodontics, accepted insurance, and a first visit that leaves you comfortable with the team. Location and office hours in Santa Monica matter too.
Every listing has a Report an issue link. If a phone number, address, or other detail is out of date, let us know and we will verify and correct it.