Get an Idea of What Our Office Experience Is Like in Oxnard Patient Testimonials

I like coming here because of the staff. They’re super friendly, they’re always helpful, and I really like the doctor. I would say the level of professionalism. I definitely think it’s, you know, the work they do. Everybody communicates really well. The doctor’s amazing. I mean, he definitely knows what he is doing. He gives a lot of really good suggestions. He definitely…he takes care of what you need to take care of first before you move on to other things, you know? He really cares about, you know, setting up that plan for you. I think it starts with the girls in the front. You know, they’re very personable, so they make you feel comfortable as soon as you’re either on the phone or walk in. And then, I mean, I’ve never had an uncomfortable experience here. And actually, my brother, he’s getting his teeth cleaned, but he doesn’t mind getting them cleaned here because the hygienist is super gentle, but she still gets her job done. Sometimes you go into the dentist and they don’t really recommend the correct treatment plans for you. But here, I feel like they really give you, like, a good roadmap as to what your, you know, dental plan should be, and, like, how often you should be coming in and stuff like that.

After I started coming here and I really got to know the hygienist, thought that the clear liners would be better, but we wanted to make sure that my teeth were actually gonna shift. And actually, the doctor was really great about showing me and telling me like exactly how they would shift and what the clear liners came with. And what I mean by that is like, it’s not the same as braces, you know, it comes with different care. But I’m really happy with my results. I mean, my teeth have just shifted drastically. They really broke it down for me. He was able to like visually show me what it would look like. They told me like the benefits of having it, which again, back to the hygienist, of course, it helps me keep my teeth cleaner. It’s easier for me at home, which I wanted in the long run.

Also, like they were just really great about doing the scans and just following the proper steps to just even show me what it would look like. During the process, it was kind of like, “Oh my God, my teeth were that bad.” But now when I look at pictures I’m like, “Oh my goodness.” Like I can really tell the difference, and I’m not even done yet. I would definitely say that they should come in, check it out and let them explain to them why it would benefit them. And definitely, I feel like Anacapa is very result-driven. To me, a smile is very important because, you know, it kind of is like a first impression of a person. I think a smile’s a big deal. I mean, even if it’s not the perfect smile, but if you can have the perfect smile, why not?

Everybody here is extremely professional. They’re very nice. They’re willing to help. They’re accommodating. They’re very good in their field. They’re all very knowledgeable. And I appreciate everything that they do. It’s a very warm, welcoming environment. I can tell you my journey has been a 10-year journey. And I have been to or had been to numerous dentists, and I knew a long time ago that I needed mouth reconstruction. And when I met Dr. Jivraj and his team, I just knew that I was in the right place. I had felt like anywhere else I had gone, it was more of a let’s just put teeth in the mouth. There wasn’t, to me, a true consultation about what the patient’s looking for and what the doctor can truly accomplish inside of the patient’s needs. And what I really appreciated about Dr. Jivraj and his staff is they really did that with me. They sat down with me and they told me, “Hey, Rita, here is the plan that we think will work best for you. You’re looking for a long-term plan. You’re looking for a natural smile. You’re looking to have all the pain alleviated that you’ve been experiencing, and this is the way that we can do that.” So, I was drawn to the honesty, the professionalism, and the knowledge of Dr. Jivraj, especially, and his team.

I am grateful for the care that I received. That was one of the things that I really appreciated about Dr. Jivraj upfront as he shared with me, “Here’s what the plan looks like. You have to come in for your maintenance, and the team will work with you on that and schedule accordingly.” And they did. And I have come in for the maintenance. And it’s always very simple, very easy, and I always feel great when I leave.

So, I ended up with a wonderful bite. And that’s probably the first thing that I really appreciate, is being able to chew on both sides of my mouth. I ended up with an implant, some caps and crowns, and some veneers. So, I pretty much had the whole dental experience for myself. And I also did some periodontal work as well which, I think, was very, very important because my teeth were so tiny that to just put caps right over those teeth was not going to work for me. Actually, I was quite nervous about the implant experience even though Dr. Jivraj made me feel comfortable. I think that what I was most concerned about was what I had heard from other people about their implant experience. I had my implant experience and I don’t understand at all why implant experiences I have heard about from other people were so challenging because it certainly was not for me. They’re amazing. I think, first and foremost, they wanna make sure that you’re safe. If you take any form of medication before the procedure, they make sure that you have a ride home, which I think is absolutely wonderful. And then when you’re going through the procedure, if you were a little bit awake, they always ask you how you’re feeling, if you’re okay. They’re very concerned about how I am doing as a patient, and I really appreciated that.

I know I say a lot of things are wonderful, but it truly was. Dr. J and I, when we got to the veneer part, there was a lot of discussion about the color. And I said, “I really, really want it to look natural. I don’t want to walk outside and I just have bright, white teeth, and everyone can see that, “Hey, Rita had a full mouth reconstruction.” We went outside together and we took all the different colors. And we spent quite a bit of time outside in the sun, inside, and we went through the different colors together and we made a decision. Myself and Dr. Jivraj and some of his staff were there with me as well. It was like nothing I had ever experienced. I mean, there was no one else, no other dentist I had been to that said, “Hey, let’s sit down and look at the color and make sure that you’re comfortable.” But Dr. Jivraj went out of his way and did that with me. And whether it’s out of the way or just a part of what Dr. Jivraj does, I’m not sure, but it was amazing. I will tell you, the hardest thing for me when I first had it done was to learn how to smile. I mean, for so many years, I didn’t smile. I think I put hand over my mouth and I close my mouth when I smiled. And now, to be time after the process and to actually smile and have people tell me I have a beautiful smile and to feel like I do is an experience that I hope that everyone that wants a smile and their teeth done can have because it’s wonderful. You are going to see the reason why Dr. J stands out. My 10-year search was a true 10-year search. And in that search and looking back, there was no one that I had visited that compared to Dr. Jivraj.

For me, personally, over the years, I had been told by a number of dentists that my teeth, basically, were eroding. I was the individual who grinded my teeth, and I pretty much had ground them down to the roots. I’m not the kind of person that could say that I enjoy drinking coffee. To have a cold drink was very difficult for me to do. I can’t even remember the last time that I had actually bitten into an apple. As that progressed and got worse, and I continued to look for the right dentist, I just kind of sufferred along the way until I found Dr. Jivraj. And when I share with you that I suffered, I can tell you that I definitely did. That is probably the thing that I loved about Dr. Jivraj the most, was I shared with him that I wanted the long-term fix. He knew right away in looking at my mouth the challenges that I was having. I said, “Let’s start with the plan that you would create for yourself. If you were me, what plan would you do? What would you create?” So, he basically gave me that plan. And he sat down with me, and he spent quite a bit of time with me going through the plan and sharing with me step-by-step why that plan was the plan that he would choose. And from there, he allowed me time to think about the changes in the plan that I wanted to make. And I scheduled a second appointment with him, came back. We talked through that again. He gave me some other options. I came back on the third appointment, and that’s when we basically came to a mutual agreement about a plan that truly worked for me.

So, 2014, on Christmas, I left a party at my friend’s, looked left, looked right, looked left, ran across the street to my house, and I got hit by a car. It crushed the maxilla, which is your upper jaw, and so, I lost all these teeth from here over, and it broke all these off. And so, your gum tissue heals rather well when you have it, but if you don’t have it, then they try to do all these graphs and all this other stuff. So, my personal process was a very long and lengthy one. And I had a bone graphed from my iliac crest to my mouth to create a bone that they could put implants in. Come back here, and then, he would look at it. He would take mouthpieces, fittings, and during the whole process, he would make a retainer so I still looked like I had a smile. And he’s so particular. He told me I’m the very first one that ever broke the titanium prosthesis that he’s ever made. So then, we talked about that, and I guess I have really strong jaws. So, I wear a bite block every night so that I don’t hurt my teeth, and then, he also made me a special splint for in the daytime that I wear, so that I’m not gonna break it again.

They understand the process is a long process, and it’s a time process because in order to get the teeth and the implants, in my case, it had to heal. So the whole four-in-one where people come in and get it, that wasn’t my experience. So, they just made me feel comfortable each and every time.

The day that he told me I was done I think I cried tears of like, “Oh, we really…” and I might now because that’s how it felt. Teeth are like the gate into your soul. The eyes are, like, into your soul, but if you think about your mouth and your teeth, a smile can, like, say so much. So if you don’t have teeth in there when you smile or when you talk, speech is very important. The tongue and the teeth work together in order to create the right speech. It’s huge.

I was going to a regular dentist, but because of the amount of reconstruction they had to do in order to get the teeth in my face, his ability to do that is what brought me here. Because I came for a prosthodontist versus just implants. I call him Dr. J, basically, was part of the rebuild of my face, and attachment of teeth that were knocked out during an accident. And every time I have come in, he’s been very gracious and kind. And he’s always told me exactly what was gonna happen. And he has been able to really fine-tune what he built for me, even though it took several years but I’m really happy with the result.
Dr. J does have a funny side, he will crack a joke. He’s personable. He’s also a, I think he teaches at USC and the dentistry program. He does a lot of talks overseas. And he comes across as a family man, he’s gentle. And he’s good with his staff, he’s like safety conscious with the staff as well. Number one, that that’s the best part.

So the greeting that makes you feel like you’re part of this family. The first visit, they take you through the whole lab area. So you feel like okay, this is where we’re going and explain the process. At bedside, they’re just gentle. That’s all I can say. They’re just very nice and gentle.

I was referred here by my regular dentist because I lost so much of the bone I lost my home maxilla and all the teeth that were attached and all the gum. So it was a process with different specialists in order to rebuild all this. So every time he had to do something different, adjusting to what the other specialist had done, he would make a little like a plastic retainer type thing that would go on this tooth all the way back. So it wasn’t like I had to have no teeth in my mouth for those years that he was working on trying to rebuild me. That’s a super important thing so that your anxiety doesn’t increase. So the staff is competent, everyone knows what they’re doing, and Dr. J holds everyone to a very high standard as well as [inaudible 02:14:00] himself.

I’ve been going to different places, but none like this one. They’re very professional and they make you feel more than welcome. The doctor is one of the best that I can recommend. First of all, their organization, their professional manner, and timing. I mean, if they say tomorrow at 10, that’s tomorrow at 10. They’re very punctual and that’s very important when you’re attending to your personal, especially dental. You know, really after you’ve gone then they keep continuously communicating with you. So they follow up. And I believe it’s very important. Well, they’re wonderful. I had five implants and the quality of the implants are amazing. You don’t feel the difference. Actually, you feel like they’re yours, you know? There’s the reason, number one reason I’ve been recommending this place. The doctor really cares for the patients. And if he can fix something, they’ll fix it for you. And he let you know, you know, he said, I’m going to try my best. And he does that. He really saves you money, save you time, and pain. He’s really careful when he’s taking care of you. And actually, you don’t feel any pain at all. It’s very smooth.

They pull out five of my molars. And when I used to go to the dentist, they always were changing the process or the procedures. When I knew about this place, I was hesitating because it’s kind of far. But finally, we came, and I told them what they were saying about the process and the procedures. And he goes, “There’s no need for that. We can do them right away, and we can do the implants.” You know, the way he explained it to me, I saw that it was direct. And then the next time that I came, he told me the same thing. He never changed.

Once they see everything, and then the doctor said, “Okay, this is the reason you need this.” When you have all that information, then you know that that’s the best way to go. Well, they prepare you really well. Actually, it’s a very… You know, implant, they had to surgery, and all that. But you don’t really feel it. And they guide you all the way to the healing process. So, that’s a very good process they use. Well, the results are excellent. You know, you don’t feel like you have implants. It’s totally yours, I mean, natural. You can feel very strong, very secure when you chewing, and all that. So, that’s pretty good.

I was thinking about going out of the country to have dental work done. We started doing some research online, and we saw advertisements for Anacapa Dental. And so we came and sat down, and Dr. Jivraj came in and just began to tell me about the process. He’s so knowledgeable. I learned so much in probably that 30, 40-minute consultation, that both my wife and I were completely at ease and well-informed and just sold on the idea that if I do this out of the country, or I go someplace else there’s gonna be multiple trips, the cost of doing a procedure is gonna be exponential. And I thought, “What am I gonna do that for?” I just felt completely at ease trusting him with the procedure, which is quite extensive, that they did for me.

This place is absolutely top-notch, their staff, Dr. Jivraj. And they’re just so kind, articulate, they know what they’re doing. I feel completely at ease whenever I’m here, and my experience has just been fantastic. I’ve never been in a dental office where everyone was mic-ed up to each other on a system. There’s no lag time, they’re just on it. They’re very communicative as far as arranging appointments. They’re flexible. You know, I’ve had appointments where I haven’t been able to make and there was no problem. They just shifted things around. I received what I came here for, and that was complete relief from major tooth pain and incredibly improved smile. Actually, it exceeded my expectations.

I had several extractions done over the years, just the costs of dental work. I had molars that were missing. It was to the point where my bite was, now severely, an overbite. Evidently, I’m a grinder at night. So, my bottom teeth were just ground about halfway down. I was experiencing quite a bit of nerve pain. I had had two extractions in the previous year and, you know, my wife and I had talked about it. It just reached a point where I needed to do something major, either dentures. I didn’t really like the…I wasn’t looking forward to the idea of having removable teeth. And when I’d seen advertisements for All-on-4, it really appealed to me as a better option when I realized that, you know, your bone structure with implants remains the same, or improves with the pressure of eating and whatnot, as opposed to having dentures, where your bone structure continues to shrink.

I just felt like that was gonna be a much better option, and that’s kind of what led me to seek out full dental replacement. It was affordable, as far as how, you know, we could take care of paying for the procedure. It was full disclosure. In fact, Dr. Jivraj actually told me, he says, “You know, this is not a panacea. You know, you’re gonna have…it’s prosthetics in your mouth.” I was completely aware of that and totally fine with it. I am more than happy. It’s been an absolute joy. I smile in the morning and I’m just grateful that I made a decision to have it done. Really, just been fantastic.

So, I have been researching for the doctor that will help me take care of my dental health. I really have bad dental health. I grew up… I was born and raised in the Philippines. And I don’t know if it’s the water in the Philippines or if it’s genetics, but I didn’t have a good dental health. And the last doctor before Dr. J, it was just really bad experience. The manners is just bad. So, no, I’m not coming back to this doctor. And so, I continued on the researching. And I found Dr. J. Several meetings with him, we decided to go with it. And it was the best decision I’ve ever made. I have to get my teeth removed. That was just…that by itself, I thought it will be some traumatizing experience because, you know, it’s like the major thing. I’m just a nervous wreck. And he did everything right. He talked to me, like, in a calm way, but professional manner and knowledgeable. Like, he knows what he’s saying. Prior to that… I even joke with him and said, “I want to have Jennifer Aniston’s teeth or J.Lo’s teeth.

He’s funny, but calm, and professional, and knowledgeable. You know, this is the only place you should go if you could do something major, like my procedure. I can’t complain. The follow-up and, like, you know, just asking how you’re doing. If you have questions after, they’re just readily available for you. He’s the best and he’ll give you the best natural smile that you need, that you will smile again and you’ll have your confidence back. And dental health is not only about cosmetics, and that’s what I always tell my friends. I didn’t do it for cosmetic reasons. I did it for health reason because, you know, you read all about stuff that if you have bad dental health, it could affect your heart, and headache, and all that stuff. And so, it took care of all that. Like, now, I don’t have headache, just really good. Like, you feel healthy. Best decision ever. And I’m so happy and I feel blessed and grateful that my husband was on board. And I’m glad that I was able to do that. And I’m happy and grateful because it helps not only professionally, personally, but just health-wise. Just the best decision ever.

So I had really bad experiences with dentists, especially before I did my procedure and Dr. J is the opposite of that. He really calms you down and he really reassures you that everything is going to be perfect. Dr. J just gave me back my confidence. I don’t know how I can thank him with that. I used to have, like, really bad dental health and I have a tight smile all the time, very shy when I talk. When I started having all these problems, when I started having kids, you know, my dental health has gotten really bad. Dr. J did all this procedure. I can talk to anybody, I can smile, I can have a big smile. Everybody’s here are friendly. You feel like you’re coming to your friend’s house when you come here. It’s a big deal for me because it was, like, a whole dental implant. I was scared. They just make you feel good and not nervous.

Just from the moment you walk in, they greet you very professional. Everybody, even though they have masks, you could sense that they’re smiling. I almost feel like I get treated like a family member. You know, you walk in, you’re welcome, you know, you come in for a purpose, right? I mean, you want to take care of yourself. I’m very happy that I came in here and to the point where I referred a couple of family members already. And now with the end results, man, I couldn’t be more happier. I feel that it was meant to be with everything that happened, like, I couldn’t have asked for anything better. You walk into a place thinking, “Okay, what experience I’m gonna have? What the end results are gonna be.” You could feel a little bit embarrassed, and it’s overcoming that you understand you have a problem, but once they explain to you how it’s gonna help you, and then they’re able to show you that, I think that’s the best. And it was from the first appointment that I came in that I felt a change immediately. I would do it again if I had a chance to do it again.

Throughout my life, you know, the reason why I have wrinkles is because I’m always smiling. But when you don’t feel comfortable, it gets to a point where you almost have to change your smile because you know you have to hide, like, your teeth, you know, if you don’t feel comfortable with them. You know, when it was explained to me that my teeth reflected twice my age, that kind of got to me. It made me feel upset with myself, you know, for the things that I didn’t do. So when I was given like a second chance, when they told me, you know, this is the way we can help you, you know, I was immediately excited. And now once everything was done, everything was delivered, really happy of the whole experience and how I feel and who I am.

So now, you know, that I went through the process, I could feel the difference. I feel like I know who I am, but I feel totally different because I’m able to express myself the way I am used to. They do explain to you what they’re gonna do, and they paint the picture. Not only that, but they also send you emails, and in my case, text messages. That also gives you a little bit of peace of mind. That way, in case you have a doubt, you are able to hear it and see it. And then later on, you get to experience, and it was nothing but a great experience. BIP treatment, that’s the first word that comes to my mind. Basically, they’re taking care of you. Like, you almost feel like you’re getting pampered, you know, and very great service.

You’re gonna feel different. You know what needs to be done. Give yourself the opportunity to do something for yourself. I know we all have other type of priorities, but feeling good brings a lot of positiveness into your life and other things that you do. So I think that’s important to feel good. And your teeth you know, are a big part of it. And in the field that I’m in, it makes a big difference when you smile. Don’t hesitate, don’t procrastinate. It’s your body, you know, it can bring you other type of problems. Get it done. I recommend you to come in.

I love coming here for many reasons. I’ve been going to prosthodontists for many years. It’s not new to me. I love the office, I love the staff. And Dr. Jivraj is kind, caring, engaging, and really a top professional in his field, and very skilled, and a perfectionist. First of all, the office and the technology, it’s very up-to-date. Dr. Jivraj really invests in the most modern technology.

The staff, he’s very selective about his staff, and he wants to make sure that everyone feels welcome. It’s a very inviting office, and dentist offices are not known for that. And even though he’s a specialist, they do general dentistry here. And I’ve sent a lot of people, including my own daughters, because of the quality.

Interestingly, when you meet Dr. Jivraj the first time, he really wants to know about you, what your life is like, why you’re here, what your intention is for being here, whether it’s just cosmetic or health. And he really put your health first and he’s conservative. He doesn’t automatically lure you into many procedures that you might not need. He’ll do the less invasive method first. And that gives me a lot of confidence here.

Nothing ever seems to ruffle Dr. Jivraj’s feathers here. He also has Dr. Gordon here with whom I’ve worked a lot. They’re confident and no questions go unanswered. And if they don’t know it, they’ll find an answer to it, and a correct treatment or something that’s appropriate for my specific situation. I’m happy to come here because they really helped me a lot.

What brought me here was, I was looking for a prosthodontist in Ventura County without having to go to LA, Beverly Hills specifically, or Santa Barbara. I, instantly, felt cared for and that he was interested in what some of my challenges were. But I mostly came here for a full overview of my mouth, where I was, what I needed. I had some health issues that were affecting my teeth. So, I needed someone who had that level of skillset and education.

We researched together. So, I felt like it’s been collaborative. I’ve been here a lot, so I’ve really gotten to know everyone. So, I think that’s helped. But I’m also not dental-phobic, so I can relax and we can work…I feel like we’ve worked together. And I needed implants because of some bad dentistry. One crown I got in my town, which was from a general dentist, and I ended up losing other teeth. They removed the tooth, did the bone graft and the skin graft, and put in the post in one hour and a half surgery. So, you’re saving so much time and ultimately money because you’re not going to a separate specialist and starting over with each. And also, when you’re doing it in the same office, they can keep track of the work more readily. I think it’s more truncated and you don’t have to keep track of too many different specialists.

I was pretty knowledgeable coming in, but we still go over it and if I have any questions, they get answered. I have a big smile, you could see all my teeth. So, how do I feel? I feel really good about it, considering how much work I’ve had. I feel like Dr. Jivraj has worked very hard to keep all my teeth in my mouth and to keep my smile radiant and comfortable.