Sands Glenn L DDS

Living in the San Diego area, I had just been to a long established dentist and had a full mouth xray of my teeth. The verdict was that I needed a tooth pulled, a bridge,and 2 caps in front. While visiting my daughter in SLC two weeks later, she raved about her dentist, Dr. Sands. I decided to get a second opinion. I had my x-rays emailed to Dr. Sands. He said he would have to take new x-rays, because mine were not clear enough, but he would not charge me. He found a very serious problem that had been overlooked plus more cavities. I am impressed with how meticulous and thorough he is. G. Fox more

My mouth is still numb from my cavity being fixed, but my hands are happy to say, this is a great dentist! I am new in town, and since I have always been good about seeing a dentist for regular check-ups, I needed to find one, and responded to an ad...so I was very happy to have found a keeper so easily! His office is bright and clean and the staff are all bright and clean as well! I arrived on time, and had only a couple minute wait to get in the chair, then was attended to right away, Dr Sands was personable and very clear about what was involved in the procedure, then very attentive to my comfort during it...and best part, of course, was no pain! I have had many cavities filled by other dentists, and have an idea of how long it should take for something like this, so was surprised, and pleased, at how quickly it was over! I arrived at 4:20, and was out the door by 5:10! And while I was in the chair, the receptionist had found my insurance information for me, since I had forgotten my card, so the whole experience was painless! Get there! (And just to not make it TOO easy for him to stay in business...KEEP FLOSSING!) more

My family has used Dr Sands since he started his practice in SLC. I would not gother dentist. I would much rather he find and fix small problems before they become real problems. more

It has been 6 years since I used Glenn Sands. I have had the same experience as some of these others, I went to this dentist 3 times. Before going to this dentist I had only had one cavity in my life. The first visit I believe I had 4, the second visit 4 and the last visit 3 plus possibly some between my teeth. The last visit we decided to not get them filled since we don't have dental insurance and go to another doctor my health insurance agent uses. He told me I had no cavities and very good teeth. after moving I have been using another dentist. and still in the past 6 years since, no dentist has seen these 3 cavities I supposedly needed filled. My wife had the same experience but I am not sure how many cavities she had each time. I also used the discounted checkup coupon my first time. My second visit after having my cavities filled I could not feel the right side of my jaw, cheek area for 3 days, and I called him each day. He assured me that it would go away and this is known to happen in some cases. It was annoying and seemed very fishy. more

I've always wanted a good cosmetic dentist who cared about the looks of my teeth and uses up to date techniques. I feel like Dr Sands has provided these qualities and more. HIs staff is super friendly and always makes me feel at home. I really enjoy going to his office! more

My examinations are very thorough and the tools that I use are exceptional. I am not sure what is meant by “IO cavities”, but dental cavities are diagnosed in generally three ways, and only one of those involves x-rays. \r 1) X-rays: I use digitals instead of the older versions, so I can instantly enlarge areas I have questions about, to be sure of my diagnosis and document my findings.\r 2) Visual identification: I use glasses with magnifying scopes on them, and an intraoral camera that allows me to photograph and enlarge suspicious discolorations so I can determine if it is staining on top the tooth, or decay beneath the surface. \r 3) Physical probing each tooth with an “explorer” (the metal tool that has pointed hooks on the ends): The tiny tips on explorers wear down with use. I replace my explorers often (at greater expense than if I would replace them less often), so the exploring tip is small enough that it will find cavities as early/small as possible. I prefer to restore cavities before they turn into something larger, as they typically do. \r \r Catching cavities early means potentially less cost for my patients, and potentially less profit for my practice. I care about my patients and I treat their mouths the way I would want mine, my wife’s and my children’s treated. And I can assure you that if I suddenly started arbitrarily diagnosing cavities, my very competent and experienced staff would call me on it, immediately. Instead, dental lab technicians and members of my staff who also work with other dentists have sent their family and friends to me for dentistry, and you can be sure that, being in the dental field and knowing as much as they do, they would not, if they doubted my ability or integrity. more

I appreciate your kind remark that you feel I am personable and have charisma - even in the short amount of time during a 1st visit. It is even more important to me, that my patients trust me.\r \r I make a point to document problems I find, and review x-rays and photos on a monitor in front of each patient. If there are times where I do not explain things clearly, or if someone has specific questions or concerns that I did not address, I appreciate being asked, and I am always happy to take time to go over specifics until the patient is satisfied. And if the patient still has reservations, I definitely encourage a second opinion. more

I absolutely want my patients to be confident about the treatment they receive in my office, and I want my patients to know that they are important, and that I am concerned with their comfort. So, I sincerely apologize that we fell short of that goal on your visit. I want to assure you that most of the fillings that I have done throughout my practice have resulted in no sensitivity (as with most dentists). Occasionally (as with all dentists), a patient will experience sensitivity which is, almost always, quick and easy to solve (such as buffing down a “high spot” on a new filling.) If you are still experiencing sensitivity, I am happy to do what I can to fix the problem, make sure you have a good experience, and change your opinion of our office. more

It is a miserable feeling to suspect you’ve been taken advantage of - I know, I’ve been there, too. And I am genuinely sorry that you had that experience with my office. If my following response doesn’t address your concerns thoroughly enough, please feel free to contact me, and I am always happy to go over your x-rays and intraoral photos with you and answer any specific questions you have. You asked an excellent question about discrepancies between diagnosises. There are 3 main parts to the answer, and I will try to be brief but reasonably thorough:  1) Digital x-rays, like the ones I have, can enlarge the image 100x’s over standard x-rays, making it much easier to see and accurately diagnose problems. Take a good look at your next set of older/standard x-rays and you can see how difficult it may be for dentists who use them to distinguish cavities and other problems from the healthy tooth. 2) But even the best x-rays don’t reveal every problem. That is why, in a dental exam, the dentist probes each tooth with an “explorer” (the metal tool with the sharp, pointy hooks on the ends.) Decaying tooth structure is soft, so when the explorer probes an affected area, it tends to “stick”. New explorers are able to find newer/smaller cavities better than older explorers, because explorers loose their tiny point with use (they become dull). I choose to replace my explorers often (even though it‘s more expense to me), to catch cavities as small and early as possible. 3) And finally, there are times when cavities do not show up in x-rays, or cause a “stick” with the explorer, but can be seen. They typically show up as a dark gray or brown area on the tooth, and their “opalescent” quality distinguishes them from a simple stain. I typically wear glasses with magnifying “loops” on them when I do my visual examinations, so it is easier to spot problem areas, and I use the intraoral camera, (which is able to photograph and enlarge the image of each tooth) to document the problem areas, and show my patient what it is that I am seeing. Not everyone is as concerned about catching cavities when they are so small, or has the tools to do so,  but in my 20+ years in practice, I have most often seen small cavities soon turn into larger (more expensive to treat) cavities, and even worse, occasionally they “blow up” into (very expensive) root canals and crowns before the next visit. I would not like to take the chance with my own mouth and pocket book, and I treat my patients as I would want to be treated. I realize that dental treatment is expensive, but putting problems off - not always, but typically - results in more problems and even greater expense.  I hope this helps alleviate the concerns you had. If you have any other questions or concerns, you are welcome to call me anytime at 801-942-0610. more

As a Dental Professional of 13 years, who has worked in several offices throughout my career, I have witnessed Dr. Sands as being one of the best Dentists in SLC. Never have I seen a Dentist be more meticulous than him. He does outstanding dentistry and I personally wouldn't trust my mouth to anyone else. In regards to the previous reviews about over diagnosing: Would you rather take care of a small problem, or wait for it to progress into a larger one? And the comment of being diagnosed with cavities not seen on radiographs (x-rays?)...these Occlusal cavities are mainly detected using a SHARP explorer, (which I can validate that Dr. Sands always has). You cannot identify these on radiographs until they are so deep and probably to the point of a Root Canal. Unfortunately, these prior comments are written by someone who has no idea of anything related to dentistry. I would highly recommend Dr. Sands to any of my family, friends or strangers. Not only is he a great dentist, but he has a personable, friendly staff who sincerely cares for their patients. more

I was very happy with my experience at Dr. Sands office. I felt like he took his time and made sure everything was perfect. His staff was also helpful and made me feel comfortable. \r \r In response to other reviews about overdiagnosing. You should get more than a second opinion. You should get a third and fourth opinion and I guarantee that all the dentists will disagree to a point. I have worked in the dental industry myself, and I can tell you first hand that dentistry is not cut and dry. Some cavities that one dentist may like to watch, another dentist may want to fill. Dr. Sands is more aggressive in dealing with cavities, but that is one thing I like about him. I would rather deal with the problem when it is small. \r \r I had another dentist ""watching"" a cavity for me and it got so big it ended up being a root canal and crown (much more expensive than a little cavity). So the debate is not wether or not Dr. Sands is a good dentist. I can tell you first hand he is excellent. The real debate is wether or not you want to go to a dentist who deals with the problem when it is small, or choose a dentist who waits too long and causes you more pain and expense in the long run! more

Be very careful going to this dentist. We used a coupon to go get a free cleaning and x-ray. Both my husband and I came out with multiple cavities! I had one filled and then decided to get a second oppinion. The $2,000 multiple cavitiy bill was just too high. We went back to a family dentist. I didn't have any cavities. My husband on the other had had 2 instead of 8! How could that many cavities be dianosed?\r Don't be fooled by the cool oral camera and smiles. \r I wouldn't recommend this dentist to anyone! more

I know Dr. Sands for about 20 years, and he is really an awesome dentist. I moved South and I'm having the hardest time trying to find a dentist to come close to his standard. I think I'm going to have to plan trips to Salt Lake City in order to have my dental work done. He always tends to the minimal details, and that's really reassuring whenever you need any work done. Dr. Sands thank you so much for my great smile. Always get compliment on the appearence of my teeth. So if you are looking for a new dentist, you definitely should give him a try. more

I've really enjoyed my almost 70 years of life and can't help but smile often and ""large""! But recently my 4 top front teeth after 25 years of a very good bonding application to repair chips and cracks had turned the color of ""old gold"" and were seriously wearing down. My smile was not a pretty sight! I have been a patient of Dr.Sands for years and he encouraged me to consider veneers. Since my sales profession requires daily face-to-face interaction with the public and my dental appearance kept deteriorating, I finally agreed to the veneering process. For years I have been very pleased with Dr.Sands diagnoses and results of the typical procedures he's performed, never having a problem with any of them. But even with that, I never knew he had the eye of an artist! In addition to making the vaneers and giving me beautiful white teeth, he balanced my smile by lengthening some and shortening others, closing gaps and improving my bite. Now I no longer look like I'm sneering when I smile!! I can honestly tell you that I never expected such outstanding results. Friends and new acquaintances all compliment me on my ""radiant smile"" and my ""beautiful teeth""! My experience and results have encouraged others to do the same. I can't thank Dr.Sands enough for giving me such pleasure. Now I can really smile again!!!! I recommend Dr.Sands any time I can! Pros: A caring, talented, dental professional Cons: None! more

I find Dr Sands to be very thorough in diagnosing , discussing and executing treatment. His chair -side manner is cool too. Pros: sincerity & expertise more

I too, am going to disagree with some of the opinions of Dr. Sands. I have used Dr. Sands for all of my dental care and love him. The staff is great, he does excellent work, he has never over diagnosed me or my family. He is by far the best cosmetic Dentist in the city. I recently moved out of Utah but I will travel back for all of my dental work. I have referred many friends and family members who have all had great experiences in this office. Pros: Excellent work, Honest, Personable more

I've never had a cavity and in my 30's, until Dr. Sands diagnosed me with 3 after only 6months following my first cleaning with him. My second cleaning was done by a tech from a temp agency. Experienced ultra sensitivity afterwards, which I've never experienced. During my first cavity filling he's yawning and rushing to get the tech out to night school. I have been experiencing pain in my teeth ever since. Again, I've never had one problem with my teeth, ever! Now I'm looking for another dentist and hope it's not too late to fix whatever problems he's created. So, forget the second opinion, just go somewhere else to begin with. more

I agree with other reviewers. Dr. Sands is very personable, but his charisma is sometimes deceptive. Get a second opinion if you have concerns about his recommendations. more

I found Dr. Sands diagnosis on the ""liberal"" side. He tends to diagnsis IO cavities, which cannot be detected by x-ray. He did this for me, my wife and my child, saying I had five cavities, my wife had seven, and my child had three. We got a second opinion for myself and my wife, and it turns out I have one, my wife has NONE.\r \r I've asked around, and this seems to be a regular complaint for him - he over diagnoses for additional work .\r \r Watch out. Pros: none really Cons: integrity? more

Great staff, very friendly. Dr. Sands' dental work is high quality. My entire family uses Dr. Sands and I have reffered his service to several others. My experiance with this office was awesome. Pros: Great looking work Cons: Parking for big trucks a bit of a problem more