Mika Miyamoto-Shemali, Pearl District Dental

04/28/2008 Posted by es17569

I recently had a bite plate made for me by Dr. Shemali. She recommended that I have one made after a recent cleaning. I have had severe headaches and strain around my entire jaw area which would not go away, even during the day. The amount of discomfort I had been living with for the last 10 years was driving me nuts. I have tried various remedies including acupuncture, Tylenol's, and a full mouth bite plate (made for me by another dentist). None helped. The specialized plate that Dr. Shemali made for me covers my front teeth only - and keeps my back teeth from touching - I wear it at night while I sleep. I can not tell you how nice it is to not wake up with a headache and pain. This little 'device' has literally made my year!! The entire office at Pearl District Dental is the best dental establishment I have ever been too. The environment and treatments are second to none, I would highly recommend this dental office to everyone I know. And for anyone suffering with the pain due to teeth clenching - the investment of the bite plate is MORE THAN WORTH IT!!!!! Due yourself a favor and go see Dr. Shemali.

04/25/2008 Posted by foreignsand

If you want to be made to feel like failed devices are your fault by the receptionist when you've already been told that the problem was technical [poor adhesive in my case] then go here. If you want to be quoted a price for a future visit and then be made to feel that you are being deceitful when you ask that you be charged the price you were quoted, then go here. And if you want to worry about being charged $125 [$40 if they find a replacement] because you are called out of town right before an appointment and have to cancel less than a week in advance, then by all means, go here. Otherwise, try another dentist. I certainly will. And i am very suspicious of any place that gets so many five star reviews. Honest reviews generally show a nice bell curve, not all fives with a few lower ratings.

Pros: Attractive Office

Cons: Too many to list

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

12/10/2007 Posted by danapdx1975

I am a hygienist who has works on a temp basis (by choice) for dental clinics throughout Portland. I recently had the privilege to work for a few weeks at Pearl District Dental - their prior hygienist had retired. Having worked at well over one hundred clinics in the Portland area over the last few years, there is no doubt in my mind that this is the best clinic of the bunch....And by far. Allow me to share my thoughts: I knew this clinic would be different from the minute I walked thru the doors on my first day - you can tell that there's a certain pride of ownership that is sorely lacking in most other clinics. The design, the layont, the smells, the music, and the equipment are next to none. Dr. Mika and her staff spent a considerable amount of time with me before I even saw my first patient. Their message to me was to take care of patients in the best manner possible and to take no short cuts. Dr. Mika even requested I wear magnifying glasses so I can do a better job in cleaning teeth. Everyone stressed the importance of respecting patients' preference for care and even had each patient fill out a brief form to indicate their preferences for the day's visit. Dr. Mika even provided me with my own assistant so we can maximize the amount and effectiveness of time I have available with each patient. I found Dr. Mika's patients to be among the most dentally educated (thanks to consistent patient education by Dr. MIka and her staff. I also found them to have the best gum health. Dr. Mika is very consciencious about this. I was also very impressed by the dental work (fillings, crowns) that was done on all the patient's teeth. Believe me, having looked at thousands of teeth, I can tell quality work and Dr. Mika does top notch work. Lastly, each employee geniunely cares about delivering the best care possible. The teamwork there was incredible. This is the clinic I would choose to take care of me an my family.

Pros: Patients are first, top notch work

11/20/2007 Posted by scoobee

I made an appt solely based on these reviews, so I probably had higher expectations than I should have. The office is very pretty. But the technicians are always temps and I find myself wondering why they can't keep staff. One even bonked me in the head with the Xray machine and then told me she was still in school. The hygienist is very nice. But I'm not seeing the 5-stars and I wonder where all of these accolades are coming from. I've never been offered headphones or a DVD. I've never been offered warm towels. And it seems like they are always calling me to reschedule for one reason or another. They are very nice, but I don't think they are 5-stars. Maybe 3.5, 4 on a good day.

10/17/2007 Posted by mkup2003

I moved to Portland five years ago and just never got around to finding a new dentist. All that waiting and a bunch of old fillings meant trouble. I woke up one morning in excruciating pain and needed to find a dentist quickly. I searched the Internet and found this page with all these awesome reviews of Dr. Miyamoto-Shemali, so I called up her office. The office staff were very friendly and had me come in right away. That morning, she referred me to an endodontist, who was incredible, and I returned to him soon after to continue my treatment. When I returned to Dr. Miyamoto, she gave me two amazing crowns, so good that no one would ever know they're not my own teeth. At one point, she sent me to the nearby lab to have them touched up a little bit so they'd be an exact match. The office is very high tech and the procedure was painless! Her commitment to detail is only surpassed by her obvious talent and love for what she does. Dr. Miyamoto was never anything but positive and downright friendly. I love her office, it doesn't feel like a dentist office at all. The fact that you're watching a movie while getting work done is a welcome distraction. Her staff is downright stellar; each and every one of them are sincerely nice people! By the way, I noticed a couple of reviews that aren't complimentary. I encourage you to read through the words carefully. Some people just like to complain.

Pros: Very thorough, extremely gentle, excellent work

10/12/2007 Posted by olaf225

I have had many, many dentists in my time (I move around a lot) and though I agree with the reviews about Dr. Mika's bedside manner and the dentist office itself being quite nice, I can't fully recommend this dentist. My last cleaning with them was all of 15 minutes long and not well done at all. The splint I got doesn't fit and I think it was because the impression they took wasn't good enough- which in itself wouldn't be too much of a problem except that it helped splinter my tooth. The bleaching trays were badly made and leak bleaching goo into my mouth so I can't use them anymore, and the last apt. I had with them they estimated that I had such extensive damage as to warrant incredibly expensive oral surgery followed by even more dental work, both in office and out. After seeking out other opinions (all of which were consistently opposed to the verdict of surgery- and defenitely opposed to the dental work that would follow) I finally found a better dentist, but I was fairly traumatized after that ordeal. I've realized over the years that some dentists are trigger happy and a little more excited to fill your mouth with gold, but after all I've been through (and believe me, it's been a lot) I just appreciate conservative dentistry so much more. Anyone can make the dentistry experience easier through watching dvd's and playing soothing music, but the quality of the experience for me lies in the skill of the dentist and the techs they hire. This office isn't bad, but I'd be wary when they start listing what you need done.

Pros: Office is nice

Cons: better dentists elsewhere

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful

09/28/2007 Posted by sbbailey999

If you want the best dental care, the best equipment, the most realxing atmosphere, and the friendliest staff Pearl Dental is the place for you. Just be prepared to pay for it. If you are looking for a cheap cleaning, go elsewhere.

Pros: Beautiful office, great people, the best equipment and a very proactive approach to dental care

Cons: pricey - even with insurance

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

09/19/2007 Posted by mhccgary

I've been meaning to leave these long overdue comments about Pearl District Dental. I chose Pearl District Dental based on reviews that I read thru CitySearch a bit over a year ago. I live in Gresham, and quite frankly would not have stumbled across such a great clinic had it not been for the great reviews I read about it in CitySearch. Dr. Mika Miyamoto-Shemali (Dr. Mika for short) is the type of dentist who will listen and help you in anyway she can. She has high value of professionalism, very caring, kind hearted and very intelligent. I've had other talended dentists in the past, but, none listened to me as and communicated my options any where near the way Dr. Mika does. The staff (from the front desk to the assistants), are very caring, highly skilled, and well trained. The office is very up to date with the technology. It is equipped with a digital x-ray, an intraoral camera, and the cerec which i call "the magic machine". I had a tooth that was bothering me for so many years. The filling kept on breaking, but Dr. Mika did a ceramic bonded restoration which they call an onlay on that problem tooth i have. Since then i never had any problems with that tooth. Guess what? I went home with my permanent restoration in my mouth. That cerec machine is truly an amazing piece of equipment. You never have to be sent home wearing a temporary filling or a temporary crown. I am so happy and satisfied. Thank you Dr. Mika and staff. You're the greatest!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

03/07/2007 Posted by larrymayernm

You Portlanders have a gem of dentist to go at Pearl District Dental. I’m from Arizona and have been going to the same dentist for well over 20 years. On a recent trip to Portland, I developed severe sensitivity on one tooth. Since I didn’t know any one in Portland, I called a few clinics to see who can get me in and, more importantly, who I could trust. I was impressed by the receptionist at Pearl District Dental the most. He not only seemed to be the most knowledgeable, but also the most sympathetic and caring. He even offered to make an appointment for me at another clinic since they could not see me during the evenings. So, I decided to make an appointment there. When I walked through their door, I was treated like a long-time patient. Dr. Mika Miyamoto-Shemali was the epitome of caring and professionalism. She expertly diagnosed the source of my problem and was very thorough in explaining my options and risks. Again, she was totally sympathetic to my situation and offered to work with my dentist in Arizona if I chose to have the work done there or to make room in her schedule to take care of my immediate needs. Needless to say, I was so impressed with the clinic that I decided to take care of my problem there. During the second appointment, I was again treated exceptionally well. I used to think my dentist was the most gentle dentist around, but Dr. Mika’s gentle hand quickly changed my mind. She was amazing. To cap things off, the clinic contacted me two days before my departure date to make sure everything was ok before I headed back to Arizona. I will be staying with my current dentist since I have been there for so long, but, I can honestly say, in 20 years of working with him, I’d never received anything close to this type of caring and wonderful treatment. Portland, consider yourself lucky to have access to this clinic.

Pros: Extremely caring, thorough, top notch work

Cons: not in Arizona

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

02/28/2007 Posted by orony23

I think everyone looks for a kindhearted, trustworthy dentist. However, finding a good dentist can sometimes take years. Luckily, I found my dentist. Dr. Mika has been taking great care of my teeth for one year now and I will not see another dentist. She cares about the long term care of her patients and takes time to listen. Her staff is friendly, professional, and absolutely wonderful. And, I don't think I've every waited more than 5 minutes to see Dr. Mika or the hygienst.

Pros: Skill, chairside manner, cares about me first

Cons: Can't think of any