Dr. Stephen E. Gentile, DMD 1321 Riverside Parkway, Belcamp, MD 21017

"I really love the way this dentistry makes you feel welcome and well taken care of. It had been a while since I’d been to the dentist and all of the staff was so kind and eased my anxiety without judgement. Dr. Gentile is so kind and does quick work!"

"I've never felt compelled to write a negative review about any business before my dealings with Riverside Family Dentistry. I came to the dentistry with an emergency infected root that had my face completely swollen. I was seen in the morning and given a prescription for antibiotics and pain medication. After wasting 2 hours going to different pharmacy's only to be told they couldn't fill my medications, i was told the Dr.'s DEA number was expired and they couldn't fill my medication. After bringing this to the attention of the practice on a Friday, they still had not resolved the situation by the following Wednesday and repeatedly told me "There's nothing we can do for you." I had the tooth extracted, once again to be told he can't prescribe any pain medications and was told my pain should just simply go away. If the practice can not fulfill its responsibilities to keep its licensing up to date to properly prescribe necessary medication to its clients then this business should not still be operating until the licensing is up to date. Worst experience of any dentistry I've been to and i would highly advise you to look elsewhere before going here."

"Such a warm and welcoming place! Sue at the front desk will ease all your fears with her warm smile and calming words. They have great availability too. Phyllis the hygienist has a gentle touch and an impressive amount of knowledge. Dr Gentile is one of those people that you meet and instantly know you are going to like. I've used dental offices in the past that seemed cold and judgmental. This place is the exact opposite. Take negative reviews with a grain of salt. Dental professionals have one of the highest rates of suicide due to compassion fatigue. They aren't there to cause you pain, they choose this career to help people. You don't have to take my word for it. Go in and take a look before you make an appointment. I guarantee these folks will win you over with their warmth and compassion."

"I hesitate from putting a negative review for this dentist since he was great in how he treated his patients, & I thought that he was gentle in handling my teeth. I told him that he was the best dentist that I know. (Next to Dr. Ellis, who is retired.) Although at first I thought that he was one of the best dentists in town, it didn’t end that way. I felt that it’s only fair to warn others about what happened to me. I went in for sensitivity in one tooth. He said that if it bothers me any more, I have to get another root canal done, which I agreed with. Turned out I needed a crown on another tooth, which he put on a tentative crown. Because I bit into it, the temporary crown came off. Then other teeth problems started happening. The same evening after I got home, the gum area between this tooth and the next one was a little sore. Had to go out of town so I had a tooth with nerves showing (the one with the fallen temporary crown). Every time I accidentally bit on it, there was shooting pain!! Then the gum pain got worse, and the nerve pain spread upto my temple that I had to take naproxen. I went in for the next appt to put the permanent crown in, at which time I told him about my experience, to which he said, “Don’t worry about the pain.” So I went home relieved. HOWEVER, week(s) after the permanent crown, that same tooth is still giving me chronic sensitivity (pain) that I can’t chew hard stuff, not even meat, on it. What’s worse, is that the tooth which wasn’t bothering me before has gum and nerve sensitivities (pain). So, I went in to get one crown done (which wasn’t sore before), and now I have that two sore teeth (this one and the adjacent one). (And the sensitive tooth that I originally went for, is still the same.) — Two teeth with chronic pain and one more with sensitivity. One tooth which bothered me was increased to three bothersome teeth, including the first tooth. That’s why I’m switching to another dentist to see if I have to have two teeth extracted or what. What an experience! He might do a good job on your tooth, but as for me, things got worse. Thanks for your attention."

"Awful experience which left me feeling abused and uncared for!!! What should have been a simple, routine wisdom tooth extraction turned into a traumatic, botched, prolonged nightmare! Instead of recommending me to an oral surgeon, Dr. Gentile thought my wisdom tooth removal would be easy and said he would try it himself. After 10 minutes of very forceful, erratic yanking, he managed to shatter my tooth, leaving a piece still rooted in the gum. He then told me I would have to go to an oral surgeon to get the remaining piece removed properly. I went home in terrible pain with the procedure unfinished and tried to schedule an appointment with the surgeon, but was unable to get any appointment for two weeks! Now, while this part wasn't directly Dr. Gentile's fault, he could have at least communicated with the surgeon and helped to set me up with a timely appointment. In fact, I never even got as much as a courtesy check-up call from Dr. Gentile! I eventually contacted my former family dentist to get a recommendation for a surgeon that could see me right away. This dentist, even though I was not his patient, hooked me up with a surgeon and I got an appointment the following week. The surgeon seemed shocked with how badly Dr. Gentile ripped up my gums and wondered why he didn't just send me to a surgeon in the first place. The surgeon finished the job properly in 10 minutes, and I was very relieved. My healing process could have and should have been much shorter if I had just gotten the job done by a proper professional in the first place, and if the first attempt wasn't done so roughly. All-in-all, I suffered needlessly, physically and mentally, for a full three and a half weeks. Needless to say, I have since switched dentists and have been much more satisfied. I was originally recommended to Dr. Gentile though a co-worker, but she too is now considering switching as she and her daughter both had recent negative experiences with Dr. Gentile as well."