Blue Whale Children's Dentistry of Hawaii

"HIDDEN FEES!! I live in Waimea and found Blue Whale Dentistry/ Dr. Gavin Uchida to be unprofessional when it comes to billing. First of all he does not give you an itemized billing statement at time of payment. Second, if your kid is having a hard time in the chair, you may be charged an additional $90 fee called "Behavior management" (keep in mind we were only there for 20 min) Never once was this type of fee mentioned aloud or on paper to me until weeks later when I got my statement from HMSA and noticed that this fee was included. I am a first time mom and unaware of these "common" (hidden) fees for this type of thing. I just wish he would have communicated with me better and explained the situation at time of visit. He did do a good job with my daughters mouth and I appreciate that, but the trust is definitely gone."

"My son has been a patient at Blue Whale Children's Dentistry of Hawaii - Waimea Office for over three years. He has autism and struggles with sensory input, meeting new people and being in unfamiliar environments. From the start, Dr. Gavin was patient and compassionate-yet firm-when working with my son, answering questions when asked by him and explaining everything he was doing before and during the dental treatments. This helped to lessen my son's anxiety and although he wasn't able to sit for long during the first appointment, over time, Dr. Gavin built a rapport with him and established a trusting and positive relationship, something crucial when working with children with special needs. Amazingly enough, my son has had sealants, cleanings and cavities repaired without undergoing general anesthesia - something that we’ve had to do with his previous dentists. At one point, during a particularly difficult appointment because of my son’s behavior, we even asked about sedation as an option for treating a cavity on his adult molar, but Dr. Gavin didn’t believe it wasn’t necessary and assured us he believed our son will be able to do it. Sure enough, the next appointment, he was able to sit for his entire cavity repair while only needing a local anesthetic to numb the area. Most recently, during his birthday weekend at the King’s Land Hilton in Waikoloa, my son broke his front tooth on the tube slide. I called and left a message Saturday and Dr. Gavin returned our call the following Monday, when their office was usually closed. He was able to assess our son’s condition over the phone, evaluate pictures of the damage, then scheduled an appointment that week. We arrived for his appointment and had very little wait time. After a few x-rays, we were relieved to hear the nerve wasn’t damaged or exposed. Dr. Gavin and his team were skilled and efficient when repairing the tooth while our son was kept abreast of all steps in the process. This level of professionalism helped keep him (and his parents!) calm during the whole appointment which concluded in less than an hour. It’s difficult to find a dentist that will work with your child to develop self-discipline and not resort to putting your “child to sleep” or restraining them to get the dental work done. The skills our son has developed by being a patient of Blue Whale Children’s Dentistry far exceeded what we believe he was capable of achieving, a testament to Dr. Gavin’s expertise and experience. He once told us our son “needed to learn to become comfortable with being uncomfortable” which was something that, as his parents, was difficult to hear-it’s not easy seeing your child upset-in any situation. Dr. Gavin sets high expectations for his patients, expectations that we would’ve never thought possible but were achievable with the support and confidence of the Blue Whale Children's Dentistry team."

"Friends of Blue Whale, I disagree with the absurd review recently posted. Fortunately, because of the high skill of our team, this child is safe and healthy. She had her problems cured promptly and compassionately by my team, when other dentists were not able to meet the high demands of this extremely challenging family and situation. Most dentists will not see a patient who displays hysterical temper tantrums or uncooperative behavior. Some dentists may insist that such patients be drugged or restrained. My team and I are trained to help young adults who have not learned emotional self control, without using drugs, narcotics, or general anesthesia. Most families appreciate this service, because drugging patients to control their behavior/emotions can be dangerous, and financially expensive (hundreds to thousands of dollars). The behavior management tactics we employ focus on guiding behavior, and trying to instill trust and communication, allowing for surgery to proceed safely. This art takes a tremendous amount of patience, energy, time, skill, and compassion from me and my clinical team. I have spent 30 years in pediatric dental offices learning these skills. I do this as a favor to the families in my office, because it is the level of ethical and professional care that I would want for my own family. It is my ethical responsibility to maximize the safety of the children I treat. As you can imagine, it is extremely difficult for a dentist to safely perform surgery on a hysterical patient. It is energy-intensive and requires skill, but it reduces risk, and ultimately reduces financial expense to families. The dental industry acknowledges the care and financial value of these services. Fees are billable to insurance. The few other offices that even offer this service may charge up to $250 for this. My fee is $90. This fee is not charged a child crying, but for extreme situations when a child resorts to behavior that blocks necessary communication and safe cooperation, such as hysteria, combative fighting, or passive physical resistance. Insurance coverages vary greatly between companies. HMSA plans may have cheaper premiums, but have less coverage than other companies, such as Hawaii Dental Service (HDS). This can result in higher overall expense. Families unhappy with discount dental plans could consider enrolling in HDS, and strengthening their insurance coverage. In general, full-mouth dental surgery is not cheap. Prevention of disease is a much better way to save money. Most of our prices are on par with national averages for specialists, some of our fees are lower than average. Parents looking for an especially cheap or discounted dental experience may be disappointed with Blue Whale - although other offices may be even more expensive, if adding in hundreds or thousands of dollars for laughing gas or sedation. At Blue Whale, I verbally inform parents of approximate costs, based on anticipated treatment plans. We print paper estimates when requested by you. I have found that most parents understand verbal communication better than printed forms. Most parents seem to have no problem with this face-to-face and down-to-earth communication. Sometimes, unexpected treatment needs are discovered and discussed with parents, increasing final costs. Healthcare is not like ordering itemized food off a menu, or selecting items on Amazon. Costs can change as unexpected treatment needs are discovered during the completion of proper and professional-level care. I view it as my ethical responsibility to care for the kids and community around me. I was born here in Hawaii, and I was raised with values to be kind, generous, and to show appreciation and respect. I have dedicated my career to philanthropy, non-profit assistance, and clinical service all around the state. In my clinic, I love the patients that I see, and treat each as if they were in my own family, including your child."