Shana Berger Van Cleave, DDS - Santa Rosa, California

Jessica W.

The main reason I am giving this long review is to warn other people that have gone thru hardship with their child’s teeth. I went through a change of doctor in this dental office, and from the moment I met her she told me, my son needed multiple cavities taken care of. She was shaming me as a mom with the type of foods I should be feeding my child. I did not get a soft or gentle approach with this doctor. Her bedside manner was very unprofessional in my opinion. I feel that she is very aggressive with her treatment planning for a pediatric office. I went to another dentist who I used to work for because I was in the dental industry for over 5 years and the doctor that I asked for a 2nd opinion was Dr. Michael Rice at Santa Rosa Dental. And from the moment, my son opened his mouth Dr. Rice stated that my son's crown on his lower right canine was put on backwards. This was a stainless steel crown that was done by the previous Dentist who used to work for this practice who was Dr. Shana Van Cleave. I really enjoyed her a lot as she was very warm and gentle with her bedside manner and she worked with kids with special needs so that was a big plus for me as I knew her integrity was there. Which is extremely hard to find nowadays. Be aware that this new doctor that is now currently practicing is very aggressive with her treatment planning. We were told that we needed $3700+ worth of work for my 5 y/o son. I figured I should get a 2nd opinion which I always do with any type of doctor, so I went to Dr. Rice and when he told me that the crown was put on backwards, it only made sense as to why my son was in pain, it had nothing to do with Cavities at all. Dr. Susan Ryan had told me when we came in for his routine cleaning that he needed 4 stainless steel crowns, and 4 porcelain crowns on his front teeth. This kind of shocked me in so many ways because we are very diligent with his teeth we brush 2-3 times a day and we floss every night and he takes a fluoride tablet. I felt mom shamed by this dentist, she told me that my son had a very acidic mouth and that I should probably try a pH balancing toothpaste in which I did order the following day from Amazon like she recommended. But something didn't feel right about this treatment plan that she presented. So when I took the x-rays over to Dr. Rice on that 2nd opinion visit, and he found that the crown was put on backwards he did do an occlusal adjustment so that when my son bit down the two canines weren’t colliding into each other to create pain. That is where the pain was coming from. I originally thought the pain was coming from these "so-called cavities" that Dr. Ryan had mentioned. The minute that Dr. Michael fixed my son's occlusal bite, the pain was instantly gone. He of course gave me a disclaimer when he started to do the occlusal adjustment that there was a possibility of a void in the stainless steel crown that he was adjusting. Of course he knew what he was doing and it happened so he just filled it with a little composite white filling. He had my son bite down and he had absolutely NO MORE pain. I was blown away being that I have been in the dental industry for over 5 years, going through this experience was extremely traumatic, and I feel very unwarranted. The moment Dr. Rice saw my son’s x-rays from this pediatric office, he informed me that there was absolutely NO cavities. And that blew me away as well considering Dr. Ryan told me that my son needed 8 different crowns. On baby teeth. And granted I am 100% about making sure my son is in optimal health, but this seemed VERY extreme. We had already gone through a major dental surgery when he was 3 y/o with Dr. Shawna Van Cleave and she was aware of that. I now question the integrity of this office and the new doctor. What makes me the most angry about this is that there is trauma that can never be fully repaired from this experience for my entire family. Now we have to deal with the consequences of mistakes that could’ve been avoided causing long term damage to my son’s jaw and other teeth.

Kristopher S.

We've been bringing our kiddo to the Children's Health Clinic since he was three years old (he's now nearly 17). We've received nothing but the best care. Whether it's for a simple cleaning and check-up, fillings, or an extraction we were always treated with the upmost respect and care. Our son is autistic and was referred to Dr. VanCleave because she had the magic touch with regards to special needs kiddos. She also had admitting privileges for patients, like my son, who needed anesthesia.
They also have a laser for treating cavities without Novocain. (Sorry, I don't know what the device is actually called.) No shots! My adult dentist doesn't offer this service! I have taken my kiddo in for a filling or sealants and had him back to school in under an hour. All done quickly, efficiently and with big smiles. Did I mention NO SHOTS?
We've received the same outstanding care from Dr. Ryan since she's taken over the practice. We've never had a bad appointment with Dr. Ryan and appreciate the care and professionalism of her and her staff. Thank you so much, Dr. Susie!!

Mel W.

I could not say enough positive about Dr. Shana Van Cleave! Our two year old had to be put under and have eight caps put on her baby teeth, (four white porcelain caps on her front teeth and four silver caps on her back molars). The work done by Dr. Van Cleave is absolutely perfect, better then I ever imagined possible. We of course did not want our baby to be put under but the entire experience was calm and positive. I would absolutely recommend Dr. Shana to any family or friend. Thank you, thank you, thank you for taking care of our baby.

A P.

Dr Shana and her staff are taking great care of our kids in this post-virus world!

Just a note to everyone out there wondering what it's like to take their kids to the dentist right now (late May 2020). Our son REALLY needed a dental cleaning, and we were super glad Dr. Van Cleve is able to see patients again.

I think she's doing everything possible to keep kids safe while helping us all get back to the new not-normal.

When we arrived for the appointment, there was a symptom checklist to go through with the receptionist to make sure we weren't sick, and they took my kid's temperature before going in back. Dr Shana and the hygienist wore full gowns, masks, and face shields. Dr. Shana told us they've modified a few steps of the dental cleaning to reduce risks, too, like not using the whirring scrubber that could aerosolize mouth germs. I am really glad we were able to get back on top of our kid's mouth health- yes, brushing habits had definitely slacked off during shelter-in-place.

Dr Shana Van Cleve has been seeing our kids for years and we couldn't ask for a more warm and caring dentist. I trust her completely, and trust counts for a lot right now.

Annabel C.

I can't thank Dr. Shana Van Cleave enough for what she has done for my daughter! My daughter had severe anxiety about dentists and a lot of sensory issues as well. Dr. Van Cleave was so kind, patient and understanding with her. A year later, my daughter's anxiety about going to the dentist is gone, no more tears! You saved her mouth and my sanity. Thank you so much for you and your entire team.

Ian

Stellar reputation in our community. My son had his first experience with a dentist here and he was actually looking forward to his next visit for sealant to be done. Cannot recommend her more highly. If you have children, Shana Berger is most definitely the dentist to visit.

Kiyo T.

Dr. Van Cleave is always thorough! She is great! We also adore Jen and all the staff. We have been going here since Dr. Berger (dad) had the practice and so pleased by Dr. Van Cleave's focus and determination to make sure kids have healthy teeth and gums!

Blanca G.

I've been taking both of my girls and they love the personal. Very professional and they are very careful explaining to the kids the way they should be taking care of their teeth.