Welcome to our NINth-annual guide to the Valley’s best dentists, featuring 169 practitioners in eight different areas.
OPEN WIDE...THIS WON'T HURT A BIT.


















To see the full list of Top Dentists, pick up the latest issue of PHOENIX magazine, on newsstands July 21.

To read our exclusive interview with each of our featured dentists just select their names.

Jennifer Mirabelli
Orthodontist
4901 N. 44th St., Ste. 101, Phoenix
602-595-3531, camelbackpedoortho.com

Courtney Brooks
2020 W. Whispering Wind Dr., Ste. 113, Phoenix
623-516-2800, happyvalleypedo.com

Todd Jorgenson
Periodontist
3048 E. Baseline Rd., Ste. 112, Mesa
480-558-4500, eastvalleyimplant.com

Marc Pospisil
General Dentist
2076 E. Southern Ave., Ste. C-101, Tempe
480-838-3315, pospisilfamilydentistry.com


WHO DECIDES WHO’S A TOP DENTIST?

Frequently asked questions about how our Top Dentists are selected.


Who picks the dentists?
The dentists are selected through a peer-review survey. The theory is that medical professionals are best qualified to judge medical professionals. To select the dentists, PHOENIX magazine randomly mails 1,500 surveys to Valley dentists. The surveys ask the dentists to nominate those dentists who, in their judgment, are the best in their field and related fields.

Does PHOENIX magazine check out all of the dentists on the list?
Yes. Once the list of Top Dentists is compiled, PHOENIX magazine’s fact-checkers verify the dentists’ names, addresses, phone numbers and specialties. In addition, each name is checked against the state’s dental board to determine whether the dentist has been convicted of malpractice or has faced other disciplinary actions. Those that have are removed from the list.

Why not ask patients to rate the best dentists?
Patients generally lack the medical expertise to judge a dentist’s qualifications, and different patients will have varying opinions on the same dentist (i.e., one patient’s best experience may be another patient’s worst). Should we ever do a ranking based solely on bedside manner, querying patients might be an option.

My dentist says he was left off the list because he doesn’t advertise in PHOENIX magazine. Could that be true?
Absolutely not. Like any credible publication, PHOENIX magazine’s editorial content is not dictated by who advertises. There are cases, however, when a dentist on the list also has an ad in the magazine, but that’s merely coincidence. Dentists have no advance knowledge of whether they’ve made the list, and the PHOENIX magazine sales staff doesn’t see the list until you see the list. Like you, they both have to wait until the magazine is published to find out who’s made the list.

Why do you include cosmetic dentistry as a specialty when it’s not actually recognized by the dental board?
True, cosmetic dentistry is not a recognized specialty by the American Dental Association, but many general dentists today are specializing in cosmetic procedures, and patients are increasingly requesting information on cosmetic dentistry, so we wanted to offer yet another valuable resource to our readers.

If my dentist’s not on the list, does that mean he/she is not a good dentist?
No. Although peer-review is considered the most reliable methodology, it’s not perfect. To be recognized by a large number of peers, it stands to reason that a dentist would have to have practiced in the Valley for several years. There are many newcomers who are undoubtedly excellent physicians, but haven’t yet gained widespread recognition. In addition, there are many dentists in small practices or outlying areas who, likewise, haven’t gained that widespread recognition.

Don’t the same dentists make the list every year?
Many dentists do, but there are many new dentists on the list each year, too. Because the established, well-known dentists are exactly that – established and well known – the list might favor that kind of physician. Given the importance of choosing a dentist, however, PHOENIX magazine views that as a healthy bias.

My dentist was on the list last year, but isn’t there this year. What does that mean?
It doesn’t necessarily mean anything, and it certainly shouldn’t be viewed as evidence of a drop-off in the dentist’s effectiveness. Getting on the list once doesn’t guarantee that a dentist will be on the list indefinitely – the selection process begins anew each year.

Each year you do short feature profiles on a handful of dentists. How do you choose which ones to profile?
Essentially, we “throw a dart at the map.” Because every dentist on the list is considered among the best in the Valley, every dentist is worthy of being profiled. Needless to say, it would be impossible to profile all of them, so we randomly select three or four each year.

To learn more about Valley dentists, contact the Arizona State Board of Dental
Examiners at 602-242-1492, or visit azdentalboard.org.