Dentist in Sherman Oaks, CA
Sherman Oaks and Encino share Ventura Boulevard, which means the nearest dentist to you is often not the one closest to your door but the one you can actually get to without crossing the valley. Encino Gentle Dental is a straight run west along Ventura, and for most of Sherman Oaks it is a shorter trip than the drive to the other side of the 405.
Dr. Elizabeth Wolfe runs a small, single-dentist practice. The person who examines you is the person who treats you, at every visit — which is not the case at most offices this size, and it is the difference patients coming from Sherman Oaks tend to mention first.
What Sherman Oaks patients usually come for
General and cosmetic dentistry make up most of it: cleanings and deep cleanings, fillings, crowns, inlays and onlays, whitening, veneers and clear aligners. Where this practice differs from the several general dentists between here and the boulevard’s east end is what sits alongside that work.
Dr. Wolfe works in sleep and airway health, screening for the signs of obstructive sleep apnea and coordinating with sleep physicians for testing and diagnosis. She treats TMJ and jaw joint pain, and she uses laser dentistry for procedures that would otherwise need more anesthetic and more healing time. If you have been carrying a jaw that clicks, or waking up tired for years, that is a conversation this practice actually has.
If you have been putting it off
A good proportion of new patients here have not seen a dentist in years, and arrive braced for a lecture. There isn’t one. What there is instead: an unhurried appointment, a stop signal you can use at any point, and sedation options from nitrous oxide upward if the anxiety needs more than patience. Our page on care for anxious patients sets out how the visit is structured.
Getting here from Sherman Oaks
From Sherman Oaks, take Ventura Boulevard west. The office sits on Ventura between Hayvenhurst and Balboa, on the Encino stretch, so you stay on one road the whole way. If you are coming from north of the boulevard, Hayvenhurst and Balboa both drop you straight onto it.
The office is at 16311 Ventura Blvd, Suite 1296, Encino, CA 91436. The building has valet parking and we validate it — partially for routine cleanings, in full for first appointments and any treatment appointment. Worth knowing before you circle the block looking for a meter.
Hours: Tuesday 8:30–5:00 · Wednesday 8:30–5:30 · Thursday 8:00–5:00 · Friday 7:00–3:00 · Saturday by appointment. Closed Sunday and Monday. Dr. Wolfe is in network with Aetna; with other PPOs the practice is out of network by choice and bills as a courtesy. The full picture on payment and financing is on our new patients page.
Call (818) 788-1231 or book online. If you are new, say so on the phone — and if you are nervous about being here at all, say that too. It changes how the appointment is run.
Also serving Tarzana · Woodland Hills · Studio City.