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Destination Smiles is a San Jose, CA orthodontic practice providing care for children, teens, and adults.
About Destination Smiles
Very young children and anxious or special-needs patients get extra attention here, with therapy dogs, laughing gas, and sensory-friendly accommodations easing visits.
Reviews here lean heavily toward families with young children, and many describe kids who are nervous, shy, or have special needs being handled with particular patience. Distraction tools like ceiling movies, toys, and a therapy dog come up often, alongside sedation options such as laughing gas for procedures that would otherwise be stressful. Dr. Randy Ligh is specifically noted for frenectomy and infant feeding expertise, and several reviews describe thorough, kid-friendly explanations of treatment steps before procedures.
Summary of 200 patient reviews, December 2022–September 2026, updated September 2026
Destination Smiles is a San Jose, CA orthodontic practice providing care for children, teens, and adults.
The practice offers Invisalign and early treatment for younger patients, utilizing digital impression technology to capture accurate scans without traditional molds. The team includes six board-certified orthodontists credentialed by the American Board of Orthodontics: Dr. Joseph Fridgen, Dr. Randy Ligh, Dr. Jacky Ha Thai, Dr. Linh Van, Dr. Jeff Kwong, and Dr. Louis Tieu. This depth of specialist expertise supports consistent access to orthodontic care across the practice's schedule. Destination Smiles accepts all PPO insurance plans and offers multiple payment options including cash, check, credit cards, Apple Pay, and HSA flexible spending accounts. The practice provides in-house payment plans and financing through third-party lenders Sunbit and CareCredit. An in-house membership club is available for patients seeking alternative payment structures. New patients can schedule a complimentary consultation, and online booking is offered for convenience. Weekend appointments are available to accommodate varied schedules. Families and adults in the San Jose area seeking orthodontic evaluation can contact Destination Smiles to determine appropriate treatment timing and options. Individual assessment is necessary to establish a personalized care plan.
Treatments offered
Who They Treat
Destination Smiles provides orthodontic treatment for the following age groups:
Technology & Equipment
Destination Smiles uses modern orthodontic technology to deliver precise, comfortable treatment.
Orthodontists at this office
Dr. Joseph Fridgen, DDS
NPI verified · no bio or photo on file
Dr. Randy Ligh, DDS
NPI verified · no bio or photo on file
Dr. Jacky Ha Thai
NPI verified · no bio or photo on file
Dr. Jeff Kwong, DDS, MSD
NPI verified · no bio or photo on file
Dr. Louis Tieu, DDS, MD
NPI verified · no bio or photo on file
Dr. JOSEPH WEBSTER RIDEAU --, DDS
NPI verified · no bio or photo on file
Dr. Linh Van, DDS
NPI verified · no bio or photo on file
Insurance accepted
2 plans listedWhat patients say
Latest review 6 weeks ago
What patients praise
Things to know
Who it suits
Doctors patients mention
| Oct 2023 | 5 |
|---|---|
| Nov 2023 | 7 |
| Dec 2023 | 4 |
| Jan 2024 | 8 |
| Feb 2024 | 3 |
| Mar 2024 | 14 |
| Apr 2024 | 5 |
| May 2024 | 8 |
| Jun 2024 | 4 |
| Jul 2024 | 6 |
| Aug 2024 | 3 |
| Sep 2024 | 5 |
| Oct 2024 | 6 |
| Nov 2024 | 5 |
| Dec 2024 | 4 |
| Jan 2025 | 5 |
| Feb 2025 | 8 |
| Mar 2025 | 12 |
| Apr 2025 | 6 |
| May 2025 | 5 |
| Jun 2025 | 4 |
| Jul 2025 | 0 |
| Aug 2025 | 6 |
| Sep 2025 | 6 |
| Oct 2025 | 8 |
| Nov 2025 | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | 7 |
| Feb 2026 | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | 8 |
| Apr 2026 | 12 |
| May 2026 | 35 |
| Jun 2026 | 8 |
| Jul 2026 | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | 7 |
| Sep 2026 | 9 |
| Theme | Praise | Criticism |
|---|---|---|
| Friendly staff | 86 | 3 |
| Great with kids | 80 | 1 |
| The orthodontist | 64 | 1 |
| Gentle, comfortable care | 41 | 1 |
| Clear explanations | 28 | 4 |
| Office & technology | 23 | 1 |
| Scheduling & wait times | 12 | 2 |
| Responsiveness | 10 | 4 |
Recent reviews from Google
We had a great experience at my son's first dental appointment! The office was clean, and the staff was very friendly. We loved Dr. Victoria—she and the dental assistant took the time to answer all of my questions and made us feel comfortable throughout the visit. We were also placed in a room with a sliding glass door, which provided extra privacy. A really fun touch was that they asked what movie my son likes and played it on the ceiling during the appointment. It made the experience much more enjoyable for him. Highly recommend! 😊
The whole team at Destination Smiles is awesome. Between the 2 of my kids, we have seen several of the Dr’s. We just finished a small procedure with Dr Victoria and Diana. They were very thorough. Dr Ligh helped release tongue ties on both kids as infants. My daughter has also seen Dr Jacky and Dr Van. Always a great experience. They have all the tools and training to distract my kids from what might otherwise be a scary appointment. I highly recommend Destination Smiles!
We have been taking my almost 5 year old son here ever since he was ~3 months old and got his tongue tie released by Dr. Ligh. All the dentists (Dr. Ligh, Dr. Fridgen, Dr. Tran) and the assistants are great--super nice and patient. The waiting room is very kid-friendly, with lots of toys, books, and tablets. My son also loves the mini water bottles in the fridge, haha. Of note, the bathroom is also very clean and spacious--there's even a diaper pail and changing station. Highly recommend taking your kids here!
Great experience with Dr. Fridgen every time we visit the office. He is gentle and skilled. The staffs are very friendly and caring for children’s feelings. Highly recommended this office for children dentist services!
We are visiting Destination Smiles for more than two years. Love the doctors and nurses there. My daughter likes to visit too since they gives her cute toys and there are fun events (making balloons, patting service dogs) in the clinic. Kayla is super helpful too!
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