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Valer Dental & Braces is a comprehensive dental practice in Albuquerque offering orthodontic treatment (braces and Invisalign), family dentistry, dental implants, and dentures.
About Valer Dental & Braces
Braces come up more often here than at most dental offices, with parents describing daughters' braces outcomes and gentle handling of children's orthodontic work.
Valer Dental & Braces is a general dental practice that also offers braces, Invisalign, and clear aligners, and braces treatment comes up especially often in reviews. Reviews mention young children and families managing several kids in treatment fairly often, alongside a mix of adult patients. Cost and financing draw a wide range of reactions: some reviewers mention competitive quotes and flexible payment plans, while others describe surprise charges or unclear billing after insurance issues. Dr. Belle is repeatedly credited with addressing patient concerns and answering questions in detail during procedures.
Summary of 214 patient reviews, February 2022–September 2026, updated September 2026
Valer Dental & Braces is a comprehensive dental practice in Albuquerque offering orthodontic treatment (braces and Invisalign), family dentistry, dental implants, and dentures.
They serve children, teens, and adults with affordable treatment options, including braces starting at $2,600, and accept dental insurance and Medicaid.
Treatments offered
Who They Treat
Valer Dental & Braces provides orthodontic treatment for the following age groups:
Technology & Equipment
Valer Dental & Braces uses modern orthodontic technology to deliver precise, comfortable treatment.
* Pricing shown is an estimate. Contact the practice for a personalized quote.
Orthodontists at this office
Dr. Kurtis Lightheart
NPI verified · no bio or photo on file
Dr. Christopher Lo, DDS
NPI verified · no bio or photo on file
Dr. Erika Belle
NPI verified · no bio or photo on file
Insurance accepted
5 plans listedWhat patients say
Latest review 7 weeks ago
What patients praise
Things to know
Who it suits
Doctors patients mention
Orthodontic care in reviews
Orthodontic reviews describe braces treatment lasting around two and a half years, with generally gentle handling of children's cases, though a few mention a persistent gap after treatment or a delayed retainer pickup that let teeth shift back. Some reviewers also note the treating provider changed more than once during their course of care, which created scheduling frustration.
| Oct 2023 | 6 |
|---|---|
| Nov 2023 | 1 |
| Dec 2023 | 5 |
| Jan 2024 | 8 |
| Feb 2024 | 9 |
| Mar 2024 | 40 |
| Apr 2024 | 9 |
| May 2024 | 9 |
| Jun 2024 | 11 |
| Jul 2024 | 8 |
| Aug 2024 | 1 |
| Sep 2024 | 1 |
| Oct 2024 | 8 |
| Nov 2024 | 4 |
| Dec 2024 | 7 |
| Jan 2025 | 12 |
| Feb 2025 | 1 |
| Mar 2025 | 25 |
| Apr 2025 | 23 |
| May 2025 | 3 |
| Jun 2025 | 5 |
| Jul 2025 | 3 |
| Aug 2025 | 3 |
| Sep 2025 | 11 |
| Oct 2025 | 41 |
| Nov 2025 | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | 10 |
| Apr 2026 | 1 |
| May 2026 | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | 0 |
| Jul 2026 | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | 2 |
| Theme | Praise | Criticism |
|---|---|---|
| Friendly staff | 98 | 8 |
| The dentist | 39 | 12 |
| Cost, insurance & financing | 21 | 20 |
| Scheduling & wait times | 14 | 18 |
| Clear explanations | 18 | 7 |
| Gentle, comfortable care | 20 | 2 |
| Responsiveness | 11 | 10 |
| Great with kids | 17 | 3 |
Recent reviews from Google
Such great customer service, with great comfort made me feel right at home after not seeing a dentist in over 20 years because my last experience in another clinic.... Thank you Dr.Belle to you and "all" of your staff!!!!!!!!!!!! From Robert Hernandez
I used to have a great experience at Valor Dental, but returning after a job/insurance change was incredibly frustrating. My visit started with an hour-long delay at the front desk because my insurance was entered incorrectly, despite me calling ahead to provide it. The real issue, however, was with the dental tech. She was late getting me back, and when we finally started, she was surprisingly rude. I had been told over the phone that we would proceed with my cleaning or preventative treatment, but she insisted we had to 'start fresh' with a full set of new X-rays. While I understand that updated X-rays are sometimes necessary, being misled over the phone—and then being treated poorly by an unprofessional tech who was already running behind—made for a terrible experience. This office is clearly not run the same way it used to be.
THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE I went to go get a root canal done i did it successfully done I go home I have pain in my root canal ofc its the first day of my root canal 2 AND A HALF MONTHS LATER IT STILL HURTS I WENT TO CHECK THEY SAID THERES NOTHING WRONG AND THEN SAID WE WILL REFER YOU TO A SPECIALIST AND TOLD US THEY WERE GONNA CALL US WITHIN 2 DAYS STILL NO CALL AND I HAVE A CRACK/ROOT CANAL ABOVE THE ROOT CANAL I GOT DONE BECAUSE OF THAT
I had at dental emergency. My tooth broke at 5 pm and nowhere else could fit me in. My husband found them and I was in and out. Zero judgement, talked me through every step. My husband even walked next door to chick fil a and my tooth was extracted faster than he got his food! I'm definitely coming back here!
Do not do business with this deceptive and highly unprofessional office. I went for a first visit and specifically told the staff I could not have x-rays that day, that I didn't think my insurance would cover them. I said I would have my recent x-rays from my previous dentist sent to them. The tech said she would look into it and left the room. When she returned, she said that my x-rays would be covered by insurance, so I allowed them to be done. I have now received the denial notice from my insurance. None of the cost of the x-rays was covered, so I am left with a bill I cannot easily pay. I am an elderly woman living on Social Security. The above is my major complaint with regard to my experience at Valer Dental. Blatant lying to a new patient is not a good way to begin a therapeutic relationship. But besides the deception related to the bill, my other concerns include the fact that I was not taken to an exam room for half an hour after my scheduled appointment time (although I arrived early), and then sat even longer in that room before anyone came to begin the visit, though more than once people came in and asked me who I was. Apparently they have trouble keeping track of which patient is in which room. Finally, the "background music" in the office was very loud "international" music that was far from pleasant or relaxing. Just not what one typically hears in such a setting. More like a nightclub than a professional office. Clearly the priority is the enjoyment of the staff, not their clients. I have never posted an unfavorable review for a business before, but felt I had to share my experience to possibly save someone else from exposure to the same treatment.
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