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Spencer Dental & Braces provides orthodontic care in Norfolk, VA, serving children, teens, and adults across four locations.
About Spencer Dental & Braces
Draws many young children and sibling groups for braces, but some families report canceled appointments and adjustments stretching well past a 9-month estimate.
Spencer Dental & Braces is a general dental practice that also offers traditional braces and early orthodontic treatment, with a caseload skewed heavily toward young children and families with multiple kids in treatment at once. Many reviews note staff who are patient and engaging with kids, including toddlers and children with additional needs, though a comparable number of reviews describe long waits and appointments canceled without notice. Reviews also point to instability with a consistent doctor, with some patients reporting years of treatment overseen by rotating or interim providers.
Summary of 212 patient reviews, November 2024–September 2026, updated September 2026
Spencer Dental & Braces provides orthodontic care in Norfolk, VA, serving children, teens, and adults across four locations.
The practice offers free consultations and accommodates patients with weekend hours and online booking. Treatment options include early orthodontic intervention for younger patients to address developmental concerns before they require more extensive correction. Specific treatment modalities beyond early treatment were not disclosed in available practice information. The practice provides services in both English and Spanish. Staff file insurance claims for patients covered under most commercial insurance plans and accept Medicaid. For patients without insurance coverage, the practice offers a dental discount plan as an alternative payment option. Financial arrangements include payment plans and acceptance of CareCredit financing for those who qualify. The practice maintains 672 Google reviews with a 3.6 rating. Prospective patients can schedule appointments online or by contacting any of the four Norfolk-area locations directly. Individual treatment needs and insurance benefit verification require consultation with the practice. Coverage varies by plan, and eligibility for Medicaid or discount plan participation depends on individual circumstances. Weekend availability may vary by location and should be confirmed when scheduling.
Treatments offered
Who They Treat
Spencer Dental & Braces provides orthodontic treatment for the following age groups:
Orthodontists at this office
Dr. NICOLE KIM --, D.M.D., M.S.D.
NPI verified · no bio or photo on file
Insurance accepted
22 plans listedWhat patients say
Latest review 3 weeks ago
What patients praise
Things to know
Who it suits
Orthodontic care in reviews
Reviews describing braces treatment mention that routine adjustment visits are generally satisfactory, but several also describe missed monthly follow-ups due to unreturned calls and treatment timelines stretching well beyond original estimates, including one case of three years without noticeable improvement.
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| Theme | Praise | Criticism |
|---|---|---|
| Friendly staff | 75 | 40 |
| Scheduling & wait times | 7 | 68 |
| Great with kids | 25 | 10 |
| The dentist | 20 | 6 |
| Gentle, comfortable care | 17 | 7 |
| Responsiveness | 1 | 18 |
| Clear explanations | 14 | 2 |
| Office & technology | 3 | 9 |
Recent reviews from Google
Horrible!!! I took my 8 yo daughter here to get a cap because her primary dentist doesn't have nitrous. We waited all this time, 2 courses of antibiotics to ensure she did not get an infection ,just for us to show up at 745am & be told they were out of nitrous...Apparently they ran out days before & never called to let me know. That was the whole point in going to Spencer's dental. She needed nitrous for this procedure. We stopped going years ago due to the same fill-in falling out 4 times. Very unprofessional & the office is dirty. Take your kids or yourself somewhere else!!!
Not a good experience appointment was at 3:30pm, I was not seen until 5:20, this was my first dental appointment for my 19 month old son we noticed bottle rot and wanted to know next steps, the provider which we waited for, for 2 hours took 3 seconds told us he had cavities and we had to pry information from him, he said he needs a GA (we have no idea what a GA is or what that means) he then just walks away, he doesn't tell us we are done, doesn't provide anymore information, the information we did get which was he needs a GA was only given after asking several times, after he walks away, we don't know if we are done or what to do next, the other office staff then helped us saying that's all for now and we got a better explanation from the front office staff who told us this is not the usual doctor and the usual doctor is on vacation, she did apologize for the inconvenience and explained what next steps may be and helped us set up an appointment with the actual doctor when he gets back. I would like to give the next doctor a chance, but I think leaving this interim-doctor there will really slow down business if not destroy your credibility please do better in choosing interim providers
I love this Dentistry. Everyone that works here is amazing and thorough! We had Steven Hanson cleaning our teeth and he was THE ABSOLUTE BEST! He had me and my daughter giggling the whole time.
They don't answer the phone, and when you are finally able to get an appointment, they will cancel it without your notice. I took the day off, because I had to be seen for toothpain- I called MORNING OF just to confirm the scheduled time, and was informed my appointment had been CANCELED. NOBODY TOLD ME. I HAD TAKEN THE DAY OFF FROM WORK. "Do you want to reschedule?" No, absolutely not. If you have a phone number, I should not have to go up there in person to talk to a human that's not from an answering service, and if something popped up that requires you to cancel my appointment, common hunan decency dictates, that you let your patients KNOW. There is no excuse for this kind of unprofessional behavior. If you have to print your appointment schedules in advance with contact information in case of emergency regarding system failure or what have you, so be it. I don't care. Absolutely ridiculous. Will actively refer people AWAY from this practice from here on out.
Terrible experience. Canceled my appointment with no notice, and I was told three different stories by three different representatives as to why. One told me I failed to confirm the appointment, one said I had two appointments at different locations, and one simply told me that the office had canceled it and they couldn't tell me why. Horrific location, and they can't even get their stories straight internally before approaching us. Will never bring my children here.
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