Dentist on Lake Forest
Experience You Can Trust, Smiles You’ll Love
We are a family practice that builds long-term relationships by providing excellent service with empathy and compassion.
Welcome to Ocean Valley Dental!
Word travels in communities like Lake Forest. When a dentist has served South Orange County families since 1990, that reputation is earned the slow way — by showing up, doing honest work, and treating patients like people. Dr. Robert F. Murray, DDS leads Ocean Valley Dental alongside associate Dr. Elizabeth Le, DMD and a hygiene team that has stayed put for over 20 years. Advanced in-house technology handles most cases without outside referrals, keeping your dental care consistent from exam to final restoration.
Our Mission
Dr. Murray’s standard for dental care can be summed up in the question he effectively asks at every appointment: what does this patient actually need? Not what’s billable, not what fills a schedule; what does the clinical picture show, and how do you explain it clearly enough that the patient can make a confident decision? That discipline is reflected in the practice’s shared morning commitment: to build long-term relationships through empathy, compassion, and respect. Oral health improves over a lifetime, not in a single visit, and this team is structured to support that long view; with consistent staffing, thorough documentation, and a dentist who still approaches each procedure as an opportunity to do his best work yet.
Providing World Class Dentistry in South Orange County
At Ocean Valley Dental, your trusted dentist in Aliso Viejo, we offer a comprehensive range of dental services to meet the needs of your entire family.
Implants
Gaps left by missing teeth can make everyday moments like sharing a meal or laughing with friends feel uncomfortable and self-conscious. At Ocean Valley Dental, our titanium implant posts bond directly with your jawbone, creating a foundation stable enough to support crowns, bridges, or full dentures that stay firmly in place. Because the implant acts as an artificial root, it maintains your jawbone’s natural structure in a way no conventional denture or bridge can match.
When you’re ready to move forward, our dentist walks you through a personalized evaluation to determine the best placement approach for your unique anatomy. The implant post itself is placed chairside in about an hour, a timeline that surprises many patients expecting a drawn-out procedure. From that single appointment, your restoration gradually becomes a permanent, natural-feeling part of your smile that requires no changes to the healthy teeth around it.
Veneers
A single veneer can quietly reshape a tooth that has always bothered you, while a full set can bring balance and consistency to a smile that feels uneven or worn down. Each porcelain shell is color-matched and contoured to your specific teeth, so the finished result looks like a natural improvement rather than an obvious procedure. Our dentist takes time at the start of your care to understand exactly what you want to change and what you want to keep.
Ocean Valley Dental approaches every veneer case across two focused appointments, with temporary shells in place between visits so your smile stays intact throughout the process. We remove only the thinnest necessary layer of enamel before taking detailed impressions for your permanent restorations. Once your final veneers are ready, bonding them is precise and efficient, and you walk out the same day with a complete, confident smile.
Invisalign & Orthodontics
Correcting your bite and alignment does more than improve how your smile looks — it reduces the kind of uneven wear and crowding that quietly causes bigger dental problems down the road. At Ocean Valley Dental, both Invisalign clear aligners and traditional orthodontic options are available, giving you a treatment path based on what your teeth actually need. Clear aligners work well for mild to moderate cases, while more involved movement may call for a conventional approach our dentist can walk you through in detail.
Your journey starts with a thorough bite and spacing assessment so we understand the full picture before recommending any direction. From there, your aligner trays or orthodontic plan is built around your specific tooth movement goals, with scheduled check-ins to keep progress on track. Most patients are surprised by how manageable the process feels once it’s underway, and the long-term payoff in both function and appearance makes it well worth the commitment.
Crowns
Teeth that have been fractured, heavily filled, or treated with a root canal often need more than a patch — they need full coverage to stay functional long term. A crown wraps the entire visible surface of the tooth, giving it the strength to handle everyday chewing without the risk of a more serious break. Our dentist recommends crowns for a wide range of situations, from restoring a tooth with too little structure left for a filling to improving one that has always been poorly shaped or discolored.
The crown process at Ocean Valley Dental starts with a close look at the affected tooth to confirm coverage is the right approach before any preparation begins. We reshape the tooth, capture a precise digital impression, and use that data to fabricate a restoration matched to the color and contour of your surrounding teeth. Porcelain and ceramic materials give the finished crown both the durability to hold up through daily use and the appearance of a tooth that was never damaged at all.
Oral Surgery & Extractions
Not every tooth can be saved, but knowing when removal is the right call makes a significant difference in how smoothly your recovery and next steps unfold. Impacted wisdom teeth, teeth with deep infection, and those too structurally compromised to restore are all situations where our dentist will recommend oral surgery & extractions as the most protective option for your surrounding teeth and bone. Acting on these issues early typically means a simpler procedure and a more straightforward healing process.
At Ocean Valley Dental, no surgical appointment begins without a thorough case review so the procedure is planned around your specific anatomy rather than a general approach. We walk you through what to expect beforehand, keep you comfortable throughout with appropriate anesthesia, and send you home with recovery instructions specific to your situation. Follow-up visits are built into your care so we can confirm healing is progressing the right way and step in quickly if anything needs attention.
Root Canal Therapy
Teeth with deep decay or trauma sometimes develop infections that affect the nerve, and leaving that kind of damage untreated puts both the tooth and surrounding bone at risk. Our dentist focuses on preserving your natural tooth through root canal therapy rather than moving straight to extraction, because a treated tooth that stays in place continues to support your bite and keeps neighboring teeth from shifting over time. The procedure has a reputation that simply does not match the reality of how it feels with proper anesthesia and modern technique.
Ocean Valley Dental handles every root canal case with full numbing from the start, so discomfort during the procedure is minimal for most patients. We remove the infected pulp, clean and disinfect the inner canals thoroughly, and seal the tooth to prevent any recurrence of infection. A crown is typically placed once healing is complete, restoring the tooth to full function so it holds up reliably through years of everyday use.
Meet the Team
Dr. Robert F. Murray, DDS works six days a week and has done so for over three decades. His background in Organic Chemistry shapes how he approaches diagnosis — methodically, with attention to what the evidence actually shows rather than what a treatment plan might conveniently suggest. Dr. Le grew up in Sacramento in a family where dentistry was the household profession; her father and both brothers are also in the field.
That context shows in how naturally she communicates clinical information to patients who might otherwise find dentistry intimidating. Outside the office, she hikes, dances ballet, and travels with her husband and their dog, Oakley. Both providers share the same approach: explain clearly, act only when warranted, and treat every patient as someone whose time and trust matter.
Story of the “Coral”
Coral is not a plant but a living animal. Its function is to house, feed and provide security to 90% of the fish in the ocean. These tiny creatures are among the world’s greatest architects, and although they grow less than an inch per year, they ultimately become one of the largest structures on the planet. We take our mission statement seriously and understand that earning your trust takes time, empathy and compassion. Over time, we hope to create the safe environment that you turn to for all of your dental needs.
Request Appointment
Why Choose Us
Start Your Best Dental Care With Our Dentist on Lake Forest!
Ocean Valley Dental welcomes patients from across the Lake Forest area into a practice that families have trusted across generations. Most people who find it stop looking, not because switching is inconvenient, but because there’s no reason to. Our front desk can be reached at 949-831-4655 and new patients are always welcome. For a closer look at the team, the technology, and the people behind the practice, the Facebook page tells the story better than any brochure could.
Our Testimonials
FAQs
What can I expect from the first appointment experience?
The office runs quieter and more relaxed than most. Your dentist in Lake Forest walks through findings before recommending anything, and the team adjusts pace based on your comfort level. You leave knowing exactly what your oral health looks like and what, if anything, needs attention. No surprises, no pressure.
What are dental veneers and are they right for me?
Dental veneers are thin porcelain shells bonded to the front of your teeth to correct color, shape, or proportion. They are a core part of smile goals at this practice, with Dr. Le handling cases with attention to how results complement your overall facial features and bite. Healthy underlying teeth and realistic expectations are the starting point, and a consultation determines the rest.
What is the difference between a crown and a dental bridge?
A crown covers and protects a single damaged tooth. A dental bridge replaces one or more missing teeth by anchoring an artificial tooth to the natural teeth or implants on either side. Both restore function and support long-term oral health, and which one fits your situation depends on what the clinical picture shows. The team walks through that clearly before anything is scheduled.
How does teeth whitening work at this practice?
Two options are available: in-office chairside bleaching using a professional-strength gel activated by light or laser, typically completed in one visit, or custom at-home trays for gradual results on your own schedule. Both can meaningfully brighten your smile. The right choice depends on how quickly you want results and how your teeth respond, and the team helps you sort that out at your consultation.
What happens during a root canal, and should I be worried?
Root canal therapy removes infected or damaged nerve tissue from inside a tooth. The tooth stops receiving nourishment through that nerve but continues to hold your bite in place, which matters more than most people realize. Performed under local anesthesia, the procedure is typically no more uncomfortable than a filling. Dr. Murray’s calm, methodical approach and gentle injection technique make it manageable for patients who arrive expecting the worst.