Gambelas Smile Clinic
According to our open methodology, this clinic scored 69.4/100 for transparency, reputation, service accessibility, and digital visibility.
Overall rank: #4 of 26 ranked clinics · Last checked: 24 September 2026
Positions by Rating Profile
- Overall Transparency & Trust#469.4/100
- Best for Expats#468.5/100
- Best for Dental Implants#468.5/100
- Best for Emergency Dental Care#476/100
- Best Price Transparency#945.4/100
- Best English-speaking Clinics#371.5/100
- Best for Families / Children#376.1/100
- Sleep Dentistry (GA / deep sedation)not ranked
General Anaesthesia & Deep Sedation
Whether the clinic documents treatment under general anaesthesia or deep / twilight sedation — "sleep dentistry", where the patient is asleep and unaware (does not feel, see, or hear the procedure). Ordinary conscious sedation, where the patient stays awake and responsive, does not count here. This is informational and does not affect the transparency score.
- ✗ General anaesthesia / deep sedation (sleep dentistry) — No general anaesthesia or deep sedation documented Offers "Sedação Consciente" (conscious sedation) as a listed service. [s1]
Summary
Gambelas Smile Clinic is a multi-specialty dental clinic in the Gambelas district of Faro, founded in 2010 and operating in partnership with Hospital Particular do Algarve. The clinical team includes dentists with UK experience and covers implantology, orthodontics, endodontics, prosthodontics, pediatric dentistry, oral surgery, and conscious sedation. The clinic holds ERS registration E113926 and operating licence 2330/2011. Clinical Director Dr. Luis Bacalhau holds OMD registration 5103 and a Master's in Oral Implantology from the University of Seville. Staff communicate in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French.
Address cited as both 'nº 7' and 'nº 9' across sources; the clinic's own website uses 'nº 9' and this is taken as authoritative. WhatClinic lists 1 verified review (3.5/5) but qanomed.com shows 42 reviews at 4.8/5 — qanomed likely aggregates Google data. DocDental mirror shows Google rating 4.9/79 reviews. ERS registration E113926 and licence 2330/2011 are published on the clinic's own website. OMD number 5103 for Dr. Bacalhau found via LinkedIn and third-party source referencing his OMD registration.
Strengths
- Information Transparency: 18 of 20 points.
- Reputation & Reviews: 16.5 of 20 points.
- Medical Infrastructure: 15 of 15 points.
- No red flags identified in public sources.
Weaknesses
- Price Transparency: 0 of 15 verifiable points (missing: prices or price ranges published; cleaning price listed; filling price listed; crown price listed; implant price listed; consultation price listed; x-ray / imaging price listed)
Score Breakdown
Every criterion below is scored from public sources. ✓ verified yes · ✗ verified no / not found · ◐ partial · ? unverified (scores 0, not a negative finding).
Information Transparency
Whether basic facts about the clinic - its team, premises, services, and location - are publicly verifiable.
| ✓ | Has a working website [s1] | 4/4 |
| ✓ | Dentist names listed Dr. Luis Bacalhau (Clinical Director, oral surgery/implants), Dr. Carina Brito (orthodontics), Dr. João Machado (prosthodontics), Dr. Cecília Miranda (pediatric dentistry), Dr. Abílio Martins (endodontics), Dr. Andreia Azinheira (endodontics) — sourced from WhatClinic listing [s2] [s3] | 3/3 |
| ✓ | Dentist specializations listed each named dentist has a documented specialty [s2] [s3] | 2/2 |
| ✓ | Real clinic photos Genuine branded staff photos in a real treatment room [gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen] | 2/2 |
| ✓ | Service list published implantology, orthodontics, oral surgery, endodontics, prosthodontics, veneers, crowns, whitening, radiology, sedation, pediatric dentistry, periodontics [s1] | 3/3 |
| ✓ | Clear contact details landline, mobile, email, WhatsApp all published on website and afpop directory [s1] [s4] | 2/2 |
| ✗ | English website version website is in Portuguese only; staff speak English per afpop listing [s1] | 0/2 |
| ✓ | Address and map published full address published on website [s1] | 2/2 |
Price Transparency
Whether patients can estimate costs before visiting. Published price ranges count; exact prices are not required.
| ✗ | Prices or price ranges published no prices found on the official website [s1] | 0/3 |
| ✗ | Cleaning price listed Hygiene/scaling page read, no price figure [gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-2] [gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-3] | 0/2 |
| ✗ | Filling price listed Restorative dentistry page read, no price figure [gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-4] [gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-3] | 0/2 |
| ✗ | Crown price listed Ceramic crowns page read, no price figure [gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-5] [gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-3] | 0/2 |
| ✗ | Implant price listed Implantology page read, no price figure [gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-10] [gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-3] | 0/2 |
| ✗ | Consultation price listed No consultation fee published [gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-7] [gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-3] | 0/2 |
| ✗ | X-ray / imaging price listed No X-ray/CBCT price found on the imaging page [gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-11] [gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-3] | 0/2 |
Reputation & Reviews
Public review signals. The Google rating is adjusted with a Bayesian prior (rating 4.0, weight 25) so a 5.0 from a handful of reviews does not outrank a 4.8 from hundreds.
| ✓ | Google rating (Bayesian-adjusted) as of 2026-08-25 [gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-refresh] | 6/6 |
| ◐ | Google review volume as of 2026-09-24 [gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-13] | 2/3 |
| ✓ | Review recency [gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-refresh] | 3/3 |
| ✓ | Clinic responds to reviews Owner replies to critical reviews, including recent ones [gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-9] | 2/2 |
| ✓ | No recurring complaints WhatClinic review positive; patient testimonials on qanomed and afpop show no recurring complaint pattern [s2] [s6] | 2/2 |
| ? | No suspicious review patterns | 0/2 |
| ✓ | Active Facebook presence [s1] | 1/1 |
| ? | TripAdvisor presence | 0/0.5 |
| ✓ | Other review platforms listed on WhatClinic, qanomed, afpop, clinicbooking.com, fadadodente.pt [s2] [s6] | 0.5/0.5 |
Medical Infrastructure
The range of publicly documented equipment and services. This measures documented availability, not clinical quality.
| ✓ | On-site X-ray oral radiology listed as a service [s1] | 2/2 |
| ✓ | CBCT (3D imaging) CBCT explicitly offered for diagnosis and implant planning [gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-8] | 2/2 |
| ✓ | Implantology [s1] [s2] | 2/2 |
| ✓ | Orthodontics Dr. Carina Brito is orthodontist on staff [s1] [s2] | 2/2 |
| ✓ | Oral surgery oral surgery listed; Dr. Bacalhau specializes in oral surgery [s1] [s2] | 2/2 |
| ✓ | Pediatric dentistry Dr. Cecília Miranda covers pediatric dentistry [s1] [s2] | 1.5/1.5 |
| ✓ | Emergency care WhatClinic listing documents emergency care; one review describes acceptance of an emergency appointment [s2] | 1.5/1.5 |
| ✓ | Works with international patients listed in afpop (expat association) directory with 10% member discount; staff speak English, Spanish, French [s4] | 2/2 |
Communication & Service
How easy it is to contact the clinic, get answers, and book - especially for international patients.
| ✓ | WhatsApp / LINE available WhatsApp +351 964 240 330 [s1] | 2/2 |
| ? | Response speed | 0/1.5 |
| ✓ | English spoken afpop listing states English, Spanish, French spoken [s4] | 2.5/2.5 |
| ? | Pre-visit consultation possible | 0/1.5 |
| ✓ | Clear service explanations [s1] | 1/1 |
| ✓ | Convenient opening hours Mon-Fri 09:00-19:30, Sat 09:00-16:00 [s1] | 1.5/1.5 |
AI & Search Visibility
Whether the clinic is discoverable when patients search - including via AI assistants. Checked with fixed queries: "best dentist Portugal", "English speaking dentist Portugal", "dental implants Portugal", "emergency dentist Portugal", "Portugal dental clinic for expats".
| ✗ | Mentioned for: best dentist Portugal not prominently surfaced in top results for the five canonical city queries [s7] | 0/1 |
| ✗ | Mentioned for: English speaking dentist Portugal [s7] | 0/1 |
| ✗ | Mentioned for: dental implants Portugal [s7] | 0/1 |
| ✗ | Mentioned for: emergency dentist Portugal [s7] | 0/1 |
| ✓ | Mentioned for: Portugal dental clinic for expats mentioned in at least one expat-focused Algarve dental result [s7] | 1/1 |
| ✓ | Structured data on website JSON-LD Dentist entity site-wide [gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-12] | 1.5/1.5 |
| ✓ | Google indexing quality clinic name returns clinic website and directory listings prominently [s7] | 2/2 |
| ✓ | Dedicated service pages Over two dozen individual treatment pages [gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-6] | 1.5/1.5 |
Licensing & Credentials
Whether the clinic publishes its operating licence and the dentists working there together with their professional licence numbers. A verified “not published” is recorded as a red flag; data we have not checked yet is shown as unverified and carries no penalty.
Clinic operating licence: not checked against public sources yet — unverified, no penalty
Dentists & professional licences
| Dentist | Specialization | Licence No. |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. Luis Bacalhau [s3] [gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-doclic] | Oral Surgery / Implantology | OMD 5103 |
| Dr. Carina Brito [s2] [gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-doclic] | Orthodontics | not verified |
| Dr. João Machado [s2] [gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-doclic] | Prosthodontics / Aesthetic Dentistry | not verified |
| Dr. Cecília Miranda [s2] [gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-doclic] | Pediatric Dentistry | not verified |
| Dr. Abílio Martins [s2] [gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-doclic] | Endodontics | not verified |
| Dr. Andreia Azinheira [s2] [gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-doclic] | Endodontics | not verified |
Dentists are named; their licence numbers have not been checked against public sources yet — unverified, no penalty.
Red Flags
No red flags identified in the public sources we reviewed.
Data We Could Not Verify
- Reputation & Reviews: No suspicious review patterns
- Reputation & Reviews: TripAdvisor presence
- Communication & Service: Response speed
- Communication & Service: Pre-visit consultation possible
Unverified items score 0 points but are not treated as negative findings. If you can document any of them, please send a correction.
Contact Information
| Website | https://www.gambelassmileclinic.com/pt/ |
|---|---|
| Phone | +351 289 805 505 |
| +351 964 240 330 | |
| https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063485442636 | |
| Google Maps | Map listing |
| Address | Rua Maria Cavaco Azevedo, 9, 8005-226 Faro, Portugal |
Contact details are provided for identification only and may change; verify with the clinic directly.
Sources
| ID | Source | What it supports | Accessed |
|---|---|---|---|
| s1 | https://www.gambelassmileclinic.com/pt/ | official website: address, phones, email, WhatsApp, hours Mon-Fri 09:00-19:30/Sat 09:00-16:00, service list, ERS registration E113926, licence 2330/2011, Facebook link | 2026-09-24 |
| s2 | https://www.whatclinic.com/dentists/portugal/faro/gambelas-smile-cl… | independent directory: team (Dr. Luis Bacalhau BDS Lisbon 2005 / implantology, Dr. Carina Brito orthodontist, Dr. João Machado, Dr. Cecília Miranda, Dr. Abílio Martins, Dr. Andreia Azinheira), services including emergency care, hours Mon-Thu 9:30-19:30/Fri 9:30-19:00/Sat 9:30-16:00, 1 verified review 3.5/5 dated 2021-08-03 | 2026-08-18 |
| s3 | https://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-bacalhau-24243414b/ | Dr. Luis Bacalhau: Clinical Director at Gambelas Smile Clinic, OMD registration 5103, Master in Oral Implantology University of Seville, 20+ years experience | 2026-08-18 |
| s4 | https://connect.afpop.com/gambelas-smile-clinic/ | afpop expat association directory listing: English/Spanish/French spoken, 10% discount for members, partnership with Hospital Particular do Algarve, address, phones, email | 2026-08-18 |
| s5 | https://docdental.pt/clinicas-dentais/faro/ | Google rating copy: Gambelas Smile Clinic 4.9/5 from 79 reviews | 2026-08-18 |
| s6 | https://qanomed.com/clinic/gambelas-smile-clinic | third-party platform: 4.8/5 from 42 reviews; staff rating 5.0, competence 5.0; services list; confirms address | 2026-08-18 |
| s7 | search:best dentist Faro / English speaking dentist Faro / dental implants Faro / emergency dentist Faro / Faro dental clinic for expats | AI/search visibility checks 2026-08-18: clinic appears in expats-focused results; not in top answers for best/English/implants/emergency queries | 2026-08-18 |
| gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-refresh | https://www.google.com/maps/place/Gambelas+Smile+Clinic/@37.0448185… | Google rating 4.9 (125 reviews) as of 2026-08-25, up from previously recorded 4.9 (79 reviews); address R. Maria Cavaco Azevedo 9, 8005-226 Faro | 2026-08-25 |
| gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-doclic | https://www.gambelassmileclinic.com/pt/equipa/ | Own-site "Equipa" (Team) page names this dentist (read 2026-09-10): image alt "Dr. Luís Bacalhau, Diretor Clínico" (Clinical Director) — spelled with the accent the card omits. | 2026-09-10 |
| gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen | https://www.gambelassmileclinic.com/pt/sobre-a-clinica | Photos show staff wearing scrubs embroidered "GSC" (Gambelas Smile Clinic) in a treatment room with dental equipment and a digital scan monitor visible | 2026-09-24 |
| gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-2 | https://www.gambelassmileclinic.com/pt/tratamentos/destartarizacao-… | Page describes scaling and sealants with no price figures | 2026-09-24 |
| gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-3 | https://www.gambelassmileclinic.com/sitemap.xml | Price check on 2026-09-24: all 33 pages in this sitemap read (25+ treatment pages in Portuguese and English, about, contacts); no euro amounts on any page; /pt/precos returns 404 | 2026-09-24 |
| gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-4 | https://www.gambelassmileclinic.com/pt/tratamentos/dentisteria-rest… | Page describes the restorative procedure (clinical exam, digital X-ray, local anaesthesia) with no price figures | 2026-09-24 |
| gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-5 | https://www.gambelassmileclinic.com/pt/tratamentos/coroas-ceramicas | Page describes the crown procedure (clinical evaluation, digital X-ray) with no price figures | 2026-09-24 |
| gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-6 | https://www.gambelassmileclinic.com/pt/tratamentos/implantologia | Sitemap lists 25+ separate /tratamentos/ URLs, each with substantive dedicated content (implantology, periodontology, endodontics, pediatric crowns, imaging, orthodontics, etc.) | 2026-09-24 |
| gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-7 | https://www.gambelassmileclinic.com/pt/tratamentos/consulta-precoce… | Page describes early/routine consultations with no fee figure | 2026-09-24 |
| gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-8 | https://www.gambelassmileclinic.com/pt/tratamentos/radiologia-oral-… | "Técnicas principais: panorâmica, 3D (CBCT) e telerradiografia"; also on the implantology page: "CBCT (Tomografia Computorizada 3D) Planeamento cirúrgico de máxima precisão" | 2026-09-24 |
| gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-9 | https://www.google.com/maps?cid=11534172775995809351&hl=en | Owner replies dated 2026-05-23 and 2026-03-31 to 1-star reviews | 2026-09-24 |
| gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-10 | https://www.gambelassmileclinic.com/pt/tratamentos/implantologia | Page describes CBCT-guided implant planning with no price figures | 2026-09-24 |
| gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-11 | https://www.gambelassmileclinic.com/pt/tratamentos/radiologia-oral-… | Page lists panoramic, CBCT and cephalometric imaging techniques with no price figures | 2026-09-24 |
| gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-12 | https://www.gambelassmileclinic.com/pt/ | Structured-data check of the site: JSON-LD on 40/40 pages, type Dentist | 2026-09-24 |
| gambelas-smile-clinic-faro-deepen-13 | https://www.google.com/maps?cid=11534172775995809351&hl=en | Google listing 2026-09-24: 4.9 from 127 reviews (was 125) | 2026-09-24 |
Change History
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 2026-09-24 | Re-read on 2026-09-24: the clinic's imaging, implantology, crowns, restorative, hygiene, consultation and contact pages, its about page, and its Google listing. Recorded: genuine branded staff photos in a real treatment room; CBCT for diagnosis and implant planning; over two dozen distinct, substantive treatment pages; structured business data present. No prices published for cleaning, fillings, crowns, implants, consultation or X-ray on any checked page. Google rating steady at 4.9, now from 127 reviews, with recent owner replies to critical reviews and no clear signs of manipulated reviews. Still unverified: TripAdvisor presence, online pre-consultation with a treatment estimate. |
| 2026-09-10 | Name-verification pass 2026-09-10: all 6 previously no-match dentists confirmed via the clinic's own "Equipa" page (https://www.gambelassmileclinic.com/pt/equipa/), a URL not fetched in the original check (only /pt/ was fetched). Source added per doctor; license values left exactly as on record. |
| 2026-09-10 | Name-verification write-back 2026-09-10: 6 dentists confirmed on the clinic's own roster page https://www.gambelassmileclinic.com/pt/equipa/; sources added. |
| 2026-08-25 | Re-verification 2026-08-25: confirmed website live, address/phone unchanged, open on Google Maps; Google review count updated to 125, up from 79 (rating steady at 4.9); recorded geo coordinates. |
| 2026-08-25 | Recorded sedation / general anaesthesia availability (informational): not documented in public sources. Offers "Sedação Consciente" (conscious sedation) as a listed service. |
| 2026-08-18 | Imported from the city-tier dataset. |
A question or a correction?
Have a question, a suggestion, or a correction to this page? Get in touch — we read every message. Verified data corrections are reviewed against sources and applied with a public change-history entry.