I can't believe I'm about to write this review. Wow. Where to begin?
My mother began going to Dr. Israel Salin back in the mid-90s, and our entire family started going to see Dr. Salin soon after. I always liked Dr. Israel Salin. It's important to note that terrible teeth run on both sides of the family; however, I'm pretty sure my dad's teeth are wayyyyy worse than my mom's.
Back while I was in high school I had to have my FIRST root canal. I was scared, and it was even scarier because while I was in the chair, there was an earthquake! By this point Salin Dentistry had moved from downtown Bakersfield to its current location. I remember sitting in the chair and watching the blinds move and all of the equipment sway back and forth. The next thing I knew, my mom came and got me, and the entire office evacuated the building--mid root canal. Still, Dr. Israel Salin was calm and ended up getting the job done. That tooth is still fine to this day.
As much as I flossed and brushed, I ended up needing several (YES, SEVERAL) more root canals! All of these teeth were worked on by Dr. Israel Salin. By the time I entered my second year of college, I was already on a PAYMENT plan for all of my dental work. UGH. That's one good thing about Salin Dentistry. They will find out some kind of way to make sure you pay them back (ha!).
So, where am I going with all of this? Dr. Dimitri Salin joined the practice. My mom would always complain that when he touched her teeth, he always seemed to offer more expensive remedies than the elder Salin, and then her teeth were always hurting months afterward. I got my first experience with Dr. D. while I was in college. He recommended a dental implant. I straight up asked to see Dr. Israel Salin STAT, and he sighed and said, "Oh, Chandra. Well, I can try and save it. I can't promise you anything." He saved the tooth. No implant needed. Tooth still fine.
Wellllllll, a couple of years later I had major tooth pain, and I ended up seeing Dr. D. Of course he recommended an implant. At this point I was engaged to be married, and he promised me I'd have my implant before my September 2012 nuptials.
The whole process seemed okay. My tooth was yanked. I was a snaggle. I paid up every month. By then I had moved to the Bay Area. A month before my wedding a tooth Dr. D. had worked on previously had the crown fall off. I had no choice but to see a dentist in the Bay Area, and I will never forget his face when he looked in my mouth. He said, "Who is your regular dentist?" When I said, "I'm actually from Delano, but my dentist is from Bakersfield." He looked at me and said, "Yeahhh. That makes sense." He ended up fixing the tooth Dr. D messed up, and while he looked in my mouth at my work in progress implant he told me, "By the way, I hate to say it, but I can guarantee you that the implant that doctor started will not last. The post is an odd one, and I'm not sure why he didn't use a screw on post. It's also oddly placed. I hate to tell you this, but mark my words. You'll be getting that implant done within three years." I freaked out. I basically had a ticking time bomb in my mouth.
Yes, I ended up being a snaggle tooth for my wedding. Thank GOD the tooth was near the back. I didn't get the implant until AFTER the wedding, and I had to commute from the Bay to Bakersfield each time. (Side bar: You KNOW a dentist is making money when they are closed on Friday AND Saturday and close up shop early on Thursday. I had to take multiple DAYS off work to make the trip to Bakersfield to get work done on this stupid tooth. You won't get any sympathy from Dr. D. about commuting because he commutes from Antelope Valley.)
FAST FORWARD THREE YEARS LATER!!!!!!!!
JUST LIKE THE DENTIST IN SAN JOSE PREDICTED, MY DENTAL IMPLANT'S CROWN FELL OFF OF THE POST IN AUGUST OF 2015!!!!!!!!! I went to multiple dentists in the Bay Area and they all shook their heads and said they could not believe that a doctor secured the implant the way he did. SO YES. I PAID OVER THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A SHODDY IMPLANT INSERTED BY DOCTOR DIMTRI SALIN ONLY TO BE LAUGHED AT BY MULTIPLE DENTISTS IN AND AROUND THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA.
Thankfully, I ended up finding an absolute gem here in Redwood City. He corrected Dr. Dimitri Salin's mistake, and now I have an amazing implant that doesn't give me pain and doesn't get ANY food lodged in it every time I take a bite of my meal.
It pains me to leave anything less than four stars for Salin Dentistry because Dr. Israel Salin is a true gem. Valerie, Sandra, and several other ladies that have been there for years are always prompt, courteous, and helpful. However, after going to a tried and true 21st century dentist, I'm just happy to report that I no longer have to worry about my Bakersfield teef. read more
