Scripps Center for Dental Care

You won’t find a more professional, well-​trained staff in all of S.D. Sherry, the patient coordinator, is excellent at the front desk. Dr. Nick, a fairly new addition to the staff, is young, energetic, and perfect for your young adults just breaking away from their pediatric dentists. Dr. Westin is amazing, and wins all the awards for his cosmetic expertise in the dental world.
Our family has been seeing him for 15 years.
Two things to note: You get what you pay for: It is expensive. Very convenient, state-​of-​the-​art equipment, highly trained doctors, well taken care of staff, expensive rent– all add up.
And lastly; if you don’t know the parking drama that is Scripps La Jolla, make sure you plan an extra 15 minutes to a half hour to get through the maze and parking machine. And then do your self a favor, skip the giant line to pay at the machine, and just pay with a credit card on your way out!

I highly recommend scheduling an appointment with these guys! The doctors and staff have taken exceptional care of my dental needs and have years of clinical experience that make me feel confident that I am in good hands. Every time I step foot in the office, I am greeted by friendly faces and kind hearts. It creates a very personal experience that makes you want to be there. If I could give this place 10 stars, I would!

Dr. Nick and the entire staff at the clinic are amazing. I will never see another dentist. Further, if I ever live anywhere else, I will fly in for any needed dental work. I had a rather complicated case, Dr. Nick was very re-​assuring that he would be able to fix the work that had been provided by another dentist. He in fact did exactly as he side. His bed-​side manner is amazing.
He is always aware of your comfort level and will quickly remedy any pain you may have. I truly cannot speak more highly of this practice.
BTW; Dr. Nick is very young but do not let that fool you… it is as though he has been practicing this art/​science for decades. He will not let you down. He will give you a beautiful smile!

I really love coming here for my braces. I feel very secure whenever I come in. The front desk ladies are always so nice and cheerful and make me feel so great every time. I love their customer service. :) and they always remember my name which I love!
Friends will tell me that braces take 50% longer than suggested… But everyone here says that they are normally great on time. I have about three or four more months until my teeth can be squeaky smooth. :) the prices are pretty high. But they do an amazing job!
My mother also came here to get veneers. The whole top row too! And they look amazing! She looks a lot younger. For the consultation, they show the veneers with computer images: what your teeth will look like and how everything will change before you decide.
Definitely top notch technology used. :) I’m proud to be a patient here.
They also don’t try to rush you to pay or up charge. So that makes me feel like I trust them so much more.

When in La Jolla on vacation this summer, my 13 year old ran out of bands for her braces! Our orthodontist in Scottsdale, AZ had just explained how critical it was to wear the bands so we HAD to find bracket bands somewhere.
We googled Orthodontics/​Dental care and luckily found Scripps Center for Dental Care. Sherry, the patient coordinator, kindly worked with us over the phone and explained they could help us out. We drove from our hotel to The office and were able to get the elusive, braces rubber bands at no charge!
The excellent customer service to non– patients was refreshing and honestly unexpected. Thank you Scripps Center for Dental Care!

I have not been to the dentist in years! Its not that I was without health care I just do not like going there. It scares me. I had a great visit with Dr. Nick and his team. They were comforting and reassuring. Can’t say I’m excited about going back, but I know I have to so I will!
Lori

So five years after my initial review I’m just here to reaffirm my praise for this outfit. I’ve had nothing but great care, respect and professionalism. The very first time I went, they asked very matter-​of-​factly if I’d be interested in any cosmetic stuff down the road and I said no. They have never once pushed it again in all this time and based on what I hear from friends who go to other places, upselling is common out there. They are constantly introducing new technologies and clearly stay up to date. The one negative Unilocal review they have about insurance is worth noting — when I started going, only one of their dentists could bill my insurance directly, but with the others I’d need to pay and then file a claim myself. So just make sure you have the exact details of what insurance you have so the office staff can set you up with the right person.

Ditto all the reviews below. I really hate going to the dentist, but when you have to go to one. come here! All paranoia goes away at the skill of entire staff.

I have had so many experiences with incompetent dentists in the past and used to dread going to the dentist. NOT Anymore! I actually enjoy going to this dental practice! Dr. Nick is the most patient, gentle, and skilled dentist I have ever been to. Truly the best! From the moment you walk in the door, the front desk staff are incredibly personable and professional. The dental hygienists are amazing too. I drive over an hour just to go to this dental practice and it is definitely worth it! I highly recommend it!

I’ve been a patient for 10 years at this wonderful practice. Always has my experience been positive and indeed, pleasant! From implants to veneers to crown replacement to just good dental hygiene (Penny M, Hygienist Extraordinaire, sets the bar high and is always ready with a scrape and a smile…), its all here. And for people who «hate» going to the dentist — prepare to change your mind.
Dr. John Weston (and Dr. Nick Marongiu) run this place like a true customer service organization — morning meetings review the patients due in for the day, the front desk staff is always friendly and on top of things, billing and payment terms are up front and never hidden… and he has every dental specialty you might need available through his practice — one stop shopping! If there is a new and improved piece of dental equipment, this place has it first and probably participated in the clinical study to validate it!
Do yourself a favor — make this your practice of choice. You have nothing to lose except dental pain, plaque, gingivitis and bad crown work. You have everything to gain.
And remember to floss, every day…

Dr Nick is one of the finest dentists I’ve ever met. And I have had many, mostly at the Harvard Dental School in Boston.
Dr Nick is by far the best. He is adorable, patient, and kind and his work is consistently superb.
I can highly recommend Dr. Nick Marongui for any dental procedure. The staff at Scripps Center for Dental Care is superb, from the front desk to the hygienists to the accounts manager… all very professional and friendly.

I don’t have dental insurance, so I don’t know about the other complaints. I busted my front teeth in a biking accident. Dr. Weston popped them into place and saved them. I then got veneers which look awesome. He is a top notch dentist and the price is worth it.

Love this office! Everyone is so nice and welcoming and friendly.
Anne is my dental hygienist and is awesome. Dr Westin is my dentist and is by far the best dentist I have been to. He is one of 50 dentists worldwide to have earned a special credential through the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, so if you are thinking of doing any sort of cosmetic dentistry you might as well go to the best right? His work is awesome.
Seriously, I actually enjoy my visits, it almost feels like a spa treatment. There are times I’ve almost fallen asleep in the chair. Anyone who is afraid of the dentist or the sound of the drill should go here, it is just a soothing, peaceful place.
Note: you don’t have a private room… in my past I’ve always had private rooms at the dentist office, but honestly it doesn’t bother me in the least.

Is this a dentist office or a spa?
I’m used to going to weird-​smelling mom and pop dental practices where equipment and materials are thrown about and your dentist is rushing between you and another patient in another room.
Scripps Center for Dental Care is so calming. The receptionists always address you with a soothing pleasant voice and there’s a saltwater aquarium bubbling in the background. I’ve never waited more than 5 minutes every time I’ve come here.
The downside is, you have to pay for parking but the office will validate so you only end up paying $ 2.
I came in recently for a teeth cleaning. Both with my initial exam and the teeth cleening, I was amazed at how gentle everyone is. I’m used to the iron maiden, medieval practice of dentistry where they use brute force to chip away your plaque and scrape, scrape, scrape until you’re crying in the chair.
My dental hygenist Anne first asked me to rinse with a disinfectant rinse for 30 seconds. She then reclined me and had we wear light blocking sunglasses so the glare of the light wouldn’t blind me. After a super gentle examination of my teeth, she asked about my brushing and flossing habits and gave me advice on how to better use my sonic care toothbrush. Then she got down to the cleaning. She used a regular dental scraping tool for my outer teeth but was incredibly gentlye always being careful to steer clear of my gums. To get at the more plaque encrusted inner teeth, she had an ultrasonic cleaning tool at her disposal. For people with a major aversion to pain this tool is a godsend. It does the deep cleaning of a scraper without the heavy brute force that often results in poor, injured bleeding gums. It made a mild buzzing sound but the key thing here is — no pain to the gums.
After the thorough cleaning, Anne asked about my flossing near my implant tooth, pointing out that when she flossed it herself my gums bled (indicating I’m not too good about flossing there). She then measured my gums, identifying areas of recession. She also had tips on minimizing gum recession.
All in all, we spent an hour together. It was virtually painless and ended up being incredibly informative. Based upon the condition of my teeth, Anne decided that I should come back in 6 months for another cleaning. She also suggested that I bring in my toothbrush and show her how I hold it so she could give me tips on using it better.
If your dental insurance covers this place, I would definitely pick it for all your dental needs. Their mantra is – be gentle with the patient — so refreshing compared to my normal medieval pain and suffering experience at the dentist.

Usually I don’t like to only give a review of a couple sentences, but in regards to SCFDC: I used to hate the dentist more than anything in the world that wasn’t a sore throat. Now that I have found SCFDC, I enjoy my trips to the dentist. I really don’t think one can give higher praise.

So I had the BriteSmile teeth whitening procedure done here — (I paid $ 299 at Costco for the service). After you buy the card, you have to go online or call the 800 number to find a participating dentist (that specifically accepts the Costco card — not all BriteSmile dentists do). Anyway, I found Scripps Center for Dental Care on-​line, called and scheduled the appointment. Then I had to call BriteSmile to confirm the appointment, authorize the payment to the dentist (scratch off Costco card to give them the secret number), then listen to a couple minutes of disclaimers, etc.
That out of the way, the following week I went to my appointment (receptionist gave great directions by the way) — parked in the garage ($ 4 parking, dentist covers $ 2 of this), found the office, checked in 25 minutes before my appointment, filled out the usual paperwork and waited to be called back.
About 15 minutes after my appointment time, the technician (I don’t know exactly what her title was) called me back and situated me into the typical dentist chair and spent a couple of minutes covering the details of the procedure. She offered me 400mg of ibuprofen prior to the procedure to reduce sensitivity.
I chose three CDs to play (the portable CD player was ancient and the earphones a little worn, but the music selection was voluminous and diverse).
Next she placed this, I’ll call, lip spreader to show your teeth. Took a couple of «before» pictures, then inserted all sorts of devices into my mouth, one of which you have to bite on for more than 60 minutes straight. At first I didn’t think I’d be able to keep biting that long, but it became easier with time.
Then she applied the some material to my gum lines to prevent the peroxide gel from irritating my gums (this was hardened with that yellow light dentists use when the use bonding material on a broken tooth) — this took about 5 – 10 minutes (seemed longer).
Next was the prewhitening liquid, quick, painless.
The she applied the peroxide gel, and then 20 minutes of blue light (and an old Beatles CD with — ugh — commentary from the group). This seemed like an eternity. Timer went off, she came back, made sure everything was cool (and it was, no pain).
Round 2 — I had some sensitivity in an upper left tooth which was like a 2 out of 10 in pain — nothing terrible. 20 more minutes, this time it was James Taylor crooning for me. This round seemed to go faster.
Round 3 — she applied some more gum protector and more of the prewhitening fluid (which said helps reduce sensitivity). 20 more minutes (this time with Rod Stewart) — and this was painless.
After all the gear was removed from my mouth, I rinsed and looked in the mirror and overall I was impressed — substantial whitening overall. I had two porcelain veneers which are not changed by this process, but were whiter than my teeth naturally in advance of the fact that I would have whitening at some point.
More pictures, postop instructions (drink or eat nothing that would stain a white shirt for 24 hours, and expect some «zingers» — or sensitivity, take more ibuprofen if needed).
Indeed, on the way home and into the evening I experienced some very brief but powerful zingers (mainly with breathing in through my mouth or a cool liquid). Sensitivity persisted through the next day, but no more zingers. Day 2, everything back to normal.
Oh yes, they did try to sell me some touch up gel, but I declined since the BriteSmile website this whitening will last for years. I’m a little skeptical about that claim.
Reasons this place didn’t get 5 stars: 15 minutes late for my appointment, old music equipment (no TV watching option like pictured in the ad), didn’t give me before/​after pictures (also indicated I would receive), never saw a dentist (guess that wasn’t really needed, but a quick hello would’ve been nice).
Also, the BriteSmile process is a little like minor torture (mainly the hardware they put in your mouth and duration of time it has to stay there).
Overall, good result, pain wasn’t bad, technician was nice enough and guided me through the process. Not sure this is for everyone, though. A mild sedative might make this a better experience.
And we’ll see how long it lasts — if my choppers are still pretty white after a year, it’ll have been worth it.

These are the nicest dentists I’ve ever been to! I am in my early 20s and hadn’t been to a dentist since I was about 13, and was only forced to this time because I broke a tooth and needed a root canal. They were really great about easing my fears with the procedure and were not at all condescending about how long it had been since I’d seen a dentist (the dental tech said, «Don’t worry, there are people that have gone a LOT longer!»). I will never go anywhere else for dental work!