Thomas J Olinger, DDS

I left a positive review sometime ago but find that I’m having to rescind it.
I had a bridge (both 27+ yrs. old) that did crack but was manageable. Dr. Olinger suggested I have an implant (actually two) and directed his staff to check with my insurance. They were given a verbal approval so we proceeded with the process. When the billing was submitted, the insurance company denied payment. Through almost a year of fighting with them, my husband ended up having to seek possible litigation to have the matter resolved. It was finally approved because a verbal was given but not a written approval. The implants were finally completed.
I was happy with them until recently when I started having jaw pain on the left and crown pain (#29) next to the implant (30). Dr. Olinger has recently sold his practice to another dentist and his new staff worked hard to give me relief. When I asked about the jaw pain I was told that I probably needed another mouth guard for TMJ.
Now we’re a combined family and the ex Mrs. P goes to the same practice as well as the adult children. I thought nothing of this arrangement as I was the newcomer, but I DO have issues when the staff tells me that «%^$#» missed their appt. or «*(&^%$ was just in here». Really! They’re adults… none of my business!
I had a follow up visit with Dr. Olinger to check the crown. I told him my concerns and he stepped away from my chair and yelled to the staff, «???, can you get me «*%$#!» x-​rays? The ex’s name… Are you kidding me? When I called him on it, he apologized profusely and said «it was a habit». I’ve been going there since 2010 and you would think he would have gotten it by now!
I sought referrals from friends for a new dentist and had my first appointment this morning with a great practice. They called Dr. Olinger’s office for my dental records and any x-​rays that they could provide. I was told that I hadn’t had a full mouth x-​ray since 2010! Dr. Olinger’s practice had only concentrated on the money makers… the implants! The x-​rays were performed and it was discovered that the crown Dr. Olinger had said «looked good» is actually cracked and needs fixed. The TMJ? The molar (15) next to the new implant (14) is decayed and quite possibly can’t be fixed.
I run the risk of losing several teeth due to neglect on Dr. Olingers part and possibly having them replaced with implants that my insurance doesn’t cover. They didn’t in the first place!!!
Sharing ANY information about someone else (family or not!) is a direct HIPAA violation. I believe that being Dr. Olingers patient since 2010 with all the issues, shows I’m a patient and forgiving consumer. There just comes a time when you say enough is enough. I’m done.

So far so good.
I went yesterday for the first time. As a cash paying client, I like to get what I pay for and I expect the best when it comes to my health.
everyone in this office is extremely nice and helpful. They talk to you about finances before they do anything and they have a really good «first time» price. I have to go back to get a filling so I’ll do another update on that.
Definitely recommend this place!

Why I like Dr. O: You can trust him. He isn’t the kind of dentist who will tell you that you need tons of work done that you really don’t need (which would be unethical).
He is ethical, efficient and honest. He is also definitely quirky, but I like that. Smooth talking is not what I look for in a dentist.

everyone is friendly here. I was here because my work sent me to this office. What I didn’t know was he is friends with my personal dentist. My work appointment paid for this trip and he found some problems. What I did like was that he needed to send all results to my work but he also went the extra step and contacted my personal dentist so they could set up an appointment to fix my teeth. I’m a fan great place for sure.

Grateful for Dr. Olinger’s Office! Many thanks to this dentist and his lovely staff: D I went in after having a horrific experience at Dream Smile in Pacific Beach and was so relieved to be greeted & treated very warmly at Dr. Olinger’s office. They took me in as a same day appointment because my permanent crown had fallen off (the PB dentist’s work…).
Good staff! The receptionist was welcoming and I spent no time waiting in their nice, clean lobby. Rachel, the dental assistant/(hygienist?), was very sweet and made me feel calm and relaxed (key for people like me who are on edge at the dentists!)
Fast and painless :) The Dr. was in immediately and was very gentle with me. He studied my crown to see if it was going to work or if I needed a new one. Dr. Olinger decided it was a suitable crown and did not just have me buy a new one just so that he could make a buck. (Big Points for HONESTY and ETHICS!) After taking the time to adjust it and fit it CORRECTLY into my mouth he re-​cemented it into a much more comfortable position. I had forgotten it was there by the time I got home. Rachel cleaned me up gently and quickly.
GREAT COMMUNICATION! Not only did they do all the right things, but they talked me through it all. I want to be informed on exactly what is happening with my body and they explained everything politely, clearly and directly.
Easy to find and good parking too!

Dr Olinger is great along with the rest of his staff! The office is simple but clean and all the staff Takes great care of you. Have not had any major dental work done here but would feel very comfortable if I did.

My wife & I had been seeing the same dentist for 13 years. Unfortunately, we both had a need for an emergency dental visit in the same week – and our regular dentist was out of the country. Based on Unilocal reviews, we tried Dr Olinger and boy, are we glad. Not only is the Dr friendly and informative, but his entire staff is just amazing. Better than that, they have gas available! We thought it just wasn’t being done in California. He also does dental implants himself. To make a long story short – we’ve both transferred to Dr Olinger. Highly recommended

As a child I had a really bad experience with our family dentist. As I got older I had to have gas to get my teeth cleaned because of the deep seeded fear that I still had.
Dr Olinger and Nia were the first Dentist and Assistant that made me get over my fear of the dentist. I even had a root canal done without the gas.
I was so comfortable that during the procedure a song came on that I liked and I actually caught myself humming the tune. That’s comfort!
You won’t find another dentist anywhere that gives you that type of ease. Nia assisted him and made me feel like I was one of the family, not a patient. Everyone should take lessons from this awesome dental group!

Seriously great dentist! You need only to look around to see the multitude of awards and commendations lining the walls (the American and California dental associations, better business bureau, US Navy, SDSU, etc.) to know that this guy really knows his stuff and enjoys giving back to the community and the profession. The office is always clean and well appointed. I’ve been going here since I was a kid and have never had a toothache. Every cavity was fixed before it even hurt. Just a heads up… he is a cosmetic dentist, meaning he is going to recommend the procedures that will make your teeth look their very best. Just because teeth whitening is recommended doesn’t mean your teeth are ugly. If you want a more conservative approach to your dental care, as I do, just let him know up front and he is happy to oblige. AND the great location means you can walk to La Mesa village for a quick bite after your appointment, if you’re not too numb. :)

I was referred to Dr. Olinger from a friend who worked there. I have to honestly say that he is the BEST dentist I have ever been to. He and his team are very friendly and treat you with respect. I have literally had painful experiences with my previous dentist and I found out by Dr. Olinger that the work on my teeth was not done properly. We are in the process of correcting those areas and getting me back to smiling from ear to ear knowing my teeth are healthy… I am now pain and worry free anytime I have an appt with Dr. Olinger. I recommend him to ANYONE who is looking for a really good dentist. his assistant Rachel is also exceptional. She is very knowledgeable, friendly, and professional. I don’t have to be scared of the dentist anymore thanks to Dr. Olinger and his wonderful team. just a side note from me. Prevent gum loss, just FLOSS!!! :)

I have been a patient of Dr. Olinger’s for 3 years now and all I can say is wow. I hate shots in my mouth and i don’t even have to worry about it when I go there because it does not even hurt one bit. His hygienists are great and informative. I especially like the young cute blonde… she cleaned my teeth better than I have ever had then cleaned before. Also she educated me on the correct way to floss and maintain me teeth and mouth. I would gladly recommend Dr Olinger and his staff for any of my family and friends.

Every time i come here the staff is sooo friendly, the place is very clean, and they always fit you in asap. Dr. olinger makes you feel so comfortable and he is always joking around. He fixed my boyfriends teeth and made them look soo amazing! They were all chipped in the front and he finished in ONE hour! I recommend this place to anybody i wouldn’t choose any other dentist. :)

I gotta tell you, it’s really nice to see a dentist that will talk straight with you, not treat you like a child or be condescending to you.
I went in for my (cough) 3 year exam and cleaning. I was super impressed with the technology they had at this office. I’m not talking about TV’s on the ceilings or anything like that. I’m talking about the laser cleanings and computer monitors right in front of each chair. You can look at your X-​rays along with the dentist and have things explained to you. I felt a real sense of comfort and that my business was appreciated.
On a side note: I think it might be a requirement to have really pretty eyes to work at this office.

I’ve been very happy with this dentist. The staff is extremely friendly, and Dr. Olinger was very helpful. He’s the first dentist that was able to calm me down enough to get my wisdom teeth out (all four in one day, and it was so much easier than I expected) and also to get an implant to replace a tooth that needed to be removed (also much simpler than I expected). I always felt confident that he had the experience to do these procedures correctly — or else I probably would never have done them. I cant recommend Dr Olinger and his staff enough.
I recently moved to San Francisco, but am commuting back to San Diego to get the rest of the implant procedure complete. I cant imagine having anyone else finish it for me.

Dr. Olinger is a good dentist overall. He and his staff are professional and I went to him for several years, but I had several specific issues that have made me decide not to use him anymore.
First and foremost, he is super expensive and my insurance usually would not pay the entire bill because they called his work «excessively expensive», so I had a lot of out of pocket cost with him.
Second, I have a small chip in my front tooth. Every time I went in, he would harp on my constantly about fixing it. He wanted to do a super expensive procedure that involved veneers on that tooth and the teeth on either side of it. When I asked about a simple white filling, he insisted that it had to be the expensive veneer. Since the chip is small, I am not self-​conscious about it, and it seemed to drive him crazy that I was uninterested in spending a zillion dollars to fix it. He also suggested a ton of other not needed cosmetic stuff (all at high prices) and was kind of pushy about it. He also was pushy about doing stuff NOW that was really not going to be needed until «someday in the future».
Third, my bottom retainer was bothering me so I brought it into him to check it. He said the retainer didn’t fit right, cut it in half and threw it out. When I asked him to make me another one, he said he didn’t do such a thing. What??? He told me to go back to my ortho (impossible). I called several orthos who all refused to make me a retainer since I didn’t get my braces from them. I called Dr. Olinger and said I needed a retainer since he destroyed mine and he relented and said he’d make me one. Long story short, it didn’t fit and now my teeth are back to the way they were before braces.
The straw that broke the camel’s back was when I got a crown on top. After the whole debacle with the retainer that I had gone through with him earlier, he fit the crown without considering the retainer. I forgot to mention it before he started, and then when I remembered, I kept trying to talk to him as the equipment was in my mouth, but he wouldn’t stop working to let me talk. Then, when it was done, he got mad at me for not telling him I wore retainers — as if he didn’t know!!! Then there was a billing debacle where my insurance company wouldn’t pay it and he wound up charging me significantly more than he would have charged the insurance company, which pissed me off to no end.
UPDATE: I had to have the crown replaced only a couple years later because my retainer cracked it. Had he sized the crown around my retainer, as he should have, the crown would probably have lasted many years.

Recommended by a Dentist who is friends with Dr. Olinger. He is a true professional. Dr. Olinger never spoke of the need for costly cosmetic procedures but then I don’t really need any. The staff was polite and helpful. The hygienist was friendly and gave helpful information, she even recognized the perfume I was wearing. The office and building was state of the art and comfortable.

Out to get your money! I went in after reading your reviews, hoping to have a good dentist who was not out to get my money. Boy was that a mistake. From the minute I sat in the chair all this guy talked about is cosmetics! He suggested all of the more expensive materials. Insulted me over and over about the way my teeth looked. Mind you I have very straight, white teeth. He was just trying to dig for things to get money for. He talks to the assistant about all the negative things about your teeth like you arent even there! He was not tactful at all! I have taken my work elsewhere.

I’ve been seeing Cassandra Wilson, a dental hygienist here for several years. She was a friend of a friend who I knew, but didn’t know she was into dentistry. She was looking for patients while in Dental Hygene school. She turned out to be really good at what she does, and has worked at Dr. Olinger’s office for a year or two now, and every cleaning with her is perfect. She’s very nice, careful with her tools, and just makes going to the dentist for a cleaning as great as it could be. I can’t say enough good things about her. Also, the front desk /​insurance guy is very cool and knowledgable about all insurance types and gets answers for you right then while you wait. Dr. Olinger is no nonsense and does many things himself (Orthodontics, dentistry, etc). When I needed a gingival tissue graft he said «This is the only thing I don’t do, and I trust Dr. Berkstein to do this for you». I went to Dr. B and he did amazing work. Stop neglecting your teeth and go get a cleaning from Cassandra!