Optima Dental

Wow just wow. I had an extraction, root canal, crown build up, infected… etc. Not sure how he did it but I didn’t feel any shots and he didn’t put that painful metal thing iny mouth to hold it open. He made sure i felt comfortable and the other staff was great with my questions and unrealistic fear and anxiety. I’m glad i found him and now can get everything done that i have pushed off for years.

A tale of two crowns… and some fillings… and veneers, told by a dentalphobe.
I’ll start by saying that I have a crazy dental phobia. Not just that I don’t like the dentist, but I actually feel like I’m going to hyperventilate if I need to get a filling. I’m 35 years old and still feel myself start to cry a bit when the dentist whips out a drill. I went to a place called Sleep Dentistry over two years ago and thought I’d be «asleep» as I had some fillings done. Well, I’ll save that story for another review, but, let’s just say it took me that two years to work up the courage to go to the dentist again.
So fast forward to now, I really needed to see a dentist. I wasn’t having any pain but I hadn’t even had a cleaning and I was pretty sure that there was something wrong with the fillings that had been done by the previous dentist. I’d also been unhappy with my teeth for years. I had a lot of discoloration from a high fever as a baby and I wanted to get veneers, the only option I had to cover it up, but I could never manage to get the courage to do it. But, my New Year’s Resolution (don’t laugh) was that this would be the year of «me» and that I would really work on things in my life that I wasn’t happy with: habits, my job, and of course — my teeth. So I bit the bullet and searched out another sedation dentistry place.
The thing that lured me to Optima Dental is that they have legitimate sedation ability through administering an IV. At previous dentists, I had just been given a pill, which made me loopy enough to show up with mismatched clothes and not really sure if I had brushed my hair, but it didn’t do anything to help me get through the appointment. So with IV sedation in mind, I scheduled some time with them.
First observation of the office is that it was clean and modern, both of which I like to associate a dentist with being. I had a cleaning, x-​rays, and an exam and the hygienist was great — gentle, nonjudgmental, and didn’t lecture me on flossing better. She just pointed out areas to focus more on. Also, I didn’t like the tool that they use to remove tartar, so she did it manually, which took more time but she seemed happy to accommodate me.
The exam revealed what I was afraid of: I had a few cavities and the previous fillings between my back molars were done poorly and needed to be redone. Since the fillings were quite large, the integrity of the teeth was compromised and Dr. Saleh recommended two crowns. I felt a little faint. Dr. Saleh explained how the IV sedation worked, that I would pretty much be out of it and «wake up» when it was all over. I thought, what the hell, if that’s the case, let’s talk veneers, too.
Of course, this is some expensive work being done here, and I wanted to make sure that I was paying a fair price. After calling around to some other places, and also talking to my insurance company about what they considered reasonable and customary, I found that while the two crowns were each about $ 100 more than some other places, each veneer (I was getting 6), were each about $ 100 cheaper. Plus, I was really getting a deal on the IV sedation (that isn’t cheap either!), and Dr. Saleh said he’d throw in the whitening for the other teeth to match my veneers. Done deal.
So, my husband drove me in for the fillings, prep work and to get the temps put on for the crowns and veneers, which was estimated to be about five hours! Even with the Xanax that was prescribed, I was only a heartbeat away from running out. But then they wheeled this woman out in a wheelchair who was clearly out of it, and I had a glimmer of hope that’s what I had signed up for. When I got in the dental chair, they gave me nitrous and inserted the IV. Dr. Saleh told me the hard part was over. Yeah right, I thought. But that’s literally the last thing I remember. I don’t even remember being driven home. Best dental appointment ever.
I had another appointment with the tech that would make the veneers. Super cool guy, but this was where I felt like things could have gone a little differently. I wished I had done the whitening first, so it would have been easier to select a color. Also, although there were little sample teeth of different colors, it would have been nice to have pictures as well. But the tech helped me make a selection that still looked natural.
Getting the permanents was the hardest part. The teeth are still sensitive and it was painful. I had taken Xanax again and was given nitrous, so I was a little out of it. I may have bit somebody’s finger. But once they were on, I was really happy with them. I had one more appointment for a final adjustment, and took impressions for a whitening tray for my bottom teeth that I’ll pick up in two weeks.
I’m incredibly happy with the way my teeth look now. I know that without Dr. Saleh, I would never have been able to do it. He also has an office in downtown Portland, which is where I’ll see him next time, because it’s closer to my new job :)

I have seen this dentist once, I just don’t get a good feeling.

I recently moved to the area and found Dr. Rima on ZocDoc. Impressed by the reviews I saw, I decided to give her office a chance. I was immediately impressed by the cleanliness of the office, the welcoming attitude of all staff, and the services provided from Dr. Rima. The dental hygienist was great and went into detail with my check up. Dr. Rima herself was welcoming and very easy to speak with. Made the entire experience wonderful! I know there are many offices out there but Dr. Rima and her staff must be at the top of your list!

Beautiful office. Very inviting atmosphere. Friendly staff. The drs are truly artists of their trade.