Conejo-Simi Endodontics

I am a huge dental phobic but Dr. Bollinger made me feel super comfortable and pain-​free! He gave me triazolam 1.5 hours prior to the procedure. I remember bits and pieces of the root canal retreatment. It felt like 10 minutes in the chair when I was actually there 2 hours! I was in intense pain prior to the root canal but I feel 100% better now! He is a friendly, kind and gentle dentist. The staff was helpful, as well. I was panicky all week before the treatment but now I won’t dread a root canal.

Dr. Michael Cobin is an outstanding Endodontist! My dentist informed me that I required a root canal just days prior to a three week trip to Europe. I was referred to Dr. Cobin. Dr. Cobin’s staff were able to fit me with little notice for the root canal. Thanks to Dr. Cobin, I had minimal discomfort during the procedure, with immediate relief from my intense tooth nerve pain. My trip to Europe went off without a hitch. I am great-​full to Dr. Cobin for seeing me promptly and for his expert care. He was a savior.
Rick D.

With a cavity sitting under an existing crown, my dentist told me I needed a root canal before she could get at the decay and re-​crown that tooth. I was making plans to fly from Southern California to San Francisco for the procedure. The Endodontist (Dr. Dustin Wirig in the Marina) who did my last root canal was exceptional. It was the BEST dental experience I have ever had — until recently. My work schedule got crazy busy and my pain got to a constant 8+, so I went to where my dentist recommended here locally — and I am SO glad I did.
It has been 4 days since Dr. Cobin did my 3-​roots-​in-​4-​canals procedure on an upper molar, and I can tell you that I have felt NO PAIN WHATSOEVER — and that includes in the office and after the procedure.
First, Dr. Cobin numbs the injection site, then he starts with some fast acting stuff, then mixes in another deeper-​acting Novocain, and then one more. This Novocaine cocktail of his is the BEST I have ever experienced. So the entire procedure was done is 75 minutes, and I felt NOTHING. I even got a 30 minute nap in during the procedure :-) .
Ever since I left the office, I have not taken any Tylenol or Advil or Aleve because I have not needed it. There is NO PAIN at all. THIS is now the best root canal I have ever experienced.
Now yes, their Patient History and other Forms are all online. If you are smart, ask them to email the link and you can have it all done before you arrive. You will still need to sign a couple of forms on their iPad, but what’s wrong with that? The staff is wonderful — very accommodating and not condescending at all. They explain EXACTLY what everything would cost up front, and it was exactly what I was charged. And yes, it was $ 150 more than my San Francisco Endo would have charged, but I would have spent that on the flight.
If you need a root canal done, reach out to this office. I give them my highest recommendation and your mouth will thank you.

I went in for a consult recently. Had last been here in 2011 but don’t remember much as I was medicated. I’d had two root canals here and was surprised to see the bad review which might have kept me away, if I were new. I am a legendary dental chicken. It’s true. Anyway, at this root canal consult Dr. Bollinger (I believe it was him, the one on the right in the photo) had a special x-​ray taken and confirmed his suspicion that my tooth had a serious fracture. He very nicely told me (I’m paraphrasing here) that if it were him, he would not waste the effort and expense doing a root canal on this tooth… it’s life was about 2 – 4 years. Like my excellent car maintence guys (Star Auto, Newbury Park), Dr Bollinger TURNED AWAY business for my sake. That means a lot to me. SADLY, I will now have to get another tooth implant they don’t do those here… I am going through one now with Dr. McLeod in Thousand Oaks. It’s an expensive and lengthy process but it’s long term, and it is a better prospect for me than having a bridge done every 10 years.
Anyway, Conejo-​Simi Endodontics is a really warm-​feeling, homey but classy looking office and they take very good care of you. All the office folks and assistants are real nice. Except for the giant Q-​tip with cold stuff that they rub on a sore tooth to check your sensitivity (ha — I could do without that!) The consult is nice and then they will make sure you have good medication to get past any anxiety for the procedure. After just having a metal bolt screwed into my jaw for my implant without taking an anxiety pill, I will forever forward stick to the anxiety pills! Then, it’s over in a flash… as long as you have someone to drive you. Life is much better after the huge black cloud of a sore tooth is taken off your shoulders. Good luck!

I had a completely different experience than the prior reviewer. Part of it is grounded in priorities. I wanted my teeth to be healthy, and get the best possible care with excellent facilities. That was half of my concern.
The other half was the human side. how much will this hurt, during and after the procedure? Dr. Cobin was exceptional in this regard. He was very reassuring that he understands that dentistry can hurt, and he has a whole barrage of techniques to minimize that, from a pre-​procedure prescription to minimize swelling, to anesthetics that are very effective. And having been down this road before, I can tell you that everything he did worked really well.
I suffered so little pain during and after the procedure that it was easier than any number of more routine ones performed elsewhere. Dr. Cobin and the surgical assistant kept me informed during the procedure, and were truly warm and friendly. I had virtually no post operative pain at all. That can’t be the case for everyone in every circumstance, but I expected the worst with a gum surgery to open and clean a root canal, but I got what I truly believe to be the best.
As for the cone beam x-​ray, I got one, and I am glad. It pointed out a number of other issues that my dentist hadn’t been able to see with regular x-​rays, and as a result they are being fixed before they turn into bigger problems. I guess my concern is more about the quality and stability of my teeth than the amount of radiation in an x-​ray in the most regulated environment in the World. If I grow a second head I’ll change my mind. Not losing sleep over that.
One last anecdote… my dentist told me to expect this procedure to go through and break my bridge, requiring it to be either rebuilt or replaced. It was expensive. Dr. Cobin was able to work around it without touching it.
I don’t price shop medical professionals who put sharp things in my mouth. I want the best, and I’m happy to pay for it. In this case, I got the best, and I saved enough money on my bridge to more than make up the difference. More important, I saved several more visits to the dentist just to repair it.
I felt well cared for here, and that’s my one and only yardstick.

There is so many things wrong with this place it is hard to know where to begin… I’ll just list everything that comes to mind (apologies if the issues I list are not listed in a true «story» format)
When I first arrived, I was asked to sit down at a computer, review some online Patient Consent/​Privacy Policy «forms» and then electronically sign my name. Nothing wrong with that, however, they never offered to give me a printout of any of the documents I signed (Strike 1).
Then, prior to any examination being performed by anyone, «Donna» (the dental assistant) proceeded to tell me that in order to accurately diagnose my problem I would have to undergo a 3D X-​ray scan (similar to a CT scan which quickly takes hundreds or thousands of X-​rays of your jaw to provide the dentist with a 3D view of your teeth). Now, prior to my endodontist visit, I had performed a lot of research and had learned that the American Academy of Endodontics did not recommend the use of a 3D X-​ray as the first step in diagnosing cracked teeth. I politely asked Donna if there were other options that did not include the unnecessary radiation exposure of a 3D X-​ray scan. Donna became argumentative and was insistent on my need for the 3D scan, even after I suggested alternative methods that I preferred to try to help diagnose my condition (such as tooth staining or electrical conduction tests — all of which were the techniques used by endodontists for many years before 3D X-​ray scans came into existence just a few years ago.
Long story short, against my better judgement, I allowed the 3D X-​ray scans to be taken. Then, upon checking out, I was told that most insurance companies do not pay for these 3D X-​ray scans and that I would have to pay a «discounted rate» which I should be thankful for because the full amount was «much higher» (Gee…thanks for telling me this now… sounds like a scam you pull on all your patients to add more revenue to the practice).
Also, as a side note, Dr. Bollinger told me that I needed to have a root canal and that as a matter of practice, he always asked his patients to begin a round of broad-​spectrum antibiotics as «preventative» for infections post-​surgery, even though I had no medical history to suggest that infection would be likely. This advice from Dr. Bollinger is counter to everything that is currently being taught in medical schools and the unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics to patients that don’t need it is likely the leading cause to the increased rate of bacterial resistance that you have been reading about so often in the news.
I ended up not getting my root canal at Conejo-​Simi Endodontics, but I was surprised a few weeks later when I received a bill from my insurance that said I had been billed for a «Full oral comprehensive examination» when Dr. Bollinger never even looked in my mouth — he only looked at the 3D X-​ray scan and that scan only showed 1 – 2 teeth! Now the problem with being billed like this is that most insurance companies only allow you to have 2 «Full Oral Comprehensive Examinations» each year as preventative services. Since I had already received one of these exams a few weeks earlier at my primary dentist, I certainly did not need another full exam just a few weeks later (nor did I actually receive it!) and more importantly, this would mean that later in the year, when I did want another full exam, I would have to pay for it out-​of-​pocket for no reason at all!
When I called Conejo-​Simi Endodontics, I spoke to «Kim», an extremely obnoxious, condescending office manager. I explained the situation to her, and informed her that I had called my insurance company, who advised me to tell the endodontist that they should have instead billed a different procedure for a «targeted area». Kim told me immediately, «Oh, we won’t do that… the doctor won’t get paid as much.» (so much for customer service!). When I attempted to explain that billing an incorrect procedure code for a service that was not performed was fraudulent, she said, «We’ve been doing this for a long time and there is nothing wrong with billing this way.»
Last but not least, after I received my root canal at a different endodontist (a great one, I may add), I compared the prices and realized that Conejo-​Simi Endodontics would have charged $ 250 more for the exact same procedure.

Dr. Bollinger performed a root canal for me yesterday. I cannot say enough about the quality and professionalism of him and his staff. They made me feel so at ease and comfortable. I dislike drills, needles and the whole smell of a dental office, but they made that all go away with their caring attitudes. I was seen on an emergency basis and never once felt like I was rushed or it was a problem to work me in. I have experienced very little pain and now in love with Dr. Bollinger. This is the place you want to go if you are a baby when it comes to dental work. Thanks to the entire staff!