Coastal Dental Arts
David Chotiner, DMD:
Practice Profile Page

After going to another family dentist my whole life I took a couple years off from going to the dentist when I started living in San Diego. A chipped tooth motivated me to find a new dentist in San Diego who could help get my teeth back in good health. I used my insurance providers search to find a dentist who was close in proximity to my downtown office. I called Coastal Dental Arts and it was easy to set an appointment for that week to get my teeth diagnosed. After a thorough evaluation the doctor told me I needed not only a full crown for the chipped molar but also a bit of other work to get me back in good health. His operations manager took me in an office before I left and let me know that I actually didn’t have any dental insurance which was a major bummer. She easily and immediately got me qualified for good financing that allowed me to get all the work I needed done scheduled. The most important thing she did though was ask me “Was everyone nice to you here today?” which went a really long way with me. And of course everyone was really nice especially the hygienist that ended up doing my teeth scaling. Since getting the bulk of the work I needed done completed it feels really good to know I’ll be back to 100% in no-time. I care a lot about my health and this dentistry seems to have an invested interest in it as well. The dentistry office is really nicely designed and I was comfortable to whole time during some pretty intense procedures. Let’s be honest nobody really likes going to the dentist but I’m happy I decided to give Coastal Dental Arts a call. They are also a mostly paperless office which I respect. The doctor has a really high tech led headlamp he wears instead of the old halogen light which is cool too.

I am a person who has recently resettled in San Diego from the Los Angeles area.  Having been without a dentist for the past six months, Dr. Choitner was recommended by friends who live within our condo building in the downtown area.  The walk to his office is within five minutes.  From my first visit, I was highly impressed with Dr. Choitner’s outstanding dental skills and his very amiable personality.  All of his staff are well informed and highly skilled in assisting him.  In my 60+ years, I would say that Dr. Choitner is the best dentist I have ever had.  I couldn’t be happier to be a patient of Dr. Choitner’s and would recommend him very highly!

This was the best dental experience I’ve ever had. I don’t know what the one star people are talking about. The office was clean, everyone was friendly and Dr. Chotiner was very thorough, both in his work and explaining to me what was going to be done. I hate needles, especially in the mouth, but I seriously could not even feel the novacaine injection. I live and work nearby and the office is really convenient if you are downtown or near little italy. My old dentist was old, with old equipment and an old school way of doing things. I am really excited to find this new dentist who can now be my dentist for life.  I highly recommend this office.  The girl that cleaned my teeth also did an awesome job.

As a confirmed “dento-phobe” I had not been to a dentist in 7 years…I entered Dr. Chotiner’s office with much trepidation. While I was pleased with the professionalism and friendliness of the front office staff, and the state of the art office, my greatest concern was what would happen in the dentist’s chair. I could not be more pleased to report that Dr. Dave was sensitive to my apprehension, and was attentive, professional, and most of all, adept with his care. That was 4 years ago, and I have gone into the office for my regular cleanings and check-ups every six months and have been more than pleased with each visit. I am so thankful that Dr. Chotiner was the ONE dentist who could get me back on a regular basis. I am thankful that I can keep my smile for a lifetime. It is without hesitation that I recommend Coastal Dental Arts for your dental health care.

We moved out of state a year ago, but recently when I needed dental advice, Dr. Chotiner returned my call and was responsive and very helpful. In fact I plan to fly back to San Diego to have him do the work, because I trust him that much! Everyone we have referred in the past has enjoyed going to his office and has received the same great care we have.

We have been patients of Dr. Chotiner for 4 yrs & could not be more pleased.  His professionalism, his realistic approach for procedures & his excellent results will keep us with him.  Wendy Long, one of his dental hygienists is outstanding.  Thou rough, but gentle, she makes a procedure actually pleasant!  If you dread having a routine cleaning procedure because of past unsettling experiences, go see Wendy and your attitude and your improved dental health will be a positive result!  Coastal Dental Arts has  truly been a lifesaver for my husband and me!

Dr. Chotnier’s hygienist Stephanie is moving back home to North Dakota. She just had her second child and her husband who is also from N. Dakota, is the youngest of 10 children, and wants his children to grow up with their cousins. She worked for Dr. Chotiner for over 6 years and is sad to be leaving San Diego and such a good practice. I know this because I attended her farewell lunch last week planned by Dr. Chotiner. I worked as a temporary hygienist for a week and can give you the inside scoop. Most referrals are based on personality perceptions and the overall flow of an office. I, as a dental hygienist can see work up close and personal. Also I can tell if an office is goal based solely on production or patient care. I can only tell you what I experienced from the inside and how i felt. Every morning we have an office meeting for about 15 minutes to go over our day. I would prepare for the meeting by stating who of my patients needed x-rays and or treatment. Dr. Chotiner would then know when and why he should come in for an exam. Since I was new to the office things like latex allergies, fears, and concerns would be relayed to me, so as to offer the best care. It was also important to discuss when the best times to schedule any emergencies, and what a new patient was most concerned about before the day started. Dr. Chotiner is confident and thorough. His treatment plans are not aggressive, but are honest and clean. He truly wants the best for his patients as do the staff. His assistant Jennifer (nursing a newborn), leaves the office at 1:00 pm to attend to her motherly duties. Summer and Erika who work up front with appointments and insurance billing have 2 children of their own. Dr. Chotiner himself has 2 young children also. I do not have any children, but I find it endearing when a Dr. who is responsible for the business of teeth has the upmost respect and regard for his employees and their families. That tells me a lot about character. Now back to the ethics of dentistry and the skill of restoring teeth. It is a skill, and very detailed in nature. When preparing a tooth for a filling or crown your margins must be spot on! (by the millimeter.) This requires a finesse, repetition, skill, confidence, and a good lab. From my experience Dr. Chotiner has all five. He wants the best for his patients, employees, and is an excellent dentist and man. I have scheduled my best friend as a patient and plan on referring more. I have notihng to gain and nothing to lose by posting this review. I just wanted the public to know what is really happening.

I went in for my first deep cleaning and was pretty scared, it had been a long time. I was having both the scaling, root planning and the laser treatment in one quadrant per appointment. OH IT WENT SO WELL! I WAS MET WITH SMILING WELCOING FACES OF THE OFFICE STAFF AND MET Ally my hygienist who was so soothing, gentle, kind and had incredible skills. The numbing shot was painless and every bit of care was taken with me. I was comfortable, the bathroom was handy, and she waiting till I was completely numb which took a bit longer for me. They have an inspiring quotes on the ceiling. And a giant TV of humorous Seinfeld with captions at easy glance. I put on Beethoven 7th symph movement 2 which was very relaxing and my meditations on my mp3 and mostly closed my eyes. And while I kept deep breathing to remember to soften and relax, Ally did SUCH A GREAT JOB with all the tools and letting me know whats going on and asking me how I felt. I felt I was in such CAPABLE EXACTING CARE. While its not the funnest way to spend an hour, my only pain was my own emotional regrets at not taking better care of my teeth and gums, wishing my finances were in a better place and fears at hearing how “deep” my gumpockets were and what “could” happen. I did get some emotional relief in a Google search that night. I discovered a lady in New Zealand online called the “Holistic Tooth Fairy”. And it was so interesting reading her website, blog and videos about how gums”support” our teeth and how if emotionally in our lives we don’t feel supported, it can mirror and express physically in our gums. This so fit me and she also had a myriad of soothing techniques and pictures of both gum regeneration and bone regrowth over 4 plus months. This helped me immensely as a powerful uplifting focus of hope and possibility. As well as other practical ideas and nutrition and several books. She also mentioned “speaking your truth” as a powerful healing tool, hence my desire to write out this long review including her ideas. After the anesthetic wore off- I was a bit tender and relaxed most of the day, but it was SO MUCH BETTER than I expected. I ate some delicious pureed soups and added some collagen protein to them, and slept good and deep. I can’t recommend Ally and my Coastal Dental Arts group enough!! They are REALLY GREAT!!

I’m from Seattle Washington and was a part of “Seattle’s Top Dentist” for 11 years and am very picky being in the field ! The office is well and sufficiently staffed with knowledgeable, friendly, and caring staff! Office is state of the art and paperless! I was provided laptop for check in! X -Rays digital meaning less radiation and better diagnostic quality! The male assistant was gentle with expert hands and again very friendly! I was told since I had a history of full mouth they would write off the difference something typically not done as it’s a loss of revenue for them but a bonus for the patient. The Hygienist was amazing! Better then even my own hygienist! The Dr exam was very comprehensive and thorough and nothing missed! He takes a conservative approach and offers options! The office fees are fair if not less than most offices but the same quality of work as well as a quality lab!cost we’re thoroughly gone over ! No surprises! No pressure! Payment options! Coming from a dental assistant your in very good hands!!

I had a discount for an exam with X-Rays and a cleaning from Living Social, so I called to make an appointment to go in. In the same day they had me come in because of the slight pain and did the exam and X-Rays. It turned out that my two old amalgam fillings were bad and needed to be replaced. Although I had to reschedule for those I still had my teeth cleaned that same day as well. When I went back in for my fillings it felt like I was in and out in no time at all. It was a great experience. I would recommend this dentist to anyone because of the professionalism of the office and because of the quick and sturdy work done. The staff and Dr. Chotiner were very friendly and made my visit a breeze. I’m not sure about the other people writing reviews on here, but there are quite a bit of 5 star reviews to go along with the few bad ones as well; that’s why we get a choice of who we see though right.