Convenient Access from Edison
Out among the oil pumps and row crops east of the city, Edison is a small place, but the drive to Trunkey Dental in Bakersfield is a simple one of about 16 minutes. Anyone looking for a dentist near Edison will find a general and family practice where one dentist, Dr. Donald Trunkey, handles every exam and every treatment plan. Because the trip into town takes a little planning, the office works to make each visit count.
From Edison Middle School on South Edison Road, plan on about 8.9 miles. Head west on Edison Highway for close to six miles, continue onto East Truxtun Avenue, and bear northwest on Sumner Street for about a mile and a half. After a short stretch of Golden State Avenue, turn north on Q Street, then right on 38th Street to reach San Dimas Street.
The office is at 3807 San Dimas St Ste A, Bakersfield, CA 93301, north of downtown and close to Memorial Hospital. You can save the location from Google Maps to your phone before you set out. Fairfax and Hillcrest, also on the east side, have their own directions pages.
Small-Community Roots and One Dentist for Every Visit
Edison started out as Wade. The Edison Electric Company put up a substation here in 1902, and when the Southern Pacific Railroad arrived the next year, the railroad gave the stop its current name. The post office opened in 1903, closed in 1929 and reopened in 1946. Oil was found nearby in 1928, and today the community sits inside the oil field that shares its name, where pump jacks share the flat valley land with orchards and farm rows.
The 2020 census, the first to count Edison as a census-designated place in Kern County, found only about 250 residents. Its school district serves a much wider area, and its middle school alone enrolled about 470 students in 2025-26. In a community this size, people tend to value a professional who knows them by name.
That is the kind of office Dr. Trunkey has run since 1981. You see the same dentist at every appointment, and the team brings long experience in the dental field. Kelsey, the treatment coordinator, is an RDA who has been a dental assistant since 2009, and she helps patients sort through their treatment plans. His two rules shape each visit: "NO GUILT," so there are no lectures about missed cleanings, and a commitment to helping patients avoid more treatment than they truly need.
Planning Dental Care When You Live Out Past the City Limits
The Edison Elementary School District was organized in 1911 and named for a regional electric utility. Today it runs a preschool, Orangewood Elementary and a middle school, so a family can follow one school calendar from the earliest grades through eighth grade. That makes it easier to plan checkups for children around school breaks.
Living farther from town also changes how adults approach treatment. A cracked filling or a sore tooth is easier to put off when the office is a highway drive away, yet small problems rarely stay small. Regular exams catch trouble while it can still be fixed in a single, shorter visit.
The office opens at 8:00 AM Monday through Thursday and closes at noon on Friday. An early appointment lets you make the drive, finish the visit and head back east before the rest of the day fills up. Online scheduling on the practice website lets you request a time without waiting for the phones to open.
Some patients put off care because of nerves, not distance. Conscious sedation is available for people who feel anxious in the chair; you will need someone to drive you home, and trained staff monitor you during treatment. For a family that already shares rides into the city, arranging a driver is often straightforward.
Restorative Care From a Dentist Near Edison
Crowns & Bridges
A crown can rebuild a tooth that has broken or carries a large old filling, while a bridge fills the space left by a missing tooth. Both are lasting repairs that help you avoid repeat trips for the same problem.
Root Canals
When infection reaches the inside of a tooth, a root canal clears it out and keeps the tooth in place. Anyone who feels a deep, lingering ache should call rather than wait for it to fade.
Dental Implants
An implant replaces a missing tooth from the root up and stands on its own without relying on neighboring teeth. Dr. Trunkey has taken continuing education in implants and can explain whether one fits your situation.
Cleanings & Digital X-Rays
Preventive visits are the best way to keep the drive into town a routine trip rather than an urgent one. Digital x-rays show decay between teeth and below old fillings early on.
General & Family Dentistry
Grandparents, parents and school-age kids can share one dental home. For rural households, that means one office, one set of records and one dentist who knows the whole family.
Jaw soreness, clicking or a bite that feels off are worth mentioning at your exam. Dr. Trunkey's advanced training centered on bite and jaw problems, and the office offers TMJ care for patients who need it.
Meet Your Bakersfield Dental Team
Dr. Donald Trunkey belongs to the Kern County Dental Society, the California Dental Association and a Bakersfield-based study club, and he is a Gold member of docseducation.com. He started dental school with broken teeth himself, so he knows how it feels to hide a smile.
Insurance, Membership & Financing
When a crown or implant costs more than your budget allows in one month, CareCredit and Cherry offer ways to pay over time. Patients with a history of gum disease can join the Periodontal Membership Plan, which includes three to four cleanings a year. The office also participates with Delta Dental, Cigna and Careington.
What Patients Say
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Trunkey Dental from Edison, and how do I get there?
From Edison Middle School, Trunkey Dental is about 8.9 miles away, a drive of roughly 16 minutes. Take Edison Highway west, then East Truxtun Avenue, Sumner Street and Q Street north to 38th Street. Residents who need a dentist near Edison can make the whole trip on surface roads with no tolls.
What is conscious sedation, and will I need a driver?
Conscious sedation helps you feel relaxed and calm while dental work is done, and yes, you need a driver. You stay monitored by trained staff the whole time. Because the medication can leave you drowsy afterward, someone must take you home, so plan the ride before the appointment.
Can jaw clicking or morning headaches be related to my bite?
They can be. Clicking joints, a sore jaw and waking with headaches sometimes trace back to how your teeth meet or to clenching at night. Dr. Trunkey completed an eight-year course at the Pankey Institute that focused on bite and jaw problems such as TMJ, and he checks for these signs during an exam.
Can I pay for a crown or implant over several months?
Yes. Trunkey Dental works with two financing options, CareCredit and Cherry, which let you split larger treatment costs into payments. Approval and terms come from those companies, not the office. The front desk can walk you through applying and how financing works alongside any insurance benefits you have.
What are my options for replacing a missing tooth?
The main choices are a dental implant, a bridge or a denture. An implant stands alone, a bridge anchors to the teeth on either side, and a denture can replace several teeth at once. Dr. Trunkey reviews your x-rays, bite and budget with you before recommending the approach that fits.
Schedule Your Visit from Edison
A dentist near Edison who has served this valley since 1981 is only about 16 minutes away. Call (661) 426-2506 to book, or use online scheduling whenever it suits you. Find the rest of our neighborhoods on the Areas We Serve page, and get to know the practice on the Dentist Bakersfield, CA homepage.
