Convenient Access from Oildale
Oildale households can reach Trunkey Dental in about 5 minutes, a quick run south over the Kern River into Bakersfield. Dr. Donald Trunkey has owned this practice since 1981, so families looking for a dentist near Oildale get a long-settled office where the same dentist sees them at every visit. Checkups, fillings, crowns and gum care for parents and children all happen in one place.
Starting at Standard Park on East Minner Avenue, take Doyle Street south for a block and turn east on Ferguson Avenue. Swing south onto Manor Street, which crosses the river and turns into Union Avenue, then go west on West Columbus Street and south on San Dimas Street to 38th Street. The drive covers about 2.2 miles on surface streets, with Standard Elementary and Standard Middle School right beside the park where you begin.
You will find us at 3807 San Dimas St Ste A, Bakersfield, CA 93301, a couple of blocks northwest of Memorial Hospital on 34th Street. Open Trunkey Dental in Google Maps for turn-by-turn directions from your street. We also welcome patients from Westchester and Northeast Bakersfield, both on the south side of the river.
A Steady Dental Home Just Across the River From Oildale
Oildale is an unincorporated community in Kern County, covering roughly 8 square miles between Highway 99 and the Kern River Oil Field. Once known as Waits and North Side, it dates to 1909, when Samuel Dickinson subdivided his land here. Country singer Merle Haggard came from Oildale, and the community still keeps its own identity even with Bakersfield sitting right across the water.
That sense of place is a good match for a practice that has not changed hands in more than four decades. Patients from Oildale see the same dentist at every visit, and the team around him brings long experience too. Andrea at the front desk has worked in the dental field for more than 20 years, and team leader Melanie has been in the field since 2001.
Continuity matters more than people expect. When one dentist follows your mouth for years, small changes stand out sooner, and a filling placed a decade ago is not a mystery to anyone. It also means fewer surprises, because the person recommending treatment already knows your history and your concerns.
Oildale Is a Young Community, and Its Dental Needs Show It
Oildale has more than 36,000 residents, and it skews young. Census figures put more than a quarter of residents under 18, and more than a third of households are raising children. For a dental office, that means a lot of first fillings to prevent, a lot of back-to-school checkups, and plenty of parents who put their own care last.
Prevention carries most of the load for families like these. Sealants coat the grooves on the chewing surfaces of back teeth, where food collects and decay often begins. Regular cleanings with digital x-rays pick up small cavities while a simple filling can still fix them, which suits Dr. Trunkey's habit of doing only the dentistry a tooth truly needs.
School schedules are easier to work around than many parents think. Appointments begin at 8:00 AM Monday through Thursday, and Friday visits run until 12:00 PM, so a checkup can be the first stop of a school-day morning. With a 5-minute drive back across the river, the round trip stays short.
Parents deserve the same attention. Bleeding gums, a cracked molar or a tooth that aches with cold drinks are easy to put off when the kids come first, yet each one is simpler to treat early. Booking a cleaning for yourself while you are already planning the family calendar is one of the easiest ways to stay ahead of bigger work.
Ways a Dentist Near Oildale Can Help Your Household
General & Family Dentistry
Grandparents, parents and children can all keep their records with one office. For busy Oildale households, a single practice means one set of forms, one phone number and one dentist who sees the whole family's patterns.
Cleanings & Digital X-Rays
Routine cleanings remove the buildup that brushing misses, and digital x-rays show what is happening between teeth and below the gumline. Keeping both on a regular schedule is the surest way to catch trouble early.
Fillings
A small cavity found at a checkup can usually be repaired with a simple filling. Treating it promptly helps a child or adult avoid the larger repairs that follow when decay reaches deeper into the tooth.
Gum Disease
Tender or bleeding gums are often the first sign of gum disease, and many busy parents ignore them for months. Dr. Trunkey checks gum health at every exam and can plan deeper cleanings when they are needed.
Root Canals
A deep cavity or a cracked molar can inflame the pulp inside a tooth. Root canal treatment clears that inflamed tissue and seals the tooth, so an Oildale parent with a throbbing ache can often keep the tooth rather than lose it.
Meet Your Bakersfield Dental Team
Dr. Donald Trunkey started dental school with broken teeth and remembers being embarrassed to smile. That experience shaped his two office rules: "NO GUILT," so nobody gets a lecture about past habits, and a firm belief that less dentistry is better for patients, so treatment stays limited to what you need.
Insurance, Membership & Financing
The office participates with Delta Dental, Cigna and Careington and accepts many other plans; it does not take Medi-Cal, Kern Family or other government programs. Families without coverage can join the Standard Membership Plan, which covers two regular cleanings, routine exams and x-rays each year plus 20% off qualifying restorative work. CareCredit and Cherry financing are also available.
What Patients Say
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Trunkey Dental from Oildale, and how do I get there?
Trunkey Dental is about 2.2 miles from Oildale, roughly a 5-minute drive from Standard Park. Follow Manor Street south across the Kern River, where it becomes Union Avenue, then take West Columbus Street west and San Dimas Street south to 38th Street. For anyone who wants a dentist near Oildale, the trip uses surface streets only, with no freeway or toll.
Do sealants mean my kids can skip brushing their back teeth?
No. Sealants protect only the grooved chewing surfaces of the back teeth, so brushing and flossing are still needed for the sides of each tooth and along the gums. Think of a sealant as an extra layer of defense in the spots a toothbrush struggles to reach, with regular checkups confirming it is still in place.
Why does my tooth hurt when I drink something cold?
Cold sensitivity usually means the inner layer of a tooth is exposed. A new cavity, a worn or cracked filling, enamel worn thin by grinding, or gums that have pulled back can all cause it. A short sting that fades is common, but a sharp pain that lingers deserves an exam soon, before a small repair turns into a larger one.
Does Trunkey Dental accept Medi-Cal or Kern Family?
No. The office does not participate with Medi-Cal, Kern Family or any other government assistance program. It does participate with Delta Dental, Cigna and Careington and accepts many other plans. Patients without insurance often choose the Standard Membership Plan, which covers routine cleanings, exams and x-rays for an annual fee, or use CareCredit or Cherry financing for treatment.
Why would my child need x-rays if the teeth look fine?
Because many cavities start where nobody can see them. Decay often begins between teeth or under an old filling, and digital x-rays show those spots long before a child feels anything. The office uses digital x-rays as part of routine cleanings, and Dr. Trunkey decides how often they are needed based on each patient's history and exam.
Schedule Your Visit from Oildale
A dentist near Oildale is one short river crossing away. Call (661) 426-2506 or use online scheduling to pick an 8:00 AM start or a Friday morning slot. Browse every community we serve on our Areas We Serve page, or learn more about the practice on our Dentist Bakersfield, CA homepage.
