Convenient Access from Highland
Big households are common in Highland, and Spring Hills Family Dentistry in Grand Terrace is set up to see several family members in a single trip. If your hunt for a dentist in Highland, CA, keeps turning up offices that treat only adults or only kids, ours does both, and the drive takes about 19 minutes. Five doctors share the building, so cleanings, crowns, wisdom teeth and whitening rarely mean a second address.
Leaving Highland City Hall on Base Line, turn south onto Palm Ave and follow it through the historic district as it becomes Alabama St. Take I-10 west, exit toward Hospitality Lane and Waterman Ave, then head south on Waterman. From there you go west to Barton Rd and continue into Grand Terrace to 22737 Barton Rd Unit 12, Grand Terrace, CA 92313. The full run is a little over 11 miles and averages 19 minutes.
Along Palm Ave you pass the old citrus packing houses and commercial core of the Highland Historic District. City news and services are listed on the City of Highland website, and our Google Maps page handles turn-by-turn guidance. Families in nearby Redlands and Loma Linda have pages with routes from their own side of the valley.
Built for Busy Highland Families
The city is young by California standards, incorporated on November 24, 1987, though its roots go back much further. Settlers dug the Cram-Van Leuven ditch from the Santa Ana River in the late 1850s, and the groves that followed made the area known for sweet, seedless navel oranges. The first road to the Bear Valley gold mines is today's Fifth Street.
Today the city sits in San Bernardino County, bordered by San Bernardino on the west and Redlands to the south, with the mountains rising to the north and east. The former Norton Air Force Base on its outskirts is now San Bernardino International Airport. The Sam J. Racadio Library and Environmental Learning Center, a LEED Gold building with a rooftop garden and live animal exhibits, makes an easy outing with kids.
The 2020 census counted roughly 57,000 residents, including East Highlands, and homes average more than three people each. Close to half of households include children, and most families own their homes. That profile tells us a lot about what local parents need from a dental office.
The biggest need is efficiency. A parent with three kids does not want three separate drives across the valley. We try to line up siblings back to back, and a parent can often be seen in the same block, so one trip down I-10 covers the household.
The other need is continuity. When the same team sees a child from the first tooth through high school, small changes stand out early. Digital records and intraoral scans make it easy to compare one visit with the next.
A toddler's first appointment is mostly about comfort. There is a short look at the teeth, a ride up and down in the chair and a chance to meet the hygienist. Kids who start this way usually treat later checkups as routine rather than something to dread.
Smart Habits for Highland Kids, Teens and Parents
Highland sits at the southern base of the San Bernardino Mountains, at about 1,300 feet, with SR-330 climbing from the SR-210 junction toward the high country. Weekend drives into the mountains start close to home, and long car rides tend to come with snacks and sports drinks. Sugary sips over a few hours do more damage than a single treat, so water is the better travel companion.
Local schools are split by City Creek, with Redlands Unified on the east side and San Bernardino City Unified on the west. Whichever district your kids attend, the calendar fills fast with practices and games. Booking cleanings at the start of each semester, and keeping a standing Friday slot, keeps them from slipping.
Teenagers bring their own set of issues. Wisdom teeth often crowd in between 16 and 20, and crooked or stained teeth start to matter as senior year approaches. A short cosmetic consultation, or a plan for Opalescence® teeth whitening, gives older teens and their parents a realistic picture.
Parents tend to postpone their own care while the kids come first. A cracked filling or tender gum can wait months before it gets attention. Fitting a parent's visit into the same block as the children is the simplest fix we know.
Family Treatment from a Dentist in Highland, CA, Residents Can Reach Easily
Preventative Dentistry
Cleanings, exams and digital x-rays for every age in the household. Parents can stack several children's visits together and handle a whole family's recall in one afternoon.
Oral Surgery
Wisdom teeth and other extractions are handled in the office by a surgeon with four years of oral and maxillofacial surgery residency training. Teens recover at home instead of after a long drive from a referral clinic.
Cosmetic Dentistry
Whitening, veneers and tooth-colored restorations suit parents who finally have a moment for their own smile. Dr. Michael has a special interest in this kind of work.
Restorative Dentistry
Fillings, crowns and bridges repair the cracked molars and worn teeth that busy adults put off. Glidewell® same-day crowns are milled here, so a broken tooth can often be finished in one visit.
Meet Your Grand Terrace Dental Team
Dr. Marena Michael studied biological sciences at UC Riverside before earning her DDS at the USC Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, and she enjoys cosmetic cases. Dr. Lalisa Yaowarattana graduated in the top 5% of her USC class and completes more than 200 hours of continuing education each year. The rest of the doctors are introduced on our team page.
Insurance & Financing
For a family without dental insurance, the Kleer® Membership Plans are a natural fit: Child Complete for ages 0 to 13 and Adult Complete for parents, with 30% off procedures. Insured families can use most PPO plans, Cigna and United Concordia among them. Cash, check, Visa, MasterCard and CareCredit are accepted too.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Spring Hills Family Dentistry from Highland, and how do I get there?
Expect a little over 11 miles and about 19 minutes from Highland City Hall. The drive follows Palm Ave and Alabama St to I-10 west, then Waterman Ave south and Barton Rd west into Grand Terrace. Many households who need a dentist in Highland, CA, find that one predictable route easier than juggling several offices.
Can kids in either Redlands Unified or San Bernardino City Unified join the children's membership plan?
Yes, the Kleer® Child Complete plan is open to any child from birth through age 13, whatever side of City Creek they live on. It covers cleanings, exams, x-rays and an emergency exam. Fillings and other procedures are 30% off, with no waiting period before the first visit.
When should Highland residents leave to avoid I-10 congestion?
Leaving outside rush hour makes the biggest difference, because the I-10 stretch adds time at peak periods. A 7:30 AM Friday appointment or a late-morning slot midweek usually keeps the drive near 19 minutes. Wednesday and Thursday evenings until 7 PM also help families who cannot leave Highland until after school pickup.
Do Highland teenagers have their wisdom teeth removed at the same office?
Yes, extractions are done in the office, so a teen does not need a separate surgical referral. Dr. Zeino completed a four-year oral and maxillofacial surgery residency before his periodontics training. Patients who are anxious about surgery can discuss IV sedation during the consultation.
What does the $79 new-patient visit include?
It includes a professional cleaning, a full exam and x-rays. The price applies to new patients without dental insurance and without periodontal disease. It works well for a parent who wants to try the office before bringing in the rest of the family for their own first visits.
Schedule Your Visit from Highland
Families searching for a dentist in Highland, CA, can book the whole household with one call to 909-498-7530. Explore other areas we serve, or learn about the practice on our Dentist Grand Terrace, CA homepage.