Convenient Access from Rufus
Pine Ridge Dental is about a 30-minute drive west of Rufus, at our office on East 12th Street in The Dalles. Half an hour each way is a real commitment, so if you are choosing a dentist Rufus, OR households can rely on, it helps to know up front what a visit involves and how to make each trip count.
Begin at Rufus City Hall, 304 W 2nd Street, and make your way along Wallace Street and the Biggs-Rufus Highway to John Day Dam Road. Join I-84 West at exit 109, the John Day Dam interchange, and follow the Columbia for about 24 of the trip's 26 miles, past Biggs Junction at exit 104 and Celilo at exit 97. In The Dalles, take the City Center exit, follow Brewery Overpass Road to East 2nd Street, then climb Brewery Grade and Dry Hollow Road to 1629 E 12th St, The Dalles, OR 97058.
Patients from Wasco, to the south, join this same stretch of interstate at Biggs Junction, and Celilo Village sits beside I-84 along the way.
A Dental Home for Rufus on the Columbia
Rufus sits right on the Columbia River in Sherman County, as the aerial photo on the City of Rufus site shows, with John Day Dam nearby, run by the Army Corps of Engineers' Portland District. Giles L. French Park, another Corps park near town, offers boat access, walking trails, restrooms and free primitive camping for up to seven days. Dolph's Rock Shop and Museum stands on the Rufus-Biggs Highway, and the county suggests calling ahead before stopping in.
When a dental appointment means an hour of round-trip highway, every visit should accomplish something. Our team plans care with that in mind and explains each step before it happens, so you know what the next trip is for. When you call, let the front desk know you have a long drive and ask whether a cleaning and any small follow-up work can share one appointment.
What Rufus Households Should Know Before Booking Dental Work
A complete first exam gives you a clear plan for the trips ahead. If you have no dental insurance, the $99 Comprehensive Exam & X-Ray covers that exam, all necessary standard digital x-rays and personalized treatment recommendations, and it is only valid for patients without dental insurance. A cleaning is not part of that offer and is scheduled on its own.
Some treatment simply takes several stages. Replacing teeth with dentures, an implant or a bridge involves records, fittings and adjustments, and knowing the sequence early lets you line up trips on days that already suit your calendar. Dr. Feller will tell you at the planning visit how many appointments to expect.
Between visits, a few signs mean you should call instead of waiting for the next checkup: a tooth that aches when you bite, gums that keep bleeding for days, a filling that feels rough or loose, or a mouth sore that has not healed in two weeks. Catching these early usually keeps the fix small. Small problems are also easier to schedule into a single trip.
Our schedule is short and predictable: Tuesday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, then Wednesday and Thursday from 7:30 AM to 3:00 PM. The office is closed Monday and Friday through Sunday, so if a tooth problem starts on one of those days, call us. Before winter trips, ODOT suggests you check TripCheck.com or dial 511 for road conditions on I-84.
Repairs and Replacements From a Dentist Rufus, OR Patients Count On
Restorative Dentistry
Fillings, crowns and bridges rebuild worn, cracked or decayed teeth while keeping as much of the original tooth as possible. Primescan digital impressions capture the shape for crowns and bridges without a mouthful of putty.
Gum Disease Treatment
Bleeding or puffy gums deserve attention before they start to loosen teeth. Our team treats gum infection early, and a soft tissue laser is one of the tools available for it.
Dental Implants
An implant replaces a lost tooth from the root up without reshaping the teeth beside it. Planning uses CBCT imaging, and implant dentures can turn a loose plate into one that stays put.
Oral Surgery
Tooth extractions and wisdom tooth removal are part of our oral surgery care, planned with digital x-rays or 3D imaging. Bone grafting can prepare a site for a future implant.
Preventative Dentistry
Twice-yearly exams and cleanings keep small issues small. That matters even more for river-town families, since each skipped checkup can turn into a longer repair and extra drives later.
Meet Your Dentist
Dr. Jonathan Feller made up his mind about his career as an assistant in his brother-in-law's practice, the day he watched a patient's confidence return with a new denture. He opened Columbia River Dental Care in 2019, and that same practice is now Pine Ridge Dental. Long-time patients will find the same dentist and the same approach under the new name.
Insurance & Financing
Our office is in-network with MetLife, Blue Cross Blue Shield and most Delta Dental PPO plans, and it accepts many other carriers as well. For larger treatment, Cherry and Proceed Finance offer ways to pay over time, and major credit cards are accepted. You will see the cost of each step before any work begins.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Pine Ridge Dental from Rufus, and how do I get there?
Rufus is about 26 miles from our office, roughly a 30-minute drive. Take John Day Dam Road to I-84 West at exit 109, stay on the interstate to the City Center exit, then follow Brewery Overpass Road, East 2nd Street and Brewery Grade. That makes us a dentist Rufus, OR residents can reach without leaving I-84 until the last few miles.
Can I have a cleaning and a filling done on the same visit?
Sometimes, yes. It depends on how much work the filling involves and how much time is open that day. Mention when you book that you are driving in from out of town, and the team will look at pairing the two. Larger work, such as a crown or several fillings, may still need its own appointment.
What happens if I leave a gap where a molar was pulled?
The teeth around it tend to move. Back teeth do most of the chewing, and once one is gone the neighbors can tip into the space while the tooth above or below drifts toward it. Over time that can change your bite and make cleaning harder. An implant, a bridge or a partial denture can each fill the gap, and Dr. Feller will explain which fits your situation.
Does your office remove wisdom teeth?
Yes, wisdom teeth removal is one of the oral surgery services at Pine Ridge Dental. Digital x-rays or a CBCT scan show how each tooth sits and how close it is to nerves before anything is planned. Nitrous oxide or minimal oral sedation can help you stay relaxed when clinically appropriate.
Will I need a crown if a large filling breaks?
Not always, but a crown is often the sturdier repair once a big filling fails. When enough healthy tooth remains, an inlay or onlay can rebuild just the damaged section instead. Dr. Feller picks the most conservative option that will last, and Primescan digital impressions record the tooth for whichever restoration you choose.
Schedule Your Visit from Rufus
Call (541) 229-7891 or book online to plan your first visit with a dentist Rufus, OR families can schedule around a midweek drive. The towns we see patients from are collected under Areas We Serve, while the Dentist The Dalles, OR homepage describes the office, the team and our services.