Board-certified orthodontist

Meet Dr. Salins

Dr. Sheldon Salins has an Ivy League résumé and a sense of humor you’ll notice from the waiting room. People tend to expect one or the other. He’s both.

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Dr. Sheldon Salins in his white coat and a plaid bow tie

Dr. Salins jumping for joy in the office — smile crew!

Dr. Sheldon Salins, DMD

He treats kids, teens and adults at our offices in Union City and South San Francisco. Around the office, he’s Dr. S. He designs every smile with your whole face in mind, and he makes time for every patient at every visit.

Harvard School of Dental Medicine
UCLA orthodontic specialty training
Diplomate, American Board of Orthodontics
Past president, Southern Alameda County Dental Society

Where did Dr. Salins train?

He earned his doctorate in dental medicine (DMD) at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. He then did his orthodontic residency and a Master of Science at UCLA.

Every orthodontist starts as a dentist. Then they go back for years of extra training in how teeth and jaws move. Dr. Salins did his at UCLA, and he’s described getting there as a dream come true.

Is Dr. Salins board certified?

Yes. He’s a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics. Board certification is voluntary. It goes past the specialty degree, with a tough exam process that includes presenting real treated cases for review.

It’s one way to know an orthodontist has held their work up to an outside standard.

How he plans a smile

What is a face-first approach to orthodontics?

Straight teeth are only part of the goal. Dr. Salins looks at how your teeth work with the rest of your face. He calls it a facially oriented approach to smile design. The aim is a smile that fits you, not one copied from a catalog.

LipsHow your teeth support your lips when you smile and when you rest.
ChinHow your bite and jaw line up with the lower half of your face.
ProfileHow it all looks from the side, not only from the front.

What professional groups is he part of?

Past president of the Southern Alameda County Dental Society
American Association of Orthodontists
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists
American Dental Association
California Dental Association
San Mateo County Dental Society

What’s he like as a doctor?

Warm, funny and candid. He’ll tell you what he sees in plain English, including when the answer is “you don’t need treatment yet.” He spends time with every patient at every appointment, so you’re not seeing someone new each visit.

The office motto is “Live Life Smiling.” His philosophy boils down to an old line: people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. He liked it so much he turned it into an acronym that’s fourteen letters long. We’re not sure that’s a record, but it might be.

What does he do outside the office?

He travels with his wife, Natasha. He’s into photography and running, and he loves getting out to enjoy California. He smiles outside the office too, which will surprise nobody who’s met him.

Dr. Salins on a trip to the mountains — on the road

Who’s on his team?

Dr. Salins calls his staff his Dream Team. They go to continuing education courses together, and they’ve taught other local offices about clinical and patient care.

Meet the team