Dr.Dustin is a nice man who I enjoyed talking to as he cut my toenails and shaved my callouses every few months because of my neuropathy. On the last visit I told him my big toe really felt painful after he removed the callous, as he was leaving his usual 5 minute visit with me. He turned around, never looking at my toe, patted my knee and told me "you will be just fine." and left. The pain was excruciating and I couldn't put weight on my left foot. I ended up 2 days later at Scripps Urgent Care where they told me I had a roaring infection brewing and put me on antibiotics and told me to soak my foot 3x daily in Epsom Salts. I also had 2 follow up visits with my PC doctor to check it a few days later where she put me on a second antibiotic. The saddest part was that two friends came from out of state to what was going to be a fun visit. I couldn't leave my house and they ended up waiting on me and we went no where because they depended on me to show them wonderful San Diego, and I couldn't walk. It took over two months to heal properly. I no longer am going there for care nor is my husband. read more

Dr Dustin is such an Awesome man, always kind helps me out very professional. He is the Best

I'd never been to a podiatrist but was in serious need of pain relief. He diagnosed my problem within a few minutes, and solved it. Left without pain. I'll be returning when necessary. Wonderful and intelligent person. read more

He fixed my bunion beautifully! I may have to come back and have the other one done. Very kind and informative, I had no problems with the surgery. read more

I would highly recommend Dr. Adam Dustin as a podiatrist. He is very experienced and has great skills and knowledge. He also has a very warm and friendly bedside manner. I enjoyed my visit to his office. read more

I write this rather long review because I feel obligated to inform Dr. Dustin's potential patients who suffer from plantar fasciitis, and like me are hesitant to accept cortisone injections. I hope this review will help them to make the right decision. I would also like to add that this is not a quick angry note, as I waited for couple of months to give treatment enough time and for my anger to go away before writing this review. Following the suggestion from a close friend of mine and after reading good reviews I went to Dr. Dustin for my plantar fasciitis problem. He immediately got ready to inject Cortisone to my heals. I expressed my hesitation based on my readings that indicated Cortisone shot will only provided temporary pain relief and generally is good for the body. But he insisted that two cortisone injections within a month will definitely get rid of my problem. I finally trusted him and let him go ahead with the shots. The first shot was supposed to eliminate some 70% of the pain, and the second shot to get rid of the pain altogether. The first shot actually provided some relief. After a month I had the second shot. and that is when my problems started. Only a day after the second shot I experienced the worst pain I ever had with my heals, much worse than what I had before going to Dr. Dustin. I waited for a couple of days to see if the pain would go away. But it did not. I was not even able to walk as far as I could before the whole set of shots. I called the office and explained my conditions, but he staff tried everything they could to prevent my message to get to the doctor. They wanted to give me another appointment in two weeks. The pain got worse and worse and I tried to call the office again, still they prevented my message to get to the doctor. They said the doctor sees 50 patients a day and could not be bothered. Finally after about 10 days I could see the doctor again. I had no idea why this happened to me after the second shot and the doctor did not have any idea either. He wanted to do the third shot which I did not accept. Interestingly, in the meeting Dr. Dustin changed his initial position about two shots being sufficient and stated that the average there is a need for more than two shots. After suffering so much after the second shot and reading some more about the nature of cortisone shots II could not agree for the third shot. I am still suffering the pain and furthermore, I am upset for trusting the doctor with cortisone injections. To conclude my review, I would like to make two points that I hope will be useful for Dr. Dustin's future patients. One, the point that bothered me the most was having been given false assurances. I have had doctors who told me in the beginning what they were going to do had a certain chance of failure and I accepted it when their treatment did not work. But in this case I was given 100% assurance; otherwise I would not have agreed to have the shots. The second point is equally or even more important is the unacceptable behavior of the staff who would not convey my message to the doctor. I hope this behavior was not ordered by he doctor, but any way In my opinion it was an awful treatment from a doctor's office. read more

Drs. Dustin and Spencer have been great caretakers of my 2 badly ingrown toenails for more than a decade. I drive some distance to avail myself of their fine service. Nice gentlemen and nice associates. read more

I am so glad To have chosen Dr. Dustin to perform my Bunionectomy. Dr Dustin is a super nice and humble, and he is easy to talk to. I Had a bunionectomy late March and I am absolutely amazed at the results. I had ZERO pain post surgery. I was actually waking around the same day of the surgery. (Using special sandal and thanks to a very informative anesthesiologist) I took pain meds before I went to bed three nights in a row (case the pain snuck up on me) but it never did. It is now two months post surgery and the swelling is finally going down. I've been running and working out with ease. Surgery was March 24th it is now now May 20th. If you have to drive 2 hours away like I did, I would highly recommend you choose Dr. Dustin. His staff is also very helpful and friendly. shot out to Carla! Thank you for everything and for referring me here. read more

Adam Dustin, DPM - Alvera Podiatry - Before and after. 2 months post op. - Podiatrists Near Me - Encinitas, California

Kind, caring doctor and staff. I broke a bone in my foot. Dr had X-ray in office which he read quickly on his computer.

In mid December, I came to Dr. Adam Dustin for a bunionectomy procedure. From my first appointment all the way to my last appointment today, I was truly treated like royalty. So many people told me how painful this surgery was. Dr. Dustin explained that I would be back up and exercising in eight weeks. To my surprise, I needed no pain medication. I opted to use crutches for the first two weeks. They allowed me to get out of the house. Fast forward to seven weeks, I was doing full bodyweight squats and at eight weeks I was doing 20 mile mountain bike rides. During my post op appointments, he would explain what my next two weeks would feel like. As if he could feel the sensations I was experiencing. He must have a crystal ball! Thank you Dr. Dustin and the office at Alvera podiatry for such a pleasant experience. You have a patient for life... read more

Dr. Dustin is INCREDIBLE. I HIGHLY recommend! I had a broken toe that a different surgeon attempted to repair almost a year ago. That surgeon made the problem a LOT worse. 9 months later after the pain getting worse and worse and worse I took my records and went to Dr. Dustin. He was SUPER thorough and caring and explained WHY the break happened to begin with, new EXACTLY what was done wrong with the previous surgeon and worked to get me in for surgery during the holidays and his vacation! He went OVER AND BEYOND to help me! I am three weeks out from the surgery Dr. Dustin did and am thriving. I am healing super quick and the pain from the last 9 months is history! I HIGHLY SUGGEST Dr. Dustin! ALSO his STAFF is AMAZING! Super friendly, helpful and CARING! -Natalie Jill read more

The whole experience was completely pleasant, making the appointment, interacting with reception and the incredibly kind and friendly doctor. I'm so happy I found this doctor and this office. read more

Dr. Dustin is really nice. Normally I don't care for chatty people because I'm always under some kind of time constraint but his chatting proved full of useful tips He also cured my plantar fasciitis, explained my bunions, and didn't try to oversell me in the orthopedic inserts because my insurance didn't cover them. Office staff is kind and responsive. I'd send my loved ones here without hesitation. read more

I ordered another pair of my current insoles. I moved out of state but was told by the office I could place my order and they would ship it to me if I paid for a Fed Ex label. That was fine. I told the girl several times what my ortho insole number was based on the insole I have which I just got this year. They sent me two pairs of the WRONG INSOLE. So unprofessional. I am not paying them until I get this done right. The insole doesn't even match my current one. Looks like they tried to pull a fast one and give me a cheap mold instead of the new 3D image I paid money for. read more

ok, so I had a battle with these guys and my insurance company about the final $25 co-pay that I think was a rip off (see previous review). According to my insurance company ANY office visit requires a co-pay. What a bunch of BS. The Dr. office should have informed me prior to making the appointment to pick up these orthotics that it would be considered an office visit. Seriously.. Here's the best part... I'm paying off the final $25 (but not all at once, since I'm pissed, but I'm still paying it). So I get a statement from Alvera Podiatry (Adam Dustin, D.P.M. and Sam Spencer, D.P.M.) with an "ADJUSTMENT" on it charging me an EXTRA $2.00 since I didn't pay the final $25 co-pay all at once. My new balance is $7.50 which I planned to pay off, but then they added $2.00 to my statement, HA. Just more proof that these guys are crooks. I would NEVER go back there and recommend you AVOID them too. Do yourself a favor and do what I finally did in February. I wanted another pair of orthotics for other shoes, so I just bought a pair at Costco for $89 and how about this... they didn't charge me extra to put them in my sneakers or to pick them up (what a shocker). Oh... And, if you look at the one's I got from Dr. Dustin compared to Costco, they look IDENTICAL (same color materials, same composite). So I showed them to the orthotics person at Costco and they basically told me most orthotics come from only a few places and mine were most likely made in the same place. Summary: Costco: $89 +tax (no other charges), friendly, courteous, and helpful. Alvera Podiatry: Over $750 from insurance and $75 in co-pay's from me plus my $100 deductible. Arrogant, self righteous, and all about the money. So After having to pay all the co-pay and deductible fee's it ended up costing me double what my Costco Orthotics cost without insurance. read more

Went to see Dr. Dustin yesterday, after a foot injury. He was professional, upbeat and friendly and diagnosed the problem right away(when other Dr.'s had not taken the time to diagnose). His assistant was terrific and made me feel at easy, as well as his office staff. He was prompt and I would definitely recommend him to anyone as one of the best in the area! Thank you so much, Dr. Dustin. Cathie L., San Marcos read more

I have to agree with other reviews in that Dr. Adams is a great guy, I've enjoyed seeing him and he was helpful for some situations, BUT I have also been charged a chunk of money for orthotics for myself and my daughter that really did not benefit me. In the end my chiropractor (Dr. Graham) suggested I go to Good Feet where I was fitted and walked out the door with better arch support and best of all - no more pain and no more shots of cortisone. After that I got a bill in which I felt was covered by my insurance and ended up paying just to put an end to it, but being overcharged after already spending $800 for orthotics that didn't fit properly. It's so discouraging and I would say to others to see a chiropractor with orthotics through someone else and save money and times. In addition I saw Dr. Adams for a toe fungus and a year later I still have it. So frustrating. Really hesitated writing this, as I don't like to write negative reviews, but after time and money I've invested I did not get the help I felt I needed in his office. Once I went in and saw another Dr. as I was in so much pain I couldn't walk. They were always great about seeing me, but the other Dr. told me conflicting information - again adding to my confusion and frustration. read more

Mixed reviews caused the 4 star. Called around to all of the doctors I could see. They are ere able to accommodate me with in 30 min unlike everyone else who said it would be the end of next week. The admin was great, very friendly and professional. The assistant and doctor were fine, not a lot of personality or getting to know me but were not rude. Problem is, it took forever to see me, which I guess should be expected when I was in there 30min from when I called. Also, X-Rays are X-Rays but theirs was ancient. Probably the oldest thing in the building. I buy and sell used diagnostic imaging equipment and it is always hard for me to see nice office not buying new(er) equipment. read more

I've been a patient of Dr. Dustin for almost ten years now. I've had two bouts of plantar and a bad in grown nail. Mind you each of these were self inflicted, but each had me in extreme pain and in real need of real treatment. Dr. Dustin In each case was extremely responsive and extraordinarily effective. He is as skilled as any doc I've seen in any field, he is friendly and compassionate. To be honest with you the pain I've had and the speed with which he cured them, he could be an ogre and I'd give him four stars on skill alone. He's a genuinely nice guy, who remembers his patients, explains things thoroughly, and gets it done. I have to tell you "Mr One Star" may have a funny review below, but I tried every trick and over the counter remedy for my plantar, including the over priced under effective Costco ones he references, and none resolved my issue. The best attempt was Road Runners molded in store jobbies. However, none solved the issue where I could walk upright and not be confused with The Missing Link or Bigfoot (I think footage of me limping out of costco will be seen in Finding Bigfoot soon). If Over the counter remedies work for you, well done! For those who need real treatment go straight to Dr. Dustin! You will thank your lucky stars you found him! My regret is I wasted a couple hundred bucks on the cheap alternatives and made it on a reality show in pain! Five stars ain't enough in my book! PS get a grip on your insurance before you go to any doctor and you won't flip out when you have to pay for real treatment My read more

Wonderful doctor! He and his staff are all skilled, friendly, well-educated, and caring. I went in with a fractured foot, and within a few seconds of me describing my problem, and a couple questions, he started nodding his head and knew exactly what was wrong. (A "marching fracture", apparently, and I didn't even have to join the army to get it! :P ) They took digital x-rays to be sure (it's a very well-equipped office) and he went over them with me right there. Then he gave me a boot for my fracture and said to stay off it as much as possible and come back in if it still hurt in three weeks - but that since it was pretty minor he wouldn't bother coming in again unless it did still hurt after that, if it was his foot. And then he didn't even charge me for the office visit! I'm very happy I found Dr. Dustin, and any time I ever have a problem with my feet I'm definitely going back to him, and I will also be recommending him to any friend who might need a podiatrist. Highly recommended! read more

I never thought I'd have such a pleasant experience having my foot scraped at! So a few weeks ago, I went to my primary care doctor to get my foot looked at. She told me that it could be a foreign body...but didn't offer any sort of assistance to take it out. So I called over yesterday and talked to a very nice receptionist, and I got an appointment for the next day. It wasn't long of a wait at all since I had all of my paperwork filled out beforehand. Great customer service!! I was seen by Dr. Dustin, who is a very nice man. I can tell that he cares about his patients. The whole time he was scraping my foot, he was smily, nice, friendly, and engaged in conversation. I will definitely come back here if I ever have foot problems again. I remember a while ago I broke my ankle and went to C***. I remember feeling like I never really had all of my questions answered and I was always being rushed out. Dr. Dustin has a very quiet office, and seems very attentive. Next time I break anything on my foot I will definitely be limpin' his way!! Thank you Dr. Dustin! read more

This is about my encounter with Dr. Spencer at this office. Upon entering the office, the receptionist was attentive, efficient and had common-sense . I stupidly had not switched over my batch of Ins. cards and I.D. into my new wallet so I had nothing to show her, including my insurance card and the co-pay involved. She trusted what I told her about the amount and was gracious (admittedly, she DID have a copy of my ins. referral so that might have played a part). Dr. Spencer was terrific - gave me plenty of time, I never felt rushed and he seemed very informed and understood immediately what the issue was and what needed to be done. I liked him a lot and his "bed side manner" was xln't. I will need to wear a "boot" for at least a month and will have to get it elsewhere so he certainly wasn't trying to "up sell" me with services and I appreciated that. I trusted him and will see him again ... definitely. read more

Really good guy and his staff is really nice. Unlike the guy below who doesn't know what insurance company's are for and seeing he had a high one, I would ignore his comments. Like any medical place you pay your copay and go through the motions, even when you need to pick up the inserts, you need to make sure they are correct and unlike Costco, he checks your foot against them. I would definitely recommend him to others! read more

Dr. Dustin is very caring, a good listener, and makes me feel like my concerns are valid. I have been visiting his office this summer to address some plantar fasciitis in both of my feet. Unlike other podiatrists I have visited, I haven't been pressured to purchase orthotics. Yay! If you are looking for an excellent doctor with awesome bedside manner, give Dr. Dustin a ring! read more

We were highly recommend to Dr. Dustin. He is extremely knowledgeable along with having a wonderful bedside manner. He has corrected my sons foot problem. Carla, front desk manager, goes out of her way to accommodate patients with appointments and insurance billing. We are thankful to have been referred to him! read more

Dr. Dustin, is an excellent surgeon. He is patient and kind and very willing to explain everything thoroughly to you. He also gives you options. My son is disabled and Dr Dustin is so good with him. You won't find a better or finer Podiatrist in town! read more

Best danged podiatrist ever! Dr Dustin is warm, personable and most of all - KNOWLEDGEABLE! My family and I have been seeing him for all our foot issues for almost 18 years! read more

I went to Dr. Dustin because I had gone to a Chiro for awful back and hip pain for YEARS. The Chiro gave me basic orthodics which helped a little so I figured GOOD ones from a Podiatrist would help more...well I was RIGHT....I wear them every day and I have not had back pain or hip pain for YEARS now. I can even PULL WEEDS from my garden and lift heavy things!! I have NEVER been happier! Of course they cost more then those "great feet" stores but there is NO comparison! ....but you have to break them in exactly like they tell you to. Plus Dr. Dustin is a great guy. read more

Gentle, kind, honest, and funny too. Great doctor!

Yet another successful surgery by Dr. Dustin! He gave me brand new titanium joint in my left big toe to match the one in my right big toe! He performed both surgeries and did an incredible job! I'm healing up! Thank you SO much Dr. Dustin! You truly are the best! read more

Adam Dustin, DPM - Alvera Podiatry - Happy feet post surgery! - Podiatrists Near Me - Encinitas, California

If I could give more than 5 stars, I would. My experience started with a call this morning trying to be seen ASAP and was helped by the very sweet Lisa (I think that's her name) who got me in within an hour. I was then greeted by her, who knew exactly who I was and made the check-in process very quick and painless. I was taken back within five minutes after completing my paperwork and Dr. Dustin came in to see me within minutes as well. To say he is a great doctor would not be doing him justice. I've worked around doctors for well over a decade and it takes a lot more than a medical degree or even amazing skill. He encompasses all that one who cares for patients daily should be. He made me feel completely comfortable and even after treating me kept up conversation. Simply put, I just adore this man. I wouldn't hesitate for a second to send someone here and I will be back when needed. Thanks Dr. Dustin and staff! read more

Dr. Dustin: 5 stars, his billing department: 1 star I went to Dr. Dustin originally for foot pain and he quickly took care of it. I've been going to him for 5 years or more because he is a very personable guy and does a great job. However, I think that his billing person is unethical. They put in a claim to my insurance and the insurance company denied part of it. Now, the agreement between the doctor and the insurance company is that the patient pays what the insurance company says. But no, she billed me for what my insurance company said plus the denied amount, a total of something like $400. I called to complain and she said that she would re-submit the claim to the insurance company (which is what she should have done in the first place if she had a beef with the EoB). Well, the insurance company re-evaluated and coughed-up more money but still less than the billing person thought was correct (this time by only $30 or $40), so she again billed the extra amount to me, which she is not allowed to do. I just paid it but vowed to not go there again. It's too bad, she probably thinks that she is doing Dr. Dustin a favor by doing things like that, but I'm sure that I'm not the only patient she has lost for him by her "penny wise, pound foolish" behavior. read more

Dr. Dustin is one of the most skilled and nicest doctors in Encinitas. My husband was limping from an infected ingrown toe. Dr. Dustin gently cleared the offending nail, and then treated the infection with a topical agent. He even apologized for the tiny pinch that occurs when extracting the little piece of nail! Dr. Dustin's staff is also really great: friendly, knowledgeable and compassionate. My husband has been to other podiatrists; they did not come close to the care we received from Dr. Dustin and his office staff. We feel fortunate to have found such a good physician. read more

Dr. Dustin's staff made me welcome and comfortable. The doctor then examined my feet, explained the problems he found and described the procedure he proposed. 10 minutes later he had gently and almost painlessly removed several instances of toenail incursion - and the pain vanished. It's unusual to have a good time at a doctor's office; but in this case, I did. Not only is Dr. Dustin an excellent surgeon and diagnostician, but he's also an engaging, interesting, attentive and caring human being. I had a terrific time and came away pain free. I would heartily recommend Dr. Dustin and his practice. read more

We have never written a review for anyone...because we are skeptical about public feedback. But we did our home work and selected Dr Dustin for my wife's bunionectomy and hammer toe correction. Its a knarley operation in and of itself. But we had the maximum good experience. The problems were corrected. The recovery was straight forward. Its very unusual in today's medical world to find a Doctor who is expert and professional and super supportive. Dr Dustin has a healing mentality and we are really pleased with the outcome. His staff is a reflection of him. Really fine Doctoring! bob read more

What a terrific staff and wonderful doctor! It was my first visit here, and I was very surprised at how comfortable they made me feel. Despite the fact that I had to have a very painful injection, Dr. Dustin was very attentive to my comfort level and happily distracted me so that I could manage the experience. I feel so lucky to have been referred to this wonderful team! I'm certainly hoping to avoid any further injections, but if that's what it takes, I know I'll be in the right hands! read more

I have had random plantar fasciitis pain for years, nothing horrible. Then, I had a very busy week and my heel started hurting unbearably. I love to run and was very worried that my foot pain was going to hinder my ability to stay active. I was able to get in for an appointment with Dr. Smith and he was extremely relatable and easy to get along with. I could tell he really cared about my situation. He recommended the shot in my heel, I don't love needles but he made the whole thing virtually painless. He said the shot could take up to 5 days to take full effect, and he was completely right, on about day 3 or 4 my heel began to feel brand new! It was AMAZING! I will absolutely go see Dr. Smith again, he was fabulous. If you are having any foot pain do yourself a favor and go see Dr. Smith at Alvera Podiatry. read more

So today was my first visit to a podiatrist for an ingrown toe nail...I've always been able to take care of it myself, but this was one different. The pain was excruciating and it was clearly infected. Dr. Dustin's receptionist was so sweet and fit me in at the end of the day and kept reassuring me that the doctor was amazing and I was going to be in good hands(she heard my tears and fear through the phone). When I got there I was petrified...I even had to take a shot of tequila in the parking lot haha! Dr. Dustin was so nice! He explained how I got it, what he was going to do, how to avoid it and that he was going to be my new best friend when it was done. Literally 10 seconds he cut the nail pulled out the ingrown part and then moved to the other side and did the same thing....no pain just ridiculous laughs at how much I worked myself up for nothing! The staff was great, the location was super clean, and I found my new best friend podiatrist! Thanks Alvera Podiatry! read more

Dr. Dustin is great! Nice, funny and super helpful and informative. He's helped me out a few times with ankle problems and I definitely recommend him to anyone. read more

Ive been in to Dr. Dustin several times. Once when I could barely walk because I tore my plantar faciitis in a race. He worked to get me healed and was patient and kind. He actually WANTED me to run again, rather than telling me "oh it's "overuse" and you need to take 3 months off. He measured me a great set of orthoticss, made sure I had the correct running shoes as I didn't once I received the new orthotics and now I'm proud to say that I've ran 3 marathons in 5 months. I"m absolutely pain free thanks to Dr. Dustin. His bed side manner is warm and you even forget he's a doctor because he's so friendly. Don't let the great personality fool you, he is extremely knowledgeable and can fix your foot problem. I highly recommend Dr. Dustin and he will be my foot doctor for as long as I'm running! read more