blog | July 24, 2014 – San Francisco, CA

Teeth are one of the most important parts of our bodies. They are where nutrition and digestion begin. We need our teeth for support of a healthy body. When we are missing teeth, our health is ultimately affected, and we become more subconscious about our appearance as well. When we are missing a tooth, the teeth on either side of it eventually shift or lean towards the open space, which further cause dental problems that become more serious. Replacing missing teeth is important in preventing more serious problems down the road, but there is a common myth people have surrounding the costs associated with dental implants. Dental implants are actually more affordable than people think, even in the pricey San Francisco Bay Area!

As one of San Francisco’s top dental implant centers, we’d like to share this quick blog post to help you understand just how affordable dental implants may truly be!

Dental Implants – The Factors Behind the Cost

The cost of dental implant surgery is a combination of many factors. These factors are different for every person, and every dental implant surgery, including the cost, is unique to your individual needs, situation, and financial capability. Below is a breakdown of some of the factors that go into the cost of dental implant surgery.

• The number of teeth being replaced.
• The number of implants required to support your replacement teeth.
• Some additional procedures may be required prior to the placement of your dental implants to ensure the long-term health of your dental implants.
• Surgical procedure
• Attaching the posts and constructing your replacement teeth.
• Diagnostic examination of your mouth.

None of the above factors are cheap, however they are more affordable than you think because at San Francisco Dental we have years of experienced professionals who make it their priority to help patients obtain financing. Like anything, financing is, to a degree, also tailored to you specifically…i.e how much you can afford to pay each month, your current financial expenses, etc. We offer two kinds of special credit/financing that is designed to meet the needs of any financial status.

1. Chase Health Advance
2. CareCredit Cosmetic Financing

With this type of financing, not only can you get an interest free loan for a select amount of time, but often times, they don’t even require a down payment! And the interest rates are what you would expect to pay for traditional types of credit, such as mastercard and visa.

Weighing out the benefits of restoring the health of your mouth with the cost associated with doing so results in a very simple conclusion. It is far better and less expensive to invest now in your oral health now, than it will be to address all of the health issues that will inevitably ensue down the road that will end up costing you way more.

We care about the well-being of our patients oral health, and you see that from the very first visit. We add a personal touch that our patients have raved over for years. Word of mouth from our patients always includes the fact that we aren’t just a sterile office with scalpels in our hands and dollar signs in our eyes, but rather a warm, friendly, and no-nonsense staff that genuinely cares about what is best for our patients. That’s what San Francisco Dental Implant Center is all about.

Call us today at (415) 992-9188 or schedule a free consultation.

blog | July 18, 2014 – San Francisco, CA

Deciding on dental implants is a big decision, not just financially but also emotionally and in terms of your health. Your dentist may have recommended that you get dental implants, or even referred you to a dental implant specialist. But it’s a big decision, one worthy of research.

This quick blog post gives you some tips on selecting the best dental implant center for you, with a focus on the San Francisco Bay Area.

Not All Dental Implant Centers are the Same

These days there are more and more chains out there. There are chains for hamburgers, and chains of superstores like WalMart or Target, there are casual dining chains like Panera or Chipotle. Chains are all well and good, but there are even signs of chains coming to the dental implant business. The first tip is to consider whether something as important as a dental implant or a full mouth dental implant surgery should be left to a “chain” that may be more concerned with profit than with quality. Second, there is not ‘best’ dental implant center in an objective sense, anyway. Each person’s situation is different; each person’s tooth and jaw structure is different. What you want is a dental implant specialist that will work, directly, with you and make expert recommendations rather than someone under a sort of “factory pressure” where “one size fits all.” Finally, a quality dental implant center will specialize in dental implants. Some of the chains do indeed specialize in dental implants, but many practitioners do not specialize in dental implants. Selecting a center that really specializes in dental implants means you are getting not only a center but a surgeon who is a true specialist.

Do your research. Read the reviews. Come in for a free consult, and make sure that the person(s) you speak with will actually be the ones doing your surgery. That’s your best tip for selecting the best dental implant in San Francisco.

Please call us today at (415) 992-9188 or schedule a free consultation.

blog | July 4, 2014 – San Francisco, CA

Unfortunately, many low income residents in San Francisco either do not have the money, or do not have dental insurance to cover some of the costs of their dental care. While we do not offer free services, we want to share a resource list with the San Francisco community of free dental care resources.

This quick blog post will help you find some resources for free dental services in San Francisco, California.

Free, or Low Cost, Dental Care in San Francisco

San Francisco is a city that cares. The city has many homeless shelters, food banks, and even health care resources. Unfortunately, many low income residents do not have access to good dental care. While we are a private practice, we want to support San Francisco with a list of available resources for free dental care in San Francisco.

1. San Francisco Department of Health, Dental Resources – this site lists free dental resources from the city of San Francisco.
2. Native American, Dental Health Resources – resources for native Americans including dental health and dentistry.
3. UCSF Dentistry – students studying dentistry offer low cost services.
4. University of the Pacific – low, and free dental services, also provided by dentistry students.
5. Berkeley Free Clinic – one of the best free resources for dental services is not actually in San Francisco; it’s across the Bay in Berkeley.

Dental Implants: Affordable, even Cheap, Dental Implants

Many people search for ‘cheap dental implants’ and are surprised to learn how affordable they can be. They may be covered by your insurance, or you may qualify for financing options. So in some cases people think that they need free dentistry services (which usually do not cover cosmetic issues) and find out that they can actually afford dental implants.

While we do not offer free services for indigent patients, for those who have some type of income, we may be able to offer affordable dental implants in San Francisco. Regardless, our resource list may help low income residents find inexpensive dental services in San Francisco city and county.