UCSF Faculty Group Practice

I wanted a second opinion and figured the dental school was a good place to go. I called to make an appointment. The receptionist said she had to check my insurance and would call me back. She never did.
Three weeks later, I called back. This time, a different receptionist did call back a couple of hours after checking my insurance. I told her I wanted a second opinion about a tooth that was giving me a problem. She informed me that because I was a new patient, I would have a full-​mouth exam, and this would cost between $ 130-​$ 140. I filled out the paperwork online describing my issues with this tooth as well as some other issues I was interested in getting another opinion about.
My appointment was with Dr Kanayama. He thoroughly examined the tooth I was complaining about, perhaps more so than the other dentists who had looked at it over the past year. He said I could get the tooth pulled or not, it was up to me, but if I kept I should get a filling in a cavity, which he had just found. He wasn’t very friendly or helpful in providing information to make a decision as to what the best thing to do was. Nor was he helpful in describing how I had reached this condition.
When I asked him about my other teeth, he said that I was only scheduled for a limited oral exam and that he didn’t have time.
I asked the receptionist, who said this was true. I was going to be charged $ 90 for a limited oral exam, whereas the full exam would have cost $ 120. I told her that on the phone I was scheduled for a full exam. She checked with the dentist, who told her he didn’t have time to see me then.
Later, I called back to ask for them to do the right thing and honor what the original receptionist had promised: a full exam (for only the marginal cost over what I was already charged). She said she would check with the dentist and call me back: it was his decision to make. I never received another phone call.
While I felt that the Dr seemed competent and had examined my one tooth thoroughly, I think his bedside manner left something to be desired. He obviously didn’t feel any need to do the right thing by his scheduling department. Customer service is not his strong point.
The receptionist/​scheduling folks at UCSF Faculty Group Practice are incompetent.
I would avoid them.

If you want great quality dental treatment with no gimmick go to UCSF Faculty Practice Clinic.
I know a lot of people have bad experience at the Student and Resident Clinics, we all know they are on training so don’t go there go to the Faculty Clinic instead!
How many if you had been to a dentist for cleaning and xray and the dentist didn’t even see you or greet you? And how many of you went to a private dental practice the person who cleaned your teeth are the dental assistant not the dentist him/​herself?
How many you went to a dentist for cleaning and they say «oh you have to go back for deep cleaning, today we are only gonna do basic cleaning» and you were like «huh?»
Then you know the dentist is about to rip you off cause they know your insurance doesn’t cover the deep cleaning or whatever the deep cleaning is!
Well let me tell you about UCSF Faculty dental practice: I went to see Dr. Kanayama today for cleaning and X-​ray. For couple years I have not been to a dentist due to my insurance and the cost of out of pocket for just cleaning and X-​ray in San Francisco is ridiculous! Once I got rip off two years ago at one of the dentist practice in Union Square, where the dentist (dental assistant the dentist didn’t even have any decency to see me or greet me) told me that I need to come back for deep cleaning another time and that will cost me $ 800 and that she only did «light cleaning» which means she did put a tooth paste and rubbed it on my teeth and call it a day.
Now let’s get back to Dr. Kanayama: he is an amazing dentist! He himself did my cleaning and I can feel he really cares about his patient! He did deep cleaning and explained to me what I need! No bs! In the end he told me that my teeth are normal but need some fillings so I need to make another appointment. No big deal! The staff, the assistant all of them are very helpful and professional! 5 stars to Dr. Kanayama and his team!!!

Positive:
++I called at 7:45am, scheduled a same day visit for 10am, seen at 10:30.
Not enough time left for treatment. I Asked if can Return at 1:30 for the opening for actual procedure. They accommodated.
++ Resident dentist ++competent, done at 3. Little rough composite but overall acceptable contact form function
Negative:
– gum swollen next day, found gum ulcerated on cheek side
Lymph node swollen, concerned if tooth was dying and need for RCT, picked up Atb and went for check up
–10 day later– healed finally from Assistant suction gum trauma
Opinion:
Competent clinician, need to train assistant. Would have made a better experience.

Dr. Brear is outstanding and the dental hygienist, Andrew Lee, is absolutely superb! UCSF now has a digital x-​ray imaging system as opposed to the film version. The digital image can be magnified for a detailed assessment of your teeth. I was told that the new digital x-​ray imaging system exposes the patients to less x-​rays than the older film version. They also have a great computer based system to record the status of each tooth. This dental practice is the best that I’ve experienced so far in my 30+ years of dental care.