Overview

The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry offers services to treat disease, infection, trauma and pathology involving the mouth and lower half of the face. Faculty members supervise student dentists and residents, and treat patients with special needs. 

    Services

    Our services include routine extraction of teeth, surgical removal of wisdom teeth, dental implants, laser surgery and other surgical procedures in the mouth and surrounding area. These treatments are performed using a combination of local anesthesia, nitrous oxide and IV sedation. 

    Fees and Payment Plans

    We offer comprehensive, quality dental care at reasonable prices. Our fees are 30 – 40% less that the average private dental office in the Bay Area. We accept private insurance, Denti-Cal and major credit cards. Flexible payment options are available for those who are eligible. Patients who are not on a contract payment plan with the dental school for their oral surgery procedures must pay in full at the time of their surgery appointment. 

    Location and Hours

    University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry
    Oral Surgery Clinic
    155 Fifth Street, Third Floor
    San Francisco, CA 94103
    415.929.6473

    Emergency after hours/weekends: 1.888.372.0892

    Fax: 415.749.3305

    Monday – Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.
    Evening Clinic: Mondays and Thursdays, 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm by appointment only with a student dentist. 

    How to Become a Patient

    We accept referrals from outside dentists with a written referral slip and current X-rays. Patients with referrals from an outside dentist may contact the Oral Surgery Clinic directly to schedule a consultation. New patients will receive an oral health examination during their first visit to the Oral Surgery Clinic. Any needed surgical procedures will follow the consultation or will be scheduled for a later date. Your student dentist will discuss your treatment plan, which will be supervised and finalized by an oral surgeon. Treatment details and fees will also be discussed.

    Without a referral, the only way to become a patient is to first visit our drop-in Emergency Clinic for a dental screening. They will perform an examination and take necessary radiographs and when relevant, refer you to the Oral Surgery Clinic. This process taken time and will often lead to the actual treatment to be scheduled for a separate appointment. Also, some insurance plan requires preauthorization to cover treatment and that may take a significant amount of time. For Denti-Cal this authorization procedure currently takes 6 – 8 weeks and sometimes coverage is denied. Denti-Cal will most often deny coverage of wisdom teeth that give no pain and show no disease. In these cases, patients can choose to pay out of pocket for services. 

    What to Expect at Your First Visit

    New patients will receive an oral health examination during their first visit to the Oral Surgery Clinic. Any needed surgical procedures will follow the consultation or will be scheduled for a later date. Your student dentist will discuss your treatment plan, which will be supervised and finalized by an oral surgeon. Treatment details and fees will also be discussed. 

       

      Are you being referred to us by an existing dental provider?

      Crowns and other single restorative procedures: you need to be a patient of record and have all your dental treatment done here; referrals for crowns and other restorative procedures will not be accepted.

      Extractions/Oral Surgery: If you are experiencing dental pain, you can come to our Emergency Services clinic and they can refer you for oral surgery. In non-emergency situations, you must obtain a referral and then call our Oral Surgery Department at 415.929.6473.

      Endodontics: Please obtain a written referral so we have medical documentation of the issue for which you are seeking treatment and then call the main clinic at 415.929.6501 to register for a screening appointment.

      We are not accepting patients at this time for

      • Orofacial Pain
      • Special Care and Hospital Dentistry
      • Periodontics

      Some common orofacial conditions are obstructive sleep disorders and temporomadibular disorders.

      Obstructive sleep disorders, including snoring and sleep apnea, are caused by anatomical obstructions of the airway. Airway obstruction can occur as a result of nasal congestion, swelling, decreased tissue tone, lax musculature, enlarged tongue or tonsils, elongated soft palate, increased body fat and posterior posturing of the jaw.

      Many people experience recurrent pain involving the head, jaw, face and neck. Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a common cause of many of these complaints. Temporomandibular disorders are often referred to as “TMJ.”

      Jaw area pain and dysfunction

      Behavioral Changes
      • Maintain soft diet
      • Avoid excessive jaw function, such as chewing gum
      • Relax or meditate daily
      Health Enhancement
      • Minimize sugar, caffeine and alcohol
      • Apply warm compresses
      • Massage affected area
      • Exercise daily
      • Take nutritional supplements
      • Drink plenty of water
      Postural Correction
      • Maintain teeth apart, relaxed jaw posture
      • Wear night mouth guard
      • Avoid forward head posture
      • Sit in ergonomically designed seat
      • Sleep with head and neck support
      Non-Prescription Medication
      • Anti-inflammatories
      • Sedative herbal teas
      • Antihistamines
      • Topical analgesic creams

      Jaw Related Airway Obstruction

      The following suggestions may help reduce or prevent snoring and sleep apnea:

      Behavioral Changes
      • Minimize exercise before sleep
      • Limit pre-sleep work projects
      • Sleep with head elevated
      • Avoid large meals before bedtime
      • Decrease noise and light
      • Avoid nightly conflict
      Health Enhancement
      • Optimize body weight
      • Exercise daily
      • Minimize sugar, caffeine and alcohol
      • Practice pre-sleep relaxation techniques
      Postural Correction
      • Sleep on your side
      • Sleep with head elevated and neck supported