Our community has been through a lot due to the ongoing pandemic, and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines. While many things have changed, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your health and safety.

Infection control has always been a top priority of our dental practice, and you may have seen that we take great pride in this. Our infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it’s both safe and comfortable. We want to tell you about the infection control procedures we follow in our practice to keep the patients, staff, and the ones we come in contact with in our daily lives safe.

Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up-to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued.

Upon the emergence of COVID-19, here are some additional measures we take to ensure your safety:
  • Our office will communicate with you beforehand to ask some screening questions. You’ll be asked those same questions again when you are in the office, and we will be taking your temperature. Based on your answers and if your temperature is 100.4°F or higher, we will need to reschedule your appointment.
  • We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when you enter the office. You will also find some in other places in the office for you to use as needed.
  • You may see that our waiting room will no longer offer magazines, children’s toys and so forth, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect. Similarly, please limit the personal belongings that you bring inside to your appointment.
  • Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients when possible. That might mean that you’re offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment. Please respect the social distancing requirement of 6 feet where practical.
  • We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time. To that end, please consider calling from your car to check on the status of the reception area and be on time. Also, please come alone to your appointments. If needed, one guardian/caretaker is permitted, but they must remain in the reception area.
  • Please arrive with face masks/coverings for they will be required at all times for both patients and staff when appropriate.
  • An antiseptic mouth rinse will be used just prior to treatment for the health and safety of all. Where possible, expect changes in how we do certain procedures to eliminate or reduce the spread of aerosols and splatter during treatment. For example, for now we will be temporarily eliminating ultrasonic tools and teeth polishing during your teeth cleaning appointments until further notice.
  • Clear sneeze guard barriers between you and our front desk personnel will be used to aid in social distancing, and we ask that we all limit our conversations to what’s necessary to limit contact time. More regular and frequent sanitizing of high touch areas and items will be done for your health and safety. This includes door and other handles, light switches, countertops, etc.
We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. To make an appointment, please call our office at 415-752-8311 .

Thank you for being our patient. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors, and friends.

Sincerely,
Dr. Leo Arellano

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Find comfortable, effective relief from sleep apnea in San Francisco

Find comfortable, effective relief from sleep apnea in San Francisco

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), insufficient sleep is a public health epidemic. Lack of sleep has been linked to industrial disasters, motor vehicle wrecks, and other serious occupational errors, such as in the field of medicine. Additionally, insufficient sleep has been linked to serious conditions such as increased mortality, cancer, obesity, depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, lack of productivity, and a reduced quality of life. Insufficient sleep can be caused by a number of things, but sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea play a significant role. Fortunately, people in San Francisco can turn to Dr. Leo Arellano for relief from this extremely serious condition.

What is sleep apnea?

OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) is a condition in which an individual stops breathing while sleeping; there can be hundreds of these episodes per night. These pauses in breathing are known as apneas or apneic events. The word apnea (Gk, a – “absence of” + pnoē – “breathing”) literally means absence of breathing. Absence of airflow for 10 seconds or longer is considered an apneic event.

An apneic event occurs as follows:

  • Air passes through the upper airway (mouth, nose, and throat) on its path to the lungs
  • Normally, the soft tissue in the throat collapses inward during a breath
  • Dilator muscles widen this gap, keeping the airway open by working against the collapse. Abnormalities or interference cause turbulence in the airflow
  • If the throat tissue collapses, and the airway becomes blocked momentarily; an apneic event occurs and breathing pauses
  • The lack of oxygen causes the brain to send out distress signals, and the sleeper, although unaware of it, partially wakens and resumes breathing. This is typically accompanied by sounds of gasping or snorting
We are here to help Call us at 415-881-4343 or Schedule an Appointment

Symptoms and causes

The common symptoms of this disorder include morning headaches and dry mouth, excessive daytime fatigue or sleepiness, irritability, depression, impaired mental function, and loud interrupted snoring. OSA can be caused by a number of conditions including:

  • Weakness or abnormalities in the muscles surrounding the airway
  • Abnormalities in the structure of the airway, face, or skull
  • Enlarged tongue or tonsils
  • Conditions such as acromegaly, retrognathia, or micrognathia
  • Gender, age, ethnicity, family history, obesity, physical characteristics, medical conditions, smoking, and alcohol use also play a role in the occurrence of OSA

A CPAP (Continuous Positive Airflow Pressure) device is commonly prescribed to treat moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea. This treatment requires the patient to wear a nose mask that delivers a steady stream of air to prevent the airway from collapsing. Although CPAP is effective, patient compliance is low due to discomfort and inconvenience.

A comfortable oral appliance is a comfortable, convenient, effective alternative to CPAP for patients with mild to moderate OSA and for those who cannot tolerate CPAP. At times it can be effective in even severe OSA. There are several different styles of dental devices available, and
Dr. Arellano chooses the appropriate type for the individual situation.

The doctor and his team use their skills, training, and experience to help San Francisco sleep better. Call 415-881-4343 today to schedule a consultation.

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Real Patients Real Results

Before and After Photos

Full Reconstruction with Veneers, Crowns and Partial Denture

Photo by Dr. Leo Arellano

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What our patients are saying...

originally posted on Google
5.0

Highly recommend Dr Arellano’s practice.
Dr. Arellano and his staffs are pros and with long experience. It’s your true dentist next door. You can see from pictures hanged on the walk that most, if not all, of his staffs have been working with him for ages. It speaks for itself for how well Arellano DDS PC is!

Have been patronizing this place for many years. Back then I used to live in the same neighborhood. Their service is so good that even after I moved to a new neighborhood that’s super far away from here I still continue to come here for all my dental care.

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