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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The Key Is Early Diagnosis and Oral Hygiene

Diagnosis and Oral Hygiene from dentist in San Francisco

Alicia Periodontal disease, like tooth decay, is a bacterial infection that can cause tooth loss if left untreated. But unlike some diseases that can be cured with a simple vaccination or treatment, there is no cure for periodontal disease. But, it can be controlled. For most people, this means the daily oral hygiene effort and the yearly 3 to 4 special periodontal maintenance cleanings that are needed to adequately control or at best slow down the progression of disease.

Unfortunately, the disease progression is typically slow and chronic so that it can smolder unnoticeably for years. By the time you do notice it, the process is usually further along such that more complex treatment and personal effort may be needed to control it.

On the other hand,fortunately its slow progression allows early diagnosis during your regular dental examinations. When the disease is discovered early, it can be completely reversible. Though later stages can also be controlled, the deterioration that has taken place is usually irreversible making the chance of saving your teeth for a lifetime more unpredictable.

We are here to help Call us at 415-881-4343 or Schedule an Appointment
All treatment options are directed to controlling the bacteria that cause the disease. That makes good daily oral hygiene important in controlling periodontal disease. Because the plaque bacteria grows every day, no in-office dental treatment for periodontal disease will be more effective in saving your teeth for a lifetime than good daily oral hygiene. For without it, even any treatment will fail if inadequate oral hygiene causes the disease to relapse.

But just going through the motions of oral hygiene is not enough. I have found that learning and committing to effective oral hygiene is like learning a foreign language. When I was learning a language in school, the classes were everyday. No one expects to learn a skill by taking a class twice a year. So expect the continued refinement of your oral hygiene technique to require additional appointments as needed so that we can ensure the health and longevity of your teeth and smile. Also, the twice a year simple teeth cleanings are no longer considered adequate or the standard of care anymore for those who need to control their periodontal disease.

Call today for a no-risk complimentary consultation appointment.

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Real Patients Real Results

Before and After Photos

Prepless / No-Prep / Lumineer-Type veneers to close spaces between teeth

Photo by Dr. Leo Arellano

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What our patients are saying...

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5.0

Even after moving to Oakland (and when I lived in Mountain View) I always return to SF to see Dr. Arellano. EVERYONE in the office is top notch!

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