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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What is Gum Recession and Gum Graft?

San Francisco dentist treatment for Gum Disease

Having a healthy smile is something that everyone wants to enjoy. But there is one thing that can cause your smile to suffer, gum recession. Gum recession doesn’t happen overnight. The process happens gradually but with biannual dental visits, it can be caught and treated by your dentist.

There are several causes for gum recession. One of them is age. After age 40, you may notice that gum recession may occur even with proper oral care. But for most people, especially those who don’t visit a dentist regularly, receding gums aren’t noticed unless it starts causing other health issues. Another factor that may cause gum recession is brushing your teeth too hard. Brushing aggressively and with an improper technique can lead to both thinning enamel at the gum line and gum recession.

Gum recession can also be caused by untreated periodontal disease and gingivitis as well as eating disorders, chewing tobacco and grinding your teeth. If your gum recession is too far along, this can lead to tooth loss, infections, bad breath, root decay, and painful sensitive roots. There is a dental procedure that your dentist can perform to treat gum recession. It is called gum grafting, which is a procedure where gum tissue is attached to the recession area in order to protect your teeth.

We are here to help Call us at 415-881-4343 or Schedule an Appointment
Depending on the severity of your gum recession, your dentist will use either gum tissue from your mouth or from a gum tissue donor to place at the problem area. In some cases when treated early enough, the roots can be completely covered again. But in all cases, it can help prevent further gum recession.

Because gum grafts are a delicate procedure, one must be careful not to disturb the graft during the early days of healing in order for the graft to heal properly for the best results. Once the graft has healed, you are able to do things as normal. Just make sure that you treat your new and improved gum line with a proper oral hygiene regimen. This means using the correct brushing techniques that your dentist recommends in order to safeguard your gums and teeth from future gum recession.

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5.0

I recently had a dental implant procedure performed by Dr. Arellano.
I could not be more pleased with the results. From the initial consultation to insertion of the implants, Dr. Arellano made this entire procedure understandable, easy, & pain-free !!
Highly recommend this professional dentist.

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