SF doctor/dentist?

November 30, 2005 7:53 AM

SF doctor/dentist recommendations?

I'm moving to San Francisco. Can anyone recommend a good internist/general practicioner and a good dentist convenient to downtown SF (Union Square)?

posted by nyterrant to Health & Fitness (10 answers total)

Response by poster: (Email's in my profile in case that's more convenient)
posted by nyterrant at 7:54 AM on November 30, 2005

Man... I totally thought you were looking for a science fiction doctor/dentist... San Francisco is a bit of a downer.
posted by antifuse at 8:27 AM on November 30, 2005

i used to go to Dr. Gamboa for my dental needs. i never had any serious dental problems, so most of them are consultation as well as cleaning and checkups, but he is very professional and friendly. his staff are all nice and friendly, too.
his office is on 133 Kearny St. Suite 301, right by Union Square/FiDi. his phone number is [phone].

i stopped going because my current dental insurance isn't accepted but i have a weird one, and i think he accepts most of it.

before i moved to my current neighborhood, i went to the office of dr. yuly vilderman. they're just like regular dental office but i remember the cost being extremely cheap (i have 4 wisdom teeth i have been procrastinating to get rid of, and in the past, i was quoted to pay about 1000 USD for all 4, but vilderman's office quoted about 250 USD.)

as for general practitioner, i hate going to doctor's office since it's like walking into a bacterial war zone and i avoid it at all cost, so i don't have any recommendation here.
posted by grafholic at 8:41 AM on November 30, 2005

For a dentist I highly recommend Derrick Chan. His office is in the Richmond. He is extremely (almost obsessively) thorough, but also a nice guy. His office is always very clean, and he has the full range of new gear (you can watch on a big LCD as he pokes around your mouth with a little camera). He's done a filling and a crown for me, and is also the dentist for a number of my friends and family. I'm just sad that I've left town and now have to find a new dentist.
posted by Lazlo Hollyfeld at 8:48 AM on November 30, 2005

I love my GP, David R. Senechek -- he's the best doctor I've ever had. But he's out in Laurel Village -- not all that convenient to downtown/US.

I really should see a dentist sometime.
posted by trip and a half at 8:55 AM on November 30, 2005

My sister recommends Dr. Lydia Wong (and everyone else) at 712 Sansome Street (415.421.0550). They should do anything you might need right there, as they have 3 or 4 dentists in a variety of specialties. And apparently the dentists themselves do the cleanings.
posted by hartsell at 9:25 AM on November 30, 2005

Dentist: My family has been going to Dr. Dan Barry (and his dad, now retired) for over twenty years. He rocks so much that even though I now live on the East Coast I still make appointments with him for checkups when I'm home at Christmas. He's at 450 Sutter, one block up and one block over from Union Square.
posted by ereshkigal45 at 9:29 AM on November 30, 2005

I love my doctor - Dr. Stephen Knox. He is at the Castro campus of Davies/CPMC. I've had good experiences with the other docs in the practice as well. My husband and I both see him and both recommend him enthusiastically. His practice is a lot of gay men and gay men's health issues so if that makes you uncomfortable - you might want to look elsewhere. The last time I was there the staff had a sign up that said they weren't taking new HMO patients. So if you aren't rocking the PPO - you may want to ask about that if you call.
Welcome to SF!
posted by Wolfie at 9:51 AM on November 30, 2005

I recently learned that my dentist is moving to Arizona, so that's out. But if you ever need a root canal, I have a specialist for you: Dr. Ralan Wong in Laurel Village. Not super close to Union Square, but easy to get to. Hopefully you'll never need to go see the man. I needed an emergency root canal once, and he was able to see me that same day, and did me right. He's not cheap, but he's very, very good.
posted by ambrosia at 11:07 AM on November 30, 2005

This website can be helpful for evaluating doctors.

And Dr. Oogle is decent for finding dentists.
posted by Amizu at 12:56 PM on November 30, 2005