Dental care in Palo Alto

Palo Alto has dental offices in nearly every commercial strip, from Middlefield Road in Midtown to the medical buildings along El Camino Real. Some are long-running solo practices and others belong to regional groups or national chains. Specialists for braces and root canals are here too, so most residents can get routine and specialty care without leaving town.

This guide groups the dental offices in our business directory by type and area. Each listing links to a directory page with hours, languages and the sources we checked. We do not rank, review or compare dentists on quality and we do not list fees. The descriptions below summarize what each practice says about itself. Use them as a starting point and talk to the office directly.

How to choose a dentist

There is no single right choice. These neutral questions help you find an office that fits your situation.

1. Insurance. Dental plans differ widely. Some offices are in network with many PPO plans, some bill out of network and file claims for you and some take no insurance. Check your plan's network with your insurer and confirm with the office before your first visit.
2. Location and hours. Pick an office near home, work or school. Note which days it is open, since several practices close one weekday.
3. Languages. Several offices list staff who speak Spanish, Mandarin, Taiwanese, Persian or other languages.
4. Family needs. Some offices see all ages. Others focus on adults or on children.
5. Licensing. The Dental Board of California licenses dentists and offers a public license lookup.
6. Records. Ask your previous dentist to send x-rays and records so you do not repeat them.

General and family dentists: Middlefield Road

Middlefield Road has the largest group of general dental offices, from the downtown edge at Channing Avenue to Midtown.

• Gentle Dental, 853 Middlefield Road, Suite 1. The Palo Alto office of a regional chain at Channing Avenue, open six days with general, kids' and specialty care. It lists acceptance of most dental plans and many Medicare Advantage plans.
• Mary Qian Dental Group, 888 Middlefield Road. A general and cosmetic dental office offering cleanings, crowns, implants, veneers and emergency visits. It bills out of network and files claims for patients.
• Palo Alto Dental Wellness, 2700 Middlefield Road. A family and cosmetic practice in Midtown led by Dr. Amrit K. Singh, with a stated focus on prevention. Evening and Saturday visits are by appointment.

See our Midtown guide for parking and nearby shops.

General and family dentists: Alma Street, Birch Street and El Camino Real

• Palo Alto Smiles, 2235 Alma Street. A family and cosmetic practice with early weekday hours starting at 7:30 a.m. and Saturday visits by appointment. It works with most PPO plans on a fee-for-service basis and does not take HMO plans or Medi-Cal.
• Blue Turtle Dental, 2290 Birch Street, Suite A. The Palo Alto office of a family dental group with offices in four Peninsula and South Bay cities. It lists general, emergency and cosmetic care and Spanish-speaking staff. It is open Tuesday to Friday.
• Palo Alto Advanced Dentists, 4191 El Camino Real. A family-run general and implant practice at this address since 2005, open Monday to Saturday. It lists most major PPO plans and staff who speak English, Spanish, Chinese, Persian and other languages.

Birch Street and Alma Street are close to the California Avenue district, which has public garages.

Pediatric dentistry

Pediatric dentists complete extra training after dental school to treat infants, children and teens. Many families also take children to a family dentist.

• Sunrise Pediatric Dentistry, 2233 Alma Street. A pediatric office near Jerry Bowden Park run by board-certified pediatric dentist Dr. Sheila Nguyen. It sees infants, children and teens and bills out of network, filing PPO claims for families.
• Gentle Dental on Middlefield Road also lists kids' care among its services.

Families new to Palo Alto may also find our guide to Palo Alto public schools useful, since schools sometimes ask about dental checkups for younger students.

Orthodontists

Orthodontists specialize in straightening teeth and correcting bites with braces and clear aligners. All three practices below treat both children and adults.

• Lee & Woo Orthodontics, 4157 El Camino Way, Suite C. The Palo Alto office of a practice with branches in Milpitas and San Mateo. It offers braces and Invisalign, a complimentary first visit and a doctor who speaks Taiwanese and Mandarin.
• Palo Alto Orthodontics, 454 Forest Avenue. Dr. Jenny Yoo's downtown practice, offering braces and Invisalign for children from age 7, teens and adults, with in-house financing.
• Silicon Valley Orthodontics, 1865 El Camino Real. Dr. Eric Wu's practice, formerly Wu Orthodontics, with braces, clear aligners and a free consultation that needs no referral.

Root canal specialists

Endodontists specialize in the inside of the tooth, including root canal treatment and retreatment. General dentists often refer patients to them for complex cases.

• Endodontic Associates of Palo Alto, 420 Cambridge Avenue, Suite 5. A practice with three endodontists, formerly called Javidan Endodontics, that lists GentleWave technology. It books by phone, email or online form.
• Endodontic Health of Palo Alto, 3525 Alma Street. Dr. Tri Huynh's practice, offering root canals, retreatment, apicoectomy and care for cracked or injured teeth, with digital x-ray and on-site CBCT imaging.

Your first visit

New patient appointments in Palo Alto usually run longer than a routine cleaning. Plan for paperwork and x-rays unless your old office has sent recent ones.

• Book ahead. Popular early morning and Saturday slots fill first.
• Bring your insurance card and a list of medications. The office will ask about your health history.
• Ask about billing. Find out whether the office bills your plan directly or asks you to pay and claim reimbursement.
• Check the contact method. Some offices book online, some by phone and some by text. The directory pages note what each one lists.

Parking varies. Offices on El Camino Real and Middlefield Road often have small lots. Downtown offices rely on street parking and city garages, which our parking guide explains.

Dental emergencies

Several general offices, including Blue Turtle Dental and Mary Qian Dental Group, list emergency or same-day visits during office hours. Call your own dentist first, since many offices keep time for existing patients. If a dental injury comes with other serious injuries, heavy bleeding or trouble breathing, call 911. Our urgent care and emergency room guide explains the options.

Insurance and payment

Dental insurance usually comes as a PPO or DHMO plan, often through an employer. Offices in Palo Alto handle it in different ways, as the practice descriptions above show. A few practical points:

• Ask whether the office is in network with your specific plan, not just your insurance company.
• Ask for a written treatment estimate before major work.
• If you have no dental insurance, ask about in-office plans. Gentle Dental lists one, called the Gentle Dental Smile Plan.
• Older adults can find help with Medicare questions through our resources for older adults guide.

Frequently asked questions