
Hospital Dentistry Service
The UCSF Hospital Dentistry Service is staffed by hospital-trained dentists and residents of the General Practice Residency program, who provide dental care in an operating room to adult special needs patients under general anesthesia.
We offer limited general dentistry services to patients whose physician has identified general anesthesia as a medical necessity for all phases of their dental treatment, including routine exams. This may be because an underlying medical condition or developmental disability makes it unsafe to be seen as an outpatient, or because other behavior management tools, such as moderate sedation, have failed in the past.
Patients who meet initial criteria for treatment are generally phobic, developmentally disabled and medically complex. Screenings are held once a month for patients who meet initial criteria for acceptance.
Our service is a collaboration between the UCSF Health and the UCSF School of Dentistry. For more information about dental care at UCSF, see the Dental Center website.
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Plan your visit
What to Bring
- Photo I.D.
- Health insurance card
- Insurance authorization, if required
- Doctor's referral, if required
- Recent test results related to your condition
- List of your medications, including dosages, plus any you're allergic to
- List of questions you may have
- Device or paper for taking notes

International Services
If you live in another country and are coming to UCSF for medical
treatment, our patient liaisons can help coordinate all aspects of your visit.

Interpreters
UCSF offers language services at no charge for patients with limited
English, as well as for patients who are deaf or have trouble hearing.

Hospital Stays
Checking into the hospital? Find helpful information by clicking on the relevant “Your Hospital Stay” booklet: Mission Bay, Parnassus or Mount
Zion.

Your Doctor Visit
See our top 10 tips for making your UCSF doctor’s appointment as stress-free and productive as possible.
Learn moreOur research initiatives
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UCSF School of Dentistry Research
The UCSF School of Dentistry leads research projects in areas such as head and neck cancers, disorders of the skull and face, and oral health care disparities, with the overall goal of improving patient care.