Best Dentist in San Diego, CA 

At the Dentistry Collective, we believe you deserve a San Diego dentist who can give you the professional oral health treatment you need for healthy gums and teeth.  

The minute you walk into our dental office, a warm, friendly, and supportive team member will take care of all your concerns about your dental work, whether it is a routine exam or a dental emergency.  Dr. Timothy Garofolo or Dr. Samir Merchant will provide you with the highest quality of dental care. 

Our Dental Services 

Regular checkups to evaluate your oral health, identify potential dental problems, and address any existing issues with your gums and teeth will ensure a beautiful smile. We offer numerous dental services to establish healthy gums and teeth. But that’s only the beginning. Besides serving you with the latest dental technology, we offer a comprehensive list of general dentistry treatments, cosmetic dentistry treatments, and dental implant treatments.  

Dental Technology 

We use the latest and best dental technology to get a superior visualization of your gums, soft tissue, and teeth. We take high-quality dental photographs to assess your oral health and get excellent digital dental impressions of your teeth.  How often you need x-rays will depend on your dental history and frequency of visits. While people with no current gum disease or dental problems may only need x-rays once a year, others with dental issues may need them every six months. 

We also have a CT scan machine. Only a small minority of the dental offices in the country have this technology that can diagnose the entire skeletal structures that are associated with the teeth in a 3-dimensional view.  Dental X-rays only offer a 2D image, whereas a CT scan gives us a more realistic, 3D image which allows us to see a more comprehensive area. We’ve actually diagnosed diseases like abscesses, infections and pathology that most general dentists can’t see.

General Dentistry / Family dentistry 

The dentists and the dental hygienists, will do a comprehensive examination for any signs of gingivitis, tooth damage, or other oral diseases. They will then discuss what specific treatment you may need. 

Here is a quick overview of some general dentistry services you may need after an examination: 

• Preventative Care: The American Dental Association recommends that you get routine checkups with cleanings once or twice a year. If you have periodontal disease, you should have your teeth cleaned even up to four times a year to prevent recurring infections. 
• Endodontics (Root canal): Tooth decay can affect the inner nerve of a tooth causing sensitivity to temperature, pressure or pain.  The infected nerve necrosis over time and may cause abscesses or infections in the surrounded jaws or sinuses.  Root canal therapy cleans out the infection inside the root and seals it off to prevent further infection.  This is a successful way to save and preserve the tooth vs extracting it.
• Implants:   Dental Implants are titanium posts that get surgically placed in areas where teeth are missing.  Dental Implants are a great way to restore those areas while preserving the bone and adjacent tooth structure.
• Dentures: Full or partial dentures fix the problems caused by missing teeth and restore chewing, digestion, and speech. 
• Periodontal disease treatment:  Calculus, plaque and bacteria causes gingivitis and  periodontal disease.  Symptoms may include bleeding gums, hyper-sensitivity, and bone loss.  At The Dentistry Collective, we offer many solutions to address this common problem. We will also advise you on the best oral hygiene you should adopt at home to reduce gum disease.
• Oral surgery: This may be necessary to remove wisdom teeth or unrestorable teeth.  Bone grafting of extraction sites can preserve tooth structure to allow for dental implants down the road. 
• Dental crowns: A dental crown will cover the entire surface of a tooth to restore its original shape. Crowns are necessary for broken teeth, decayed teeth, and old, fractured fillings.  We also use Dental Veneers for cosmetic enhancements
• Cosmetic Dentistry:  Patients often refer to Dr. Timothy Garofolo, who is a Cerec, Galileos CT Scan, and Invisalign certified professional, as the best cosmetic dentist in San Diego because of his skills. He’s particularly proficient at teeth whitening, Invisalign, porcelain veneers, and same-day smile makeovers. 

Here is a quick overview of some cosmetic dentistry treatments:

• Teeth whitening: Professional teeth whitening is far superior to at-home teeth bleaching kits and well worth getting done, particularly if you want long-term success. Besides inspiring more self-confidence, a beautiful smile will help you build personal and professional relationships.  
• Invisalign: This is a tooth-straightening, orthodontic treatment for adults and children. Clear plastic aligners gradually shift teeth back to their correct position. You can remove them when eating or cleaning and you need to change them every two weeks. 
• Porcelain veneers: Extremely thin veneers made of porcelain can be custom-made to fit teeth. Once bonded to the front of teeth, they create a beautiful, natural smile. These are generally done in JUST ONE VISIT, vs having to wear plastic temporary teeth.  All of the work is done in house and chairside so there is very little guesswork by outsourcing to a lab.
• Smile makeovers: A beautiful smile is possible using various cosmetic dental procedures. We use combinations of dental implants, composite bonding, or dental veneers to create a natural-looking smile makeover. People you meet will believe that you were born with beautiful, healthy, well-aligned white teeth.

Dental Implants 

Implant dentistry is the best way to restore missing teeth.  Problems caused by missing teeth can affect normal functions like biting, chewing, digestion, speech, and lack of confidence in smiling.  Dental Implants alleviate all of those problems. 

If you have missing teeth, an implant dentist in San Diego can surgically place the  dental implant into your jawbone and restore it with a customized crown. Dental implants are a durable, comfortable and practical solution for adults who have lost either a single tooth, or multiple teeth.  Dental implants performed at The Dentistry Collective are placed with the final aesthetic result at the highest priority.  Implants can also be used to replace multiple teeth or even secure a full set of dentures for a more permanent and comfortable solution.

No Insurance? No Problem! 

If you don’t have insurance, you can still get a beautiful smile or dental treatment from an affordable dentist in San Diego. We offer an in-house insurance program for you to receive dental care throughout the year. For $349 a year, you can receive two dental cleanings, two fluoride treatments, two comprehensive examinations (including x-rays), one CT scan, and one emergency examination. You will also receive a 20% discount on all our other general dental services. 

Patient Testimonials 

Yelp’s business dentist reviews in San Diego for general and cosmetic dentistry mention The Dentistry Collective.  

Here, for example, are two patient testimonials: 

“Dr.Tim and his team are amazing! They are professional but provide an approachable and relaxing environment.”  

“Dr. Garofolo is highly intelligent, quick on the uptake and is exceptionally friendly and easy to talk to.”  

Our San Diego Dental Office  

If you are doing a Google search for a “dentist near me,” or for a “dentist in San Diego, California,” you will find many listings, such as “holistic dentist in San Diego,” “sedation dentist, San Diego,” and even “cheap dentist, San Diego.” However, it’s important that you go to a dentist who has both a formal, professional education and years of experience to offer you the best dental work. In other words, don’t let marketing buzzwords fool you. 

Our dental practice, The Dentistry Collective, founded in 2007 by Dr. Timothy Garofolo, is a professional office with the latest technology and board-certified dentists and hygienists. However, our office is not a cold, impersonal clinic.  We have a friendly and calming atmosphere.  Our top priority is the patient experience and we don’t even call our patients “patients”, we call them our GUESTS.   We know how scary it is for many people to visit a dentist, so we go out of our way to be as kind, caring, and supportive as possible. We want to make your visit as comfortable and pain-free as possible. 

Why The Dentistry Collective? 

We have many compassionate team members and use the best dental health technology and treatment protocols to improve guest services in San Diego, CA. Guests have mentioned on review sites that our dental group is among the best dental clinics in San Diego. We are proud of our five-star reviews on a variety of social media and consumer review websites. 

Schedule a Reservation With Us 

Dr. Garofolo, a top emergency dentist in San Diego, and his team will provide you with comprehensive dentistry services in a comfortable office equipped with state-of-the-art technology. Please call 858-451-2555 to book a reservation.  

Our office hours are Monday from 7 am to 6 pm, Tuesday from 8 am to 7 pm, Wednesday from 8 am to 7 pm, Thursday from 7 am to 6 pm, and Friday from 7am to 6 pm. You can also fill out an online form on our Book a Reservation web page. Call or book an online reservation with us today. We want to help you improve your oral health.