- Chua Family Dental understands that the patient's time is valuable. Offering comprehensive dental care with expertise in everything from oral surgeries to Invisalign, you will find all of your needs met in office and scheduled with ease. Whether you have a routine check up or a dental emergency, Dr. Chua is always available and accommodating.
- Implant DentistryDr. Derrick Chua, Dmd - San Francisco. Dental implants are the most natural-feeling and longest-lasting replacement option for broken or missing teeth. Dr. Chua specializes in this minimally-invasive procedure, offering in-house dental implants, from start to finish, and for a fixed price that covers all the necessary work, as well as two years of follow-up appointments. Implants are a reliable, long-term solution for a variety of dental problems, and Dr. Chua will work closely with you to determine if implants are the best option for your condition.
- Cosmetic DentistryIn San Francisco. Through a free Smile Analysis, Dr. Chua can help you pinpoint what's affecting your smile satisfaction, and build a plan with you to fix problem areas you want to improve. After providing excellent in-house cosmetic dental services, we're certain you'll walk out feeling as confident as ever. Dr. Chua's technology makes designing smiles easier and less hassle-some, his technology enables him to scan smiles quickly and with precision that goopy molds couldn't before. I just scanned a Google executives' teeth in less than 5 minutes so he can get clear aligners made so he can get his teeth straightened without braces. The technology available for cosmetic procedures is amazing!
- Emergency ServicesIn San Francisco. Chua Family Dental ensures that help is always available to patients, especially in scary or painful emergency situations. We manage our practice schedule so we can accommodate patients' immediate needs such as root canal therapies, fixing broken teeth, and refilling lost, with minimal waiting time. Dr. Chua is available to his patients around the clock, leaving his personal cell phone number on the front desk answering machine in case of an emergency.
- Wisdom Tooth ExtractionsIn San Francisco. Wisdom teeth growing in can cause damage to nearby teeth, disease, infection, or tooth crowding. Dr. Chua performs routine examinations as this happens between the ages of 17 and 25 on regular patients, and he may recommend an extraction. It's very important to remove impacted, or stuck, wisdom teeth as they grow to prevent damage to your bite or jaw. He takes the time to educate you on every step of the process to make you as comfortable as possible. Wisdom tooth removals are performed in Chua Family Dental office under local anesthesia. For patients suffering from jaw or tooth pain due to wisdom teeth coming in, we want you to know we're an affordable solution with a talented dentist with years of experience helping people.
- Comprehensive Dental CareIn San Francisco. Dr. Chua and the Chua Family Dental team are here to meet your needs, whatever they may be. Dr. Chua has trained with some of the top cosmetic and restorative dentists in the country, and he continues to participate in continuing education to better himself as a health professional. Through routine cleanings, flossing, and digital xrays, Dr. Chua maintains his patients' oral health and educates them on preventative practices. He is gentle, kind, understanding, and takes all the time necessary to ensure that his patients leave the office feeling good. Many of his patients have been visiting his practice for decades - first visiting when his mother managed it. Dr. Chua treats patients like family and can address most dental problems and concerns in-house. If you're looking for dental care services that aren't listed here, call our office to find out if we offer them!
- The Latest TechnologyIn San Francisco. Dr. Chua has invested in some of the best, most advanced dental technologies on the market to make care for his patients even more comfortable, efficient and affordable. One of the most helpful technologies that's a recent addition to his office is the Trios IntraOral CAD/CAM. It's a 3D mouth scanner that can take high quality scans of patients' mouths so they can avoid having mouths full of goop for 10+ minutes. "Now I can save my patients time and get a much more accurate digital impression in less than five minutes. The results are emailed to the lab instantly so it decreases case remakes and turnaround time."
- What are dental implants?Implants are artificial roots surgically placed in the jaw. A false tooth can be anchored to the implant, giving the replacement the look, feel, and strength of a natural tooth. Implants are a reliable and minimally-invasive way of replacing your tooth's root, leaving you with a natural bite and an improved smile. Implants are as close to a natural tooth as modern dentistry can provide.
- How do I know if dental implants are right for me?Implants are for anyone looking for a strong, predictable restoration that they can count on for the rest of their life. For patients with missing teeth, this is the most natural restoration option available. For patients with broken or damaged teeth, an implant can cost roughly the same as a root canal, build-up, and crown—but it will last longer than a standard repair. Implants are a great investment, as they not only replace the tooth, but they keep the bone from shrinking away with old age. They can also be built on in the future, should additional replacements be necessary in the years to come. Implants are the best option for replacing a missing tooth, and a great option for replacing a broken down teeth, as implant yield more predictable results than most treatments. If you still have questions about implants, don't worry. When you come to Dr. Chua for consultation, his top priority is to make sure you are well-informed and that you've gone over everything before you proceed. He wants to make sure every patient is happy with the service he provides, so he'll take the time to answer all of your questions and make sure you understand your options and how he can help.
- How do dental implants work? What is the surgery like?Dental implants are very straightforward. We make a small incision in the gums, and then a small pilot hole. We thread the implants through the pilot hole, and the replacement tooth then screws into the foundation. The surgery is minor, so there is typically no pain at all and very minimal bleeding. Dr. Chua performs guided surgeries, so it's a very predictable and easy procedure. The whole process takes less than 30 minutes, and most patients are talking and ready to return to work immediately after the surgery.
- How much do dental implants costs?Dr. Chua provides full implant services, from consultation to two years of follow-up, for $3200. Some patients will find websites that quote a slightly lower number, but those typically include hidden fees or don't cover consultations, x-rays, and follow-up. Dr. Chua's price covers all the work needed to get the full restoration in place and keep you smiling for years to come. His office is fully equipped to take x-rays, cone-beam ct scans, and 3D intraoral scans, which means you can get the implant, abutment, and crown done all at the same visit. That helps improve the planning from start to finish, and means fewer visits and less hassle. Dr. Chua's price also includes two years of follow-up, so the you'll be able to stay in touch and make sure you're completely satisfied and comfortable with your new smile.
- Are dental implants painful?Most patients experience little to no pain. Recovery time is next to nothing. Once Dr. Chua places the implant, you're done. Most patients don't feel a thing, and are talking and functioning well immediately after the procedure.
- How long do dental implants last?With routine maintenance implants can last a lifetime. The benefit of having an implant is that they don't decay like natural teeth. They're made of medical grade titanium, so there's nothing to decay. The titanium is a very strong substance that is biocompatible with the bone and the body. In fact, once the implants are anchored to the bone, something called osseointegration begins to happen—which means the bone tightens around the implant, making the bond stronger. A major benefit of implants is that, if a patient loses a tooth, Dr. Chua can replace one tooth now and use that same implant 20 years in the future to make a full prosthesis, if necessary. That's how reliable implants are.
- Are dental implants better than dentures?Almost always. There are a number of comfort issues with dentures, but one of the most significant things that sets them apart from implants is that dentures don't use the bone in the jaw, which causes the bone to recede over time. As the bone recedes, the patient's appearance is impacted, and they can begin to have problems eating, chewing, and talking. Implants are bonded with the bone in your jaw, so the bone stays in-use and healthy over time. Of course there are conditions that might impact the efficacy of implants, and not everyone is a candidate—bone cancer or necrosis, for example. In some cases, dentures might be the only, or the more suitable, option. Whatever your condition, Dr. Chua will work closely with you to come up with a solution suited to your particular needs.
- What's the recovery time?Most patients can go right back to their lives immediately after the procedure. Some patients leave the office feeling like nothing happened at all. People tend to be talking and functioning well right after the appointment.
- Are dental implants covered by dental insurance?Most up-to-date insurance companies cover implants. Because implants are so strong and long-lasting, they don't have to be routinely altered or replaced, which ultimately saves money.
- Do dental implants ever fail? Why?Implants usually don't fail. They're successful 98% of the time. The most common problem is that patients will stop brushing—sometimes because they think they don't need to, as implants don't decay. But if patients don't brush, they can still get an infection in the gum and bone called peri-implantitis, which can cause the implants to come out. This problem can be avoided with standard dental hygiene efforts.
- Teeth Whitening
- Invisalign
- Same-day Crowns
- 3D scans (Rather than molds)
- Bridges
- Bonding