We prioritize local relevance, review strength, service breadth, access, price clarity, and patient experience signals.
At A Glance
Mesa Dental is the strongest overall starting point in San Diego if you want a dependable option for orthodontics.
Fifth Avenue Dental Arts has the deepest documented patient-feedback history on this page — useful when you want the most established track record before narrowing.
Floss in La Jolla is a stronger first look if weekend availability matters more than weekday convenience.
Smyleee Ratings are editorial signals based on reviews, quality of care, and patient feedback. Close scores should be treated as broadly comparable.
General Dentists Costs in San Diego, California (2026)
Approximate price ranges — may vary by provider and insurance plan
ProcedureTypical Cost
Initial exam & consultation$75 – $200
Dental cleaning (adult)$100 – $300
Dental X-rays (full mouth)$100 – $250
Tooth filling (composite)$150 – $400
Tooth extraction (simple)$150 – $350
Dental crown (porcelain)$800 – $2,500
Root canal (front tooth)$700 – $1,200
Deep cleaning (per quadrant)$200 – $400
Price ranges reflect typical San Diego, California pricing as of 2026. Actual costs vary by provider, complexity, and insurance coverage. Contact clinics directly for personalized quotes.
Prices verified Jul 15, 2026
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6215, Beadnell Way, Clairemont, San Diego, California
Closed · Opens tomorrow at 8 AM
Documented for orthodontics in San Diego, with general dentistry on the service list and 29 procedures on file.
More about general dentistry at this clinicHide
Dental sealants for paediatric preventive care, braces and Invisalign for orthodontic management, and family dental care make this Clairemont Mesa practice a comprehensive household dental option.
Services:General DentistryFamily Dental CareBracesCosmetic Dentistry+25 more
Offers General DentistrySmyleee 99/1004.9★ · 1.8k reviews
Why includedIncluded because this clinic directly offers General Dentistry, 4.9★ Google rating across 1,808 verified reviews, and Smyleee Rating 99/100.
245, 8899, University Center Lane, University City, San Diego, California
Closed · Opens tomorrow at 8 AM
Invisalign focus in San Diego, with general dentistry listed among 15 documented services.
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<p>David Eshom, DDS is at suite 245, 8899 University Center Lane in University City — a location in the UTC corridor near the University Towne Centre business and shopping district, accessible from La Jolla, University City, and Torrey Pines. Dr. Eshom has practiced cosmetic and general dentistry in this part of San Diego for twenty years, building a patient base in the UTC and University City professional and academic community.</p>
<p>Cosmetic dentistry is the stated clinical focus over twenty years in the UTC market. The University City and La Jolla demographic — which includes UCSD faculty and staff, biotech and pharmaceutical industry employees from the Torrey Pines Research Mesa, and healthcare professionals from the UCSD Health campus — creates consistently high cosmetic dental demand and high esthetic expectations. Two decades of cosmetic dental practice in a single location allows a practitioner to build the case volume and visual judgement that separates technically competent cosmetic work from the esthetic refinement that demanding cosmetic patients seek.</p>
<p>Sleep apnea treatment is listed alongside cosmetic dentistry — a clinical adjacency that reflects the high-stress professional population in the UTC catchment area. Untreated obstructive sleep apnea has well-documented effects on cognitive performance and cardiovascular health that are particularly consequential for the biotech and academic professional demographic in University City. Oral appliance therapy managed within the general dental relationship provides an effective and accessible non-CPAP intervention for mild-to-moderate OSA patients.</p>
<p>Smile makeovers — sequenced cosmetic and restorative work planned for the full smile rather than individual teeth — are a natural clinical focus at an established cosmetic practice with twenty years of case volume. Invisalign for adult alignment correction addresses the orthodontic component of smile makeover cases where tooth position needs correction before cosmetic restorations can be placed durably.</p>
<p>Gum disease treatment, sedation dentistry, and dental implants round out the clinical scope beyond the cosmetic focus. For University City and La Jolla UTC corridor patients who want a cosmetically focused general practice with twenty years of San Diego experience and sleep apnea management capability, Dr. Eshom's suite 245 at 8899 University Center Lane provides that combination.</p>
Services:General DentistryAffordable Dental CareCosmetic DentistryDental Bonding+11 more
Offers General DentistrySmyleee 93/1004.9★ · 516 reviews
108, 9254, Scranton Road, Sorrento Mesa, San Diego, California
Closed · Opens Monday at 8 AM
Pediatric Dentistry is the documented focus in San Diego; General Dentistry sits within 12 services on profile.
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Children's dentistry alongside adult general dental care makes this Scranton Road practice accessible for Sorrento Mesa employees who bring their children for afternoon appointments.
Services:General DentistryChildren / Pediatric DentistryCosmetic DentistryDental Cleaning+8 more
Offers General DentistrySmyleee 89/1004.9★ · 353 reviews
Unit 204, 4320, Genesee Avenue, Clairemont, San Diego, California
Closed · Opens Monday at 8 AM
Profile in San Diego flags pediatric dentistry; lists General Dentistry alongside 22 other documented services.
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<p>Drs. Courtney and Anton Misleh practise at Unit 204, 4320 Genesee Avenue in Clairemont, San Diego — on the Genesee Avenue corridor in north-central San Diego, accessible from the surrounding Clairemont Mesa, Kearny Mesa, and Linda Vista communities. Dr. Anton Misleh graduated in 1988 with honours from the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry — now the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry — after completing his undergraduate degree at UC San Diego, one of the country's foremost research universities. Dr. Courtney Misleh joined the practice to create the two-doctor team at the Genesee Avenue address.</p>
<p>Oral cancer screening alongside TMJ/TMD treatment and periodontal care positions this Clairemont practice at the systemic health management end of the San Diego general dental market. The TMJ/TMD scope at a two-doctor practice in Clairemont is clinically meaningful: temporomandibular joint dysfunction in San Diego's working professional and military-adjacent demographic is frequently under-managed, with patients referred between medical and dental providers before receiving a diagnosis. A dental practice that evaluates occlusal pathology, bruxism-related muscle pain, and joint dysfunction within the same clinical relationship provides more efficient management of this condition than fragmented referral chains.</p>
<p>Oral surgery alongside endodontics and root canal treatment covers the surgical and pulpal management range in-house at this Genesee Avenue address. Scaling and periodontal care provide the gum disease management scope. A mouth guard for bruxism covers the functional management of nocturnal grinding that co-presents with TMJ/TMD in a significant proportion of adult patients.</p>
<p>Children's dentistry alongside adult and family dental care makes the Genesee Avenue practice a household dental destination for the Clairemont and Kearny Mesa community. Dental implants and dentures cover the prosthetic tooth replacement range. Cosmetic dentistry and veneers address the appearance-focused treatment requests of this north-central San Diego patient community.</p>
<p>For Clairemont, Kearny Mesa, and Genesee Avenue patients in San Diego who want a two-doctor family dental practice with TMJ/TMD treatment, oral cancer screening, endodontics, and oral surgery, Drs. Courtney and Anton Misleh's Unit 204 address at 4320 Genesee Avenue provides that combination.</p>
Services:General DentistryChildren / Pediatric DentistryCosmetic DentistryCrowns & Bridges+19 more
Offers General DentistrySmyleee 88/1004.9★ · 232 reviews
340, 4520, Executive Drive, University City, San Diego, California
Closed · Opens tomorrow at 7:30 AM
Documented for dental implants in San Diego, with general dentistry on the service list and 11 procedures on file.
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<p>Floss is at suite 340, 4520 Executive Drive in the University City area of San Diego — in the UTC (University Towne Centre) corridor of La Jolla-adjacent San Diego, on Executive Drive in the Regents Road commercial district near UCSD's Torrey Pines campus. The practice name and location both signal a modern esthetic orientation: University City is home to San Diego's biotech, pharmaceutical, and technology research workforce, a demographic with above-average expectations for cosmetic dental care quality and modern practice environment.</p>
<p>Full mouth rehabilitation is listed alongside cosmetic dentistry and implants — a clinical scope that places this University City practice in the comprehensive restorative category. Full mouth rehabilitation is the planned reconstruction of the entire dentition: occlusal analysis, bite registration, the sequential placement of restorations across all quadrants to achieve a stable, esthetic, and functionally correct bite. This is one of the most technically demanding treatment sequences in general dentistry, involving diagnostic wax-ups, provisional restorations worn for weeks to test the new bite geometry before definitive placement.</p>
<p>Sedation dentistry at a University City cosmetic practice provides the pharmacological anxiety management that allows complex multi-quadrant cases to be completed in longer consolidated appointments rather than across many shorter visits — a scheduling benefit for the UTC and La Jolla professional patient demographic whose work commitments limit flexibility for frequent dental appointments.</p>
<p>Cosmetic dental bonding, dental crowns, and veneers cover the esthetic treatment requests of the University City and Torrey Pines research corridor patient community. Dental implants handle prosthetic tooth replacement. Extractions manage the surgical removal cases. General dentistry covers the preventive and maintenance scope.</p>
<p>For University City, La Jolla, and UTC patients on Executive Drive who want a cosmetic and restorative general dental practice with full mouth rehabilitation and sedation dentistry in the La Jolla-adjacent University City district, Floss's suite 340 address at 4520 Executive Drive provides that combination.</p>
Services:General DentistryCosmetic DentistryDental BondingDental Crowns+7 more
3, 5807, University Avenue, Mid-City, San Diego, California
Closed · Opens tomorrow at 9 AM
Pediatric Dentistry focus in San Diego, with general dentistry listed among 4 documented services.
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<p>We’re proud of every tooth we clean, polish and protect</p>
<p>Not to brag (ok, maybe a tiny bit), but we work hard to take care of every molar, bicuspid and sharp little incisor we have the honor to serve.</p>
<p>#1 oral healthcare provider in California</p>
<p>No one takes care of more teeth in the Golden State than us!</p>
<p>#1 orthodontic provider in the nation</p>
<p>We help more people straighten up and smile right than any other orthodontic group in the entire United States.</p>
<p>#1 provider for Medi-Cal Dental in CA</p>
<p>Every tooth deserves to be a healthy tooth. That's why we love Medi-Cal, and accept Medi-Cal patients at every location in California.</p>
<p>We’ve been making quality care more affordable since our founder, Dr. Curtis Beauchamp, opened his first office in 1903. Like a lot of visionaries back then in Los Angeles, he did a lot more than start a practice. He opened up dentistry to the people and championed the idea that everyone should have good oral health.</p>
Suite 300, 4033, Third Avenue, Hillcrest, San Diego, California
Closed · Opens tomorrow at 8 AM
San Diego clinic with a dental implants specialty — General Dentistry is on file among 18 procedures.
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<p>Center for Dental Restorations is at suite 300, 4033 Third Avenue in San Diego's Hillcrest neighbourhood — a location at the heart of one of San Diego's most culturally distinctive urban communities. Third Avenue is the main commercial spine of Hillcrest, running through the dense residential, restaurant, and retail grid that makes this neighbourhood one of San Diego's most walkable urban districts. The practice name signals a restorative dental focus, and the service list confirms it: full mouth rehabilitation, prosthetics dentistry, implants, and sleep apnea treatment anchor the clinical offering.</p>
<p>Full mouth rehabilitation at a Hillcrest restorative practice addresses the cases where teeth have been compromised to the point where single-unit restoration is clinically inadequate and a whole-jaw treatment plan is required. These cases combine periodontal management, implant placement for missing teeth, crown restorations for compromised remaining teeth, and occlusal design that establishes a functional bite across the entire reconstruction. Prosthetics dentistry at this Third Avenue address covers the implant-supported and conventional prosthetic restorations of multi-unit complexity that full mouth rehabilitation requires.</p>
<p>Sleep apnea treatment is listed as a specific service. In Hillcrest's diverse urban demographic — which includes healthcare workers from the nearby Scripps Mercy Hospital complex, and a broad age range of long-term neighbourhood residents — oral appliance therapy for mild-to-moderate OSA provides an accessible alternative to CPAP for the segment of diagnosed patients who cannot tolerate the machine long-term.</p>
<p>Oral cancer screening is explicitly on the service list. Sedation dentistry covers the anxiety management needs of patients who require more than standard local anaesthetic for comfortable restorative treatment. Smile makeovers address the full-smile cosmetic planning alongside the restorative scope.</p>
<p>For Hillcrest, Mission Hills, and North Park patients on the Third Avenue corridor who want a restorative-focused general practice with full mouth rehabilitation capability, sleep apnea treatment, and oral cancer screening, the suite 300 address at 4033 Third Avenue provides that combination in the Hillcrest community.</p>
Services:General DentistryCosmetic DentistryCrowns & BridgesDental Bridges+14 more
Offers General DentistrySmyleee 85/1004.8★ · 107 reviews
123, 7710, Balboa Avenue, Kearny Mesa, San Diego, California
Closed · Opens Monday at 9 AM
Dental Implants is the documented focus in San Diego; General Dentistry sits within 14 services on profile.
More about general dentistry at this clinicHide
The team focuses on combining accessible dental care with polished cosmetic outcomes.</p><p>General dentistry at San Diego Smile Dentistry covers the full range of preventive and restorative treatment.
Services:General DentistryCosmetic DentistryDental BridgesDental Crowns+10 more
Use the ranking as a starting point, then narrow the shortlist based on the kind of care you actually need.
If you want routine or family care
Prioritize review consistency, insurance friendliness, practical hours, and a broad general-dentistry service mix over marketing language alone.
If urgency matters
Confirm same-day capacity, after-hours guidance, and whether the clinic handles urgent restorative work in-house or refers out.
If affordability matters most
Compare financing signals, insurance notes, and the local cost guide. A higher-ranked clinic is not automatically the best value for your specific treatment.
Questions to ask before booking
Do you accept my insurance or offer payment plans?
Are you taking new patients right now?
Do you handle my treatment in-house?
What is the total expected cost before treatment starts?
EditorialUpdated July 15, 2026Independently reviewed
General dentistry in San Diego serves as the dental home for one of the most military-concentrated large US metropolitan areas — a city where roughly ten percent of the population has a direct military service relationship, whose dental care access pattern includes the base dental clinic, the military hospital department, and the Tricare network private practice as parallel systems that the active duty, dependent, and retired military community navigates depending on their current duty status and benefit tier. The civilian general dental practice in San Diego that does not accept Tricare is forgoing access to a substantial and consistent patient population whose military benefits provide reliable billing and payment — a market characteristic that distinguishes San Diego from most metropolitan areas of comparable size. The absence of a local dental school means the San Diego general dental community's practitioner quality is calibrated entirely by the private CE market, the USC and UCLA and UCSF training programme alumni who chose San Diego, and the competition for patient retention in a dense private-practice market where the patient has multiple high-quality options within the same neighbourhood.
Smyleee evaluated San Diego general dental practices on examination protocol completeness and diagnostic quality, Tricare Dental Programme and Denti-Cal billing capability, Spanish-language team for the Logan Heights and South Bay Latino patient community, Tagalog/Filipino capability for the Mira Mesa and Kearny Mesa Filipino-American community, geographic distribution across San Diego County, practitioner credentials and continuing education investment, and clinical quality consistency across the full preventive and restorative general dental scope. These ten San Diego practices are the general dentists the data confirmed as most reliably serving as a complete, multi-payer-capable, and multilingual dental home for the full military and civilian patient community of Greater San Diego.
Medically reviewed by
Dr Maqsud Mallick — BDS
Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions answered by our editorial team
In San Diego, a dental cleaning (adult) typically costs $100 – $300, based on Smyleee's July 2026 local price data. Actual cost varies by provider, materials, and case complexity.
A root canal (front tooth) in San Diego typically ranges $700 – $1,200 (July 2026). Final pricing depends on the clinic, materials, and whether you have insurance.
A dental crown (porcelain) in San Diego typically ranges $800 – $2,500 (July 2026). Final pricing depends on the clinic, materials, and whether you have insurance.
A tooth filling (composite) in San Diego typically ranges $150 – $400 (July 2026). Final pricing depends on the clinic, materials, and whether you have insurance.
A tooth extraction (simple) in San Diego typically ranges $150 – $350 (July 2026). Final pricing depends on the clinic, materials, and whether you have insurance.
Smyleee ranks San Diego general dentistry clinics on a weighted score: verified patient reviews (30%), clinical credentials and expertise (20%), technology and equipment (15%), accessibility (15%), pricing transparency (10%), and patient experience (10%). The list is recomputed from current data and independently reviewed by Dr Maqsud Mallick, BDS.
The ranking is recalculated on a rolling basis from current review and profile data and was last reviewed in July 2026. Clinics can move up or down as their underlying data changes.
Prioritise verified credentials and relevant training, modern equipment and sterilisation standards, a strong and recent review history, transparent pricing, and clear communication about treatment options. Confirm the clinic is taking new patients and offers general dentistry before booking.
Many clinics in San Diego accept major dental insurance and offer financing such as in-house payment plans or third-party options like CareCredit for larger treatments. Coverage and financing vary by practice — confirm your plan is accepted and ask about phased or monthly payment options before treatment begins.
How We Vet Each Clinic
Every clinic on this list passes our verification process
License & standing verified — active California dental license confirmed with no disciplinary actions.
Patient review volume checked — minimum verified patient reviews across Google with a strong average rating.
Local presence confirmed — verified physical practice in the San Diego metro area with established patient base.
Technology & equipment assessed — modern dental technology and sterilization standards evaluated.
Transparent pricing reviewed — clear communication of costs, financing options, and insurance acceptance.