Chennie Castañon is glad she found her way to UCSF Dental Center.
The Oakland resident worked with a private dental practitioner while an insured student at UC Berkeley several years ago, but a dental implant that was to follow an extraction was never completed because of the cost. Her insurer at the time considered the implant cosmetic, and would not pay for the $6,000 procedure.
Chennie went through the next five years with a gap where she once had a tooth. Subsequent providers began to notice movement and additional wear and tear on the teeth opposite where she now had the gap. “I had obvious concerns about my dental health,” she explains.
Two years ago she began searching online for affordable dental care, and a call to UCSF Dental Center’s Predoctoral Clinic led to a conversation about the Student Dental Implant Program. “The person I spoke with was helpful,” says Castañon, pointing her to additional information online and recommending that she come to the Dental Center for an evaluation.
Two years later her implant is successfully in place, and she has good things to say about her patient experience from the beginning.
“The costs and the procedure were fully explained to me up front,” says Castañon. “But what meant the most was that my student provider was caring and patient, and that she involved me in my treatment. It felt like a partnership.”
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Chennie Castañon
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