Stephen Ostwald, DDS

I’ve been a patient of Dr. Ostwald’s for 10+ years now. I have been very pleased. Growing up as an Army brat with the attendant U.S. Army dentists, I’ve not been a huge fan of dentists, but I have felt very comfortable coming to A People-​Oriented Dentist Practice. Penny (one of the on-​staff hygienists) is fantastic!
As usual, it’s advisable to get second opinions about major dental work. But if you have it done with Dr. Ostwald, it will be done well. I have been pleased with the outcome of having some of my old amalgam fillings redone with modern technology.

At age 66 Ive had several dentists in my life. Been seeing Steve Ostwald for about 15 years. He is the best technical (and all around) dentist I have ever had. As a surgeon, I know good technique when I see it. He has it. Absolutely painless too.
I have referred a number of people to him, including my 2 sons, and they have thanked me for the referral.

I’ve been a patient of Dr Ostwald’s for over 20 years now and I highly recommend him, his hygienists and his support staff. I’ve had many procedures during this time, including crowns, fillings, whitening, X-​rays and restorations and I couldn’t be happier with the service and results. I trust him and his staff to deliver the finest care possible.

I visited Dr Ostwald recently for a quick checkup with a problem tooth because my regular DDS was out of town on vacation.
I was pleased with the office setup, efficiency and service from Dr Ostwald. He also impressed me with his calm approach and matter of fact demeanor.
Thankfully my tooth didn’t need any major work but if my regular DDS retires I could see myself switching over to this dental office.

Quality dental care here! Dr. Oswald is not only a lovely and considerate man, he is thorough and highly skilled dentist that won’t cut corners and gets the job done right and efficiently. The cleanings are spot on, they taught me how to actually floss properly, and they also gave me on to the best toothbrush I have ever used, the Nimbus. I would highly recommend him to anyone in search of an amazing dentist!

When my dentist retired, a friend recommended that I try Dr. Ostwald. I came to Dr. Ostwald for a cleaning and check up. His staff is courteous and helpful and the office is clean. His prices are competitive. I had been having some hot/​cold sensitivity issues. After doing nothing more than cleanings for ten years, three of my teeth had cracks in them and old fillings that had degraded. I could have let them be and waited for them to fail but instead Dr. Ostwald recommended I «crown» all three in two visits. He is really into perfecting what he installs in your mouth — a dental geek — he spent a lot of time checking, grinding, checking, grinding, until he had a perfect fit. My bite is better than it was before and hot and cold sensitivity is GONE. it took time and money, but I have the peace of mind that my investment will last another 10 – 15 years. His assistant is attentive and caring — a real sweetheart.

I’ve been going to Dr. Ostwald since right before my wedding 7 years ago when he put a crown on one my Front Tooth and have been going to see him ever since. If your into expertise and not Glitz he is the guy to see. I also love their Hygenist Ausra who does excellent deep cleanings. Thanks guys and keep up the good work!

I’ve been going to Dr. Ostwald for more than 20 years and I think he’s an excellent dentist. He is a skilled professional, courteous, on time and a really nice person. He is one of those dentists who is constantly learning and upgrading his knowledge of the field. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a top-​notch dentist. His work is impeccable!

I was stunned to see someone describe how Dr. Ostwald conned them into unnecessary dental work, and then give him five stars. Dr. Ostwald told me the same lie that «my old metal fillings were expanding in my mouth and cracking my teeth», and that he «wanted to» replace them with composite fillings. After a couple of bad replacements, I wised up and got a second opinion.
Guess what! My silver fillings did not need to be replaced at all. Since then, Dr. Ostwald’s work has all been replaced, but the remaining siver fillings are still going strong. I learned the hard way that «wanted to» and «needed to» are not equivalent.
But her review descends even deeper into gullibility than I expected! She writes, and I quote, «he’s been replacing all my metal fillings and has never been pushy about work». He’s replacing every single one of her metal fillings? Yet, he’s not pushy about work? Where can a hapless dentist find another great patient like this to offer three (3) payment plans to?

Best dental experience I’ve ever had. They take the time to actually talk, explain, and reassure you about everything. And they seriously try to understand what’s going on with your mouth. Example: Past dentists have suggested I grind my teeth at night. I brought this concern up with Dr. Ostwald and he showed me, with a mirror, how my teeth lined up and how certain wear marks could correspond to grinding. But I also had an uneven bite (the cons of never having to suffer through braces), which was probably a more likely cause. First time I’ve ever felt like I knew what’s going on.

My husband and I have been patients of Dr. Ostwald for several years. When my aging mother moved up to San Francisco, she also became his patient. All of us have had the same experiences in his office. Both the doctor and his staff treat us with great kindness. They know that people tend to be uncomfortable at the dentist, and they make every effort to explain what they are doing and why. The office is equipped with state of the art tools like digital x-​rays. Cleanings, exams, and even needed dental work are more often than not, completely painless. I feel like Dr. Ostwald’s great work and his useful advise have kept my teeth in the best possible condition.

This has been our go-​to dentist for years, and they certainly do live and work by their name.
For example: Years ago, my husband had his veneer fall off days before our wedding and on a weekend. He phoned the practice in a panic, both of us thinking there was no way we were getting him in on such short notice. To our surprise, his dentist returned his call quickly and got him in for an emergency veneer replacement. And they did an excellent job, to boot.
Thanks to A People Oriented Dental Practice, our wedding photos don’t look like they were taken at the hootenanny nuptials of Lil’ Abner and Daisy Mae.

I have been seeing Dr. Ostwald for a few months now — and have absolutely nothing but praise for both himself and his staff. Dr. Ostwald has gone over all treatment plans in great detail — laid out his expectations and then let me choose which one to go with.
On Wednesday February 1^st, 2012 at 3:20 PM — I came in to have my two wisdom teeth pulled. After hearing numerous horror stories from others about various doctors, I was a little concerned about this visit. Dr. Ostwald was an absolute pro. I did not feel any pain whatsoever at all — and the only time I did he stopped the procedure and added additional novacain and then waited for it to set in.
On a side note, Jamal, his assistant is a very peppy, easy going and re-​assuring gentleman. He constantly re-​assured me during the procedure and kept me updated.
At the end of the two hour procedure — Dr. Ostwald went over all of the after care items and even gave me his personal cell phone number in case I had any questions. I still have not faced any pain due to the medication he has given me and am already back at work. Dr. Ostwald is everything a dentist should be.

I was referred to Dr. Ostwald by my daughter’s pediatric dentist.
I had asked for someone who worked well with patients who suffer panic and anxiety, and his was the first number written down for me.
I am stunned at the few negative reviews here, and feel highly defensive over this dentist! Dr. Ostwald is WONDERFUL with putting patients at ease, with letting the patient feel they are in charge of the situation (which can be very intimidating when sitting in a dental chair with a mouth full of metal objects) and he always reminds his patients that they have the power to speak up and stop the process if they are feeling uncomfortable. I have only been going to this dental practice since February 2011, and I have made enormous progress from NEVER going to the dentist, to sitting right down in the chair so he can take care of my teeth. His office staff is beyond polite, they are caring, warm, ease you into the process, and always ask you how you are doing during the exams and dental work. I have never ONCE been treated rudely by anyone at Dr. Ostwald’s practice, and even commend them for going above and beyond to make the visits as comfortable and reassuring as possible. I have already recommended this Dentist several times since February, and will continue doing so.
Dr. Ostwald is DEFINITELY my dentist for LIFE!

I love Dr. Ostwald and his staff! I’ve been going to Dr. O for the last 8+years, and I always leave his office feeling well-​cared for and respected, like I matter as a person with feelings and concerns vs. just being just another paying customer. So refreshing to find that!
As a practitioner, Dr. O is without par: kind, considerate, soft-​spoken, funny, charming, good-​looking (for any of you who that might matter to out there :-)), and always has a smile and willingness to listen to my concerns. It is nice, for me at least, to feel that I am in very capable hands, and thus have no worries or regrets. I trust him. Period. What is more, he earned that trust, and I greatly appreciate it.
Dr. O’s staff are delightful, compassionate, insanely competent (more than competent — expert at what they each do really) and very professional. Like Dr. O, they listen and they care — and what you are feeling and needing truly matters.
If you are looking for a dentist with whom you can feel trust and respect, to know that you matter to he and his staff as far more than merely a paying customer, then look no further. You can’t go wrong and you will be very happy. I promise!

I have been going here for almost 10 years and it is a terrific experience. Seriously, I have no complaints at all.
Easy front office experience, great hygienist (Ausra) and Dr. Oswald is professional, gentle and using all of the latest technology.
Very highly recommended.

I’ve been going to this dental practice for 14 years! They are caring and thorough. Penny, the hygenist, rocks.
The treatment plan is always discussed and options given.
Only complaint… would love free parking.

Very surprised at the negatives as well. I am one picky narcissistic overly-​concerned-​about-​my-​looks gay man and have been coming to this office for 15+ years. While Dr Ostwald can be intense — in a «I really love dentistry» kind of way, as mentioned earlier, I only want someone with that kind of dedication and concern working on my teeth.
He does brilliant crown work, replaces fillings perfectly and is always very good at explaining what he’s up to in your mouth. He has the latest equipment, is able to make crowns on the spot and he’s just a very nice man. (Ask him about biking or skiing…)
A great dentist. I’ve also liked all the hygienists. And the waiting room staff is perfectly fine. It’s not a cocktail party. You just want someone great to work on your teeth and this is the guy. Several fillings, three crowns later and still no root canals. He’s doing something right.

wow. i am *stunned* to see the other review for dr. ostwald. there are negatives you can say about him (more on that in a second), but in my experience and my husband’s experience, being a rip off artist and doing bad work is absolutely NOT among them.
also, i have always been stunned at how nice all of his hygienists, assistants, and office folks are. my husband says the old receptionist was really rude, so that explains that discrepancy, i guess. no clue what explains the other ones unless there are two dr. ostwalds!
so here’s my experience:
my father in law was in town and had some sort of filling crack or something. we didn’t have a dentist at the time, and geoff’s co-​workers had recommended dr. ostwald. my father in law called and said, «you don’t know me, but my son was going to make an appointment with you soon. i am in town and have an emergency.» they saw him in no time flat, fixed him up and he was elated.
then, my husband went to see him. my husband had this old dentist who he liked but i didn’t. i felt he was a little over-​zealous, making geoff sign up for a lot of treatments that weren’t necessary. geoff disagreed completely, but when he went to ostwald he admitted he was less so, and he kept telling me how much he liked him and everyone in the office.
finally, i was convinced. i hadn’t been to the dentist in, well, an embarrassingly long time. and my old metal fillings were expanding in my mouth and cracking my teeth so i needed to.
i’ve had about four visits with dr. ostwald over the last year and i have to say i’ve been happier than with any other dentist i’ve gone to, as the work goes. he’s been replacing all my metal fillings and has never been pushy about work. he’s given me three tiers of options depending on what i wanted to pay, and what i wanted going on in my mouth. he’s very very precise and a total perfectionist. he milled one porcelain filing, examined it and decided it wasn’t quite right so he chucked it and made another one. he’s also spent hours crafting the fillings to make sure my bite stayed exactly the same. i’ve been totally thrilled with the results.
the bad: he can be snippy. and he takes his job VERY seriously. at first he reminded me of that mechanic on Seinfeld who stole jerry’s car because he wasn’t taking good enough care of it. some people might not like this in his bedside manner. but honestly, aren’t your teeth pretty important? don’t you want your dentist to be pretty intense about it? plus, he warms up once you see him a few times.
in all we know seven people who’ve used him and have never heard anything bad.

The worst! Utterly incompetent in every way. And, his receptionist is rude as can be. Delta Dental had to intercede, and their dentist determined that all of his work needed to be replaced. If he says you need a filling, get a second opinion! He’s also a rip-​off artist. With so many good dentists in SF, why even go here?