Modern Dentistry

Good service, clean and on time.
You actually know what you are going to pay and you won’t end up receiving a bill a week after. Less 2 stars: I didn’t appreciate that they try to «sell me» some extra services for 1500 $ that I didn’t need.

The dentist is great, but unfortunately his wife who is running reception/​front desk has horrible people skills (read previous reviews). They were pushing a deep cleaning that was 3x times more than 3 practices in the SF south beach area. When I confronted them/​her on billing practices, they said that they were more concerned with dental care than other offices. I have been much happier with another South Beach dental practice that is much more professional. Stay away from this dental office unless you like that kind of service !

Dr. Thatcher and his hygienists are great. They knew my wedding was coming up and remembered all my details so they put a rush on getting my front Cap replaced. It looks amazing and natural. Also, he called to make sure I was doing OK the next day which was that «extra touch». They helped me figure out when the best timing would be for getting my old fillings replaced vs my front tooth including from an insurance perspective, which was also super helpful.
Thanks a lot!

I cannot recommend Modern Dentistry highly enough.
A trip to the dentist is scary/​uncomfortable enough. Dr Thatcher and his staff do a fantastic job of always putting me at ease and making the process as quick and painless as possible.
Recently I had to get a couple of fillings, and Dr Thatcher personally called me the following day to check on how I was doing, and make sure everything went ok. How many dentists do you know that take the time to personally check on their patients following any kind of procedure? AMAZING.
Do your teeth and gums a favor and give Dr Thatcher and the team at Modern Dentistry a call. You won’t regret it.

I was looking to resume an orthodontics treatment. After some x-​rays and gum tissue measurements, and Dr. Thatcher quickly found that I had gum disease. After 4 sessions of deep cleaning, he referred me to some excellent specialists that got some extra teeth extracted and got me started with the orthodontic treatment.
Additionally, I also had a slightly chipped tooth, and Dr. Thatcher fixed it perfectly, now it looks like new. I’m very glad I chose this place. Everyone in the staff are very friendly and helpful.

Had a great exprience when I visited for a general check up and cleaning!
Very hygenic and freindly atmosphere.
Dr. Sam takes his time in getting to know his patients.
Highly recommended.

Friendly staff, skilled professionals. I’ve been a patient for six years. Dr. Thatcher is trustworthy and doesn’t push services you don’t need.

I am so happy I found Dr. Thatcher! He and his staff are friendly and extremely professional. The office is clean and modern. Dr. Thatcher is very honest– if he thinks a procedure is not worth it, he’ll tell you. You don’t have to worry about him trying to upsell you or fill a bunch of cavities that aren’t there. Both Dr. Thatcher and his hygienists make every effort to make me comfortable when I’m there. There is a convenient parking garage right next door.

I am 65 and was visiting in S.F. Last fall. I had the unexpected opportunity to fulfill one of my Bucket List wishes– Going to Burning Man! But then the afternoon of the day before, I had a temporary crown fall off. The first dentist I tried was closed and It was fast approaching 5 pm. I asked a corner shoe-​shine man and he directed me to Modern Dentistry. I was skeptical when I first walked in because it was very upscale and I had no dental insurance and little money. I explained my problem and Dr. Thatcher took me in and fixed it immediately even though I thought the temp was toast. He said he was glad I was helping students at our dental college and seated it for no charge. He wished me a «good burn» and it held until I returned home to my dental student. Great people, very friendly. My son lives nearby and is planning to go there for dental work soon. My experience was great, proving San Francisco is a city with heart.

I had a really great experience here; I went in knowing I needed some cavities taken care of, but there were a few other things I needed. Dr. Thacher gave me a plan for what I ought to get done first, keeping costs and insurance in mind. They even provided me an estimate without me even asking.
When I got the actual work done, Dr. Thacher was very efficient, I didn’t feel any pain, and it didn’t take too much time at all. He is very friendly and his staff is also very sweet and caring. Overall a really great experience — I don’t feel like I have to hate going to the dentist anymore!

Had my 2^nd visit to Modern Dentistry today — this time for a deep cleaning, which I normally and quite reasonably HATE and thus avoided for many, many aeons. This was, w/​out a doubt, the most pleasant, painless root planing ever! Also, LASERS. That part was way cool. My hygienist was awesome. I’d forgotten my headphones so she lent me a pair of noise cancelling ones so I could play some music to drown out the frightening high-​pitched whizzzzzz noises from the various tools used on me. My dentist has also been great as he’s tried very hard not to scold me while attempting to get across how important it is to keep up w/​brushing and flossing and regular visits. Uh. I may try hypnotherapy to make myself comply. But just so I don’t disappoint the good people at Modern Dentistry, I will try my hardest to *try* to floss regularly. :crosses fingers:

I’ve been going to Dr. Thatcher for the last two years. He and his staff are always courteous, honest, and have the expertise for every dental procedure I’ve ever needed done in there. Dr. Thatcher himself is a funny guy and is great to talk due (or attempt to talk to) during your procedures. I especially like his dental assistants Queenie, who no longer works there. and Han who currently does. They are awesome! He is very honest about the cost of his procedures, and will let you know that you can save like 7.5% on your expenses if you pay for a procedure ahead of time. Also he doesn’t try to up sell you. I inquired about a teeth whitening service and he straight up told me that it’s probably not worth it and the best thing to do is just get the over the counter ones.
I’ve never experienced any issues with Dr. Thatchers wife. She always has a normal attitude when I go in there. Maybe the Unilocalers who did not like her caught her on a bad day?
The only thing I do not like, and why I knocked my review down to 4 stars, is the cost. Dr. Thatcher is more expensive than many of the other dentists I’ve been to in the city — to the tune of 10% or 20% more. If you have dental insurance, it’s not that noticeable. If you don’t have insurance, you may be better off checking elsewhere — or at least call for prices first. He is worth it though. Especially if you work in the area — hes one of the only dentists nearby.

I’ve been going to Dr. Thatcher for nearly a decade now, starting when he was in another practice and continuing once he founded his own. I’ve had great experiences with him and his office, and have recommended several freinds here over the years. They have modern equipment and a friendly attitude. I’ve never had trouble with insurance, although to be fair he has always been in-​network for me.
I sent a friend to Dr. Thatcher with a dental emergency — he was able to see him and refer him to a dental surgeon within hours. The dental assistant suggested I have root planing done — Dr. Thatcher instead got me a night guard and we avoided the procedure.
It’s not just how you r doctor responds when everything goes well… it’s how they respond when things don’t. In Dr. Thatcher’s case, he has been extremely helpful and responsive in the few cases that things haven’t gone perfectly (problem with a mouthguard, chipped crown, etc.). I highly recommend him

The dental experience itself was OK.
The goods:
Newer equipment. Friendly staff.
The bads:
The receptionist, Dr. Thatchers wife, I believe, has no idea what she is doing in terms of the insurance coverage. Often times I would have to pay much more than expected. Modern dentistry does not check you insurance to see if you are covered.
Dr. Thatcher himself messed up my filling. I think he is a bit lacking in hands on experience.

When I was new to SF I went here to get a cleaning b/​c it was close to my apartment. I have BCBS insurance and their billing is whack. They made me pay up front ($ 275 for x rays and «consultation») and then told my I’d get a reimbursement check in the mail in a couple weeks. I got the check later, but every other dentist I’ve been to has been able to figure insurance out so that I only pay my $ 15 co pay.
The dentist just looked at my teeth/​gums, took x rays and told me to make another apt later for cleaning. Planning and using up PTO for a dentist apt is NOT something I want to have to do more than once. I wish I would have known that my 1^st visit wasn’t going to include a cleaning. He was a great guy, but I was weirded out by their procedures for scheduling/​billing.
Plus the receptionist was snoooooooooty and not helpful at all with my billing/​insurance questions.

I was up in San Francisco on business last month and my filling fell out.
Instead of having it taken care of when I returned home, I decided to get it handled in some spare time in between meetings.
I found Dr. Thacher in my online insurance directory, checked some reviews (ignored the TWO negative ones) and scheduled an appointment the same day, thanks to a cancelation.
Dr. Thacher maintains a very well run, professional and friendly practice.
And that is what matters most.
As for price, my insurance covered the entire bill. There wasn’t a single issue with billing.
And the filling is still in place, but then again, my diet doesn’t consist entirely of sugar so my teeth are pretty solid…
I’d go back in a heartbeat if I lived in SF.

Sam is the man, and his staff is friendly. Perhaps I am still buzzing from all the Novocaine but it was a great experience all around. What I liked the most is that Dr. Thatcher has good technique, which it really comes down to in the dentistry world… anyone can shoot up a gum but can they skillfully shape a tooth?
Best,
–Eric

It’s been a while since I was here, but every time I go by I am reminded of my mutilated tooth. I was getting a routine cavity filled, and had asked if he could just smooth a sharp chip I had on my front tooth. It didn’t look that bad, but was annoying. I know I am not the dentist, but really I just wanted a quick zip with the sander/​drill. Well he decided to even the front teeth out which left me with shorter front teeth than I had had, and said he could fill the chip, it was on the side, but again it didn’t look bad. Well after filling the chip it looked great, although my front teeth were shorter than I thought pleasing for front teeth. Anyway, the filling was loose from the very beginning and fell out about 2 days later. He filled it again, the technology was amazing and I was quite impressed, except for the time involved.
Anyway, it fell out 2 weeks later while being loose the whole time. The third time he asked (after I was all hooked up to all those things holding your mouth open) and having a bit of trouble getting the filling to stay, if he could drill some of my tooth off. I didn’t like the idea, these are my front teeth after all, and I had asked if I was going to need a crown as the chip was now a chunk. No, no that would be unnecessary, but he needed something for the filling to adhere to, which made sense, but didn’t like. Anyway, seconds later almost half of my front tooth was gone and it had another filling glued to it. This one lasted longer just over six months, but it still fell off and now I have no insurance and I have half a front tooth missing for a chip. In the meantime I was charged for every visit, full price.
There really should be some sort of guarantee for work being done. So now, although the circumstances of my not having money for this, now a very expensive repair, are not of his making, my half a front tooth are entirely of his making. I have tried to learn to smile without teeth, but it just isn’t me. It has had a whole affect on my life that I had never expected. If I had been in an accident I could have had it fixed, but now it is considered cosmetic and isn’t covered by dental insurance, although he certainly should have made it right.
So, in good conscience, I cannot recommend Dr. Thatcher. He is very personable, and I had really liked him, he had a pretty good chairside manner and was good with the Novacain and is very up to date with all the new methods, but all that cannot outweigh the end result and that is a failed procedure that was nothing! The day care in the office didn’t bother me that much and the baby was very well behaved, but I imagine it wouldn’t really thrilI a lot of people. I guess there has to be some sort of curve for new procedures, but I will take a little pain any day over such a botched result.

I have been a patient here for a couple of years, and cannot say enough great things about it and Sam (the dentist). I recommend it to everyone who even uses the word «dentist» around me.
I’ve always had pretty miserable teeth, so I’ve been in plenty of different dentist chairs. While I’ve only had one «bad» experience with a dentist (Dental Spa in SoMA) and the rest have been good or great, none of them beat out the simplicity and friendly attitude of the people at Modern Dentistry.
They have set prices for their procedures — they wont hassle you about what your insurance covers and try to get the most out of you (they also accept just about every insurance company). They are very flexible with payments, and give a discount for paying up-​front.
Sam is a great dentist and a great guy. He really takes his time when checkout out your teeth, and you can tell he really thinks through each decision he makes. I had already paid to get a root canal procedure, but half-​way through he found that he was able to get out all of the decay and the full procedure wouldn’t be necessary (nobody wants a dead tooth) — he then refunded me the rest of the money.
Basically, if you go here you’ll have a great experience and you’ll end up with rad teeth. Do it.

It had been waaaay too long since my last visit to a dentist (insert shameful face here)… and I was finding myself yelling «I KNOW!!» with each passing 1−800-DENTIST advertisement reminding me that «it’s time».
After exercising a few lamaze-​type breathing techniques in an effort to pull together some courage, I dialed in and made an appointment. From beginning to end, the process could not have been easier.
1 — If you’re like me, you type a lot faster than you write… which is why I so appreciated being able to type and submit your patient information electronically prior to your visit. Not only did this cut in half the time that it took to fill out the forms, but it eliminated the hassle of having to come in early to scribble it all in prior to my appointment. And, it gave them ample time to read through everything so that they were prepared for my visit.
2 — Everyone is ridiculously (and curiously) friendly, and made me super comfortable from the moment that I entered the office. I was immediately put at ease by their casual candor and humor, and spent less than 5 minutes in the waiting room.
3 — They’re techy!!! I got to see my x-​rays instantaneously on a tv screen :)
4 — They don’t try to sell you on things you don’t really need. Translation: «Some dentists might suggest you do something about this now, but you really don’t need to and won’t for a number of years. I suggest you save your money and wait… because by the time you do need this, the technology will be better anyways». YAY!!!
5 — They take their time and don’t rush you. The dentist explained everything thoroughly, ensuring that I understood everything that he was saying and showing me. While he had other appointments, I felt as though I was his only patient and only concern. Incredibly personalized one-​on-​one service that is next to impossible to find in this industry.
6 — I’m actually excited to go back. My teeth had never felt cleaner, and the experience as a whole was A++.
MD — you keep me smiling and rock my world :)