Oral health is an important and often overlooked area of health care for people living with HIV/AIDS. It is recommended that all HIV patients have dental evaluations to identify potential infections or opportunistic conditions which may have an impact on their overall health. The City and County of San Francisco, through the Ryan White Federal CARE grant, funds dental care for qualified patients through the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry.
Dental services include preventive treatment, same-day emergency dental care, fillings, root canals, dentures, and oral surgery for people with HIV who qualify for this special program. Oral health care is provided by student dentists partnering with dental school faculty members. Interpretation services are available for most languages. Patients may also bring their own interpreter.
Services are provided at no charge to eligible patients. For procedures not covered by the CARE program, financing is available for those who qualify.
CARE Clinic
University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry
155 Fifth Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
415.929.6448
Monday - Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. The clinic is open year-round and closed during holidays and exam weeks.
All new patients are seen by appointment. To schedule an intake appointment, call the CARE office at 415.929.6448. Any person with HIV who is a resident of San Francisco County and has documented financial need may be eligible for free dental treatment at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. Required documentation includes: Letter of diagnosis, proof of income, proof of residency, current blood test results and additional documentation will be provided at the time of intake appointment.
The first appointment involves the completion of paperwork only. All documents are provided to the patient at the time of the appointment.
