The shape of this list is unusual. Almost all of it is registered to individual practitioners, and three quarters of the addresses sit on one street. This guide explains what that means for a patient, how to choose, and what to check on cost and urgent care.
A hundred listings, and where they sit
General dentistry accounts for 64 of the 106 listings. The specialist side is deeper than almost anywhere: 12 prosthodontics, 11 endodontics, 11 pediatric dentistry, 8 oral and maxillofacial surgery, 8 periodontics, 5 oral pathology, 3 orthodontics, 2 orofacial pain, 2 dental anesthesiology, 2 dental public health, 2 oral radiology and 1 dental clinic.
Seventy five of the listings share a W 34th St address, and several of those entries name the USC School of Dentistry directly, including room numbers within it. S Hoover St has 10 listings and W 30th St has 2. So a large part of what looks like choice is in fact one very large teaching institution recorded practitioner by practitioner.
That also explains the split between people and organizations: 98 individual practitioners against 8 organizations. Forty five of the 106 were registered before 2010 and the oldest registration dates to 2005.
- 106 practices, 64 of them general dentistry
- Twelve different specialties represented
- 75 listings on W 34th St, several naming the USC School of Dentistry
- 98 individual practitioners, 8 organizations
- 45 registered before 2010
How to read this list as a patient
Because so many of these listings are individual practitioners at a single teaching address, calling a name from the list may reach a switchboard rather than a private office. If you want that route, ask what treatment is available to members of the public, how appointments are booked, how long each visit takes and who supervises the work. Teaching clinics are often slower per visit and priced differently.
If you would rather have a conventional private practice, focus on the listings away from W 34th St, and on the organization listings. Then ask the ordinary questions: how far ahead routine appointments book, whether you will see the same dentist each visit, and what the practice handles in house rather than referring out.
Nothing is missing here, but neighbors are close
Unusually, there is no specialty gap to report. Every specialty the registry tracks has at least one listing in University Park, from oral pathology and oral radiology to dental anesthesiology. If a treatment plan calls for a specialist, you very likely do not need to leave the neighborhood to find one.
That still leaves reasons to look nearby, most often for a second opinion or for an appointment sooner than the local wait. South Park is 1.0 miles away with 43 practices, Adams-Normandie is 0.8 miles away with 12, and Historic South-Central has 10 at 1.4 miles. Saint James Park has 9 at 0.7 miles, Exposition Park has 5 at 1.2 miles and Jefferson has 4 at 0.7 miles.
Paying for treatment here
The registry holds addresses and registrations, not fees, opening hours or insurance information. None of the 106 listings in University Park has been claimed by its owner or has published a website or hours through it. So this page can tell you who is registered where, and nothing at all about price or availability. Claimed listings are how practices add that.
Ask whether a practice is in network for your exact plan rather than for your insurer as a whole. In network means agreed fees and a bigger share paid by the plan. Ask for a written estimate before treatment, with procedure codes, the practice fee, the expected plan payment and your share. If you are considering a teaching clinic, ask specifically how its fee schedule works and whether it bills insurance at all.
- Confirm the network for your plan, not just the insurer
- Get a written estimate before treatment begins
- Ask a teaching clinic how fees and billing work there
- Ask how many visits a course of treatment will take
When you cannot wait
For same day pain, call early and ask plainly for an emergency appointment, and be ready to try several numbers. Teaching clinics do not always take walk in emergencies, so the listings on S Hoover St and in neighboring areas such as South Park, 1.0 miles away with 43 practices, are worth trying too. You can sort by distance from where you are at dentist directory.
Some symptoms belong in an emergency room instead. Swelling spreading toward the eye or down the neck, trouble breathing or swallowing, a fever with facial swelling, or bleeding that will not stop after an extraction all need hospital care rather than a dental appointment. A knocked out adult tooth should be held by the crown, kept in milk or saliva, and seen within the hour.
Questions patients ask
Why are there so many dentists listed in University Park?
Because 75 of the 106 listings share a W 34th St address, and several of them name the USC School of Dentistry, including individual rooms inside it. The registry records practitioners individually, which is also why 98 of the listings are individual practitioners rather than organizations. It is one large institution as much as a hundred separate offices.
Which dental specialties are available in University Park?
All of the ones the registry tracks. Alongside 64 general dentistry listings there are 12 prosthodontics, 11 endodontics, 11 pediatric dentistry, 8 oral and maxillofacial surgery, 8 periodontics, 5 oral pathology, 3 orthodontics, 2 orofacial pain, 2 dental anesthesiology, 2 dental public health and 2 oral radiology listings, plus one dental clinic.
Is there a pediatric dentist in University Park?
Yes, eleven pediatric dentistry listings appear in the neighborhood, which is a lot for one area. Many general dentists also treat children. The registry does not record which practices take new pediatric patients or what ages they start at, so call ahead, and ask about sedation options if your child needs more than a routine visit.