Sixty eight of the 101 are general dentistry listings. The specialist side is deeper than most neighborhoods manage: nine oral and maxillofacial surgery listings, eight endodontic, seven periodontic, four pediatric, three orthodontic and one prosthodontic, plus seven general dental clinics.
What is listed in Hillcrest
Walnut Ave has the largest single cluster, with 35 listings. 3rd Ave and 4th Ave have 14 each, Washington St has seven and University Ave has four. The rest are scattered across smaller streets in the neighborhood.
Every listing sits in one ZIP code, 92103. That is a useful shortcut: a San Diego practice in 92103 is in this neighborhood, and one that is not, is not.
Seventy one of the 101 are registered as individual practitioners and 30 as organizations. Sixty two have been registered since before 2010, and the oldest registration here dates to 2005, so a clear majority of these practices have a long record in the registry.
- 101 practices listed, out of 2,181 in San Diego
- 68 general dentistry listings, 33 specialist and clinic listings
- 35 on Walnut Ave, 14 each on 3rd Ave and 4th Ave
- All in ZIP code 92103
How to choose between them
Two things stand out about this list. There are plenty of general dentists, so routine care is easy to arrange, and there is real specialist depth, so you are not forced to take the only available referral.
For general care, compare on the practical points: taking new patients, how soon they can see you, whether they hold emergency slots, and whether they are in your insurance network. With 68 to choose from, you can afford to call several.
For specialist care, the numbers give you choice. Nine oral surgeons, eight endodontists and seven periodontists in one neighborhood is a lot. Ask your general dentist for more than one name, and ask what each one charges before you commit, since specialist fees vary more than routine fees do.
Looking beyond Hillcrest
No major specialty is missing here, which is rare. Prosthodontics is the thinnest, with a single listing, so if you need dentures or complex restorative work and that practice cannot help, plan to look nearby.
The closest options are very close. Uptown Medical Complex has 29 listed practices half a mile away and Banker's Hill has 35 at 0.8 miles. Between them they roughly double what is available within a mile of Hillcrest.
Further out but still short trips, Egyptian Quarter has nine listings at 0.9 miles, Five Points has six at 1.3 miles, Little Italy has five at 1.5 miles and Cortez Hill has four at 1.6 miles.
Insurance and what things cost
Our registry holds names, addresses and registration details. It does not hold fees, opening hours or which insurance plans a practice accepts, and only one of the 101 Hillcrest listings has published hours or a website through us. Everything about cost and scheduling still comes from the practice.
Check network status with your insurer rather than only with the office. In network means the dentist bills from an agreed fee schedule. Out of network may still be partly covered, but the practice sets its own fees and the shortfall is usually yours.
Specialist treatment is where written estimates matter most. Before oral surgery, a root canal or gum surgery, ask for the procedure codes, the fee for each and what your plan is expected to pay. Practices that claim their listing tend to be the most forthcoming about this.
If it is urgent
For a broken tooth or severe pain, call several of the 68 general practices early in the day and ask for an emergency slot. The presence of nine oral surgery listings and eight endodontic listings in the same neighborhood also means that if you need urgent specialist treatment, you may not have to travel for it.
Some symptoms are hospital matters. Go to an emergency room if swelling is spreading toward your eye or down your neck, if you are having trouble breathing or swallowing, if you have a fever with facial swelling, or if bleeding from the mouth will not stop.
If nothing in 92103 has space, search outward by distance at dentist directory. Uptown Medical Complex and Banker's Hill are both under a mile away.
Questions patients ask
How many dentists are listed in Hillcrest, San Diego?
One hundred and one dental practices are listed in the neighborhood, all in ZIP code 92103. Sixty eight are general dentistry listings and the rest cover oral and maxillofacial surgery, endodontics, periodontics, pediatric dentistry, orthodontics and prosthodontics, plus seven general dental clinics. San Diego as a whole has 2,181 listed practices.
Can I see a specialist without leaving Hillcrest?
In most cases yes. The neighborhood lists nine oral and maxillofacial surgery practices, eight endodontic, seven periodontic, four pediatric and three orthodontic. That is enough to give you a choice rather than a single referral. Prosthodontics is the exception, with only one listing, so you may need to look nearby for that.
Where are most Hillcrest dental practices?
Walnut Ave has the biggest cluster with 35 listings. 3rd Ave and 4th Ave have 14 each, Washington St has seven and University Ave has four, with the remainder spread across smaller streets. All of them fall inside ZIP code 92103, roughly 5.3 miles from the center of San Diego.