This guide uses only the registry data behind those listings, which records addresses, ZIP codes, provider type and registration dates. It has no ratings or reviews in it. What it does have is a reliable account of what is here and how it is distributed.
What is listed in Upper State
The 38 listings fall in two ZIP codes, 93105 and 93102, and one street holds almost everything. State Street accounts for 37 of the 38 once you combine the 33 filed as State St with the 4 filed as State Street, the same road entered two ways in federal records. Only one listing, on E Alamar, sits anywhere else.
Thirty of the 38 are registered to individual practitioners and just 8 to organizations, so this is a neighborhood of individually registered dentists rather than corporate groups. Names such as Alex J Trigonis, DDS MS and Andrew G Balshaw, DDS are typical. That reflects how the registration is held, not the size of the practice.
Twenty four of the 38 were registered before 2010, and the oldest goes back to 2006. So around two thirds have held the same registration at the same address for fifteen years or more.
- 38 practices listed, from 272 across Santa Barbara
- 22 general dentistry, 16 specialist or clinic listings
- 37 of 38 on State Street
- Two ZIP codes, 93105 and 93102
- 30 individual practitioners, 8 organizations
- 24 registered before 2010, oldest in 2006
How to choose between them
The specialist mix here is better than the practice count suggests. Seven orthodontic listings and four pediatric dentists mean that braces and children's care, the two things families end up visiting repeatedly, can both be handled locally with a genuine choice of provider.
For general dentistry there are 22 listings, which is plenty for routine work. Because they are nearly all on the same street, location will not decide it for you. Ask whether you see the same dentist each visit, how far ahead cleanings are booked, and whether the practice distinguishes urgent treatment from work that can wait.
Only 2 of the 38 have a website recorded in the registry and only 1 has hours, so plan on calling. Confirm they are accepting new patients and in network for your plan before you go.
If you need something Upper State does not have
No major dental specialty is missing here. General dentistry, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, endodontics, periodontics and oral and maxillofacial surgery all have at least one listing in the neighborhood, which is rare.
The thin fields are the ones to plan around. Periodontics and oral and maxillofacial surgery have a single listing each, so a second opinion or a full appointment book means looking further out. Westside, 1.1 miles away, has 87 practices, far more than Upper State itself. East Side has 19 at 2.4 miles, Riviera 15 at 1.6, Las Positas 14 at 1.8, Funk Zone 13 at 2.3 and The Mesa 9 at 2.5.
Insurance and paying
In network and out of network is the distinction that matters most for what you pay. In network means the practice has agreed rates with your plan, so your share is calculated from a discounted fee. Out of network means no agreement, and you may owe the difference between the fee charged and what your plan allows.
For orthodontics in particular, ask for a written estimate covering the full course of treatment with procedure codes, not just the first appointment, and have your plan pre authorize it.
These listings come from a federal provider registry that holds names, addresses, credentials and specialty codes. It holds no fees, no opening hours and no insurance networks. That is why a claimed listing matters, because claiming is how a practice publishes those details itself. None of the 38 in Upper State have been claimed yet.
If it is urgent
For a broken tooth, a lost crown or filling, or pain that is getting worse, call the general dentistry listings on State Street and ask for same day care. With almost the entire neighborhood on one road, working down the list is fast, though with hours published for just one practice you will not know who is open until you call.
Some symptoms need an emergency room rather than a dentist. Go to the ER if swelling is spreading toward your eye or down into your neck, if you have trouble breathing or swallowing, if you have a fever alongside facial swelling, or if bleeding will not stop.
If nothing here can see you, search outward by distance at dentist directory.
Questions patients ask
How many dentists are listed in Upper State, Santa Barbara?
There are 38 dental practices listed in Upper State, out of 272 across Santa Barbara. Twenty two are general dentistry. The others are 7 orthodontists, 4 pediatric dentists, 2 endodontists, one periodontist, one oral and maxillofacial surgeon and 2 dental clinics, across ZIP codes 93105 and 93102.
Are Upper State dentists all on State Street?
Very nearly. State Street accounts for 37 of the 38 listings once the entries recorded as State St and State Street are counted together, which they should be. The only exception sits on E Alamar. That makes comparing practices on location almost meaningless here.
Is there an orthodontist in Upper State?
Yes, and more than one. Orthodontics is the largest specialty in the neighborhood with 7 listings, which gives you a real choice rather than a single option. Pediatric dentistry has 4 more. Both matter if you have children, since orthodontic treatment usually means repeat visits over a couple of years.