With a list that long, the useful thing is knowing how it breaks down. Everything below comes from the registry: counts, categories, streets, ownership and registration years.
What is listed in Downtown Santa Monica
76 of the 109 practices list general dentistry. Behind them sit 11 endodontic practices, 7 dental clinics, 6 orthodontic practices, and 4 each in periodontics, prosthodontics and pediatric dentistry. Endodontics in particular is well represented, so root canal treatment rarely means leaving the area.
The concentration on two streets is striking. 15th St has 44 listings and 7th St has 25, which is 69 of the 109 between them. 10th St has 7, and Montana Ave and Lincoln Blvd have 5 each. Counts that high on a single street usually mean medical buildings with many suites rather than a row of shopfronts.
Ownership runs 81 individual practitioners to 28 organizations, so three quarters of the listings are in a dentist's own name. That generally means the dentist you book is the dentist you see.
68 of the 109 were registered before 2010 and the oldest registration here dates to 2005. Two thirds of this cluster is long established.
- 109 practices across ZIP codes 90401, 90404, 90403 and 90402
- 76 general dentists, 33 in other categories
- 69 of them on 15th St or 7th St
- 81 individual practitioners, 28 organizations
How to choose between them
A list of 109 needs cutting down before it is any use. Ask three things on the first call: are you accepting new patients, do you take my exact plan, and when could I be seen. With this many practices within walking distance of each other you can afford to be selective rather than taking the first available slot.
Then look at how a practice handles explanations and money. Written estimates before treatment, a clear separation between urgent work and things being monitored, and honesty about whether a procedure is done in house. Because most specialties are represented locally, ask whether a referral would keep you in the neighborhood.
If you need something Downtown Santa Monica does not have
One specialty is missing: oral and maxillofacial surgery, which covers wisdom teeth, complex extractions and implant placement. The nearest listings we hold are in Beverly Hills, about 6.3 miles away, where 23 practices are recorded. That is the one thing likely to take you out of the area, and your general dentist will normally arrange the referral.
There is not much immediately next door either. We hold only two neighboring areas with their own listings: Ocean Park, 1.2 miles away with 6 practices, and Brentwood Park, 1.7 miles away with 12. In practice the 109 listings here are the local market, which is why plan participation and waiting times matter more than distance when you choose.
Insurance and paying
In network means the practice has agreed a contracted fee schedule with your insurer. Out of network still means treatment, usually at a higher cost and sometimes with a claim you submit yourself. It is not a quality rating, and a practice may take one plan from an insurer and not another from the same company.
Ask for a written estimate before any treatment beyond a check up and clean, listing procedure codes, the fee, the expected insurance payment and your share, and ask what remains of your annual maximum. Our registry holds no fees, no opening hours and no insurance information. None of these 109 listings have been claimed, and only one has published a website and hours with us. That gap is exactly why claimed listings are more useful than unclaimed ones.
If it is urgent
For a broken tooth, a lost crown or filling, or pain that kept you awake, call first thing and ask directly for same day care. Practices keep a small amount of emergency time and it goes early in the day. With 76 general practices and 11 endodontic ones in the same few streets, this is a good area in which to be looking for one.
Go to an emergency room instead if swelling is spreading toward your eye or down your neck, if breathing or swallowing is difficult, if you have a fever with facial swelling, or if bleeding after an extraction will not stop. To search by distance rather than by neighborhood, use dentist directory.
Questions patients ask
How many dentists are in Downtown Santa Monica?
Our directory lists 109 dental practices with a Downtown Santa Monica address, across ZIP codes 90401, 90404, 90403 and 90402. Seventy six list general dentistry, 11 are endodontic practices, 7 are dental clinics, 6 are orthodontic and there are 4 each in periodontics, prosthodontics and pediatric dentistry.
Why are so many dentists on 15th St?
Forty four of the 109 listings give a 15th St address and another 25 are on 7th St. Counts like that on one street normally reflect medical office buildings with many separate suites rather than dozens of separate storefronts. It does mean you can often see a general dentist and a specialist at the same address.
Where is the nearest oral surgeon?
Oral and maxillofacial surgery is the only specialty with no Downtown Santa Monica listing. The nearest we hold are in Beverly Hills, about 6.3 miles away, where 23 practices are recorded. For wisdom teeth or implant placement your general dentist will usually refer you and arrange the appointment on your behalf.