Information about Amy Guthrie, D.D.S.

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What are your office hours?
How do I find the office?
Will you scold me if I haven't seen a dentist in 5 years?
How do I get an appointment?
How do you measure sea level?
What insurance do you take?
Do you have a student discount?
Do you have Saturday or evening hours?
Do cats sleepwalk?
How much does a new patient appointment cost?
Who took the photographs around the office?
Can I email Amy privately?
What training and experience do the people in the office have?

Email us or call if you don't see the answer you need!

What are your office hours?: Patient appointments are available 8:00am to 1:00pm and 2:00pm to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday, except on holidays. Dr. Guthrie is not typically available on Fridays, and Dr. Shikaram is not available on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.
How do I find the office?: Check out the detailed directions and maps on our on-line directions page.
Will you scold me if I haven't seen a dentist in 5 years?: No, we'll be proud of you that you've come in.
How do I get an appointment?: For new patient appointments email us or telephone 650-323-2138 between 7:30am and 5:00pm Mon-Fri. New patient appointments typically last one hour and a half to allow time for a complete exam (and x-rays if needed), as well as teeth/gum cleaning, plus plenty of time to talk with the dentist.
If you are having discomfort, call us right away for priority scheduling.
How do you measure sea level?: You'd think, what with water seeking it's own level and all, that the average level of the oceans (Mean Sea Level, or MSL) would be some fairly constant distance from the center of the Earth. However, several factor combine to make it not that simple. The tidal pull of other bodies in the solar system stretch the Earth and it's oceans like a piece of taffy, making it wider than it is tall (which is how I feel some days...). The Sun (because it's so big) and the Moon (because it's so close) are the main players. And the spin of the Earth itself tends to make it "fatter" in the middle (near the equator). Then there's the fact that the sea level varies with water density, which changes due to factors like temperature and mineral (salt) content. Then there's the fact that a lot of the water is in motion, flowing in currents and rivers, ice fields, clouds, etc.
So what do we do? In the tradition of all good science, we approach the problem both empirically (go out and measure it) and theoretically (try to figure it out), and then combine both. The result is the "geoid", a mathematical surface that shows where the water level would be (as measured from the center of the Earth) if it were allowed to settle, and there was no land in the way. This mathematical model can be used with technology like the Global Positioning System (GPS), which is good at figuring how far from the center of the Earth you are, to find out how far above MSL you are, which is how most people think of "how high am I?"
What insurance do you take?: Well, the simple answer is, any that will pay!
Here's how we handle dental reimbursement plans. We charge our fees to our client: you. As a service to you, we generate claim forms to send to your dental plan. Many plans will pay us directly instead of you (this is called "assignment of benefit"). If you have one of those plans, we will wait up to 60 days to settle the claim (most settle in less than 14 days) before we collect from you. Extending this credit to you seems to be the easiest way to get around the almost impossible task of figuring out what each and every dental plan will pay in every circumstance.
Some plans will pay only you. For those, we collect from you at time of service, and send a claim for you.
Some plans put together a "network" of providers who agree to provide services at a discount rate. To encourage you to use the discount providers, many plans provide less coverage at the non-discount providers.
If you have a "provider list" with your plan, you might want to contact them and ask what coverage they will provide to you at Amy Guthrie, DDS. It varies from none to almost as much as a "network" provider, depending on the plan (including different plans within a particular insurance company).
The only dental plan contract we currently have is with Delta Dental of California (we are a Delta Premier provider). So, for anybody but Delta, we are not a "network provider".
Do you have a student discount?: Yes, a pretty good one. Currently enrolled college students (pursuing an undergrad or graduate degree) can get 25% off most procedures performed in the office. To qualify you must:

Have no reimbursement plan (insurance, medical savings account, etc.) that we have to do paperwork for (saving this overhead makes it possible to offer a large discount)
Pay in full at time of service (no exceptions)
Be able to present a current ID card from the college
Mates (spouses or equivalent) and children of students being seen in the office can get a 15% discount under the same terms.
Do you have Saturday or evening hours?: Not currently, sorry.
Do cats sleepwalk?: No.
How much does a new patient appointment cost?: That can vary considerably depending on your needs; call the office at 650-323-2138 to discuss it.
Who took the photographs around the office?: Most were taken by Rich Acuff, our Business Manager. Like most men, he has a fragile ego, so be sure to mention it if you like them! :-)
Can I email Amy privately?: Amy@Dr-Amy.com goes only to Amy.
What training and experience do the people in the office have?: Remind Rich that this section needs to be completed!

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Last updated May 5, 2005 by Rich Acuff.