San Mateo
Orthodontics
Dr. Tom Ellerhorst, DDS, MSDBoard Certified Orthodontists in San Mateo, CA
256 N. San Mateo Drive, Suite #1, San Mateo CA, 94401(650) 343-3603
San Mateo Orthodontics specializes in Braces and Invisalign for children and adults in San Mateo, Burlingame, and Hillsborough, California.
Dr. Tom Ellerhorst welcomes you and your family to his San Mateo orthodontics office. We hope you will enjoy getting to know our wonderful staff and familiarizing yourself with the excellent work we do. Our office has a strong reputation for providing the highest quality orthodontic treatment in the San Mateo, Burlingame, and Hillsborough areas. Through a close association with your family dentist, we strive to improve your oral health and appearance. We believe that both children and adults can enhance their lives by achieving a beautiful, lasting smile.The goal of our orthodontic team is to efficiently deliver the most beautiful, healthy smiles possible in a professional, yet relaxed and caring environment. Our San Mateo orthodontic office is state of the art while offering a fun, family-oriented atmosphere. Our treatment philosophy centers on delivering the best possible care in the most proficient manner. We provide treatment that is backed by solid, scientific research in order to achieve the highest outcomes. It is very important to us that you feel comfortable with the treatment plan developed and encourage you to ask questions.
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Our Services
San Mateo Orthodontics offers orthodontic treatment for both children and adults. You can read more on this page about specific services.- Braces for children and adults
- Invisalign for teens and adults
- Surgical Orthodontics
- Multi-disciplinary Treatment
- 2 Phase Treatment when necessary
- Retainer Fabrication (bonded or removable)
- Dental positioning prior to implant placement
- Cosmetic Contouring to remove minor chipped egdes and enamel defects
- Space Maintenance for the eruption of permanent teethDr. Ellerhorst works hard to ensure that your treatment progresses in the most efficient manner possible. His fun nature makes each visit a pleasant and enjoyable experience and results in a higher standard of care.No patient is ever rushed, and there is always time to answer all of your questions. Collaboration allows for input in determining the most appropriate, customized treatment plan. Your input is always heard.
Our office is nearly 100% paperless. This is not only more environmentally friendly, but it enables us to have immediate, detailed information sharing with your dentist and any other health professional involved in your care. The end result is a more comprehensive, personalized plan.Dr. Ellerhorst is very proud of his commitment to continuing education always exceeding more than the amount required by law. This allows him to stay on the cutting edge of the most current, efficient methods of treatment, including Invisalign. You will not find an orthodontic team more dedicated to meeting your specific needs. The San Mateo Orthodontic Group has recently teamed with Orthocad; a dental company that enables enhanced patient comfort and superior results in a shorter amount of time. Orthocad has developed an intra-oral scanner that takes the place of dental impressions; we are one of the only offices in the Bay Area that uses this technology. This means, traditional alginate impressions (the gooey material that can often activate the gag reflex) are not necessary; instead, unobtrusive photographs are taken with a wand inside you mouth. No mess, no gagging. The models are then stored digitally for easier, immediate sharing with your dentist. With Orthocad IQ, mathematical algorithms are used to place brackets on teeth with extreme accuracy, resulting in more efficient movement and a shorter amount of time spent in braces. The end result is a better orthodontic experience unique to our patients only.
Our Office
Comfort and convenience are the hallmarks of San Mateo Orthodontics. This page provides you with the information you need about our hours, location, appointment scheduling, insurance and billing.Tom Ellerhorst DDS, MSD256 North San Mateo Drive
Suite #1
San Mateo, CA 94401(650) 343-3603
(650) 343-0709 FaxMonday: 08:00 AM - 05:30 PM
Tuesday: 08:00 AM - 05:30 PM
Wednesday: 08:00 AM - 05:30 PM
Thursday: 08:00 AM - 05:30 PM
Friday: 08:00 AM - 02:30 PMInsurance and Billing
Agreements between insurance companies and employers vary and most insurance companies only pay a portion of the orthodontic fee. Our Treatment Coordinators will be happy to check into your particular insurance benefit program. We will make a comfortable payment schedule with you to pay the orthodontic fee, and we will work with you to obtain insurance payments for our services directly from your insurance carrier.Many employers offer individual flex spending accounts. Please check with your human resources department for information on how your particular plan works. Our Treatment Coordinators would be happy to work with you in this area.Payment Options
At your first appointment the Treatment Coordinators will provide you with an estimate for the proposed orthodontic treatment. This fee covers all aspects of the treatment performed in our office, except for lost or broken removable appliances (like retainers). Procedures done in other offices (i.e. cleanings, extractions, X-rays, restorations, etc.) are not included. We accept MasterCard, Visa, or Discover for the full fee or individual payments. Of course, personal checks and cash are also accepted.Our Treatment Coordinators are happy to discuss in more detail any of the following payment options:Initial payment of 25% and equal payments over the proposed active treatment time. (This is the typical plan chosen and is INTEREST FREE.) We are also willing to discuss customized payment arrangements for special circumstances. Please speak with a Treatment Coordinator to find a plan that best suits your needs.Appointment Scheduling Details
The goal of our office is to provide you with the best service possible. In order to do so effectively, we have set up an organized, flexible appointment system. Orthodontic force systems must be adjusted and monitored every few weeks for treatment to proceed as planned. We recognize, however, that office visits may conflict with work, school, or other activities. In order to balance the necessity of regular appointments with the need to minimize missed school and work hours, we have designed our office scheduling system to accomplish the following:We want to see each patient at the time of his or her scheduled appointment. Your time is valuable -- It should not be wasted in our reception area. We allow enough time at each appointment to do the necessary adjustments, plan the next visit, discuss treatment progress, and answer any questions you may have.Orthodontic treatment proceeds in stages. Long appointments (placing braces and removing braces) are usually scheduled during school and work hours, with shorter appointments (adjustments, impressions, appliance checks, etc.) scheduled before or after school and work. This way, we do not reserve an entire afternoon for one or two patients, but rather we can see as many patients as possible with short appointments. Consequently, the office tends to be quieter in the middle of the day and busier in the early morning and late afternoon. During the initial months of treatment, when more significant movement of the teeth takes place, it is only necessary to arrange appointments every 6 to 8 weeks. Later in the treatment process, when smaller movement of the teeth occurs, patients are seen every 4-5 weeks.Our scheduling system is designed to maximize doctor time with each patient. Therefore, arriving late or missing appointments can pose a problem. Dr. Ellerhorst will see every patient during every appointment, so we will try our best to accommodate late patients, being careful not to inconvenience the other patients who have arrived on time. However, we may have to reschedule a late patient, as there may not be an opening to fit them in. All failed or late appointments should be rescheduled as soon as possible. If you need an emergency appointment, we will do our best to get you in as soon as possible.When you arrive in the office, please check in at the touch screen computer adjacent to the front desk. The Treatment Coordinators can help if needed. Before you are called into the clinic area, feel free to brush your teeth with the pre-pasted toothbrushes at the sink (there is even floss there if you are in the mood!). Remember to bring your toothbrush back into the clinic area with you, as Dr. Ellerhorst will point out any areas you may be missing. When your appointment has concluded, please be sure to check out at the front desk, setting up your next appointment and/or verifying the correct address to mail you an appointment reminder card.
Our Staff
At San Mateo Orthodontics our friendly, capable staff is extremely dedicated in the delivery of orthodontic care to our patients. We are here to help you, the patient and parents, have an enjoyable experience with your orthodontic treatment. We strive to be considerate of your time through efficient scheduling and the use of the latest technology in orthodontic appliances and materials.Our Orthodontic Assistants are graduates from the College of San Mateo Dental Assisting Program with a combined 18 years of experience. They are Licensed Registered Dental Assistants.Our Treatment Coordinators have extensive experience helping patients and parents with their insurance and financial matters. They will assist you in scheduling your orthodontic appointments so your treatment progresses as quickly and conveniently as possible.
Dr. Tom Ellerhorst, DDS, MSD – OrthodontistDr. Tom Ellerhorst, also known as "Dr. Tom," grew up in San Carlos and attended St. Charles Elementary School, followed by Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, where he was selected as Valedictorian and received the Varsity Soccer Blanket Award. He then pursued studies in Biology and Chemistry at the University of San Francisco before earning his Dental and Masters degrees at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific in San Francisco. He is a local through and through!Continuing the dental tradition within his family, Dr. Tom follows in the footsteps of his mother, Dr. Ann Marie Silvestri, and his father, Dr. Tom Ellerhorst, both of whom are general dentists. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Orthodontists (Board Certified) and an active member of numerous professional associations including the American Association of Orthodontists, San Mateo County Dental Society, California Society of Orthodontists, American Dental Association, California Dental Association, and University of the Pacific Alumni Association. Additionally, he is recognized as a Platinum Invisalign Provider.Dr. Tom married his high school sweetheart, Kacie, and currently resides in Redwood City. He dedicates much of his free time to keeping up with his children's various activities, including coaching basketball and baseball for his son Connor's school teams. He takes joy in watching his children participate in their club-level sports. Dr. Tom is an avid fan of Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell movies and cherishes spending time with his extended family throughout the Peninsula.
Mari – Patient Care CoordinatorMari joined our office in October of 2020. Her kindness is evident the moment you meet her. She is very friendly and goes above and beyond to make sure each patient has a wonderful experience. Mari is an expert with insurance and coordinating appointments with the busy lives of our patients. When she is not in the office, you can find her spending time with her close-knit family, especially her two adorable daughters.
Maria - Patient Care CoordinatorMaria has been in the dental field since November 2010. Her rigorous training and experience has guided her to strive in the specialty of orthodontics. Her friendly, positive personality and compassionate attitude is the perfect addition to our team. In addition to traveling, listening to music, and anything Disney, Maria loves spending time with her family and friends.
Meghan, RDA – AssistantMeghan joined our office in August of 2008. Her enthusiasm is infectious, and you can see how much fun she has at work. She is very outgoing and is absolutely the heart of this office. When she is not making patients laugh, she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter, chauffeuring her to her various activities, like soccer, softball, dance, girl scouts, etc. You all know how that goes!
Brandi, DA – AssistantBrandi was a former patient who joined our team in September of 2014. She is one of the hardest workers you will ever meet; her loyalty is unsurpassed, and we can count on her for anything. Brandi makes every moment memorable and is excellent with our patients. When she is not at the office, you can find her spending time with her husband, enjoying country music concerts, 49er games, and traveling.
Gigi, DA – AssistantGigi joined the team in November of 2022. She is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet. Gigi is an extremely hard worker, and when she is not taking excellent care of our patients, she enjoys reading, hiking, playing piano, and spending time with her family. She graduated from San Francisco State in 2021 with a degree in Psychology and Holistic Health.
