I think it came overall stemming from my community, like my parents growing up. They’re immigrants that came over from Vietnam during the Vietnam War. So, a lot of my family members didn’t have sort of that access to care and the education to really improve their oral health. So, a lot of my family members have dentures, removable dentures, so they’re missing a lot of teeth. That sort of geared me towards dentistry. And after learning a little bit more about that aspect of it, I learned that, you know, a lot of this could be preventable. And that’s sort of what piqued my interest into dentistry and why I’m still in it.
The most rewarding part of dentistry I think is sort of knowing that you can make a change in your community. Not on the global level, but sort of on the community level. We can really help the community improve their oral health. There are ways to really help them stop having cavities, the use of preventive dentistry, and sort of finding the underlying causes for issues that people may have. Rather than just going in and fixing the issue without addressing the underlying issue.
So, I want to get the point across that, you know, it’s sort of a team-oriented view of dentistry, where even though I can help, you know, fix cavities, do crowns, you know, improve the oral healthcare, the most important person that can really help is yourself. I can give you the tools to get you to the level you want to be at, where you’re very confident with your smile, confident with your teeth but everything is sort of geared towards you and learning those things that we want to impart to you. So, I really want patients to know that it is a team approach that we’re looking at, it’s not that I can do everything. The assistants play a role, the hygienist plays a role. We have such a great team behind us with all the specialists that we work with to get you to where you are comfortable and confident with your smile and with your oral health.
Dr. Andrew Ha Values His Patients
Dr. Andrew Ha was born and raised in the Bay Area. He spent most of his childhood in Alameda and Oakland until he attended a Buddhist boarding school. After graduating from high school, Dr. Ha attended De Anza College and later transferred to the University of California, Davis. He received a Bachelors in Biological Sciences with an emphasis in Medical Microbiology.
He then completed his Doctorate in Dental Surgery (DDS) at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Dentistry. During his time at UCSF, he had great interest in teaching and mentoring the future generation of dentists. Afterwards, he completed an Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency program at the University of the Pacific. Andrew received advanced training in treating medically complex and special needs patients. He also received training in prosthodontics, crowns and veneers, Invisalign, digital impression dentistry, restoring single and multiple implants, All-On-4 concept, removable partial dentures, and complete dentures.
Dr. Ha is a member of the American Dental Association, California Dental Association, Alameda County Dental Society, and Academy of General Dentistry. He has proudly volunteered his time with the Tzu Chi Foundation, Fountain Project, Veterans Stand down event in Antioch, and CDA Cares Events. Dr. Ha also participated as a volunteer dentist for the Special Olympic Events, Give Special Kids a Smile, Give Kids A Smile, and Give Veterans a smile. He volunteered and mentored pre-dents for the UC Davis Pre Health Conference and SFSU’s Education and Opportunities Program. Dr. Ha is committed to his patient’s health and success through a comprehensive treatment approach. He prides himself in educating patients in their oral health care. He is a general dentist who works alongside specialists in order to deliver quality care. In his spare time, Dr. Ha enjoys playing basketball, watching NBA games, videoing, traveling, and being with his family.