Locations
Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Palo Alto
Palo Alto
Stanford Hospital
Palo Alto, CA
Oaktown Dental
Oakland, CA
About
Bio
Zahid H. Ahmed was born and raised in California and attended the University of Michigan for his dental training. He was previously clinical faculty member at the University of California San Francisco School of Dentistry. He also is currently an attending staff dentist at the VA Hospital in Palo Alto and Stanford University Hospitals. He also see patients at his private office, Oaktown Dental, in Oakland, California. He completed a General Practice Residency at UCSF and is a Fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry as well as a Fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists. He believes continuous learning allows him to provide the best possible dental care for his patients. In addition to general dentistry, his focus includes implantology, prosthodontics, dental-alveolar surgery, hospital dentistry, and sedation. He places a high value on patient comfort.
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Dentistry
Cosmetic Dentistry
Surgery - Oral & Maxillofacial
Doctor Q&A
208 Answers
396 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
See MD: It is possible to experience altered taste with common conditions such as cold, flu, gastroenteritis, etc. I would follow up with your doctor if you h... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 32-year-old female asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Identify cause: If it doesn't begin to improve within the next few days, you may want to see a doctor for an evaluation. In general the tongue is very quick to heal a... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old male asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Well: To answer your question in a different way, the tongue is highly vascular but not a common cause for bleeding in the mouth or for there to be a blood ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Rule out : Tooth pain in response to specific stimuli can be due to a few different things. You may have generalized sensitivity due to gingival recession or abr... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old male asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
See dentist: The only way to be certain is to see a dentist. Cavities may be present without pain, and may also only be visible by xray. It just depends on locatio... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 51-year-old female asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Need to see a Dr: I agree. A proper eval is needed to identify the cause and possible treatment for multiple sores. It could be a number of things from apthous ulcers, ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 57-year-old male asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Few Variables: There are a few variables involved in an immediate implant placed at the time of extraction. The most important are presence of preexisting infection ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old male asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
If: If taking bisphosphonate medication, try to see a dentist first and take regular care of your teeth!
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old female asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
See your doctor: Hsv1 can be treated with a few different anti viral medications. How and when you treat will depend on what stage/phase it is in. You may be having a ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 56-year-old female asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
See your surgeon: If you have not had any symptoms or problems since the repair in nov of 2011, and now all of sudden have symptoms in 2013, it may or may not be relate... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old female asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Probably: Oral sedation for oral surgery is usually used to help reduce anxiety. It is still very common to have a slightly elevated heart rate during the proce... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Dont worry: Sedation in general is inhibitory so although it will depend on the agent and type of sedation. Either way, it is rare for patients i say serious thin... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 60-year-old female asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Possibly normal: A generalized white coating of the tongue that is not painful is most commonly referred to coated tongue, a buildup of desquamated epithelial cells, b... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old male asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
See a dentist: If you have facial swelling of the cheek that you notice when looking in the mirror, it would be very important to see a dentist to evaluate for an in... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Yes: Orajel is a topical anesthetic that will very temporarily relieve the pain. If the paid is really bad you may want to consider over the counter pain m... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old male asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Cant answer: The cost will vary based on what your needs are and will also vary by provider. If you can't complete your treatment with yourself original doctor, wh... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
2nd opinion: This sounds more like a salivary gland stone, or sialolith, which blocks the duct draining saliva from your parotid gland. It depends on the historica... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 36-year-old male asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Avoid: Avoid sipping on drinks for more than 30min at a time. Prolonged exposure increases risks for decay.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 23-year-old female asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Probably nothing: Painless, non changing bumps, with color consistent with the rest of the tongue are likely your taste buds. We have a few different kinds on our tongu... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 51-year-old female asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Probably not: Although jaw/tooth pain can cause headaches, it is not common to have lower jaw pain cause sinus problems. It is possible to get referred pain from yo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old male asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Like trauma?: If you experienced trauma to the face or mouth an are experiencing bleeding that is not stopping, you should see a dentist for a proper exam. You may ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 26-year-old female asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Oral medicine: A doctor competent in oral medicine would be best, although they are hard to find and may even be overkill. An oral surgeon would be a good choice, yo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 56-year-old female asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Depends: The duration of action is on average 7-8 hrs but that doesn't mean it will be cleared from your system by then. I suppose it depends on what the drug ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old female asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Need evaluation: With your description of the pain and location, it would be important to see a dentist or physician for an evaluation to identify the cause. Once iden... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 27-year-old female asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
May come and go: Although geographic tongue is chronic, the answer is yes that it can go through periods where it is less apparent or not as pronounced. It varies from... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 29-year-old male asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
See a dentist: Could be a few things, if near the floor of your mouth it may be a stone in one of your salivary glands (salivary calculi), a fibroma, or something be... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
See a dr asap: I agree with dr noorda. A dental abscess that is causing swelling around the eye, or infraorbital swelling, is a serious issue. I would strongly consi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 22-year-old female asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
See a doctor: I agree with dr. Latif. If you have a benign tumor in the mouth, i would expedite its treatment. Unless there is a clear reason your doctor mentioned ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 59-year-old male asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
For an implant?: After tooth extraction, assuming (4) walls are preserved, the body will fill with blood clot, and ultimately fill in with bone. Over time, especially ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 47-year-old female asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Can decrease course: If viral (hsv1), you may have noticed that you get a sensation before the sore actually breaks out. This is the time to apply the right medication to ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 36-year-old male asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Few possibilities: Depending on the nature of the white spots (size, location, flat/raised, quantity), it is likely either a fungal infection such as candida (commonly),... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old male asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Depends on the cause: The parotid gland can become swollen for a number of reasons. A proper diagnosis will help you determine how long the swelling might last. Common cond... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 26-year-old female asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Orajel: Tylenol (acetaminophen) is the first option, you could try orajel but know that its is only a topical anesthetic that will only give a few minutes of ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old female asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Normal healing: The white ulcer is part of the normal healing process in the mouth. It should begin to improve in no more than 5-7 days, and should most definitely be... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 60-year-old female asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Not normally: The bleeding should stop with the first few hours following an extraction. It is common to have a trickle of blood in your saliva for the first 24hrs.... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Identify the cause: Teeth can begin to wear and break for a number of reasons. It could be to occlusion, some oral habit, or some environmental factor. The best way to ad... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 21-year-old female asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Ibuprofen: Ibuprofen is usually an excellent over the counter pain killer for tooth related pain. It's generally preferred over tylenol (acetaminophen). Only tak... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old male asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Following: Following post operative instructions closely will ensure smooth healing and likely fast recovery.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old male asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Probably normal : Bumps on the back of the tongue may be normal anatomy that is commonly mistaken as an abnormality. These are most likely your papillae. However, if it... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Probably not: A common oral yeast infection is caused by candida albicans. This is an oppourtunistic fungal infection that is commonly referred to as "thrush". It i... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old male asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Chin?: Our chin? Has the pain just started today? Or has it been sore since your dental appointment? If it is a new pain it is likely not the dental care. Bu... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Multple things: A common oral yeast infection is caused by candida albicans. This is an oppourtunistic fungal infection that is commonly referred to as "thrush". Cand... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old male asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Not likely: Usually whitening your teeth will only cause them to get whiter. What you may be experiencing is just the tooth color returning to its normal shade. I... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old female asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Multiple ways: You should see a dentist, or perhaps an oral surgeon to evaluate the cause of your jaw being stuck. There are a few ways to unlock a jaw or get the jo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old male asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Possibly normal: It could be normal anatomy, and may have just noticed it. Especially if it looks normal in color, is not painful, not growing, and near the midline of... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 26-year-old female asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Varies: The activity of geographic tongue will wax and wane over time and may even have periods where there is no lesion activity. Some people are able to ide... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 47-year-old female asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
See dr for follow up: The amount pain will vary depending on how involved the extraction was and the type of bone graft you had. Although it is not unreasonable to still be... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Dont outrule teeth: Although a headache and dizzyness can be caused by a number of things (non-dental), dont rule out the dentures as a possible cause. If you feel like t... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Yes but: Gingivitis can be addressed with a regular dental cleaning. However, the real prevention comes with routine home care that includes proper brushing 2x... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 54-year-old female asked:
Dr. Zahid Ahmedanswered
Dentistry 13 years experience
Trivial : Because the are different types of tea and coffee, the amount they may not be directly comparable. Also, the amount of staining week be sure to a vari... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
5
Recommendations
425
Thank you notes
Feb 23, 2013
Very knowledgeable dentist with consistently thorough, to the point and articulate answers and advice!
Apr 5, 2015
Great doctor. Consistently gives thoughtful, insightful and expert advice.
Dec 24, 2014
Excellent dentist. Highly recommend.
HealthTap member
This was very helpful. Thanks! I like the detail in your reply. It has me placing another online question about rebuilding bone height. Mush appreciated.
HealthTap member
Thanks for your quick reply! I will definitely look him up. I'm trying to avoid western dental which seems to be about my only option. :(
HealthTap member
Thanks. It did happen after completing a prescription of antibiotics. "Bad taste" was a side affect listed but this been a week since.
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
University of Michigan School of Dentistry
Graduated 2010MD
Residency
UCSF MEDICAL CENTER
Awards
Fellow, International Congress of Oral Implantologists
Fellowship, Academy General Dentistry
Top Doctor, First Place, Alameda County, CA - Winter
2013
Affiliations
American Dental Association
Academy of General Dentistry
International Congress of Oral Implantologists
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