About Us
About Centre Dental NYC — Implant & Cosmetic Dentist
Centre Dental NYC has served Lower Manhattan since 2004, with implant and cosmetic care led by Dr. John Shi and a bilingual team.
Welcome
Centre Dental — at a glance
Our Story
Founded in 2004 by Dr. John Shi
Dr. John Shi earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, where a competitive scholarship went to him on academic merit and, in 1999, so did Omicron Kappa Upsilon — dentistry's national honor society, awarded to him alone out of his graduating class. He completed his residency at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, spent years in private practices large and small, and in 2004 settled into Lower Manhattan's Chinatown.
Centre Dental has practised at 139 Centre Street, Suite 306 ever since. Dr. Shi holds an implant diploma from NYU and a fellowship in the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, and he still sits in on implant conferences every year. He performs the work himself, from the surgery through to the final restoration — which keeps the treatment consistent and keeps the cost down.
The practice has grown on patients telling other patients, not on advertising. Today Centre Dental looks after more than 5,000 people across New York, and some travel in from other states and other countries for full-arch reconstruction.
20+
Years of Clinical Experience
5,000+
Patients Served
1,200+
Complex Cases
“固本 — strengthen the foundation. Minimally invasive surgery and conservative treatment are the baseline here, and every plan gets weighed for how it will hold up years from now.”
The clinical philosophy of Dr. John Shi, Founder
Treatment Planning
Thoughtful Treatment Planning Backed by 20 Years of Experience
Dr. Shi combines a conservative clinical approach with advanced digital expertise to make even complex dental concerns easier to understand, plan, and treat affordably. Long-term success, patient comfort, healthy function, and smile enhancement are central to every care plan.
We combine a comprehensive clinical exam, radiation-free 3D scanning, and advanced 2D/3D imaging to create a detailed digital map of the entire mouth. This allows us to evaluate cavities, bite balance, gum and bone health, airway considerations, TMJ function, and smile aesthetics with greater accuracy and confidence.
Technology
Tools with a clinical job
None of this was bought to look impressive. Each device has to make a diagnosis clearer, a placement steadier, an appointment shorter, or a recovery easier — complex treatment made simpler. Patients travelling in for care, and people who cannot keep taking days off work, feel that difference most.
Guided Implant Surgery
Every implant is planned in 3D from a CBCT scan, then placed by hand along a custom surgical guide. Dr. Shi describes the guide the way a driver would describe GPS — it holds the route while the judgment stays with the surgeon. Smaller wound, faster recovery.
Learn MoreCEREC Same-Day Crowns
Digital impressions and in-house CAD/CAM milling produce your porcelain crown during the same visit. No putty trays, no temporary crown to nurse for two weeks, no second trip. You can even sit with Dr. Shi and shape the design yourself.
Learn MoreSolea Laser Dentistry
A CO2 all-tissue laser that handles many procedures with no anesthetic at all — no needle, no numb afternoon afterwards, and less bleeding during treatment.
Learn More3D CBCT Imaging
A low-dose 3D scan reads bone density, nerve paths, and sinus anatomy in seconds, so implant planning starts from your actual anatomy instead of an estimate. Free for every new patient.
Learn MoreSafety & Sterilization
Every instrument, documented
Every instrument that touches a patient at Centre Dental moves through a documented four-stage process: ultrasonic cleaning to remove debris, packaging in indicator-strip pouches, full autoclave sterilization, and storage in sealed pouches until the next use. The autoclave is biologically tested with spore strips to verify the cycle actually killed organisms — not just that the temperature dial showed the right number.
Disposable barriers cover every chair-side surface a glove might touch — handpiece tubing, light handles, computer mice. Those barriers are replaced between every patient.
Virtual Tour
A walk through the office
A walkthrough of the Centre Dental office at 139 Centre Street — reception, treatment rooms, sterilization area, and the imaging suite where every CBCT scan, intra-oral scan, and 3D-printed surgical guide is produced.
Our Clinic
A modern space designed for patient comfort
Dr. Shi & Associates
A bilingual clinical team, shown by the people patients actually meet.
Centre Dental's bilingual team — led by Dr. John Shi — supports every visit, from scheduling and insurance to chairside care and follow-up, in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.
Get Started
Request a Free Consultation
Come in for an exam, a free 3D scan, and a written plan, with no obligation to book anything. Ask as many questions as you need — that is what the visit is for. Check live clinic hours before visiting 139 Centre St, Lower Manhattan.