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                                 UNITED STATES

                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                            WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                   FORM 10-Q/A

(Mark One)
             [X]  QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
                    OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

               For the quarterly period ended September 30, 1996

                                      OR

            [_]  TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
                    OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                For the transition period from _____  to  _____

                       Commission file number   0-12050

                      SAFEGUARD HEALTH ENTERPRISES, INC.
            (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



          DELAWARE                                    52-1528581
(State or other jurisdiction                      (I.R.S. Employer 
      of incorporation)                          Identification No.)

                            505 NORTH EUCLID STREET
                           ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA 92801
                    (Address of principal executive offices)
                                   (Zip Code)

                                (714) 778-1005
             (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

                                     NONE
  (Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last
                                    report)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required
to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during
the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was
required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing
requirements for the past 90 days.

                              Yes  X    No
                                 ------   ------

The number of shares outstanding of registrant's common stock, par value $.01
per share, at September 30, 1996, was 4,714,999 shares (not including 3,274,788
shares of common stock held in treasury).



                              
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                                   SIGNATURES

        Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) or the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on
its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of
Anaheim, State of California, on the 20th of November, 1996.


                             SAFEGUARD HEALTH ENTERPRISES, INC.
        

                             By: /s/ STEVEN J. BAILEYS, D.D.S.
                                 ------------------------------------------
                                 STEVEN J. BAILEYS, D.D.S.,
                                 Chairman, President and
                                 Chief Executive Officer


                             By: /s/ THOMAS C. TEKULVE
                                 ------------------------------------------
                                 THOMAS C. TEKULVE,
                                 Vice President and Chief Financial Officer