Dentist

[greenworries.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to find a dentist - preferably in the Somerville/Cambridge area, but I have a car and am more than willing to drive.

My requirements:
1) Must be a good dentist. My teeth are TERRIBLE. I've had 3 root canals (I'm only 26!!) and expect to need another shortly. I've recently had one of my crowns break, so I need to get that fixed. I probably have cavities that need to be filled, but I don't even consider that a big deal anymore. In other words, if you're lucky enough to have never had a cavity, a glowing testimonial about how nice and pain-free your dental experience is probably won't mean much to me ;P
2) I need to be able to make an appointment before the end of the year, for insurance reasons.
3) My dental insurance sucks, so I'll probably have to pay for most of this myself. Cheap, or at least not overpriced, dentists preferred.
4) Good chairside manner would be a plus.

I've heard good things about Dr Cook but I think I need a dentist who has better availability (due to the huge amounts of dental work I tend to need.)

Thanks!

Comments

[jamiesquared.livejournal.com]

Ive been waiting for an appt @ Dr Cooks since June!!! Everytime I call to follow up she says Ive moved up the list but still...it stinks waiting. I did get a recommendation for Dr Duarte on Mass Ave near Porter though. If you need an ortho I can recommend an amazing one :)

[greenworries.livejournal.com]

Oh cool, Porter Square is close - and yes, I don't think my teeth could handle a 6 month wait :)

While I do need an ortho (have I mentioned I HATE my teeth??) right now I'm focusing more on general dentistry/endo - one day I'll have enough money to get my teeth straightened :)

[jamiesquared.livejournal.com]

I hear ya.

Dont go to Gentle Dental in Porter...!!!! Make sure you search the tags, there are a lot of horror stories from there including one I posted about my now husband.

Good luck :)

[greenworries.livejournal.com]

Oooh tags! I checked memories but forgot about the tags :)

[ron_newman]

Yeah, we've done lots of tagging here but haven't done anything at all with memories yet.

[rigel.livejournal.com]

In nearby Belmont (I drive there from Porter Square, and it's amazingly easy) is Belmont Dental Group, the practice of Dr. Lapidus and . . . someone else. (Lapidus is mine.)

I've found his work, and the work of his oral surgeon, Dr. Sacks, very good. I've had several fillings, and they've always been more than competent: gentle, thorough and communicative. I find that they tend to take about a month for more involved oral work, but that still will get you in by the end of the year. His chairside manner is quite nice.

Now, I can't say he's cheap, since good dental work rarely is, but I can say his quality of work is very reasonably priced. They also have someone dedicated to solely working out the most economical options for dental work; she'd be happy to speak with you.

[greenworries.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I'll probably call and get a price check :)

[lissie930.livejournal.com]

We have been very very happy with Dr. Goldstone's Office - I believe he's retired/retiring, and Dr. Khalil is now the managing partner (is that the term?). My husband said it's the best dental experience he's ever had, and he even had gum surgery there. I've only had cleanings but they're really nice and non-shaming. Not sure about their prices, sorry. But I really do like them.

(617) 491-1403
20 Hurley St., Cambridge (over by the Galleria).

I would absolutely NOT recommend Gentle Dental in Porter Square. I had a bad experience with them with a crown, not just with the actual experience, but because they did a bad job and I'm going to have to have it replaced (not even 4 years later)!

[orbitalmechanic.livejournal.com]

I like Dr. Piskor, near Harvard Square. He used to be in practice with Dr. Greene for many many years, then took over when Dr. Greene had back problems. Overall that office has been very nice to me, through a few fillings and some gum problems (which they spotted before I had any symptoms). Not cheap but fair, I think. Availability may not meet your needs, but call and ask.

[ayelle.livejournal.com]

In past posts I've commented about Dr. Shick, on College Ave. He filled a few cavities for me and also did a crown. Can't speak to root canal. I'm very picky about dentists -- chairside manner's crucial for me, and Dr. Shick made me feel very comfortable. He was always able to make an appointment within a couple weeks (or less). I wouldn't call him "cheap" but I don't think I'd trust anybody who charged much less, and his receptionist/assistant is kind, clear, and helpful when it comes to discussing financial options.

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

I've been seeing Dr. Michalowski in the Harvard Vanguard Dental practice for over ten years. I've had a crown and multiple fillings. (Never had a root canal, so I can't comment on that.)

I have found him to be excellent.

He is very good at identifying problems, and giving me my options, and respects whatever I choose.

I do not know if they are expensive or not, I've never done a price comparison. I expect they will be willing to tell you prices over the phone.

I have always been able to make appointments reasonably quickly, but I don't know if it's the same for new patients.

http://www.hvma.org/locs/loc2.asp?dpt=Dental+Services&ofc=Somerville

Good luck with your repair!

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

You can find the previous posts on denistry here:

http://community.livejournal.com/davis_square/tag/dentist

[an-art-worker.livejournal.com]

Hi -

ah feel yer pain I just had a root canal/crown combo done. It didn't hurt *at all* - except for the $ and the feeling that my body is falling apart...

I go to Dr. Maurice ("Moose") Zylber @ Stiller and Zylber in Central Sq. Been going there for > 10 years. He is great! Really warm and kind and has made decisions that I felt were totally client-centered, even when it cost him time/$. He doesn't do the root canal stuff- He has another specialist in his office who is does (I will say that this 2nd guy while good has a less than warm chair-side manner but he is the chair of the dental program at BU (as he is a bit quick to mention).

Nonetheless - Moose is great and their prices seem in the normal range.

Don't feel too bad though - I have a friend who has PERFECT teeth - not a cavity - but her gums blew out. Go figure.

Good Luck!

[ron_newman]

I tagged this post as dentist. Please look through the earlier posts as well as the comments on this one.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

I like Karen Bright at Bright Dental on the Camberville line near to EVOO, I think that's Washington St?

[aki.livejournal.com]

I recommend Dr. Deprimio near Lechmere whenever I can. He pulled my wisdom tooth out on Tuesday and was exceptionally nice about it AND it hasn't bothered me AND it only took like 20 minutes (which really surprised me). So... he's great.

[joylewis.livejournal.com]

DO try Kappa Dental on Washington St at Hampshire. Everyone in that office is fantastic. My old insurance covered everything there, so I don't know about the price structure.

DON'T go to Hart Dental on Cambridge in Inman Sq. I filed a complaint about them with the Better Business Bureau. They told me that if I didn't do $26k worth of periodontal work, all my teeth would fall out (second opinion revealed no problems.) They also refused to do sealants unless I did an expensive tooth whitening procedure. (My teeth are not remotely yellowed.)

[philipph.livejournal.com]

Well, I go to Dr. Cook, and certainly believe he does a good job with everything, but if you need to get this dealt with before the end of the year, you may find a lot of places tricky to get scheduled short-notice.
As far as that next root canal you're looking at, I have had two very good experiences (one re-treat, and one new) at Dr. Machalinsky in Arlington (Dr. Cook referred me there).
Not sure where she is in the price range for things, but very good at what she does. Highly recommended.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

I like Dr. Dana at Dana Dental Associates in Central Square. He's great, and his office does a lot of just-in-time scheduling.

[tt02144.livejournal.com]

In my opinion, Dr. Roseman is the best dentist in the world!! He is located at the corner of Highland Ave. and Benton Road (between Lowell St and Central St). He's been there for years, and I can't say enough good things about him. I also like Dr. DeMontevedre (sp?), located in Medford Square. Can't really speak to their prices, though.