Open wide -- this won't hurt a bit

January 4, 2007 5:07 PM

I need to find a good dentist in New Orleans.

I've recently relocated to this city for disaster relief work and don't really know where to go for needs like this yet. I won't be using insurance and I'll be paying cash. I'll need a good cleaning, possibly a deep cleaning, a chipped tooth repaired and I might splurge on laser whitening. In a state known for its poor health care, at a time when many medical facilities still haven't reopened, it's making a tricky task even harder.

Recommendations for good dentists are most appreciated, or if you can tell me WHERE a person should go to find/select a dentist in this town, that would be great too. Thanks!

Next week: Lasik! ;-)

posted by Jonasio to health (7 comments total)

As a last resort, you could search on the websites of health insurance providers, then call around until you find one that's open and sounds promising. My provider (Cigna) lets you search here by city and state.
posted by crabintheocean at 7:50 PM on January 4, 2007

Christ, dude, you make it sound like we live in Thunderdome.

What part of town are you staying in? There are plenty of dentists in the Uptown area, as well as the Metairie suburbs. I'm afraid I can't give any specific recommendations, though.

I fuzzily remember that the LSU Dental School (which is in New Orleans, not Baton Rouge) had a "dental clinic" that you could go to, wait around all day, and eventually get seen by a dental student. I don't know if they still offer this post-Katrina, or if they offer cleanings, but even if they don't I'm sure they have a list of dentists in the area.

Oh, and Lasik won't be a problem at all. This is a city of contrasts, these days; you can't find a 24 hour grocery store, but there are about 20 places where you can get lasers shot into your eyes.

Just read your profile...send me an email if you need more advice about New Orleans, or if you want to go out and meet girls.
posted by Ian A.T. at 10:28 PM on January 4, 2007 [1 favorite]

Susan Lebon was our dentist when we lived in New Orleans, and she is absolutely excellent.
posted by taz at 1:46 AM on January 5, 2007

Yeah, I was tired when I wrote this question. Sorry about that. I'm borrowing a friend's house in the Bywater, and I drive past the shutdown Bywater Hospital every day. I also work in the wrecked parts of town every day, so it wears on me.

I know this town's got it going on. My hope is to find recommendations or a website with recommendations. Any professional listing wouldn't dare say anything bad about a dentist (can we say lawsuit?) and so I like to ask real people about real experiences.

Thanks for your thoughts.
posted by Jonasio at 6:55 AM on January 5, 2007

I've found the best dentist in my life New York via this site:

http://new-orleans.doctoroogle.com/

Link is to the New Orleans section. Look for highest rating and read reviews!
posted by zackola at 8:12 AM on January 5, 2007

I love my dentist, but he's in Metairie.

Dr. Stan Cowley (there are two of them, father and son, but either Dr. Stan Cowley is good.)

[phone]
posted by pyjammy at 10:33 AM on January 5, 2007

I love my dentist, Dr. Leslie Gottsegen [phone]. She's in the Napoleon Medical Complex across from Ochsner/Baptist.
posted by radioamy at 11:11 AM on January 9, 2007