Is there a dentist in the house?

August 22, 2008 11:53 AM

Can you please recommend a dentist in Washington DC? I am almost certainly going to need a couple fillings, or maybe root canals, so I want to make sure I've got the right dentist for the job!

I have really neglected my teeth for the past two years, for a variety of reasons (psychological, financial, idiotic), and it has finally caught up with me. I am getting twinges of pain from two back molars, and I know that I had some decay there like two years ago... so I am afraid of what's actually going on with them.

Anyway, the good news is I have a job, and dental insurance. The insurance is CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, and will pay $1000 toward the bill, so if possible I would definitely like to take advantage of that.

Ugh. There is really nothing better for making you feel like a moron, than facing thousands of dollars in dental bills because you can't get it together enough to brush your teeth.

Thanks very much in advance, I really appreciate it.

posted by allen8219 to health & fitness (12 comments total)

See the previous question for some suggestions.
posted by dcjd at 12:12 PM on August 22, 2008

I also recommend Dr. Cusumano's office. They were very professional and friendly.
posted by dcjd at 12:14 PM on August 22, 2008

I found my dentist through an old mefi thread recommendation, and I can heartily recommend Cusumano and Stuver. I don't know if they accept CareFirst, but if they do, this is a good place to go. They're right next to the Ballston stop on the orange line (not technically within DC, but pretty close). Caveat: I haven't had any filings or root canals with them--just pretty much the typical cleanings and x-rays--but I've never gotten the sketchy sales pitch for expensive services or recommendations for questionable dental work from them (in contrast to other dentists in the District).
posted by iminurmefi at 12:14 PM on August 22, 2008

Hi,

Try the office of Dr. Kabasela in downtown Silver Spring (parking and Metro accessible). Very good, professional dentist and staff: [phone]. Good luck!
posted by luckyveronica at 12:15 PM on August 22, 2008

Not Metro accessible, but Dr. Gyllenhoff in McLean is great.
posted by MrMoonPie at 12:43 PM on August 22, 2008

I *adore* my dentist (how often does one say that?!). His contact info:

Dr. James Johnson
555 12th St NW
Washington DC 20004
202.783.3368
(right at Metro Center)

Why? I'm glad you asked. First off, I'm a pansy when it comes to people diggin' around in my mouth. He's understanding of that little personal glitch without being annoyed or condescending about it. He's very patient and actually takes time to talk to you, so you don't feel like you're in a McDonald's DriveThru version of a dental visit.

Additionally, his staff appears to be on happy pills. These people are hap hap happy and actually give a shyt about helping you, which is a rarity in the District where customer service is at a minimum. His hygenist, Andy, is friendly, interesting (from Vietnam, has great stories and cute pix of his child), and communicative about how to best get through the visit without pain (TMI: I had braces which left little grooves near my gums, most dental offices weren't sensitive to the pain that causes during cleanings). Andy cares!

They're also not pushy with the sales pitch. For example, they mentioned the whitener once or twice, but didn't push me. Just put it out there and let me decide on my own (I opted not to).

What I've had done: fillings, cleanings, and special attention paid to aforementioned braces-based weirdness and permanent retainer. I've had no insurance hassles, no physical pain, no appointment delays, and actually ohmigod *enjoy* going to the dentist.

Good luck!
posted by December at 12:51 PM on August 22, 2008

Dr Bruce Rabin in Rockville.
review
posted by Rash at 12:55 PM on August 22, 2008

I had a couple of root canals done by Dr. Way, whose address I think still is:

Drs Martin Mocknick & Way
6845 Elm St Suite 509
Mc Lean, VA 22101
[phone]

The root canals have been great, they were pretty much painless, and he explained everything in a wonderful clear intellectual way.
posted by LobsterMitten at 2:22 PM on August 22, 2008

Not a recommendation for one in DC, just for one in general.

My old dentist told me that this was the way to go about finding yourself a replacement: call the root canal specialists in the area and ask them for a recommendation. The theory is that the root canal specialists get to see all of the mistakes that the general dentists make, so the ones with the fewer mistakes should be the better dentist.

Good luck!
posted by rand at 2:30 PM on August 22, 2008

I recommended

David Rothkopf, DDS - General Dentist
2141 K St NW Ste 306
Washington, DC 20037
Ph: 202-659-2716

in the link dcjd has and still would.
posted by TheRaven at 4:13 PM on August 22, 2008

I'm a huge fan of:

Washington Center for Dentistry
1430 K Street NW, Eighth Floor
Washington D.C., 20005
[phone]

They're on the pricier side and you have to pay up front (and then get reimbursed by your insurance), but they're fantastic, particularly if you don't normally like going to the dentist.
posted by jed at 4:24 PM on August 22, 2008

Thanks a lot for your recs. Unfortunately it looks like most of them aren't hooked up with CareFirst, but it's definitely useful info!
posted by allen8219 at 9:03 AM on August 25, 2008