Loura Kumara

Review of New England Dental Center

I will say two positive things: the dentist I saw ...

I will say two positive things: the dentist I saw was very knowledgeable and did a great job on my filling. But there were a good handful of negatives.

First of all, for a practice that touts itself as being geared towards, dental phobic patients, the dentist I saw showed little compassion. I was already nervous going in, but the way he explained to me my problem make my anxiety much worse. He spoke with a monotone and didn't bother asking if I was okay until I started hyperventilating, despite the fact that I had mentioned that I was nervous.

I had such a panic attack that I was offered free nitrous oxide. I was a little offended because I felt like my concerns weren't being listened to and they just wanted to sedate me so that they could get the procedure done and the next patient in the chair. I said okay, but I only need it for the novacane injection. I was administered a mild dose, just enough to calm me down.

Towards the end of the procedure, he noticed that the nitrous tank was empty and asked his assistant to switch to a new one. I said that I didn't need it, but he turned it on anyway, and the dosage was so incredibly intense that completely lost touch with reality and couldnt form the words to ask him to turn it down and it made me extremely uncomfortable that I was not listened to in the first place.

Furthermore, the billing department made a couple errors. They tried billing me for the nitrous weeks after the fact. I also found the filling to be rather overpriced... a whopping 400$ without the nitrous.

A few weeks later, I visited a different dentist in a different state to get a few more fillings taken care of. She was very kind, empathetic, as well as knowledgeable, said it was okay to be scared when I started getting a little teary, and the hygienist held my hand while I was getting the injection. No nitrous needed! I saw her a second time for more work, and for the first time in my life was able to get an injection done without any crying or anxiety. Oh. And she charged a fraction of the price.

So if you've been putting off dental work because you're afraid, or you simply don't want to get ripped off, I don't recommend this place either way. I recommend finding a reputable family practice.