NAM Christine S DDS

I went to Cambridge Dental for three cleanings, all of which were very quick and not at all thorough. By far the worse experience though was when I went to get two fillings replaced. The dentist was preparing to work on me and skipped the vital step of injecting me with Novocaine. Next thing I know, the Dr. is drilling my tooth. I screamed in pain and felt faint. When he stopped drilling for a moment I asked him to please give me the Novocaine. He just laughed, saying don't worry, it's almost done! Needless to say, I have not been back since, and highly recommend that no one else goes either. I also agree with other reviews citing the lack of cleanliness of the office. more

Why, oh why, can't we give zero stars? Back when I lived in Cambridge, this was very close to my residence, and covered by my insurance. So I went. They told me my gums were dangerously receding, and that I needed a number of fillings. I got them. My (now-ex) husband also got his very first fillings. Flash forward about three years. We move to L.A. He goes to the dentist, and learns that all his fillings were put in wrong, and his teeth have been decaying under the fillings. I visit a different dentist about 10 miles away from his six months later and, yes, learn that all the fillings they put in on my teeth were put in wrong. Not only will I need them replaced, but the decay is now so bad under one of them that I'll need a crown. Another tooth they filled collapsed, and I had to get a root canal. They'll ruin your teeth! Run, don't walk, to someone else. more

I went to Cambridge Dental several different times and had much the same experience as the poster that wrote the "Dangerous" post. Infectious disease is my forte, and I cannot recommend this dental facility. I, too, found glaring deficiencies in infection control. However, the quality of workmanship and bedside manner were average. And there was always a problem with my bill, even though I made my copay every time. They never did get it right, and it was aggravating and very unreliable. I won't be back. more

My experiences over there for about 7 years have been great. They took great care of me. No complaint. Besides the billing...I always paid my co-pay on the spot, thinking I am all set; but usually, I would receive a bill home, missing some of the payments. That annoyed me sometimes. But in general, I received great care over there. I have no concern regarding the cleanliness of the place. more

Let me give you some background on myself to help you understand where I'm coming from on this review. I worked in many dental offices for over 20 years and I have a degree in dental assisting. I was told the dentists at Cambridge Dental Associates are nice, which they are!!! But my experiences both consistently put my health at risk. I've been to this practice twice and will never return. I returned the second time because I thought the first visit was(hopefully) a fluke and that they *had* to be much cleaner than what I'd previously experienced. Both times the procedures were composite fillings. My first visit, when I was sitting in the dental chair, I noticed the counters were dirty, it was from a previous patient. The assistant had gloves on and left the room(the place is very open, few walls, so you can see very well). She went into the lab to clean some instruments, then she comes back to my cubicle and starts touching counters, the overhead light, etc. I was mortified!!! I asked her to change her gloves and she realized what she had done. She didn't say a word to me and changed them. The dentist came in, did not wash her hands and proceeded to glove. Then the dentist picked up my chart and a pen(big no-no....charts and pens have been handled by everyone in that office and are considered non-sterile) with her gloves on, then puts them in my mouth to exam my tooth. My second visit was worse, if you can believe it. I went in for a routine filling and there was a lot of dentist-induced contamination, I was mortified. Here's a short list: The room was not properly cleaned. The sink was filthy, the counters had dental medicaments spilled on them from the previous patient. The plastic cover on the overhead light had "goop" on it from the previous patient. Dentist touched mask, chart, pen, wall with gloves on then put his gloved hands in my mouth. No one washed their hands before or after gloving. The assistant gloved before she took the radiograph and touched several non-sterile/non-clean things before she put the film in my mouth. The dentist lowered his mask while he was drilling in my mouth. He was breathing into my mouth!!! I asked him a question and he left the room to go get something to show me. He never changed his gloves or washed his hands when he returned to my mouth!!! At the end of the procedure the dentist pulled off his gloves and touched my face and mouth "to see his handiwork". This is a BIG NO-NO. You never touch a patient with an unwashed hand, I don't care how clean you "think" you are. As far as the quality of dental work at this practice I would give them an average rating. The name of the game in safety is preventing transmission of bloodborne and salivaborne pathogens. When this type of contamination occurs the patient is put at risk for contracting life-altering illness(es) such as HIV, hepatitis A, B and C, tuberculosis, herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2, cytomegalovirus, staph and strep, just to name a few. If a patient is infected and the dentist or assistant touches their saliva or blood then touches walls, counter tops, charts, pens, light switches, etc. and they are not properly sterilized or disinfected between patients, there is a chance it might be spread to your mouth if they ignore infection control procedures. Please, if you hear nothing else I've said in this review, understand this....it won't matter how fantastic or inexpensive your fillings and crowns are if you contract a life-altering illness from your dentist. Make SURE the office you patronize strictly adheres to infection control practices. more

I always have a pleasant experience here. I'm glad the dentists have stopped moving around. There was a time, I was seeing someone new every visit. The hygenist does a great job, very thorough. The offices are ok, basement level, but they do try to make it comfortable. You have to pre-pay for you work based on your dental insurance and they tend to overcharge you and leave you a credit in your account. more