medicaid+dentist in ABQ, NM

[jessaroo]

we currently see Dr. Martinez and really enjoy his watch and wait method rather than filling in everything. He will no longer take medicaid this fall. Does anyone here know of any dentists in ABQ who take medicaid that they would recommend?

thanks

[Eman'smom]

We aren't on Medicaid, but in my experience every dentist that we have ever seen that happened to also take medicaid I wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole. Sorry I can't help.

[jessaroo]

no worries. I am not sure where to go. I called around a while ago and was scarred off by the "pappoose method" where they tie the kids down or they do not let parents go with the kids.


I am not sure where to turn.

[Blue Lotus]

After dealing with many of the Pediatric Dentists in town, we ended up with Dr. Spencer Tasker. We like him a whole lot, but I have heard that he can be hard to get into now as a Medicaid patient. He has a good bedside manner with our little ones, and he is more on the "wait and see" approach rather than filling everything in sight. Since our DD had some serious teeth issues we ended up seeing several in town and interviewing many more than that.

The ones I would avoid, personally, due to bad experiences were Dr. Rachelle Shaw and Dr. Hess.

[tgrlilly]

Hi-I have been very happy with Dr. David Martinez - he does use the pappose method, but DS said it felt like he was in the sling. (this was a few years back). We still see him and I am happy. Good Luck

[ABQsnippet]

I'm surprised to read that you didn't like Dr. Shaw, Blue Lotus. I absolutely love her and would recommend her to anyone! I guess maybe your personalities didn't mesh? I'm pretty certain that she does not use a papoose board but am also thinking that she does not take Medicaid. Frankly, though, I like her so much that I'd pay out of pocket to take my kids to her.

[Guinevere]

For the past couple of years, my kids have been seeing Dr. Stephen Cito, who practices with his son. Both are very good, the office staff is equally good, no papoose/restraints, parents are allowed and encouraged to be with kiddos, and they have been very good with my SN DD, too, which was something I was concerned about. They take Medicaid and are located in NE, near Eubank/Montgomery.

Kind regards,

Guin

[indigolilybear]

We also use Dr. Tasker.  We like him really well...but as parents who had a 2 yr old with LOTS of dental prob's., I liked that they also do in-house sedation.....after some traumatic experiences in CO as well as very real dental issue w/her, we appreciated their full range of services.  We like him a lot...and also like that they have TV screens the kids can watch.  Again, appreciation comes from trying to get work done on a screaming 2 yr old. 

[Blue Lotus]

ABQ Snippet - when I took DD to see her, she blamed my extended nursing of DD for her teeth problems (she had some serious dental problems due to being born with thin enamel, just like my mother and probably myself, and unlike my son who doesn't have this issue at all. I nursed them both the same so that wasn't the problem). She was rude and arrogant and abrasive to me, and wanted us to not be in the room if she was to treat DD, which I didn't find acceptable since she was around 20-24 months at the time. Maybe it was a personality issue, I don't know. She, like Dr. Hess, may do just fine with older (over 5 years old) kids, but they just weren't a good fit for our family.