The mix here is less general than most neighborhoods, with a notably strong pediatric presence. This guide covers what the registry records, how to choose between practices, the one specialty that is missing, and what to check on cost and urgent care.
The thirty seven listings
Nineteen of the listings are general dentistry, which is only about half the total. Eight are pediatric dentistry, three are orthodontics, three are periodontics, two are prosthodontics, one is oral and maxillofacial surgery and two are dental clinics. Practices can hold more than one registration, so those figures describe available care rather than counting separate offices.
High St carries 30 of the 37 listings, with one more recorded as High Street. Forest St has 2 and Badger Rd has 1. Since everything sits in one ZIP code and mostly on one street, comparing practices here means walking rather than driving.
Twenty of the listings are registered to individual practitioners and 17 to organizations, a fairly even split. Twenty two of the 37 were registered before 2010, and the oldest registration in the district dates to 2006.
- 37 practices, 19 of them general dentistry
- Eight pediatric dentistry listings
- 30 of the 37 listings are on High St
- 20 individual practitioners, 17 organizations
- 22 registered before 2010
Choosing here
With eight pediatric listings among 37, families have real choice without leaving the district, which is not true of most neighborhoods this size. If you are looking for a practice that will see the whole household, ask whether the general practices treat children too, or whether you would need separate appointments in separate offices.
For adults, you are choosing between 19 general practices. Ask how far ahead routine appointments book, whether you will see the same dentist each visit, and what the practice handles in house. Periodontics, orthodontics, prosthodontics and oral surgery all have listings here, so most referrals should stay local. Ask who they refer to and how records move between offices.
The one gap, and what is nearby
Endodontics is the only specialty with no listing in the district. Endodontists handle root canal treatment, particularly difficult cases and retreatment. The nearest listings are elsewhere in Medford, about 0.5 miles away, where 4 practices are recorded. Many general dentists treat straightforward root canals themselves, so ask yours first.
For general care just outside, Medford Square is 0.2 miles away with 30 listed practices, close to the district's own total. Ten Hills has 26 at 1.7 miles, Old Ship Street Historic District has 8 at 0.9 miles, South Medford has 6 at 1.0 miles and West Somerville has 3 at 0.9 miles. Any of those is a short trip for a second opinion.
Insurance and what these listings leave out
The registry holds no fees, no opening hours and no insurance information. None of the 37 practices in the district has claimed its listing or published a website or hours through it, so this page tells you accurately who is registered where and nothing about price or availability. Claimed listings are how practices add that.
Ask when you call whether they are in network for your exact plan rather than for your insurer generally, since one company usually offers several networks. In network means agreed fees and a bigger share paid by the plan. Ask for a written estimate before treatment, showing procedure codes, the practice fee, the expected plan payment and your share, and ask whether children's treatment is covered on the same plan.
- Confirm the network for your specific plan
- Ask for a written estimate before treatment
- Check how children are covered on your plan
- Ask what is left of your annual maximum
If it is urgent
For same day pain, call early and ask for an emergency appointment rather than the next routine opening. With 30 practices on High St and 30 more listed 0.2 miles away in Medford Square, several calls should find someone. To search by distance from where you are rather than by neighborhood, use dentist directory.
Some symptoms need an emergency room instead of a dental office. Go there if swelling is spreading toward your eye or down into your neck, if you are having trouble breathing or swallowing, if you have a fever alongside facial swelling, or if bleeding will not stop after an extraction. A knocked out adult tooth should be held by the crown, kept in milk or saliva, and seen within the hour.
Questions patients ask
How many dentists are in the Hillside Avenue Historic District?
Thirty seven dental practices are listed in the district, all within ZIP code 02155. Nineteen are general dentistry, eight are pediatric dentistry, three are orthodontics, three are periodontics, two are prosthodontics, one is oral and maxillofacial surgery and two are dental clinics. Medford as a whole has 128 listed practices.
Is there a pediatric dentist near Hillside Avenue in Medford?
Yes. Eight pediatric dentistry practices are listed in the district, which is a high number for an area with 37 listings in total. Three orthodontics practices are also listed here. The registry does not record which take new patients or from what age, so call ahead before booking a first appointment.
Where do I go for a root canal from this district?
Endodontics is the one specialty with no listing here. The nearest four practices are elsewhere in Medford, about 0.5 miles away. Before traveling, ask your own dentist whether they treat root canals themselves, since many general dentists do, particularly on front teeth rather than molars.