Barr Philip D Dent

Happy I found this place! I moved to Rhode Island last year from Connecticut and have been meaning to find a new dentist out here for some time. I came across Dr. Barr’s office, which is conveniently located down the street from my office. I called to make an appointment on a Monday and they were able to squeeze me in on Wednesday for an exam, xrays, and cleaning. Friendly and knowledgeable staff and doctor, as well as a nice location in downtown Providence. Although I have only been just once for a regular cleaning visit, I recommend giving these guys a shot if you’re looking for a dentist.

I’d been avoiding dentists for a long time because of a previous bad experience elsewhere, but Dr. Barr and his staff was delightful. They go out of their way to make you feel comfortable, and the work is quick and professional!

My experience with Dr., Barr and his office, the very best.
Not only is he accommodating but his expertise is unparalleled, I know I have been going to dentists for over 80 years.
Contrary to what some say, he does not create problems to then fix them, he fixes what has to be done
Bravo to Dr. Barr and his staff

Had a great experience with Dr. Barr. Just moved here from out of town, and he and his staff were extremely helpful.

I don’t write a lot of reviews, but in this case, I feel it’s warranted.
I recently moved to Providence. The time had come when I had to stop avoiding the unenviable task of finding a new dentist.
I can’t say enough good things about Dr. Barr and his staff. Ginny and Deb are two fantastic ladies up front, both with great senses of humor (the wry kind) and the maternal instincts I don’t think I’ve seen in any doctor’s office that I can remember. Christine was fabulous in her dental hygienist duties (also, great sense of humor), and Amanda was a warm and detail-​oriented assistant when I went back for a couple of fillings the next day. Dr. Barr (who introduced himself as «Phil») got right down to business, and in his back pocket, he had a couple of great lawyer jokes for me. This all culminated with being very satisfied with the work product.
Oh, and his kids have a pretty good band in Montréal: The Barr Brothers. Check them out.

I love Dr. Barr… Let me explain that. I HATE going to the dentist. But Dr. Barr is friendly and incredibly easy going. Phew. finally someone who is willing to work with a neurotic and nervous patient

They are always on time… SHOCKING for a dentist. Not too shabby. and I HATE going to the dentist. but it is a MUST so I go. The staff is really nice + the office is really clean. Usually in and out in less than an hour. The only thing that is annoying about this office is the parking– there is only street parking and it is metered… I have forgotten quarters several times…
if you need a lil floss, this is your kinda place.

So I went to dr barr for approx 5 years and decided to switch dentists in the end for a couple reasons.
1. Although I really liked the hygienist (pam), it became increasingly difficult to make an appt. My guess is that they keep taking patients without actually adding more hygienist staff. To contrast that, when I had a cavity or when my crown need replacing, it was super easy to get an appt, which leakes me to my second complaint.
2. I got the feeling that dr barr was one of those dentists that would find things to do. For example, he would always find an «old filling» that needed replacing (although most people say this is BS I now found out). Then about 3 – 4 years in, he started talking about crowns. He would tell me how my insurance would cover them 1 per year and I should start using my insurance money up. I trusted him at this point and actually had him submit the paperwork 3 times (all got rejected by my insurance for being unindicated). Then my last visit, I heard him give the same crown speech to the girl in the chair next to me (they only have partitions, no walls between chairs).
3. I found the office to be very low tech (no digital xrays, which meant no 2^nd opinions).
As a result, I have switched dentists, and shockingly in 2 years, no one has offered me a crown or to replace an old filling.

Well… I’d like to give this place an actual review… but actually, when I called looking to make an appointment with a new dentist I got a very obnoxious receptionist on the other end.
«Morning, Dr. Barr’s office. HELLO?! HELLO?!»
My goodness, I said «Hello.» Is there really a need to start yelling into the speaker without so much as a second going by?
There are too many dentists in Providence to need to deal with this type of phone call every time I need to make a visit. Thanks, but no thanks.

I’ve been going to Dr. Barr for six years now and I’ve always had the best experience there. His staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. I go to Christine and she is very gentle on me, haven’t had any issues with cuts as someone else mentioned. Dr. Barr is also the only dentist I’ve ever known to address weekend or after hours emergencies when necessary. He’s very accommodating!

Recommended by a friend, I went to get my teeth cleaned and let me just say that I’ve never had a worse dental experience in my life for a teeth cleaning. The next day, I had so many cuts in my mouth from the hygienist cutting my gums that I literally couldn’t chew for a week. I called Dr. Barr’s office to ask if anyone else had similar issues after seeing the hygienist and instead of apologizing or even trying to be slightly sorry, I was simply asked in a not-​so-​nice way: «Well, it’s probably because you don’t floss.» Umm yeah no, I’m a religious flosser & I can’t even sleep without flossing — so I tried to explain that — and they just brushed it off. Instead, they didn’t act in the least bit concerned and tried to BLAME ME — -it was extremely troubling to say the least. I’m not just talking minor cuts — I’m talking gashes.
Additionally, they incorrectly billed me. I called my dental insurance and they said that the bill had already been covered through insurance — and that there was no reason that they should be billing me — for items they had already covered. Now, I have a friend who loves the office — but at least for me, I’m going elsewhere.

This is exactly the kind of no-​frills dentist I love.
While more and more dentists have begun to focus on cosmetic enhancements, Dr. Barr and his hygienists are most concerned about the health of your mouth.
My hygienist, Pam, was personable, sharp and very experienced. She didn’t try to push any cosmetic treatments, clearly explained what she was doing and seeing, and recognized that I was a «boring, in a good way» kind of patient. Dr. Barr has been doing this a long time, and is «old school» in the best way.
If you’re looking for a no-​drama experience in the dentist chair, these folks are as good as they come.

Coming from Los Angeles where I had dentists who catered to the stars I was not looking forward to finding a dental office in Providence. Hey, I’m being honest. Dr. Barr was recommended by some employees of Brown University and I finally gave him a try yesterday. The outside of the office is very lovely but you follow a dingy hall to get to the door to Dr. Barr’s office. Once inside it looks like any other well used dental office and quite busy with patients. I immediately noticed his mention in the 2011 Rhode Island Monthly about top dentists and got more comfortable with my decision to test run this shop. The staff were friendly and helpful. The hygienist was competent and efficient. And the dentist himself, Dr. Barr, was terrific! Very nice, thorough and honestly interested in the long-​term health of your teeth and gums. So far, I’m impressed. Let’s hope it stays that way!

I have to agree with what the previous Unilocaler wrote — that there is no elevator, only a narrow staircase to Dr. Barr’s office. IF that does not deter you, I would give him five stars, but I worry about the day that I won’t be able to navigate the stairs, myself. Aside from this, Dr. Barr is really a terrific dentist. He gives a person a feeling of security that he really does know what he is doing. He explains everything in advance. He lets you know in advance if he thinks he might hurt you (he rarely does). He has a terrific personality, ie, good «bedside manner.» He is funny, smart, witty, kind and just a wonderful person AND dentist. He seems so at ease with each of the MANY procedures he has performed on my pathetic mouth (I eat a lot of candy). He doesn’t hesitate, he is so self-​assured, and he has never made an error in my mouth. This may sound like a no-​brainer, but I once had a dentist who made a couple of huge errors, which I will not go into here. I would always recommend him to any and all of my friends. I drive from Warwick to the East Side to get Dr. Barr’s professional services, because I sincerely like this man, and trust him, and know he is not out to get me to purchase every single service he sells (like my previous dentist did). I wish he were a preferred provider with my dental insurance, but you can’t have everything, now, can you? I would give five starsbut for the stairs — and that he does not work on Friday. Hooray for him, but sometimes Friday is the only day I can get there. I may still go back and give him five stars. A bit later :-)

Dr. Barr’s office is nestled in the row shops on South Main Street. It is in an upstairs suite and from what I can tell there is not elevator. This puts people with needs in a disadvantage, which is a shame because Dr. Barr is a wonderful dentist. He is thorough, polite and explains everything as he is performing it. The ladies who work at the front desk are extremely polite and there is usually an appointment available the day you call or at least within the next few days. The office accepts most insurance and they file with your insurance before requesting any payment from patients– which is a rare quality in a medical office. The only downside about this office is that the office isn’t up to date with them most contemporary x-​ray equipment. They do not use digital x-​rays, they still use film. This does not put the patient at a disadvantage however, because film is always going to be better than digital (just ask any photographer).