Christine Lee Kim, DDS in Baltimore: General Dentistry with Direct Pricing and Same-Day Emergency Care

Christine Lee Kim, DDS is a solo general dentistry practice located on the Northside of Baltimore that accepts most major insurance plans and offers transparent out-of-pocket pricing for uninsured patients, with no waiting list for new-patient cleanings and explicit same-day emergency slots available by phone.

What this practice is

Dr. Kim operates a single-provider general dentistry office focused on preventive care, routine restorations, and acute symptom relief. The practice does not perform surgical extractions, orthodontics, or periodontal therapy beyond basic scaling and root planing, which means complex cases are referred elsewhere. For Baltimore patients without a regular dentist, this is a stable entry point; for those needing specialist care, it functions as a referral source.

Services and pricing

Preventive visits (exam plus cleaning) cost $95 to $130 depending on x-rays included; this range is stable. Fillings run $90 to $180 per tooth depending on material (amalgam versus composite). Root canal referrals go to endodontists on staff at University of Maryland School of Dentistry or to independent specialists in Harbor East and Canton. Extractions of erupted teeth (non-surgical) are $60 to $120 per tooth; surgical removal or impaction work is referred.

Insurance plans accepted include Aetna, Delta Dental, Cigna, United HealthCare, and Maryland Medicaid, with typical in-network copays of $15 to $35 for preventive care. The practice files claims directly and has processing turnaround of 5 to 7 business days. Uninsured patients receive a 10% discount if payment is made at the time of service.

How it compares to other Baltimore general dentistry options

Baltimore has approximately 180 licensed general dentists. Practice size and approach differ sharply. Chesapeake Dental Care (multiple Northside and county locations) offers same-day emergency care and extended hours (some locations open until 7 p.m. weekdays) but charges $20 to $40 more per preventive visit and does not publicly disclose pricing. Smallwood Dental Group (Canton) has on-site dental hygienists and a periodontist for gum disease, making it the better choice if you need dual care, but the practice does not accept Maryland Medicaid. University of Maryland School of Dentistry provides low-cost preventive and restorative care (cleanings start at $35) through supervised student dentists; processing is slower (2 to 3 weeks between appointment and completion) but suits cost-conscious patients willing to accept longer timelines.

Choose Christine Lee Kim, DDS if you want transparent pricing, fast appointment access, and no insurance hassle. Choose Chesapeake if extended evening hours are essential. Choose UMD if cost per visit is the sole priority.

Who it suits and who it does not suit

This practice suits patients with no active oral disease, stable insurance or cash-pay status, and routine preventive needs. It also works for patients with mild cavities or a broken filling who need quick resolution without referral chains. It does not suit patients with untreated gum disease (no in-house perio), patients requiring implants or complex extractions, or those needing continuous aftercare from the same provider (Dr. Kim is the sole provider and the practice does not employ an associate dentist, so scheduling consistency across years can tighten during high-demand periods).

What the first visit involves

New-patient appointments are 60 minutes. You will complete a one-page health history (printed; digital intake not available). Dr. Kim takes a full-mouth series of x-rays (10 films) if you have not been seen in 3 or more years; panoramic x-rays (1 film) if you have recent films from another practice. The exam includes charting of cavities, gum pocket depth, and visual assessment of wear or fracture. A cleaning follows if no urgent decay is found. Plans for restorations (if any) are discussed before scheduling; estimates are given on the day of the exam. Follow-up appointments are scheduled before you leave. The practice requests 24-hour notice for cancellations.

Hours, parking, and logistics

The practice is located at a standalone medical building on the 3400 block of Norwood Avenue (Northside, near North Avenue). Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. The office is closed Sunday and Monday. Parking is free in a small lot adjacent to the building; street parking is available but less reliable. There is no handicap-accessible entrance (a limitation if mobility is a concern). The office is accessible by MTA Route 64 bus (stops within one block).

Emergency calls (abscess, severe pain, trauma) between scheduled hours reach Dr. Kim's answering service, which triages calls and reserves same-day slots when possible; after-hours calls are directed to a 24-hour Baltimore County dental emergency line.

Christine Lee Kim, DDS fills a quiet niche in Baltimore dentistry: a no-frills, direct-pricing practice that moves patients through preventive and basic restorative care without the overhead of a multi-provider group. It is neither the cheapest option nor the most convenience-focused, but it is transparent about what it does and does not offer.