Chad T Kawashima, DDS

He is a great dentist. I normally do not like to see the dentists just like many people.
But I have many good experiences with him. He is kind and caring patients.
His stuff are great too !

Great experience with my new dentist Dr. Kawashima! It has been a while since my last cleaning and check-​up and I wanted to try a new dentist. I was convinced by the great reviews on Unilocal to give Dr. Kawashima a try, even made my husband an appointment as well.
Their office is literally a couple minutes from my office so it was super convenient. Everyone was very friendly! I think this is the first time I felt at ease in a dental office.
I had my check-​up with Dr. Kawashima first. Such a nice guy. Overall I wasn’t in as bad of shape as I thought, so that was nice. I had my cleaning with a super sweet hygienist, who did an awesome job. All-​in-​all a great experience, staff puts you at ease and seems to genuinely care.

Emergency Visit while on vacation on a SATURDAY! My crown fell off on the plane ride over the Pacific!
Soon as we landed I Unilocaled looking for someone to help me. Dr Kawashima was so polite and friendly. He made me feel totally at ease and put my crown back on after he cleaned it and made sure my tooth was ok. He also emailed the xray he took of the tooth to my own dentist because it was shot in digital. My dentist told me that he didn’t have to do that but he is just that nice. Also, the face that it was a digital xray was really nice because supposedly there is less radiation in a digital xray?
The whole experience was amazing and allowed me to enjoy the rest of my vacation and Hawaiian food! Decided the least I could do to thank him was to write a post. So grateful.

Well-​deserved 5 star dentist!
I can say that because I’m someone who has seen their fair share of dentists. I’ve seen 3 dentist (for about a year each time) in the past 5 years or so. Nightmares which I don’t care to discuss here but, ugh, I was so over dentists… until I found Hawaii Dental Wellness.
I came here on a whim while searching dentists in the downtown area. I found awesome Unilocal reviews on Dr. Kawashima and found that he was taking new patients. However, I’ll be honest… at first, I was pretty skeptical hearing he worked for a «holistic dentistry office». What the heck does that mean? Oh well, we’ll give it a shot anyways… and so glad I did! NOTHING «weird» about this dentist office. Besides the fact that they’re so super nice and this was the gentlest dental experience I’ve ever had!
Dr. Chad, as we call him, shares an office with Dr. Motooka across the street from House of Aria and next to Fighting Eel on Bethel Street, conveniently located for people who work downtown! At my last appointment, they asked me if I needed parking validation, so I know parking isn’t a problem for patients driving into downtown but I can’t remember which lot they validate for.
Upon my first appointment, I was pleasantly surprised at how genuinely nice the entire staff was. Upon entering Hawaii Dental Wellness, there’s normally about 2 – 3 receptionists that are there to greet you. They are SO friendly and greet you by name! Everyone there was willing to help me — the receptionists looked up my dental insurance coverage, plus honored an additional $ 25 off since I was a new patient (woohoo!), and scheduled my future appointments according to my insurance coverage and what would be most beneficial to me. Amazeballs. I’ve never encountered any type of doctor that cared so much about their patients and not just their own pockets. They totally go above and beyond for customer service!
I also referred my boyfriend here and I got a $ 25 referral credit and of course, my bf got his $ 25 credit for his initial exam!
Dr. Chad is so gentle, funny, and genuinely cares for his patients. He takes his time in every exam and I never feel rushed there. I have never had a dentist that is so gentle — I swear I never left his office in pain. Even those numbing shots he gave me — is it even possible to say it was PAINLESS?! Well, it was!
Love Dr. Chad and his staff. I don’t dread seeing the dentist anymore! Yay!

Love, love LOVE this place! I needed some emergency work, and since I work in the holistic field, stumbled across this place while searching «holistic»! (no accidents). Based on the wonderful reviews, I decided to try it, even though I have a regular dentist. I am in and out with dental insurance, and his place is usually pricy without insurance, so I thought no harm in shopping around…
Talk about gentle! They were even gentle on the pricing and very accommodating to the fact that I had no insurance (they gave me an xray gratis, and charged less than usual for the filling. THANK YOU!). And even though my tooth was challenging, he handled it with cool head and no sweat. He was in an honors society to boot!
I was treated with nothing but respect, kindness, compassion and gentleness. The staff was soo sweet! And such big smiles and big hearts! You can tell it’s a super place to work. The energy there was fantastic. The icing is that they validate parking in downtown. Kudos to them. It’s a rarity. Just park at Kukui Plaza and walk one block down the street.
I will be referring all my clients and students to him from now on. Dr. Chad’s office is #1. He is my hero!

I have been going here with my 2 boys for about 3 years. The staff is always pleasant and smiling, the hygienists are always very thorough and skilled. I really like Dr kawashima because he is very meticulous and skilled and takes the time to answer any questions you may have without making you feel like you are bothering him. I had a crown done and also had silver fillings removed (Mercury). Great great dentist. Highly highly recommend. FYI I this is only my 2^nd review but I really felt like he deserves me taking the time for all his hard work with me. also, make sure you keep your appointments as they are very busy and send you lots of reminders. I had a few last minute emergencies and missed my appointments and felt really bad about not showing up but they still made an effort to accommodate me and my sons.

Just came back from my semi-​annual tooth cleaning at this dentist. Robin is the BEST dental hygienist ever! She is careful, thorough, and explains everything. She is looking at my overall health when she checks my teeth and mouth. What a skilled hygienist!
I appreciate this dental office so much, as Dr. Kawashima also explains everything, including the lesser cost options. And is the closest to a pain-​free dentist I’ve ever had! (And I’ve gone to a lot of dentists over the years.)
I’ve referred several friends to this dental office — especially those who are afraid of dentists and haven’t gone in years. They’re happy too.

Ive been to Dr. Kawashimas office nine times in the past two and a half months due to an evaluation with x-​rays, two gold crowns, one gold filling, two temporary fillings coming out, a cleaning and picking up my mouth guard. On week days, parking in the nearby Chinatown Municipal lot on Beretania near Nuuanu Ave is 75 cents for each half hour, up to two hours. The validated Kukui Plaza lot, which once was full, has been about $ 3-​$ 5 for me, even with validation. Anyhow, these are the reasons why holistic dentist Dr. Kawashima gets 5 stars.
1) Scheduling is convenient. For two temporary fillings that came out, I was scheduled on the same day for each. I did have to put $$ down though for my three appointments that two hours or longer each, but that $$ went to the dental work. I had no problems with scheduling any of my other appointments as well.
2) He explains and really listens to you. He explained why he choose to give me a gold filling rather than a crown (to save more of the tooth), and explained how the shape of my jaw makes my second molars wear out as well as my previous dentists fillings fall out because of my strong bite or teeth clenching. He is also honest, saying that he hopes that he is making the right decision.
3) He read the book about tooth decay I gave to him. Within a week, he was halfway through. I can tell he cares about increasing his knowledge to make his practice better. There are also many certificates on the wall which make a patient feel like he/​she is in good hands. He has some type of Jaycees award as well as being voted best in his profession by peers, amongst others.
4) He is very skilled so he saved me from having to see a gum specialist by allowing me to have a quite small crown. He meticulously used a gold polisher to make sure the dental floss could go between my crown and other tooth.
5) I get e-​mail and text reminders one week before, and two weeks before each appointment.
6) I ate one of my temporary fillings, but was assured it is okay and patients do that sometimes. Another temporary filling also came out when I was eating pizza and I kept it, so it Nga, his assistant, put it back in for me very quickly. The fillings had come out because first, there was a lubricant under the weak glue, and anyway, I bite hard and they are only temporary.
7) The longest Ive ever had to wait for my appointment was 13 minutes. At about 11 minutes, the receptionist gave me a complimentary mini bottle of water. I can tell that the staff dont want patients to have to wait longer than ten minutes for their appointment. Ive also been called in early once.
8) He cares about your teeth more than he cares about money! He thought a crown build up was necessary for my tooth, even if insurance didnt cover it when he originally thought they would, and so he did it anyway and I didnt have to pay for it. He also took out his Nikon camera and took pictures of my tooth as proof to show the insurance company it was necessary.
9) His staff are great! The receptionists Cathy and Lita are always friendly and smiley. Ms. Noonaka (I forgot her first name) also talked story a lot before she cleaned my teeth. I hear the receptionists often call patients about other earlier available dental openings, and Ive gotten at least two of those calls as well.
And last but not least…
10) Nga, his assistant, is excellent! She is knowledgeable and caring and also really listens to the patient and has worked for several dentists before Dr. Kawashima. Amongst many other things, she explained to me how to take care of my mouth guard with soap and water and gave me a special brush to take the plaque out from the gum line of my crowns since I told her I always find plaque there. She also told me to continue using the Waterpik for really strong teeth when Im old. When I had my full mouth x-​rays done, she also covered me with the two protective apron barriers (although probably not necessary) as a precaution since I had just given birth a month before.
If I hadnt changed my dentist and started to come to Dr. Kawashima, Im pretty certain my second molars would be in really, really bad condition or even gone within five years. I think it would be very difficult to find any other dentist that could beat the quality of dental care youd receive from Dr. Kawashima and his staff.

Definitely one of the Top Dentists in Hawaii. He even has the plaque to prove it! (pun intended) I just transitioned over to him since my last dentist moved to the mainland, and all I say is THANK GOODNESS!
Right off the bat, Dr. Chad identified several bad habits that, if not corrected, would lead to major problems later down the line. Now why didn’t my LAST TWO dentists tell me this? I’m confident just in this one visit he helped save me hundreds if not thousands of dollars in dental work that would have been necessary later in life had he not corrected my bad habits.
Finally a doctor that actually cares about his patients, and not just about making money! Just watch out for his dry sense of humor!

I wrote a review for this place a couple years ago when my husband and I started going, but not sure where it went?!
These people are AWESOME.
Unfortunately, i hadn’t been to the dentist in like 4 – 5 years when I started coming here. My gums were so sensitive and tender she had to use numbing gel all over… The next time was eaiser, and now I am not afraid to go to the dentist anymore.
Dr Kawashima is ridiculously friendly and obviously genuinely loves what he does. All the ladies I’ve worked with at his office and friendly, always smiling, always helpful.
They also send you emails and text reminders, so no missing your appointment.
I had 1 cavity filled with them, and it was PAINLESS. I mean, zero pain. I couldn’t believe it. Even when he put the needle it to numb it first. I was seriously shocked.
I referred my brother and he was stoked too… And I got a $ 25 referral credit. Yay!
I park at the municipal Lot a couple blocks away, like $ 2 for 1.5 hrs or something. very reasonable.

Dr. Kawashima is great! His staff is pretty excellent too. Together they are everything one looks for in a good visit to the dentist.

I hate dentists, but I LOVE Dr. Kawashima! So much so that since I moved away from Hawaii I still keep Chad as my dentist. I may take an extra trip to Hawaii this fall just to have a dental problem looked at by a dentist that I trust 100%. Cannot say that about any other dentist I have been to. And he is so good! Fast, thorough, great work! He’s awesome! Try him out, you won’t regret it!

Just had a great experience here. Chipped two teeth in a late night forking incident (the eating kind). Called this morning– they said they had no space until next week but they would talk with Dr. Chad to see if he could squeeze me in. A few hours later, I get a call saying they are willing to sneak me in — about 5 hours after I call.
Dr. Chad, as he introduced himself, and his staff were quite friendly and professional. In and out in under an hour, about $ 350 (which seems like something of a concession to my lack of dental coverage). Very pleased with the experience and the results look quite good– hopefully they will stand the test of time.

Administered Prescription Drug without Informed Consent
I went to this dental practice because they advertise themselves as holistic and the «Uncle Benji» reviewer seemed to imply that they were not into giving patients prescription drugs.
Well, at the end of the cleaning the hygienist squirted a bunch of liquid in my mouth and then informed me that it was a «prescription mouth wash». I had an extremely bad adverse reaction to some prescription drugs earlier in my life that literally almost killed me, so I’m very wary of prescription drugs, or any drugs for that matter. So, given that, I was appalled that the hygienist without any attempt to get informed consent would give me a prescription drug without my permission.
The hygienist also gave me some mystery liquid to swish around before she even started the cleaning. Once again, what is it? Why have I never had another hygienist in my entire life do this?
Another thing I didn’t like was she thought getting X-​rays of all my crowns was a good idea, just because. She implied their X-​rays aren’t that dangerous because they are digital. Well, based on a recent study published in the April 10 issue of the American Cancer Association, annual dental X-​rays are not recommended. Furthermore, «the American Dental Association responded to the study in a written statement, noting that the group has long called on its members to order dental X-​rays only when necessary.» The study showed that ‘those who reported having «bitewing» X-​rays at least yearly were found to have a 40% to 90% greater risk of meningioma.’ (brain tumors). I’ve had lots of X-​rays in my life because I have had extensive dental work, and of all people, I certainly shouldn’t have any more unless absolutely necessary, as I’m probably already at a much larger risk of suffering an adverse effect than most people.
Advocating X-​rays in the absence of any problem is not what I expected from a holistic practice. Radiation can and does cause harm. It’s just a fact. If you don’t agree, you can take it up with the ACA or the ADA. On a positive note, at least she suggested the X-​rays, versus just doing it, like with the prescription mouth wash.
Was the visit all bad? No. The receptionist and the hygienist were both friendly. The actual cleaning the hygienist did seemed fine. Her advice for improving my gum health seemed fine. In general, she seemed like a considerate knowledgeable professional. If it wasn’t for the mystery liquid to start, the prescription mouth wash given without consent, and the seeming downplay of the dangers of X-​rays, I probably would have given a rating of four or five.
So, you’re welcome to visit their practice or not. I’m not telling anyone what to do. All I’m doing is providing information so people can make informed decisions.

I came in for a routine check up after looking on Unilocal for suggestions and Unilocal came through for me again. Everybody was super friendly and informative about taking care of your teeth. They asked me if I would like to be emailed the forms I needed to fill out for first timers ahead of time to save me time which was nice. They made me feel pretty comfortable while I was there which is pretty difficult being at the dentist and Dr. Kawashima is a pretty mellow, friendly, laid back guy. He was really informative and after chatting with him for a while I could see why other Unilocalers rated him so high.
I went back for a cleaning a few days later and the dental hygienist who cleaned my teeth was also really informative and friendly. I’ve been to other good dentist before, but as long as I’m in Oahu, I will keep going back to Dr. Kawashima.

WOW!
I had a filling fall out yesterday. Within 24 hours it’s fixed thanks to Dr. Kawashima and his staff. Every member of the staff, from the office manager to the hygenist to Dr. Kawashima, was so helpful and nice. They truly went above and beyond to work with me with a weird insurance/​financial situation. They asked me about my personal dental experiences and customized the treatment to fit what works for me. No pain, done quick. Dr. Kawashima also took the time to explain to me how to care for the filling that is in a weird spot (why it fell out in the first place).
I was in and out in an hour and a half.
Thank you so much. I’ll be back for sure.

I hate dentists. And I especially hate hygienists.
It’s nothing personal. I just hate their professions.
After seeing the same dentist in Pearl City for a few years, I decided it might be time for a new one. My old hygienist, who I had trained very well, left him. And I’m not really willing to drive all the way to Pearl City to train a new hygienist. So I found Dr. Chad through Unilocal (of course).
My first visit was an emergency visit. Achy tooth pain right before New Year’s made me call, afraid that I wouldn’t find anyone to treat me if it got worse through the long holiday weekend. They worked me into his schedule and spent nearly two hours with me, understanding my fear of dentists/​hygenists and treating the pain in my face.
I’ve been back since to have more work done and to see the dreaded hygienist. My cleaner is Robin. And as far as hygienists go, she is the best of the best. Robin is nurturing and caring and took the time to understand my dislike of her profession as well. She even called me at home at 8 PM the night of my first cleaning with her to be sure I was okay. I still don’t like what she does for a living, but if I *have to* have my teeth cleaned, I wouldn’t have anyone else do it.
The entire staff at this office is amazing. Dr. Chad is gentle, understanding, and extremely thorough. I cannot say enough good things about him. His assistant, if it’s possible, is very nurturing if it’s possible, even more caring than Dr. Chad. Cathy (in the front office) is just about the nicest, most helpful person with a bubbly personality and agreeable sense to her. Everyone greets me by name and makes me feel like a lifelong friend even though I’ve been a patient for just 3 months.
The one drawback: I hate downtown and the parking situation there… but it is a small price to pay to have a dentist and supporting staff that I have now. And it’s not even enough to make me drop them down to 4 stars. Dr. Chad and his staff are a 5-​star crew, for sure.

Dr. Kawashima is by far the gentlest and most knowledgeable dentist I’ve ever met, and I have high standards.
I was in Hawaii this winter and was having strong tooth pain whenever I tried to chew. I thought it was a cavity, so I found Dr. Kawashima on Unilocal and went in. His staff were incredibly friendly and helpful, and he quickly ran through different possibilities for what might be causing the pain. X-​rays came up negative for cavities, and he decided on tooth grinding, which I hadn’t considered as a possibility.
He suggested a minimal NTI night guard to prevent me from grinding at night, which is when the strongest grinding usually happens. After doing my own research on tooth grinding, I agreed, and he custom made the guard for me right on the spot. He is also very likable, empathetic, and comforting to be around. I feel very grateful to have found him!
The guard took away my pain after a few days of wearing it, and is not uncomfortable to sleep with. Actually, it helps me fall asleep some nights, because I’ve associated the feeling of having the guard on with bedtime. So I am now pain-​free!
I then went back for a cleaning, and learned an amazing amount from the hygienist, Robin, who was also very gentle, thorough, and friendly.
We go to Hawaii every winter, so Dr. Chad is now my regular dentist! I give him my highest recommendation.

After seeing Maude L.‘s review of Dr. Kawashima on my Unilocal front page, I think I should go ahead and add my 5 stars, and hope that it grows.
One note of full disclosure: He’s my high school classmate, so I was, and still am, on a first-​name basis with him before our dentist-​patient relationship. But seeing the other two 5-​star reviews, I think the care I received is no different from what his other patients get.
So there I was in November 2000, having bitten into something hard, hearing an ominous «click», and looking at a small sliver of tooth. Looks like I was going to have to see a dentist, but whom? At the time I hadn’t seen a dentist since having my last wisdom teeth pulled in, I believe, 1994. My old dentist, who was also my mom’s dentist, was old-​school. How old school? Every visit would uncover at least one cavity… and, unlike Maude L’s dentist, he wouldn’t even stab my gums. He would go in and drill… WITHOUT ANESTHETIC. (cringe) After 20 years of that, it wouldn’t be surprising for me to forego treatment for as long as possible.
By then, old Dr. Drill-​em-​up and his drill had gone to the big pile of extracted teeth in the sky, and I needed a new dentist. Fortunately, having seen Dr. Kawashima at our 10-​year reunion a few months back, he was the first name that came to mind.
I can probably imagine the look on his face when he saw my mouth for the first time. Six cavities, two of which would eventually need root canals, and my gums were in bad shape. Needless to say, we saw a lot of each other in the next few months to fix my badly broken mouth.
But being at Dr. Kawashima’s office, I learned something… I found out that dental care could be… shall I say it… comfortable. I also learned a lot about my teeth and gums that I probably didn’t know before. Like a previous reviewer said, he’s really patient and puts you at ease.
I haven’t had a repeat of what happened, partly because I now found myself, if not looking forward to, at least not dreading going to Dr. Kawashima, so any problems are caught early. Ten years later, my teeth are in good shape, and my gums are holding up as well.
Over the past ten years I owe the health of my teeth to Dr. Kawashima, and intend to keep going to him for as long as he remains in practice. And if you’re afraid of going to the dentist, as I was, give him a try. I assure you that he’ll change your tune.

I hate going to the dentist. My old dentist used to just berate me for not flossing enough, and then tip me back in the chair to stab my gums and let me drown on my own saliva. Not fun. So after a couple years of avoiding the dentist, I decided to make an appointment to see someone new. That someone new was Dr. Kawashima, and he actually made the visit pleasant. I can’t believe I’m saying good things about a dentist, but he was great — very knowledgeable and friendly, and my gums didn’t get a single evil jab. His office staff is also really nice and professional.