Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) announced the permanent closure of its Cambridge dental clinic in an email to patients on Wednesday, six months after a fire temporarily shut down the facility.
HSDM Dean William V. Giannobile cited “current financial challenges” and post-fire complications as reasons for the closure, with all services now redirected to the school’s Longwood clinic.
The Cambridge practice, at 114 Mt. Auburn Street, suffered water and smoke damage during an April electrical fire that also affected dental equipment.
The Cambridge location was one of two Harvard Dental Center (HDC) clinics and hosted the faculty group practice, where professors provided care to Harvard and non-Harvard patients.
The Longwood clinic houses the teaching practice, where students and residents provide care under faculty supervision at lower costs.
After the fire, Cambridge staff and faculty were relocated to Longwood, which now accommodates both faculty and teaching practices.
HSDM spokesperson Heather Denny said the decision followed a thorough assessment of the fire damage, restoration needs, and financial sustainability.
“After a series of setbacks and facing current financial headwinds, it is no longer sustainable for us to operate the practice in Cambridge,” Denny said.
Harvard has faced financial strain due to a significant endowment tax increase and federal funding cuts, reporting its first budget deficit of $113 million since 2020.
Several schools have laid off staff, and Ph.D. admissions in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences were cut by more than half. Harvard also cited financial concerns during the 2020 closure of the Harvard Dental Service and Pharmacy amid the pandemic.
Patients have expressed frustration over the relocation. Cambridge resident Craig A. Lambert, who has received care at the clinic for 60 years, said the Longwood move more than doubled his commute and increased parking costs from $4 to $17 per visit.
Harvard Physics professor John E. Huth, a patient since 1993, noted that accessing the Longwood clinic is “much more challenging” due to traffic, parking, and slower public transit.
Despite these inconveniences, Huth said the quality of care remains unchanged, though the clinic has become “a bit more crowded.”
Denny emphasized that the Longwood clinic provides discounted parking and is accessible via MBTA, bus, or the free M2 shuttle for Harvard ID holders.
She added that the Dental Center can assist patients wishing to transfer to new practices and is evaluating the clinic’s capacity and staffing to maintain educational, research, and patient service missions.
