Edited: and what makes it funny is that it wasn't exactly 300 but +/- and 20 mins after this review they just email me a $300 bill for a no show up which I went there and showed up and which I will consult with a lawyer. They waved it when I was there and now they bill me after more than 2 years since my last visit! Thats her!! Avoid visiting her for your peace of mind. Because of my earlier comment was deleted because there wasn't enough details. I used to like this dentist a few years ago, but my last experience completely changed my opinion. I originally went in for a cleaning, and they told me I had a few teeth that needed work. The plan we discussed was to fix them slowly over time based on what my insurance would cover, which I agreed to and thought was reasonable. The problem started on the day of my appointment. I had a family emergency my mother needed to go to the hospital. So I asked if I could reschedule. Instead of understanding the situation, they told me it would be around a $300 cancellation fee. Because of that, I felt forced to leave my mother and still go to the appointment. When I arrived, things got worse. They suddenly presented me with an estimate of about $2,000, which was completely different from what we had discussed before. When I questioned this, they became defensive and started threatening me again with their cancellation policy instead of explaining things clearly. The situation escalated when the owner came out and spoke to me in a very disrespectful way. She was mimicking me and not acting professionally at all. This was especially disappointing because it was during Ramadan, and as someone who shares the same religion , I expected at least some level of respect and understanding. Overall, this was a very unprofessional and stressful experience. What used to be a place I trusted is no longer somewhere I would recommend. read more

Always a great experience with Dr Al-Aswad! She is quick and friendly. The office is always very accommodating

Dr. Al-Aswad is an absolute gem. She really listens. I had some tricky medical needs due to a chronic illness and she was nothing but curious about how to help me best. She even did extra research on her own!! Her manner is so kind. I wish all my doctors were like her. read more

Dr. Al Aswad and her team were kind, efficient, and professional with my 8 year old's significant dental work.

Very professional, confident, and efficient in her work. Felt very comfortable and relaxed because of her kindness.

Here we are in 2023 and all that I've experienced (confirming all that I heard from a trusted friend who directly recommended this practice after multiple years before she had to move away) is the very highest level of professionalism & competence at every stage of the process. I hadn't been to a dentist in many years, and I'm pretty darn nervous about dentistry. She was incredibly non-judgemental, completely thorough, and utterly transparent about everything from my upcoming options to billing. I also heard some of her story, the story of her practice, her guiding philosophies etc.. Consequently, I strongly suspect her early Pandemic negative reviews may not be the whole story. No matter how thin you slice the bread, there's always two sides. For my money, I believe Dr. Al-Aswad is a gentle, caring, and competent dentist (that goes for her assistant as well). read more

I feel terrible leaving a poor review, but I feel somewhat of an obligation to share my experience. I went into Al-Aswad Dental as a new patient, and was told on my first visit that I needed a whopping total of 8 fillings. I was shocked and heartbroken, as you can imagine. It wasn't until I was speaking to one of the front desk workers on the phone, who said she had me down for 10 fillings (to which I said, 10? I thought it was 8? and she said, "No, I have you down very clearly here for 10") that an alarm bell went off in my head. I quickly scheduled an appointment for a second opinion before my appointments for the 8 (now 10) fillings. The dentist I chose for the second opinion is Dr. Vachon in Manchester, NH--the dentist my father calls "the only dentist I've found to be conservative in his recommendations." Vachon told me that I needed 2 fillings, and that there were 3 spots that we needed to keep an eye on--although if I took great care of my teeth moving forward, there was a good chance those spots would not progress any further and I would be fine. Vachon was extremely kind in his remarks about the second opinion, and explained that the difference in the analyses of the two dentists comes down to a difference in philosophy. His philosophy, he said, is "Once you drill into a tooth, you can never get that back," which is why he tries to only complete fillings that he feels are necessary. He finished off his remarks by saying, "It would have been a shame for you to have all those holes drilled in, because you have really nice teeth." I feel bad saying all this and leaving a disparaging review because the front desk people at Al-Aswad are very nice and I'm sure Dr. Al-Aswad is a good person and means well. I do have to say, though, that not only was the diagnoses on my teeth really concerning, but the way the news was delivered was also pretty unkind. When you go into a dentist or a doctor's office, you are in a super vulnerable position, because your hygiene and personal habits are being examined by a stranger. This means that it is crucial for the healthcare professional to treat you well on a personal level. When Dr. Al-Aswad delivered the news about my cavities, she did so in an arrogant, chastising sort of way. She made me feel terrible about myself. If I had truly needed the 10 fillings, the shame-inducing would not have been enough for me to leave this review. But that combined with a diagnosis that was countered by another dentist who I and many others trust made me feel that I had a duty to share my experience. I hope this helps someone else in evaluating their own situation. read more

Great facility and a great team. Dr Al-Aswad was caring and took great care of my teeth. I didn't have to wait and she seen me right on time! 10/10 recommend going here for your dental needs. read more

Have been getting my teeth cleaned here for a couple of years now. Recently had a painful gums issue and they fit me in the next morning and checked up on me later that day to make sure everything was still okay!! Dr.Al-Aswad did a very good job both with the work and making me feel taken care of. Highly recommend. read more

Unfortunately I would think twice about working w this team. I was a client for 15 years, started when my son was 4 years old. At first the experience was a very good one, they worked well w my son who was a fidgety kid, and it became convenient for me to also have my dental care here. So I joined and they did both my and my son's care. Literally my only dental health need was for regular cleanings. Years passed and I ended up needing a little more work, including 2 root canals. I experienced great pain and discomfort before during and after the root canals. This pain was not any fault of the dentist but she did not believe me or acknowledge this pain and this bothered me. Why would I make up that I was in pain? It's not ok for her to decide that I am not in pain when I am telling her that I am in pain. I then began to have problems w the front desk. They forgot to cancel an appointment of mine, and the phone call Dr. Al Aswad made to me was most unpleasant. She did not believe that her assistant forgot to cancel the appointment, even though apparently she did not remove it from their books when I booked the new appointment. I had nothing to do w the front desk error and did not appreciate the attitude I received suggesting I did something wrong. Another time the assistant did not call insurance ahead of time for coverage/pre-estimate, and I got an unexpected bill for services that weren't covered. And it wasn't cheap. They should have followed procedure to get the pre estimate. Even if I was not covered, at least I should have been informed, just like every other time I needed a pre-estimate. Because I never received a pre-estimate, and this second procedure was like the first root canal which was just done, I interpreted that to mean it was covered. The bad attitude they began to display increased w each occasion. The Dr would tell me that I did not have pain when I would tell her my concern about so much pain related to root canals. Didn't seem to believe me when I asked questions seeking more information or advice about what we could do or what was the expected outcome for my teeth etc. 15 years, I never missed an appointment, neither me nor my son. I got very sick one night this past year and had an already-scheduled cleaning for the next morning. The Covid virus is/was still present. It was not the height of Covid, but we were still experiencing the virus. Their office was closed when I called to cancel, and I had to leave a voice mail noting that I had gotten hit w a virus, was very sick and couldn't make the appointment in the morning that I would call to reschedule. The next morning I am sound asleep, very very sick, phone rings it is the front desk very rudely demanding my cancellation fee of $150. Not "Hi how are you feeling Nancy my valued15-year client," or "Sorry you couldn't make it in for your cleaning." Only a single harsh sentence, "WHAT ABOUT THE FEE?" I was speechless and taken aback. I was so sick, had done the dutiful thing by calling the night before to cancel which was done as soon as I realized that I was too sick to make it in the next day, and to be accosted 5 minutes after 9am when they opened by such a rude demand blatently only looking-for-money was a major turn off. I wouldn't do business with these people who falsely advertise to be a family practice suggesting they care about you. They only care about your money. They do not treat you like family, not like a friend or valued client. After this incident, for comparison purposes, I phoned three dentists after this happened and asked what they charged for a cancellation fee. One charged $75, the other charged $0, and the third dentist charged $0 but would not allow for a second cancellation, meaning they would discontinue working w you should it happen a second time. This experience speaks for itself. read more

We just had a terribly upsetting experience at Al-Aswad Lina dental. So bad I felt unsafe for myself and child. We arrived at our appt. time and were notified we were an hour late. We didn't get a text message. They had the wrong number in their system. The receptionist was very nice and professional. I calmly said we don't want to be charged a missed appt. fee because we never got a reminder. After a few minutes the dentist came out, Al-Aswad Lina. She came out hot and firing (so to speak). She was very upset before I said a word. I am a school teacher and education professional and am able to stay calm, and I did. After a few minutes of this I calmly stated that she seemed very upset and I was just trying to figure this out. She continued to talk to me in a very disrespectful and angry way, by the way right in front of my 9 year old and another child in the waiting room. She then explained, "I'm tired of hearing your demands"! I then calmly asked her what my demands were and she just walked away. I said, ok, 'we are leaving and she just nastily said, "we'll, we are charging you the no show fee". At this point I just wanted to get my child out of the line of fire so we left. Overall, I am horrified and question how she acts when she is alone with children. She obviously had a bad day before I arrived, and I feel bad that she did, but it's entirely unprofessional and unethical that she took it out on my and my young child. I will never go back here and am reporting her to the appropriate professional associations. We just had to spend an hour at home processing this with my child so she feels ok. Do dentists have to take the DO NO HARM oath? If so she broke it. My name is Bryan Campbell McCormick read more

Dr. Al-Aswad is the best dentist I have ever gone to. She is straightforward and thorough and gentle and has done dental work for me that other dentists ignored or set aside because they said it was too tricky. She is also a kind person who makes our family feel like she knows and cares about us personally. And not surprisingly the whole team she has put together reinforces this feeling with their calm skill and competentce. It's a great dental practice. read more

Wonderful staff. Very accommodating of my need for a last minute appointment. Dr. Al-Assad went above and beyond in addressing my concerns.

They did my Invisalign tremendously and were very kind! Great work! Highly recommend.

I've been going to Al-Aswad dental for ~7+ years. Dr. Al-Aswad and team always take great care of me and my teeth. They are kind and professional, and Dr. Al-Aswad's expertise is without question. I'm the type of person who hates going to the dentist generally, and she makes it a pleasant experience for me nonetheless. It's also worth noting their Covid precautions throughout the pandemic have been top notch-they clearly take patient safety very seriously. read more

My child has liked going to the dentist (they play Netflix shows during the appointments, so this has been a good selling feature for the kid), however, my experiences with the office have all been either completely unremarkable or really unpleasant. However, as the experiences weren't harmful, we continued with the practice because my child did at least enjoy going to the dentist enough that it wasn't an ordeal for them. We used Al-Aswad dental for several years, because the fact that my child enjoyed going to the dentist was enough of a positive for me to deal with some of the more negative experiences that I have had from an administrative experience. At the very first appointment, I was glad I happened to check the receipt before leaving, as they initially included a charge for a treatment I'd specifically turned down. The staff are all pleasant enough, they worked well with my kid. Dr. Al-Aswad was good at explaining things to my child as they went through the cleaning process, especially for the first few appointments. However, my own interactions with her often felt condescending and pedantic, particularly if my own opinion about something differed from her recommendation. And from some of the earliest appointments, she was very quick to start mentioning how my child would absolutely, definitely need braces or a spacer, and that it would definitely require extraction (note that this is before all the baby teeth were even fully in, let alone permanent teeth). After several appointments, I got a surprise estimate of costs from my dental insurer telling me how much these things were covered...despite us NOT expressing interest in pursuing this avenue at that point. When I called to express my concern about them submitting these coverage requests, I was basically told that they do it "as a service to us" and after I advised them that I can research coverage myself (or request their assistance IF needed), I was informed that they "don't need our permission to submit this" (which tells me that this request wasn't necessarily being done as a service to us but so that they could see how much our coverage was for the procedure(s) ). This further soured my opinion of the practice, as all the dental office needs to know is that they will be paid. They do not need to know my benefit coverage for a service that we haven't agreed to, and if they're requesting it as a service to me, it should only be requested if we're looking to pursue the procedure and if we want to find out the coverage. The final straw was when I was advised that I couldn't accompany my child into the exam room for the last appointment. They stated that since the exam doors are kept open, I'm welcome to peek in throughout the appointment (which, as I thought on it later, bothered me from a patient privacy perspective, to restrict parents from the room but to allow them to walk over to check in, passing other open rooms as they come and go). I indicated that as the parent, I would be present to be my child's medical advocate, and was informed "what if we told you it's our policy that parents do not come into the room." When I informed her that I would be finding another dentist, I was advised that this was the policy at ALL dentists. We did stay for the cleaning, as my child needed one, and they conceded to my coming in halfway through. I found this sudden shift in their process bothersome, especially since my child has never been problematic in the appointments while I'm present and I have never done anything beyond be present. So I remained in view where I could see and hear the appointment until I was "invited" in. I was especially annoyed how at the end of the appointment, Dr. Al-Aswad indicated that she likes to "instill independence" in the patient (child!). It is not THEIR job to teach my child independence (they are very much so, however, a child should not have to be their own medical advocate in an appointment). When I got home, I quickly found two dental practices that welcome and encourage parents to remain in the room with their children, one of which is the dentist that I see (who seemed genuinely surprised that I would ask the question of whether we were welcome in the examination room!). read more

Dr. Al-Aswad is the best!! She's extremely confident in what she's doing, has a wealth of experience (26 years), and shows great attention to detail. More importantly, however, is her welcoming, warm attitude and playful sense of humor. I had two cavities filled this morning, and it turned out to be less invasive than I'd expected. Good news or bad, I can count on Dr. Al-Aswad to provide honest, straightforward explanations about procedures, including their costs and benefits. I especially love that Dr. Al-Aswad really cares about my comfort. Novacane turned out to be unnecessary for my procedure, but she told me that if I felt pain at any time, she would stop and administer the anesthetic. She's also super easy to talk to and was genuinely interested in my personal life--it wasn't just making idle small talk. I highly recommend her practice! read more

I just wanted to take the time to write Dr. Al-Aswad a good review here. I haven't had her as a dentist for very long (only a month or so), but I chose her based on location (convenient for me), and I saw that she didn't have really negative reviews. I am someone who gets scared away by even just 1 extremely negative review. So far, I like what I see. I had a bunch of cavities, and she took the time to explain to me silver v. white fillings and was responsive to my needs and questions. Dr. Al-Aswad would check to confirm everything before she started working - i.e. "We're doing 4 cavities today, all on the left, all in white, ok?" and was sensitive to when I was tense/nervous and when I was in pain. Things like that earn my trust. You have to trust that your dentist is looking out for you and your best interests, not looking for your money only. Also, her assistants in general have been very responsive and responsible about getting dental pre-estimates mailed to my house and answering all my (many) questions regarding my benefits and the costs to me. Having a responsible staff is really important when dealing with all these crazy dental costs and the billing involved. read more

I would give this practice 0 stars if it was possible. the staff with the exception of Margie is horribly rude and condescending. The dentist herself has always been rude and judgmental. I wouldn't recommend this practice to anyone. I really wanted to like it as I don't like doctor hopping. They are never clear about the costs and put patients on the spot when they show up and super rude about any issue you have. I hope they work on their people skills before they even look at people. read more

She would always say I needed crowns and now I'm waking up crying because of the pain. She gave me 6 crowns for no reason and she always yelled at me. I'm sorry but 1 star read more

Efficient and great communication as always. I like they have movies for kids to watch as distraction this really helps ease there anxieties of dentists. read more

Dr Al-Aswad is fantastic. I'm SO glad that we found her. My daughter is so comfortable with her dentist that at her third cleaning (at the ripe old age of 4) she told me "Daddy, you stay here in the waiting room." I obeyed. 15 minutes later she was done and out. Just now I had a question about my daughter's emerging teeth. I called, she got on the phone asked me questions and told me what to do. 4 min later I know what I should be doing, have had my concerns addressed and can get on with my day. read more

This dentist is the utmost best dentist around. We moved here from Texas and tried out two different dentists prior to Al-Aswad and I just can't believe that I didn't find her sooner. My kid looks forward to seeing Dr. Al-Aswad. Dr. Al-Aswad talks to my child, makes her comfortable and gives out a surprise from the treasure box. Even though she is 23 miles away from my home, I am keeping this dentist for our family- she is worth it. read more

Please stay away from this practice. This dentist is rude, condescending, cold, and just disrespectful! Not to mention, she has the tendency to recommend unnecessary procedures. (I have been taking my child to this practice for years.) At my child's last visit, the dentist got extremely defensive and LOUD because as she was telling me about a bunch of procedures she was GOING to do on my child (did not ask for my input or permission to do any of these things whatsoever), I mentioned that I found it strange that my child's previous dentist never mentioned any of these problems. She also did not like the fact that I was questioning the procedures she was forcing us to do. I was sincerely asking "why are you doing ABC? why is XYZ necessary? how long would she have to wear this?" -- She answered my questions very loudly and rudely, so I asked her to please lower her voice because it was making me uncomfortable. Then, she proceeded to literally yell in front of her staff and others nearby "NOW IM GOING TO BE LOUD! YOU DO NOT TELL ME WHAT TO DO IN MY PRACTICE!!!" She also said that I was accusing her of lying about the dental work she was recommending.... when I was actually saying that I was sincerely shocked that my child seems to have so many dental issues going on and yet her previous dentist never brought any of these concerns to my attention. Clearly, Al-Aswad was defensive for a reason. After her berating me in front of my child, staff, and other patients, she had the nerve to ask if I still wanted her to do my child's cleaning. Why on earth would I want such an angry, rude and seemingly maniacal dentist going anywhere near my child's mouth after that scene she made? There was no way I was going to trust her touching my child after her unprofessional, erratic and defensive behavior. Sidenote: She is also extremely condescending to her own staff members. Every time I've gone in here, she has new assistants and front desk folks. They must run the heck out of there as soon as she shows them her true, SCARY, colors. BEWARE. read more

Unfortunately, due to my bad teeth, I have been to many dentists and comparing to other places, I would not recommend Dr. Al-Aswad. If you do not care about couple of hundred bucks, my review will not be useful for you, but if you care, you should consider this as an important factor before setting your appointment. As others said, she is very friendly and nice. I do not agree that the procedures are explained well before and I cannot comment on the quality of the work since after the first bill I decided to go to another dentist. Also in the office I was assigned to another doctor and the only reason I give a two star (not a one star) is because of the second doctor. I was charged three times for oral evaluations and consulting. The first two times by dr Al-Aswad and the third time by the doctor who did my procedure. The first two evaluation and consulting were completely in vain because they did not have any role in my treatment. Although I asked for a filling of my tooth, they charged me for crown build up. I have dental insurance and for a simple filling, I had to pay 335$ out of pocket. With insurance this should not cost more than hundred dollars. In general, I think this place is too expensive and you end up paying an unnecessary high rate. read more

I first went to her because she was very close to my house and my former dentist (a professor of dentistry) said she was one of his best students (a while ago). She is experienced, meticulous, and great with people. I have had many great dentists over the years (I am very picky) and she is the best. read more

An observer by nature, I have been forced out of my pattern of passivity by the excellence that is Dr. Al-Aswad. I don't even know where to begin, but here goes. I had made an appointment awhile back, and being the flake that I am, completely forgot about it and was a no show. They sent me a very polite letter saying not to do it again and telling me to call to make a new one. After a few months of procrastination and shame, I called to schedule a new appointment and got one for that week! So yesterday, I went in for my cleaning with the expectation of at least a little lecture about showing up for appointments, but instead was meet with nothing but warmth and not a mention of my faux pas (I did apologize; she said no worries). Unfortunately this is only half the reason I felt inspired to write her up on Yelp... Although I have always been a bit dental phobic, I can usually pull on my big girl pants and keep it together... but not yesterday. In short, I pretty much lost it, a very embarrassing display of snot and hyperventilation, but Dr. Al-Aswad was completely cool. She waited patiently while I worked myself back up to the composure of a five year old. As luck (or lack of personal hygiene) would have it, I had a small cavity, which she filled right then so "I would not have to worry about coming back." Dr. Al-Aswad also said there was no need for Novocaine, which was, again, awesome. When I, stuttering my apologies, was leaving, she said, "I don't remember anything." Very nice. I can't sing my praises loudly enough. BTW, I know they take Delta Dental (not sure what else) and have before-work and after-work hours. read more

they did an amazing job on my 3 year old son's first dentist appointment. total pros. they thoroughly explained everything and i think he did a good job at the appointment as a result of their care and experience with young kids. very friendly, on time, and expert service. my husband and i are thinking of moving there, too. read more

I was googling my kids' dentist to get her phone number when I noticed there are only two reviews on yelp. Busy as I am (this is taking away valuable time on reddit, after all), I had to stop and say: This is a great dentist office. I wouldn't send my kids anywhere else. read more

Dr. Al-Aswad is an amazing dentist. She handled both me & my kids, and we all loved her. Moreover, all of the staff knew us by name, even when we ran into them outside the office. I *did* move across the country, but still came back to Boston often enough that I kept using her for a couple years. read more

Dr. Al-Aswad has been my dentist for years and I love her. She's very thorough and very careful such that I always leave feeling my teeth are very well taken care of and there's no pain. I really enjoy going to see Dr. Al-Aswad because my teeth feel great afterwards. She's also very friendly and is happy to work with you and your insurance company to plan out the dental work in a way that limits your out of pocket expenses. read more

My 3 kids have seen Dr Al-Aswad for about 5 years. She is the perfect combination of kind and gentle, along with a little firmness when she reminds them that they need to be better about brushing and flossing. She is very fast and gentle with fillings. My 11 yr old needle-phobic daughter still doesn't know that she is getting a shot when she gets Novocaine. read more

Dr. Al-Aswad is a very nice dentist, but I've been very unhappy when dealing with her staff over billing. I was quoted a special introductory price over the phone in order to get me in for my first appointment, but then was charged a much higher amount when at her office. Eventually a compromise was reached. After being a customer for two years, I recently moved and called Dr. Aswad's office to ask if they could send me the X-rays that she had done. The office claimed that as part of my original "discount" I had waived my right to my X-rays and that it would cost $50 to have them released. My new dentist will do an entirely new set of X rays for less than that AND release them to me in case I move again. read more

this is a great place to take kids! thoughtful, kind but firm - they get the job done. plus kids can pick movies to watch.