I adore Dr. Walter Wenk. When he was a kid he fell on a basket ball court and shattered four front teeth. The dentist who fixed him up was terrific and that's when he knew what he wanted to do. He's that rare man in any profession who truly truly loves and believes in his job. And he's good at it too. No wait, better than good. He's freaking GREAT. The day I met Dr. Wenk was one of the worst days of my entire life. I was biking quickly down a steep hill in Georgetown when my brakes locked on loose gravel. At the bottom of the hill the road ended and the bike crashed into the sidewalk at high-speed. Unfortunately, I broke the fall with my face. Sometime later a woman in an SUV came driving by and jumped out. She told her kids they were taking a detour and placed my bloody messy self in her passenger seat. When we arrived at Dr. Wenk's, he was in the middle of a staff seminar but decided to postpone it, instead devoting the rest of the afternoon to putting humpty dumpty (me) back together again. After x-raying my jaw to look for fractures, he and his incredible staff gently cleaned away all the blood and debris before spending the next 4 hours reconstructing my teeth. I couldn't speak but they made sure I could communicate with them anyway and that I understood everything that was going on. My lip had split open but Dr. Wenk opted to tape it closed without stitches so I wouldn't have a scar. That was four years ago and I've been going to him ever since. At all times he is calm but realistic, easygoing but professional. His dental practice also goes out of its way to keep current with up-to-date techniques and technology. When my dental nerves act up from the accident, Dr. Wenk is a phone call away. He won't recommend any procedure he doesn't think you really need. I get postcard and phone reminders to come in for my cleanings, which are thorough, efficient, and fast. Also, though it's a busy office and people come in just twice a year, his staff recalls everyone's teeth with remarkable detail (crowns, fillings, sensitive gums - they remember it all). As I lay barely conscious in her passenger seat, I remember my SUV 'guardian angel' had told me she was taking me to the best dentist in the world. She definitely wasn't lying. read more

First, I have to admit, I'm a terrible dental patient..in fact, I HATE most dentists. I had horrible teeth as a kid and my fear of dentists has continued throughout adulthood. I used to change my dentist every year, searching for someone I felt comfortable with. Well, about a year ago I needed a root canal and I was trying to suffer through the pain in hopes it would magically get better. I finally broke down and called Dr. Arbuckle because a coworker had recommended him. I explained my issue and the amount of pain I was in and he immediately squeezed me into his schedule. Dr. Arbuckle started the procedure by administering laughing gas and handing me the TV remote (there are TVs at every chair). A couple minutes later, I was feeling wonderful and I didn't care or feel any fear. I must have completely zoned out because next thing I knew, it was over. That's a perfect dental experience in my opinion! I have been going to Dr. Arbuckle ever since and have no need to look for a new dentist. read more

The dental cleaning I received was okay enough, aside from the fact they tried to up-sell me on professional whitening services prior to treatment which just seems gimmicky and odd. The main frustration regarding the service they provided was that I was inexplicably sent a bill for an "infection control fee" a few weeks after the service was rendered. It would be great if this office notified you at the time of service (if not prior to the time of service) that patients would be charged an additional fee (not covered by insurance) for "infection control". It would also be great if an explanation as to what that fee was specifically for were provided to the patient. Just a thought :) read more

Dr. Arbuckle is most definitely the best dentist I've been to. I hate...hate...going to the dentist typically. Until I started going to him. Very transparent, quick (but high quality), and most friendly staff I've been to. Highly recommended! Also, I have been to Dr. Bahrami in the past when Dr. Arbuckle has been off, and she is great too!! read more

Dr Bahrami has been my dentist for many years and I couldn't be more thankful for the great dental care she has provided! I recently had my first crown procedure ever and it was surprisingly painless. If you are looking for a competent and experienced dentist look no further. Highly recommended! read more

I have had nothing but exceptional experiences from this office. Even my 7 year old daughter enjoys coming here. The front desk staff is always professional and courteous. Dr. Bahrami did a crown for me and it was the most beautiful prep work I have ever seen. Dr. Arbuckle truly cares for patients and their well being. He takes an interest in them and is very family oriented. I would recommend this practice to all my family and friends. They take the time to care about you and they work with you understanding people's schedules and budgets. I will continue to come to this practice. It is amazing. read more

I love Dr. Arbuckle and his entire practice and I've recommended them to several friends! I originally found this practice through my dental insurance provider. I came in as a patient of Dr. Bahrami, who was AMAZING but left the practice. When she left, the office seamlessly transitioned me to Dr. Arbuckle. I was pretty positive that I couldn't love him as much as I loved Dr. Bahrami but I think they've convinced me otherwise. Location: I chose this office because I live in Ballston within walking distance. It is located on the ground level of the Hyde Park high rise next to Harris Teeter, facing Glebe Road. There's street parking around the neighborhoods. Hours: I love that the office opens really early. I usually make cleaning appointments for 7:30 am on weekdays but they might even open earlier than that. They're closed on weekends, but their morning hours allow me to get my appointment in and still go to work for a full day. Office: Their reception area is kept clean and the TV is usually flipped to HGTV (I don't have cable at home so I always get excited about this!!) and I think there are TVs for every patient chair as well. I've always shown up a little early to my appointments and the staff always gets me into the dentist chair either on time or early, which I value!! I think the only downside is that the suite is small-ish, so each patient does not really have his/her own room. If other patients are there, you can sometimes see them while you are walking by or hear their voices. They have do floor-to-ceiling walls that partition between patients, but if you want total privacy, you might feel that this office is a little open here. I personally don't mind this. Staff: The receptionists and hygenists are SO friendly! For example... I'm not great at flossing every day but they never make me feel bad/guilty about it and always gently encourage healthy habits. I have been going for my regular cleanings for over 2 years now, and I also purchased the at-home teeth whitening treatment for my wedding. They did my moldings and let me pick up my husband's kit and were really on top of it. It worked so well! Today I got my first cavity filling ever done there. Dr. Arbuckle numbed me prior to my cleaning. A team of two hygenists did my cleaning and then Dr. Arbuckle did my filling. I told him in advance that I was pretty nervous and didn't know what to expect. He made me feel completely at ease and explained every step of the process, which is so assuring when you can't physically see what is going on. Dr. Arbuckle is super friendly, kind of goofy and great at putting patients at ease. I really value how efficient and friendly the front office staff and hygenists are... and the HGTV. I'd highly recommend choosing him as your dentist if you live in the area! read more

Dr Arbuckle and his staff are wonderful. I highly recommend this practice. The front staff are friendly, professional and helpful. Dr Arbuckle and his assistants are experienced and be received top notch care for cleaning,fillings and issues resulting in a root canal. He takes a minimally invasive and conservative approach, offering options and leaving choices up to the patient whoever possible. I've only had to wait once for an appointment, and it was during flu season when several of his staff were out sick. He came to the waiting room at my appointment time to inform me, which I very much appreciated. Even with the limited staff I was in the chair and being treated within 20 minutes of my appointment time. I also appreciate that he informs me of what he's doing and is in tune with me to make sure I'm not in pain. This is an exceptionally well run practice! read more

I've never met Dr. Wenk so maybe he makes up for some of the downsides to office. I've been 3-4 times and each time they have run 10-15 minutes late. Also, and this bothers me more, each time I've gone they've tried to sell me a different product. Last time my gums were receding and the solution was a Sonicare toothbrush, and they had a snazzy coupon for me. This time my teeth are sensitive and I got a sample of Sensodyne. I was told "ignore the instructions to only use it for a week at a time - just use it every day." Apparently my gums have magically regrown without the benefit of Sonicare. Yay for my gums! They use some kind of water jet to scrape off tooth gunk which hurts quite a bit if they hit the wrong spot. After they were done they told me there is a topical numbing gel I could have had. Gee thanks. read more

Dr. Bahrami is wonderful. I was referred to her by a friend and since then I have referred many other patients to her. She takes her time and explains everything. She does more than just a regular check-up and is not pushy and doesn't suggest a lot of cosmetic, unneeded procedures that most dentists do. read more

Dr. Arbuckle has mad tooth fixing skillz and the staff here is awesome! After spending months having another dentist fill, adjust, refill, and readjust, a tooth with a filling in it was still causing me pain. Dr. Arbuckle redid the filling and presto - absolutely no more pain whatsoever. Before doing it, he took the time to go over the possible causes of the problem and the best choice of treatment. The staff got me in for appointments very quickly and were even kind enough to keep my baby amused when I had to bring her with me because of childcare problems on a day I had an appointment. I'll also note that unlike many dentists I have been to in the area, they cleaned and treated my teeth without pushing unwanted cosmetic procedures. read more

STAY AWAY!!!!! Took 4 teeth out of my mouth and put 4 totally different colored teeth back. Every dentist I have shown her work to they told me to sue her, which is what I am going to do. STAY AWAY. Amateur- just horrible. read more

Dr. Arbuckle, is an amazing dentist, but him giving the work to untalented staff that poke you on your gum and hurt the snap out of you or sending his low level staff to do the cleaning is unprofessional in my opinion. I paid for his time not the time of his other staff members to touch my teeth. I understand that he is busy and has to accommodate to other patients to cut cost due to his short daily schedule, but I felt he was inattentive and unprofessional to leave my teeth on the hand of someone who hurt me badly and last time the cleaning was done in a rush that had to comeback again for a second time to get it done right. I will not recommend this place if you value your teeth. read more

I went to Dr. Arbuckle's office about 3 weeks ago for the typical 6 month cleaning and bitewing x-rays (all of which is typically covered by the most basic insurance). The technician took the bitewing x-rays and determined something looked off. As such, I was told they were going to take another bitewing x-ray to make sure the first x-ray was showing a correct image. Dr. Arbuckle reviewed the x-ray and referred me to a root canal specialist for a 2nd opinion (which I had no issue with). The front desk provided me with a statement of services rendered and I paid my portion that would not be covered by insurance. About a week later I received another statement in the mail only to find that this new statement included an additional service that was not on my original statement. It appears that my insurance did not pay this portion of the bill and Dr. Arbuckle's office was passing this cost along to me. I called Dr. Abuckle's office to inquire about the additional charge that was not on my ORIGINAL statement that was provided. I was told, "they overlooked this charge and that my original statement is only an estimate." It should be known that nowhere on the original statement does it state that it is only an estimate." I was then told that one of the bitewing x-rays they did was a special bitewing x-ray and that was this was the new charge. The x-ray technician never once mentioned that this bitewing x-ray was going to be different from the first (same procedure as the first x-ray so one would not be able to distinguish the difference) and that it would be an additional cost. As previously mentioned, this cost was not on my original statement, but it was added when Dr. Arbuckle's office submitted the claim to my insurance company. Smells a little fishy. In the DC metro area, there are a plethora of general dentistry practices. I wish I had spent more time reading reviews before settling on this office. Typically, the dentist isn't an enjoyable experience, the last thing you need is a headache dealing with their billing specialists. read more

I am new to DC. I tried this office because its a great location for me and another dentist that was recommended by a friend had terrible reviews. I would say i have high standards for dental work and, especially cleanings. Nothing turns me off faster that poor hygienists and outdated technology. I take really good care of my teeth and have had all my mercury fillings replaced, had some minor cosmetic dentist and laser cleaning in the past. I expect my check ups to maintain my investment. The service was friendly and quick. I didn't wait more than 10-15 minutes to get started. The hygienist work was excellent. The dentist (Dr. Wenk) was very friendly and efficient and spot on with low cost preventative maintenance recommendations. I would highly recommend. read more

A lot of the reviews here must be fake or they must be asking their favorite patients to leave good reviews for them. The experience that *I* had at this office was definitely not a 5-star experience. I won't even get into the quality of the dentistry there. My main issue was with highly inappropriate conversation I overheard between the office manager, Becky, and other staff members at the front desk. She said "Dr. Arbuckle is bipolar, has no idea what he's doing and needs to go back to being a car salesman." I had already been feeling nervous about my appointment but this comment was just icing on the cake. From there they went on to talk about things of a sexual nature- in the workplace! This Becky woman says she enjoys being a mistress for married men, a swinger, and made really ignorant and negative comments about homeless people and people on welfare. This conversation took place IN THE WORKPLACE!! I guess they thought no one would hear them but they weren't exactly whispering. I would love to tell Dr. Arbuckle what I heard but I am NEVER returning to this place ever again! That Becky needs to be let go ASAP for her despicable, unprofessional behavior. I am truly disgusted that someone like her could even be an office manager. read more

this dental practice is awesome - very customer focused, people-oriented, friendly, expert, and always a pain-free, wait-free visit. i'd recommend them to anyone. read more

I've been going to Dr. Arbuckle for about three years now, and I've finally had enough. The office never feels particularly professional to me, and they are always rushing to get the patients in and out. For my last cleaning, they REALLY rushed me, to the point where the assistant hygienist was banging something metal around in my mouth and hitting my teeth in a really uncomfortable way while she was supposed to just be polishing them. After your appointment, they send you a survey for feedback, so I provided all of this unpleasant information. The office manager called me to discuss my experience, which I appreciated. However, she was extremely defensive and implied that they rushed me because I was late (I arrived 5 minutes early for my appointment, actually). She assured me, however, that she would discuss my experience with the entire staff so that it wouldn't happen again. Two weeks later, I came back for a follow-up appointment to have a cavity filled. I get a filling about once a year or so, so I am very familiar with how the numbing drugs affect my body. I told Dr. Arbuckle that I was not numb and likely needed more numbing before he began. He assured me that I would be numb enough. He then started drilling, and lo and behold! I was not numb! It was an agonizing experience. I understand that Dr. Arbuckle is the dental expert, but I also know my body better than he does. A good doctor listens to their patients and Dr. Arbuckle does not. He then tried to pass it off as a total surprise that he didn't expect to happen, completely not his fault. Which is not true, since I warned him that my teeth were not ready to be drilled. His defensiveness and inability to listen to his patients, along with my prior experience of poor care at my recent cleaning and the office manager's defensiveness about that experience, have been the last straw. I will not be coming back and I do not recommend that anyone else seek out his services. read more

Excellent experience(s). I was referred to the practice by my PCP recently after I moved to Arlington. I have only seen Dr. Bahrami. I've been in the office for several appointments including routine cleanings, fillings, root canals, and crowns. Dr. Bahrami, her assistant, and the staff out front have been consistently professional, personable, and knowledgable. I'm a pretty curious patient, and Dr. Bahrami always welcomes my questions. Unlike I've found at some other area dentists, I never felt like I was being "sold" a product. I always feel cared for there. Excellent experiences thus far and (dare I say...) looking forward to many more! read more

I'm new to the area and relied on Yelp to find a dentist and was very pleased with my visit this morning. The team is fast, efficient, friendly and the who experience was painless. Will definitely return and recommend to friends. read more

My new patient appointment with Dr. Arbuckle was fantastic! I have gone to the same dentist my whole life and just recently moved to the area, so I was a bit nervous about trying a new practice. I was greeted with friendly faces from the office staff and hygenists/assistants upon arrival. I didn't have to wait at all after filling out the new patient paperwork, and the hygenist was extremely thorough and explained everything she was doing as she went. When Dr. Arbuckle came in, I had a few questions which he spent plenty of time answering thoroughly. Overall, I had an extremely positive experience and I would highly recommend this practice to any/everyone! read more

I started going to Dr. Wenk at least ten years ago, and he was great. At some point, I had an emergency, Dr. Wenk was booked, so he suggested his then-associate Dr. Arbuckle. (My understanding is that Dr. Wenk now works part-time, and Dr. Arbuckle owns and runs the practice.) I've seen Dr. Arbuckle ever since, and he's terrific also. I've had some emergencies over the years, including having an inlay come out as I was driving past their office on the way to work; I turned the car around and walked into their office holding the inlay in my hand. Schedules were re-arranged, and I walked out within an hour with the inlay securely back in my mouth. Very friendly, very careful work, very accessible (in the midst of a root canal crisis, Dr. Arbuckle gave me his cell phone number). The office is very efficiently run, with enough staff to get cleaning, x-raying, appointments, billing and payments done without a lot of waiting around. read more

I waited 45 minutes for my dental cleaning. Once in the chair, the hygienist began without even telling me what she was going to do, just started abruptly. I am a nervous patient and I didn't appreciate it. The actual brushing was archaic, and she was pressing really hard. After that visit, I had sensitivity in a few of my teeth to hot and cold, two weeks later and I'm still feeling the results of her abrasive brushing. Lastly the dental assistant asked if I'd like to get a flouride treatment. I asked if it was an additional procedure or included as part of the cleaning. She said it was included and wouldn't cost extra. Two weeks later, I receive a bill for a Varnish treatment. I've never in my 4 years with Delta Dental here in Virginia have paid anything when I went to the dentist for a cleaning. I get two cleanings a year as part of my insurance. This place charged me for something I didn't agree to pay for, I was told it was part of the cleaning. All this place cares about is making an extra dollar, which was also evident from them trying to sell me specific products such as a Sonicare toothbrush. I will never return again and I'm going to fight them on the bill they charged me for the allegedly included fluoride treatment. read more