I had a terrible experience. Long story short, the tooth he worked on is still giving me trouble. When I brought it to his attention, he recommended "going back in and fixing" something, but that I would need to pay for it. He said "these things are never guaranteed to work." I basically walked out of there with more problems than I came in with and now he wanted me to pay again...come on. Beyond that, the communication was terrible - they promised to call back and didn't multiple times. I had 8AM appointments twice, and both times the secretary was 15 minutes late and Dr. Kotler and I were sitting there waiting. All around completely unprofessional. Hopefully it wont cost me another +$500 to fix what Dr. Kotler could not. read more

I am sharing my first Visit with LAWRENCE KTOLER, D.D., M.S Today and I going to explain all my experience, so after I filled with my right bottom teeth with my previous doctor I feel really bad pain and he refer me to LAWRENCE KTOLER, D.D., M.S for Roat Canel of my two wright bottom teeth, he did exray and he asking me the same question 10 times that if I had any pain in my teeth, I told him that yes sir I have pain, I can't eat, it is sensitive and gives me hard time so again he asks me the same question and I should answer with yes or no like a criminal and he was yelling on me and disrespected me, he is telling that I am a detective and I will find out what is going on if he is detective he should work for police station not serve as a doctor and make a bad name for doctors, honestly, guys, I am a kind of calm person but I have to write my comment to help others please avoid having any visit with this guy he is too rude and unprofessional. Thanks for your time. read more

Dr Kotler is excellent. He explains every step of any procedure. He is not on a rush and he is detail oriented. He is also reasonably price for example a root canal is about $440 after insurance coverage Easy parking. read more

Good morning to all of you, my experience was very bad with Dr. Kotler I was going to the office on the same floor with Dr Kotler "Bradlee Dental" for treatment for my teeth and they told me I had to get root canal for teeth number 3/5/18/19 and they refer me to next door Dr. Kotler so I walked to there office after I finished my appointment, and asked them they said they are only specialize on root canal only. I thought to myself those are so experience. I made four appointments for roots canal here come the day of my treatment, first the dental assistant was not nice at all, then Dr Kotler came with her after they put for me the anesthesia and they wait a little pit and start working in my teeth but it was a very bad pain so they give another injection and again I had a lot pain he gave me another injection any way it was a very bad experience I had a lot pain, a lot after almost 2 hours of pain and they told me I had to open my mouth very big and I felt like they drilling into my bones and had a lot of pain in my head and also my jaw, they made a mistake and took the wrong tooth, number 17 can you imagine that! I still having pain until know and also they never give me pain killer, after I went home and couldn't sleep or eat I call them and they sent my medication to the pharmacy. unpleasant experience at all. read more

Dr. Kotler treated my root canals several years ago when I was living in Crystal City, Arlington. I now live in Ashburn, Virginia and was looking around for an endodontist. The root canals treated by Dr, Kotler and the crown are still fine. read more

My wife has used this endodontist for years and raves about his customer service and thoroughness!

Dr. Kotler took great care of me. Over the last three months I have had three root canals, turn forty-five and shit just started to fall apart - reading glasses and now my teeth. On each occasion the doctor took the time to be sure he had the right tooth, that the tooth actually needed a root canal, and then took care of the issue in a professional and efficient manner. The office, hell the complex, is a little tired, but who cares if the service is good, and it's great. Dr. Kotler rocked for me and I would definitely go back and would recommend him to friends. read more

I first was a patient of Dr. Kotler in 2003, when I had my first root canal. My dentist referred me to Dr. Kotler. His office is very convenient to my home in Alexandria. I was terribly anxious, but he reassured me and did a painless, excellent job More than a decade later, I returned to him recently to have a second root canal. I was in excruciating pain and needed to be seen, so he fit me in as soon as possible, even though it was his day off. Once again, he did an excellent job on the root canal. It was painless and fast. I hope I never have the occasion to need another root canal, but if I do, I know who I'll be seeing to do it for me. THANKFUL for Dr. Kotler's expertise, dedication, and truly caring attitude towards his patients. I am more than 100 percent satisfied. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! read more

This office is one of the best offices I have been going to, if not the best. I am a patient with Dr.K for a long time. Every time I go I get the best treatment. Staff is very professional, they always welcome me with BIG smile and make me feel home Not at the dentist office. The office is SUPER clean and well decorated. They have all these new equipments that I haven't seen in my previous dental office. Young doctors are well trained and cheerful. I had to see Dr.Medani last time and she is very knowledgeable and attentive to details. She realized there is something unusual in my mouth and went and asked expertise opinion (Dr.Allen&Dr.K) without having me going outside to another place, I can get the best treatment and consultation in one place. Rest of mind. Highly recommended!!!! read more

This is my Angel doctor !! I can't describe how talented, caring and professional this doctor is . I went there with 10 out of 10 pain with infected inflamed tooth . As far as I know usually anesthesia doesn't work best with infections there . But DR, Lawrence was making sure to have minimum pain durning the proceeds. My pain was 0 during the root canal and not pain ever even after !! Thank you thank you thank you !! Very clean office, very very friendly staff ! Thank you Dr Lawrence and God Bless you !! read more

He is the best!! I could not recommend him more highly. A victim of a botched root canal by an associate at one of the area's dental 'empires', I switched to a solo practitioner /general dentistry with whom I am well pleased. Nonetheless he thought the tooth could not be salvaged and recommended an implant. I elected to got a second opinion (in fact, I got two). Dr. Kotler, a retired Army officer, felt he could retrieve the situation and I communicated this to my primary dentist who remained skeptical and said he was unlikely to be willing to place the crown once the re-treatment was done. To this day --5 years and counting--he remains astonished at the work Dr Kotler did. And he did place the crown. Let me add that the job proved much more time consuming and complicated than Dr Kotler originally estimated ("botched" doesn't begin to describe the original root canal). The treatment required numerous visits until Dr Kotler was completely satisfied with the result. There was no additional charge . In addition, at no cost, I make an annual visit so Dr Kotler can monitor the tooth (and a couple of others). The office, immaculate, is in an older building with a slow elevator. (If the 'environment' is of concern, try the 'empire' .)My interactions with staff were fine; they are polite and knowledgeable. Dr Kotler is direct but NOT rude. In fact, my visits usually began and ended with our engaging in conversation about all sorts of matters. I consider myself fortunate to have found Dr Kotler PS. In the event you find yourself the victim of dental malpractice, you will find the Virginia Dental Board in Richmond of absolutely NO help in addressing your concerns. Likewise, the consumer protection agency (though I got some useful advice in Fairfax). read more

Dr. Kotler was pretty rude as he did not even look at me or say hello when he walked into the exam room. He was in the room for around 3 minutes, diagnosed me, and walked out with little explanations. He was also barely wearing a face mask. The receptionist was more helpful and informative than the dentist, which is pretty concerning. He could not help me with my issue but was quick to charge me for the visit. If you are looking for good customer service from a professional, book an appointment elsewhere. read more

I saw Dr. Kotler for a tooth that my general dentist believed had a failed root canal. While he doesn't have the best bedside manner and some may find him a bit brusque, he did not recommend further treatment and honestly stated a new root canal was not necessary. The receptionist is okay, but seemed confused by simple questions. Many endodontists do not work well with insurance companies, but he did and I had no billing issues or unexpected charges. read more

Dr. Lawrence Kotler is a unprofessional, rude doctor and a racist. After looking at my x-ray, Dr. Lawrence Kotler told me "your root canal is not fixable." I asked him why, he said "it's better off to extract your tooth than having the root canal fixed." I asked him if he could explain more. He got mad and slammed the office door behind him. The whole process lasted less than 2 minutes. I was totally confused and stunned! He added later that he couldn't communicate with me because I don't have medical background and he doesn't speak Chinese. He then said a few medical jargon and said "See? You won't understand!" He also treats his staff very rudely. He complained to one nurse that the office was too noisy. He asked his secretary to change a misspelt name with anger. As a doctor, Dr. Kotler lacks the basic skill to communicate with patients, the courtesy of being patient. As a human being, he lacks of decency to respect others. I will never recommend Dr. Lawrence Kotler to anyone. read more

Please do not go here, even if your dentist refers him. He does not respect his patients, and behaves like he is doing a favor. Even with all these warnings you do end up going there, then please don't expect to learn what is wrong with your teeth. Oh! Be prepared to be kicked out if you question his diagnosis. Good luck! read more

Pretty rude. A root canal is around a thousand dollars for less than an hour of time -- can you please act like you're being paid? Like I'm literally paying you? I wish there was more of a sense of customer service here. It was my first root canal, but my comments still stand, and I'm definitely choosing another doctor if I need another. I thoroughly disliked my procedure and it was extremely uncomfortable. The doctor had shakey hands and lacked communication skills. Painful and stressful. read more

Dr. Kotler was so great. I had never had a root canal before, but he made it very simple and it didnt hurt at all. He explained everything to me and was so patient and informative. He wrote me 2 prescriptions for pain and the next day I really felt ok. he was really cool and very knowledgeable and calm. You can tell he's been doing root canals for a while, it was quick and he was careful to make sure I was didnt have any pain. The best experience one could hope for. The receptionist didnt seem like she wanted to be there so I had to deduct 1 star for her dryness. read more

I appreciated Dr. Kotler's honesty and candor. I observed a situation where he had the opportunity to get ten times the money by temporarily doing a referred procedure. Therefore, Dr. Kotler acted in the best interests of his patient which in my view goes to very core of caring for patients. I consider myself extremely fortunate to meet to an endodontist as honest as Dr. Kotler. I observed that his staff were courteous, kind and patient. His building and furniture might not be the most expensive but I am glad I bet my money on a diligent and honest referee who showed himself willing to a take longer more honest route to success than some hasty shortcut that the patient would later regret. I remember saying a prayer the night before about visiting a specialist under these circumstances but was impressed that his office was in infinitely better condition that one reviewer had described. His digital X-ray equipment appeared state of the art near real-time linked his practice software. From one patients chair, I saw a breathtaking fifth floor view of a grassy athletic field. A single review is not necessarily representative so it is important to look at the bigger picture. If you need an endodontist who is looking out for your best interests, what speaks louder than Yelp are the general dentists who keep sending their own patients to Dr. Kotler. I am writing this review because I saw one Yelp review did not represent what I experienced. I experienced great service. read more

I had one of the worst experiences of my life with this doctor, and now that I see that others got the same treatment, I understand where it is coming from. It was 5 years ago, I had just moved to Alexandria from Europe. As one reviewer mentioned here, when you need an endodontist you are usually in a lot of pain and you need help asap. I went to see this doctor based on the positive reviews online. Oh my, where do I start. The receptionist was one of those older ladies that is a bureaucrat at heart, not much helpful and dismissive. The doctor himself seemed nice, but as I said on the chair I told him where it hurts me. He kept on looking at the other side of my mouth so I said again where it hurts me. No response from him. After for a 3rd time I repeated where my pain is, he jump off his chair, threw his instruments on the floor, started yelling at me that I cannot tell him how to do his job and basically threw me out of his office. It was super humiliating, especially being an immigrant in a foreign country, but even moreso this added to the stress I already had from the pain. In essence, I was in need of medical care and I was denied such, AFTER the exam had already started. And I am white, a woman, and I speak English very well. So I don't know if he is racist or just a plain asshole, but something in this guy's head is not quite right. After this, I had to call my old dentist in CT (where I lived prior to going back to Europe) and he researched his contacts and recommended this wonderful practice in Old town, Dominion Endodontists, http://www.dominionendodontics.com/office/meet-the-doctors.aspx. What a great experience! Clean office, professional staff. The doctor was very attentive, I felt no pain whatsover and had no complications. They called the evening after the procedure to check on me and told me what kind of pain meds I can take. It was just all around a great experience and 5 years later I still don't have any issues with that tooth. Also, I went to see Dr. Kotler because I did not have dental insurance yet, and it seemed from the reviews online that his prices are reasonable. Well, that experience taught me that when you need specialty care you can't go cheap. His prices are lower for a reason. read more

I certainly have to disagree with most of the reviews I have read on Yelp about Dr. Kotler. Yes, his office is a little outdated BUT everything else is more than great there -including Dr. Kotler and his staff. I saw Dr. Kotler in different opportunities for root canals -my teeth are far from perfect and due to a somewhat recent pregnancy, I had to leave out root canals for after I delivered my baby, so I have been visiting Dr. Kotler for such procedures since my son was born, around mid last year, and the only thing I can say is that he is great! He's always been very informative, patient and caring with me. I have never felt any signs of racism or rudeness at all. I too consider myself fortunate to have find Dr. Kotler. read more

Went in for a root canal and was told the tooth could not be save, they asked if they could take an X-ray and the next thing I know it was $350.00 which when I was a the front desk to pay they informed me my insurance company does not pay for a CONE Xray . Also, I called to inform them they had not filled out all the information for METLIFE and Dr. Kotler rudely said that is not true. Would not recommend their practice. Just FYI, I have never posted anything on yelp or any other page about a business but I was taken aback by by this office and the treatment read more

I always check a few reviews after going to a doctor, just out of idle curiosity. I was stunned to see that a couple of people gave Dr. Kotlar bad reviews -- he is in every way a delight. I first found him about 10 years ago when my then-12 year old daughter needed an endodontist. She loved him and asked him to be her regular dentist (unfortunately, of course, not in the cards). So when I needed a root canal last year I went to him, full of fear and dread. I don't think a root canal could possibly be a pleasant experience but this came close: NO pain, less than an hour, funny and kind endodontist, and nice staff. I am not much interested in the office, as long as it is clean (and it certainly was). Then I had to have another root canal last summer. It went just as well as the first time, but a few hours afterwards I experienced significant pain. I called late in the day and they brought me right in. Dr. Kotlar administered some local pain injections and gave me his cell phone number to call if the pain reoccured after office hours. It did not. He called (not his staff, the doc) the next day to inquire about me. Then, I was sent by my dentist for an evaluation of yet another tooth two days ago. Dr. Kotlar said that, indeed, the tooth needed a root canal. Then he told me, "Look, I'm going out of town and won't be able to do this until late next week. Would you like to go ahead and do it right now?" Of course I said yes. And, just like the first two procedures, it went well. This time, no pain at all afterwards. Dr. Kotlar is both funny and direct. He does not mince words, and he tells you exactly what the problem is, with no euphemisms. In other words, he talks to his patients as adults -- even with my 12-year old, he was very straightforward and she really appreciated it. He's one of the best doctors I have ever known, and (sad to say!) I've known a lot, having had three children. I can only give him my very highest recommendation read more

How does one begin to describe a bad experience? The reason you are going to see a endodontis is for something considerably wrong with your teeth. I was advised by my dentist that I should seek consultation from a "Endo" for a possible root canal (the receptionist advised Dr. Kolter). Now I have no idea who Dr. Kolter is but what I do know is he is part of a journey I now must make in order to correct the issue I am having with my teeth. I come in for my "scheduled appointment", fill out the appropriate paperwork and patiently await my consult with the doctor. I am called to the back and directed to the reclining dentist chair by the assistant (very pleasant). She takes an x-ray of the area in question and then advises that the doctor will be in to see me shortly. When the doctor entered the room the first thing that stood out to me was that he had his back to me and never greeted me only directing his attention to his assistant asking her was this some sort of insurance case. He look at my x-ray at which time he now turns to me and question why I am in here (giving as he stated, I do not see anything wrong). I begin to explain what my dentist had stated to me (all information was written on my referral had he taking the time to read). Dr. Kolter was very dismissive in his response (almost irritated that I was even there...he had actually stated to me " why did I even come to his office"). He advised that the questionable tooth is not covered by most insurances (making me feel as to why should he bother. He even stated that he had another patient in the other room as though he was doing me a favor even talking to me...WOW). Due to his behavior I could not take comfort in belief that he was the right person for the job. I raised up out of the chair to leave telling him that I did not want his service and took my paperwork at which time he became very aggressive and told me I could not take anything out of his office. I had to advise him to back away from me. Later I looked up reviews on this person only to see that I should have done that First, there were more than a few similar complaints about this doctor. I later called back to his assistant to apologize that she had to witness that interaction (I got the feeling that it was not a first for her...). This review is for all but maybe more for people of color...Stay away from this guy! read more

I didn't even want to give this guy 1 star. DO NOT GO HERE. The following is a letter that I have submitted to the BBB as well as the Virginia Dental Association and a copy was also sent to my dentist and my insurance company. 10/4/13 To Whom It May Concern: I am writing this letter in regards to Dr. Lawrence Kotler, D.D.S. who practices as an endodontist at 3543 W Braddock Road, Suite E-1, Alexandria, VA 22302 with an office phone number of 703-931-6600. My appointment was scheduled for 10/4/13 at 9:30 am. My son, Zaiya Hubbard, was also scheduled for an appointment at the same day and time. At approximately 7:25 am on 10/4/13 I received a call from the receptionist asking me to come in early (8:15 am) so they could perform the root canal today. I agreed to come in early, although I was not going to be able to make it by 8:15 am, I was told that was not a problem, they would wait for me. I arrived at the office and they didn't have my son's appointment on their calendar, but could see him regardless. I filled out the paperwork necessary and gave them copies of our x-rays that were provided by our dentist, Smileville in Alexandria. We waited until we were called back to be seen. My son was going to be seen first, so we were sitting in the patient exam room waiting for the dentist. He was in the office room directly next to where we were sitting. He was on his cell phone speaking to what I assume was his bank. His side of the conversation was all I could hear but it was very clear that he was asking them about a lien that was placed against him and he wanted to be sure that his account was not frozen, as he has to pay his employees today. This was my first red flag. That conversation went on for about 3-5 minutes. Mr. Kotler came out of the office and greeted us. He immediately told me he had looked at Zaiya's x-rays and that Zaiya DID NOT need a root canal, that the tooth was not mature enough for that at this point and he went on to tell me how any good dentist would have done x, y, and z (I can not remember what his exact words were) to fix the problem with his adult tooth. He continuously indicated that the dentist that had referred us should have taken care of the problem themselves, if they were a good dentist. I asked him if he was saying that Smileville was not a good dentist and he repeatedly stated what he would have done when he was a dentist and what a good dentist would do. Then he told me that I definitely needed a root canal. He said the ladies up front told him that I wanted the (laughing) gas. That was correct, I did request the gas. He then went on to tell me how he thinks I would be a happier patient if I were sedated. This was a major red flag for me. So I said to him "you think I need to be sedated, so this will cost me $400.00 for sedation as opposed to the $80.00 for the gas?" He then stated "No, I will even do this for FREE just to show you that I am doing it for your benefit". That was another HUGE red flag. I was very uncomfortable at this point and I am sure he could tell. I then told him that I was not comfortable with him and I did not want him to perform any type of work on me. He said "GOOD". I then requested my paperwork and all of the forms I filled out to be returned to me. He insisted that he needed copies. I asked him why. He said he needed them because it was the law and he figured he would need them on file when my lawyer called him. I said Lawyer???? What for?? He said, "everyone sues nowadays, so when you sue me, I will have the paperwork." I stated it was ridiculous to assume I would sue him since he didn't do any dental procedures on my son or myself. He stated he was not going to bill my insurance company for anything. He kept saying as he was making copies how "I don't need this today" "I just don't need this". Once I had all of my copies I left his office. I notified Smileville and my insurance company of what happened in his office. Sincerely, Melina XXXXX read more

I highly recommend Dr. Kotler. I found him highly professional and excellent at what he does. The procedure was pain free and over before I knew it. I cannot say enough about his skills. I received good service from the doctor and his staff. Thanks to all. read more

I was referred to Dr. Kotler in 2001 by another endodontic dentist after several attempts at a root canal. Dr. Kotler was referred highly by another endodontic dentist (who could not determine what was happening with me and a tooth that had had a root canal) as the one that is the expert of the experts. Well, to my surprise, he had technology (an x-ray machine that put out 1/10th the energy of a standard x-ray and displayed it on a large computer screen to see what was going on). Wow - with probably 100 to 1000 x the image, he immediately saw that there was another canal going across the tooth that needed to get fixed. The fix immediately eliminated the weeks of pain and multiple visits to the other endodontic dentist. I have very soft teeth and my father lost all of his in his 20's. I had had two other endodontic doctors before him and have had unfortunately had to have re-addressed 3 prior teeth and now have had multiple teeth addressed only once by him. I keep on going back to him - the expert of the experts mostly because of his skills and technology - a high resolution x-ray machine with large screen images of what is going on AND an entire mouth x-ray machine that shows every canal, nerve and everything else. His panoramic x-ray imager is amazing and allows him to look at like a MRI - all views of all teeth, and recently (Feb 2013) it told a very interesting (not good for me) story of two teeth and what was happening under crowns. I keep on going back to Dr. Kotler because of his integrity [he would not charge me on one tooth that he could not save - I confirmed this too with another doctor], his honesty, frankness, and his caring. Besides being an expert, he has very impressive technology that makes him a very clear choice if you want it done right. I also believe he is affordable relative to others in our area, and yes, he will tell you and show you exactly what is going on. In my case he can and does look at past views of teeth and notes any differences too. He is excellent in what he does. read more

I am extremely happy with my experience at Dr. Kotler's office. I'm not discounting the negative reviews; it's unfortunate if people had those experiences. My own was quite the contrary. The receptionist, dental hygienist and Dr. Kotler were very kind, polite, patient, informative and stressed time and time again the importance of contacting them should I have any questions or concerns about my tooth. The office was very clean and seemed to have up-to-date technology. For what could have been a traumatizing experience (root canal), I walked out of the office with a smile on my face. I feel lucky that I found Dr. Kotler and his staff, and I highly recommend him. read more

I have been referred to Dr. Kotler several times by my dentist since three years ago for root canals work. I have always received excellent service from Dr. Kotler as well as from his staff. He has always kept me informed about the process and procedure to treat each of my problems, and I am very satisfied with the results and by the professional, and respectful way I have been treated every time. Definitely my experience over these past years does not jibe with some negative comments that have been expressed here. I do not hesitate to recommend Dr. Kotler. read more

Look for another endodontist if you find yourself needing one. Unfortunately, when one needs to see an endodontist, you're usually in acute pain as I was, so shopping around and/or taking time to read reviews isn't practical. However, I wish I had, as now I see there are countless others out there who took the time to write and mention how rude and abrasive this guy is. No chairside manner. Unfriendly office staff (his assistant barely spoke at all.) DIRTY office, with peeling paint on the walls and dirty floors. I question when was the last time a state inspector visited? My dentist's office is practically completely wrapped in plastic, smells like a hospital ER and generally feels clean and sterile. Not this place. And not to mention I'm in some of the worse pain afterwards I've ever experienced - and this is my 4th root canal (thankfully, only the first - and last - with Dr. Kotler.) read more

I've been Dr. Kotler's patient for more than four years and have visited his office on at least 5 occasions. As an African-American female, I can assure you any claim that he is racist is absolutely NOT true. I've never posted any reviews prior to this on the web, but felt compelled to share my experience as his patient. When I first contacted Dr. Kotler, I was frustrated because I had just called at least ten other endodontists who couldn't/wouldn't give me a ball-park cost for a root canal. However, when I reached Dr. Kotler, he was very empathetic and gave me a range based on a routine to worst-case scenario (it was something so simple, I wondered why the others could seem to do the same). I made an appointment with him and after my first visit he was honest in telling me that my 'dead' tooth did not require any action at the moment but that he could monitor it for me on a yearly basis (to make sure no abscesses formed, etc.). He took time to explain my situation and delivered the information in a 'matter of fact' tone. He has never been rude towards me and I have never heard him be rude towards other patients or staff. If there was ever a time when he would have been justified in getting rude, it was when I chickened out (which was totally my fault) on a procedure (one that he blocked off his schedule for 1.5 hours). But he did NOT get upset with me; he was understanding and very professional. I was very surprised to see the negative reviews on line after trying to locate his phone number on the web (since I had recently misplaced his business card). These claims seem very unfair and do not characterize the type of interactions I've had with him. Dr. Kotler may not allow others to be rude or crass towards him - so any complaints that he was rude truly makes me question how that person approached him or what their true motives were. All I can say is Dr. Kotler is a very skilled practitioner, who provided me with details on my condition and has 100% of the time acted in a 100% professional manner towards me. His staff is very pleasant and friendly too. If I were you, I would not pass on the opportunity to be his patient. read more