Dr Zia's impatience was unexpected and he was easy to anger. By the end of my appointment, he was back to being kind, but after being belittled and snapped at for an hour, it was too little too late. He would look at his assistant with extreme anger when I had any sort of question about my procedure or expressed my anxieties. When I asked if my symptoms were normal, he angrily replied 'Yes, it is normal that you feel numb. What's not normal is your behavior.' He would snap at me when I didn't open my mouth wide enough. I suppose that training in empathy and communication skills can only go so far when you are simply unpleasant. read more

Prior to becoming an attorney I was a dental hygienist for many years. In 2003, I fractured my tooth - a maxillary first molar with a deep amalgam filling. I had a crown placed and then a root canal. Every day since 2003 my tooth has throbbed. I had countless periapical x-rays over the years and practitioners informed me nothing was wrong with my tooth. Recently two dentists recommended extraction and implant. Knowing many implants fail, I phoned my friend in Upstate NY who graduated number one from the Univ. of MD Dental School and then received advanced standing to the Univ. of Connecticut Medical School. He is board certified in many specialties. He has a practice with dental procedures and extensive facial reconstruction. His advice: Refrain at this moment on extraction and get in the chair of Keith Progebin, DDS for an exam. Thus, Dr.Progebin recommended Dr. Zia. Thank God. Dr. Zia did a cat scan and showed me things that do not show up on a periapical xray. He re-did my root canal and saved the tooth. More importantly, the pain I have felt every day since July 2003 is GONE. Look no further. And as an added bonus his entire staff is friendly and professional. And why not park at Saks and buy yourself a little treat when you have successful procedures under the tutelage of Dr. Zia. Take a victory lap! read more

I will just echo what other patients have said. Dr. Zia is extraordinarily empathetic as well as professionally competent. I have had 3 root canals under his expert care, and would never go to anyone else if I needed another one. In addition, his staff is efficient and caring, and his waiting room is clean, comfortable, and stocked with cold water and relaxing video of Caribbean beaches. My wife would have been happy for me to have another root canal just so she could sit there and watch the calming blue water and white beaches. read more

I have severe dental anxiety, and from the moment I walked into Dr. Zia's office, I was put at ease. His office staff is very kind and friendly, and the TV in the waiting room, instead of running ads or HGTV, has soothing images of a tropical beach. But the best part is that Dr. Zia himself has a very calming and reassuring presence. First, at the consult he gave me a Xanax to bring home and take an hour before my root canal. Then, every step of the way, he looked me in the eye, explained things slowly and very clearly, listened carefully to questions, and responded in a very helpful way. I explained up front that it really helps relieve my anxiety to have everything explained to me as we go, and he listened, repeated back what I said, and then during the procedure he not only told me things like, "ok, now I'm going to clear out the canals, and you will hear a buzzing sound but you won't feel anything," but also a few minutes later, he said, "ok I cleared out the canals and that went very well," and so on. Before I knew it, it was over, and after some initial soreness that day, I had no pain at all. I was so relieved and grateful, because I was REALLY nervous about it, and it turned out to be the least awful that it could possibly be. I highly recommend this office, and Dr. Zia in particular. I wish all my medical providers followed this model of respectful, compassionate, expert care! read more

Service: 5 stars, Painless: 5 stars, Office facility/ technology: 5 stars Staff: 5 stars Yes, I had a 5-star root canal experience. About two years ago I fell and hit my front tooth, which was slightly extruded, I couldn't bite down (yes, my worst fear had come true). I didn't have a general dentist so my friend suggested I go see Dr. Zia for a consultation. I was fit in as an emergency, the office was incredibly relaxing. Dr. Zia's demeanor added to the calming atmosphere. The office is immaculate and the staff very professional and caring. The dental assistants are very gentle when taking x-rays and make sure you are comfortable. After carefully explaining what needed to be done Dr. Zia restored my front tooth back into position, this solved my temporary biting problem. My tooth still needed a root canal, but I moved to NY and sort of lost track of scheduling my next appointment. Fast forward 2 years later and there was no denying that my tooth needed the root canal since it had started to change color. I made the call and made the trip back to DC. This was my first major dental procedure and I needed it to be calm and relaxed even if it meant going back to DC. First and most importantly, the shot was painless!!! My gums were so numb from the topical and he was so gentle administering the shot that I felt nothing. It only got better, the procedure was over before I knew it because I was watching Modern Family on the ceiling T.V. He even internally bleached my tooth back to white. I was delighted to have my smile back. I highly recommend Dr. Zia, he's definitely as good as it gets when it comes to dentists and if you ever need a root canal don't you at least want it to be a pleasant experience? read more

I agree with all the other reviewers--what a fantastic experience! I had heard that root canal procedures were terrifying, so I was pretty panicked about mine. Luckily, the friendly office staff and cozy atmosphere set me at ease. Dr. Zia himself was also really comforting, as he patiently explained the entire process. He and his assistant even worked through their lunches to see me! I was in and out in an hour and a half, and the time went by even more quickly, thanks to my being able to watch a couple of episodes of Sex and the City while the procedure was being done. If I ever have to have another root canal, God forbid, I will definitely be coming back to Dr. Zia. read more

Horrible experience. Dr Zia was very impatient and rude. Unprofessional would be the best way to describe him.

The way I feel about dentistry can be summed up by two words: fear and loathing. Dr. Zia goes a very long way to changing that. To my horror, I found I had to have a root canal. I was referred to Dr. Zia and was told he'd take good care of me. From the moment I met him I understood why. He exudes calm and kindness, and takes your fears seriously. Fast forward to the procedure: competent, calm, and wow..it was over before I knew it! I know I can go back to my referring dentist feeling really good about my care, and knowing that if --god forbid- I have another in my future? I can relax. This is a great guy for those of us who like our beloved pets, tend to dash under the bed when told "Time to go to the vet/dentist!" read more

We had the unfortunate pleasure to see Dr. Zia twice in 2 weeks for two different dental emergencies for my 10 yr old son. First, an evaluation for a root canal and then the procedure itself and second for an accident at school that resulted in my son shattering his two front adult teeth in half. Dr. Zia saw us right away in both emergencies, and was calm, professional, reassuring, and nurturing. He calmed my son's fears (and his parents!), took the time to talk to my son directly and answer any of his questions, and handled both situations expertly. My son actually looked forward to the root canal to take care of the pain, and declared the whole procedure to be "boring" which is the best you can really hope for when talking about a root canal. Dr. Zia took the time to explain each step of the process to my son, made sure he was comfortable and distracted by the DVD in the ceiling while doing the root canal, and praised my son afterwards for how well he handled the whole procedure. We have a fabulous pediatric dentist, who my son adores, so it was high praise for him to say he loved Dr. Zia even more. I also give high praise to his staff who were professional, kind, and followed up to check on us after each appointment. We hope to never have to come back, but if anyone in our family does need a root canal or other dental emergency requiring an endodontist, we wouldn't dream of going anywhere else. read more

Who knew a root canal could be so painless and...pleasant. Dr. Zia was a joy to be around and his office was full of smiles.

If there was a rating higher than 5 stars, I would give it to Dr. Zia. Five stars is not high enough. I have had 4 root canals by Dr. Zia so I can speak with authority when I say you will never find anyone better! He is truly amazing! His staff is amazing as well - Jennifer remembers me each time I call, she is so professional, efficient and friendly. Claudia, Dr. Zia's Assistant is also wonderful - she is very caring and is an excellent Assistant. If you need a root canal, schedule an appointment with Dr Zia! read more

I've had three procedures with Dr. Zia over the past 8 years, and I can say, unreservedly, that he is the most thoughtful, professional, and intelligent health care provider I have ever had. The office staff gets high marks as well. I once had a procedure late in the week, and he called me over the weekend to check on me. One of the office staff called again on Monday to check on my pain management and see if I needed to come back in (I did not...pain was 100% gone by then). This is a well run outfit. read more