Lawrence Kotler DDS, M.S.

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 3^rd 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,
. 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.

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.

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.

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

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.

I was very pleased with this endodontist. I only had an evaluation. He was detailed, took his time with me, answered my questions, and gave me a hard copy of my options.

I certainly have to disagree with most of the reviews I have read on Unilocal 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.

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).

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!

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.

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 Unilocal are the general dentists who keep sending their own patients to Dr. Kotler. I am writing this review because I saw one Unilocal review did not represent what I experienced. I experienced great service.

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 4^th root canal (thankfully, only the first — and last — with Dr. Kotler.)