Peter J Hanna, DDS

I found Dr. Hanna via the ZocDoc app, a wannabe Unilocal for medical professionals.
As my first visit to a civilian dentist after spending 3 years with Navy dentists I was lucky to get Dr. Hanna who has a personal affiliation with the Navy. His father owned this practice before him– cool fact.
Parking: There is free street parking on the street of the office.
Waiting area: After walking up to the second floor you’re greeted by a small but functional waiting area and a friendly front desk staff.
Doctors Office: The space is small, as expected in Old Town Alexandria older building. It has just enough space for 3 chairs, and all the spaces are connected. They have an excellent system of texts, emails, and phone call reminders about your appointments.
Payment: It took a little back and forth with the dentist office to settle my insurance information. I had all of my information with me, so I wasn’t asked to pay anything while I was there but it took upwards of two weeks of back and forth phone calls to get everything from my insurance company that the front desk office lady needed to complete her paperwork. It was a bit exacerbating since I think I did some of her job.
Cleaning: Dr. Hanna actually did my cleaning for me, which is unusual as it is normally the hygienist. He was a bit rough around the edges (of my gums) but I blame that on him being a dentist not a dental assistant. His conversation was very pleasant.
Diagnosis: The appointment went smooth enough but after 25 years of 0 cavities I was told I had a cavity to be filled. I was shocked. I scheduled my appointment to do whatever it is you need done to cavities. But ultimately cancelled the appointment. I waited 6 months (yes this is highly irresponsible but I found it so hard to believe I would have a cavity!) — I experienced no pain, no tenderness, nothing to indicate I have a cavity during the 6 months after my initial appointment with Dr. Hanna.
Ultimately: For my next cleaning I went to a different dentist, partly because I am moving away from Alexandria and want a dentist closer to Reston where I will be living, and partly because I didn’t want to confront a dentist that told me I had a cavity that I never returned to fill. :)

Firstly: I am extremely spoiled when it comes to dentists. I have had an amazing dentist for about 6 years prior who was beyond great. So much so where I actually looked forward to the appointments (not even joking). New to Virginia, I had no idea how to find a dentist of that caliber… Except by using Unilocal of course.
The office is really close to where I am (and in my network) which is what initially attracted me to them. Then I saw their great reviews and decided that I’d try them out. I was able to make an appointment easily, and they booked me for later that week. Though there was no parking right in front of the office when I got there, I was easily able to find parking farther down Oronoco, less than a block away. The office is located upstairs of a historic looking home. It was really gorgeous. The waiting room was tiny but functional and everything felt very relaxing.
I did the standard when I got there… Form filling, etc. I had to wait a bit, but they saw me much closer to my scheduled time than what normally happens when I go to the doctor’s office. I was taken to a room and the hygienist started taking my x-​rays. A full set of x-​rays are required for all new patients. They had the monitor facing you, so you could see your x-​rays as they were taken. It was really cool!
After that, she started to clean my teeth. She was really nice, and probably one of my favorite parts about the office. Usually, the small talk is a bit uncomfortable, but she didn’t ask typical small-​talk questions or try to fill up the silence with chitter chatter. I really appreciated that. (Plus she gave me some recommendations for the best bars in the area so extra points for that!)
In the end, it was determined that I had a cavity forming between my teeth, according to the x-​rays. She would need to get Dr. Hanna to confirm, though, and I waited until he was done with another patient before I was moved to another room and he could take a look. In the end, just after looking at the x-​rays (just like to note that he didn’t look in my mouth once at all) he said to come back to get them filled. The hygienist said they were small enough where they could probably just be brushed away, and I was more inclined to go with her recommendation.
4 stars for the office, receptionist, and hygienist. 3 stars for my experience with Dr. Hanna.

I’m so glad to have found a dentist close to home and in network (Cigna Dental). Dr. Hanna was really sincere and sweet. I went for a crown but he evaluated and told me I only needed a filling which meant yay, no novocaine!’ They were able to fit me in for a cleaning as well and I felt like my teeth had been to the spa after. Portia did the cleaning and she was really cool and efficient, especially considering it had been quite a while since I had a cleaning. The front desk person was very nice and they do call in advance to remind you of your appointment. The place is easy to find as it’s on the same block as the Olde Town School for Dogs where my dog was a student. I got parking right in front — the office is in a house in Old Town which I love. Modern and clean as an office should be but comfy like home.

This review is specifically for Dr. Pham (though I hear great things about Hanna, too).
As a dentaphobe, it’s a trying experience to go to the dentist. I had been using another dentist and they switched hygienists to some kid still in dental school — it sucked. Took him hours and he was terrible. Anyway… went to Dr. Hanna’s office on a recommendation and ended up with Dr. Pham and I could NOT be happier.
She is well aware of my distain for the practice and is extremely sensitive to that. She’s gentle, efficient, thorough and walks you through everything she’s doing before she does it.
The office is clean, nice, and convenient to Old Town. I hope I never have to go anywhere else!

Dr. Hanna and his team are all wonderful people and outstanding professionals. I went in with a tooth ache and he quickly diagnosed a need for a root canal. I had never had one before, but had heard horror stories. However, Dr. Hanna has a gentle touch and I didn’t even need pain meds after the procedure. Both he and his hygienist are always happy, smiling, funny, and welcoming.
The only thing negative I have to say is that at the time I first went to see Dr. Hanna, I didn’t have dental insurance because I had just started a new job and didn’t receive coverage yet. I paid over $ 2,000 of my own money to cover the root canal, x-​ray, and office visit costs within one week. Then, I get a statement later for the remaining $ 600 and I guess it must have been over 30 days since my last payment, but there was a $ 100 late fee! Does a late fee need to be so big? Dr. Hanna is great, and I only disclose this to warn others of a potentially huge fee. Just be aware, and pay on time.

Dr. Hanna is a great dentist — uses all the latest technology compared to other places I’ve been. They take a picture of issues with your teeth and put them up on a TV monitor for you to look at. They also let you listen to music on headphones or use your own Ipod.
All of the staff is really good from my experience and both them and Dr. Hanna really care about their patients’ dental care.

Great local dentist in Old Town. They went out of their way to help me get a new retainer made – normally the stuff of orthodontists. Just know that they do some cosmetic dentistry, and might gently suggest an up-​sell. Of course, maybe you need it!
Note that the office is on an upper level of a historic house, so limited accessibility.

Dr. Hanna did a good job and was very attentive — I’d give him a 4+, but the receptionist/​insurance person will only manage one insurance claim (If you have more than one dental plan, as many do), she «cannot manage it». I’ve not experienced that before.