Richard M Pollock, DMD

Update: nearly 2 years after my first root canal with Dr Pollock, I experienced major pain in the same tooth he did the root canal on. After taking an X-​ray, my dentist confirmed that the same tooth had been reinfected. Apparently this is somewhat normal, depending on the cause of infection. I sought a different endodontist’s diagnosis, and it turned out that Dr Pollock totally missed a canal. It’s normal for this to happen, but it is also normal for upper molars to have 4 canals instead of 3 (true of lower molars). My new endodontist said that Dr Pollock otherwise did a fine job of treating the other canals. That said, if he hadn’t missed this one, I wouldn’t be in the scenario I’m in now, having to shell out $ 1500 to have the same tooth re-​treated.
I’m sure Dr Pollock is a fine doctor, as I thought I had had a positive experience. I am happier with my new endodontist, who offers numbing jelly before injecting any needles, laughing gas for nerves, and generally has a better, more approachable bedside manner.

Bottom-​Line Up-​Front: I had a great experience, as far as root canals go, with Dr. Pollock, and I would recommend him to anyone needing this type of work.
I was referred to Dr. Pollock at Greater Washington Endodontics in Arlington by my dentist to determine whether I needed a root canal before my dentist put on a permanent crown scheduled for the following week. Based on the amount of sensitivity I was having with my temporary crown, I was pretty sure I would need a root canal. And I was right.
Dr. Pollock took the time to explain why I needed the root canal and what the procedure entailed. I was expecting the root canal to take a long time, but he assured me that once I was numb, it would only be about 20 minutes, which it was. Even though I was only there for a consult, Dr. Pollock asked if I was ready to take care of it. Although I will admit to being a little nervous (who doesn’t fear the words «root canal»!), I was glad to not have to make another trip back to his office at a later date.
I had very little pain after the numbness wore off, and the tooth & temporary crown were no longer sensitive. I returned a week later for a quick check and then had my permanent crown put on by my dentist (who is one floor up from Dr. Pollock’s office) without any problems.
Overall, I had a great experience at Greater Washington Endodontics and with Dr. Pollock. Nonetheless, I hope I don’t have to see them again any time soon!

Dr. Richard Pollock was arrogant and unprofessional! I saw this doctor at Greater Washington Endodontics at their 3801 Fairfax Drive, Arlington location (they have another office in Falls Church). He was annoyed because I had a couple of questions with regard to root canals and my two options that he mentioned. I asked him to provide a report explaining my options because I needed more time to think about it and discuss options with my husband. He refused to give me a report! And said I had to sign «Patient Permission for Endodontic Treatment» (pic attached). Mind you, this was a consultation –i wasn’t getting anything done with him and his abrasive attitude! Also, I had filled out the endless paperwork the ladies at the reception had already given me and they already verified my dental coverage! I mean what am I going to do with the report? It’s not like I was going to take it and run to Mexico! I simply wanted a better understanding of the entire procedure! Horrible experience! To add insult to injury, I called them a couple of hours later with regard to an inquiry my dental health insurance had, they just kept putting me on hold then hanging up on me until a nice lady finally gave me the info I needed! I should’ve just read the reviews on Unilocal first! NOTE: THIS DOCTOR HAS ANOTHER Unilocal NAME ALSO WITH SEVERAL BAD EXPERIENCES FROM OTHER Unilocal REVIEWERS!

I’ve been to see Dr. Pollock twice. I really like him. He’s kind and easy to talk to, and super fast with the root canals. Both times I went to see him I had a hard time getting numb. It’s almost always an issue for me, whether I’m having a cavity filled or a root canal done. My teeth take forever (multiple shots, 30 minute waits) to get numb. Dr. Pollock was patient and gave me shot after shot. This last time, the tooth was really stubborn and he just had to go ahead and drill into it even though it wasn’t completely numb. It hurt like hell and I jumped in the chair. He calmly told me I had to sit still, we were almost to the root. As soon as he got there, he gave me a shot directly into the nerve and everything was fine and dandy after that. Once the dentist gets into the nerve, they can give you this super fast-​acting shot of novocaine that’s sure to knock out the sensation. The worst part is getting there. Anyway, I don’t blame Dr. Pollock for the pain. He did the best he could, and apologized afterward. He said that sometimes people get mad at him when the procedure is painful. That struck me as pretty unfair. I mean, Dr. Pollock gave me 7 shots of novocaine before proceeding. My tooth was just inflamed. It’s incredibly hard to get an inflamed tooth numb. I know from experience. It’s not Dr. Pollock’s fault. And if I’m going to go through a relatively painful root canal, there’s nobody I’d rather have by my side, reassuring me, than Dr. Pollock.
I should also mention that the first time I saw Dr. Pollock, my tooth had some weird sensation weeks after the procedure. The tooth seemed to ache when I was outside in cold weather. The sensitivity had me worried the tooth was cracked below the gum line and would need to be extracted. Dr. Pollock examined it thoroughly, and then sent me over to Dr. Leff (who is also a sweetheart) for a second opinion. The tooth wasn’t symptomatic at the time of the examination, and both dentists agreed that it looked fine to them. Dr. Leff took an xray and said that Dr. Pollock did a «beautiful job» on my tooth. He told me to come back and see him immediately if it started hurting again. Don’t call, just come in. He’ll make space for me. That was so reassuring. Fortunately the tooth didn’t hurt again after that point, so I never had to take him up on the offer. They didn’t charge me anything for the follow-​up consultations. A+ in my book.

Unfortunately, I had to get a root canal years back, but Dr. Pollock delivered a quick, painless experience. I see most of the negative reviews had to do with insurance, but in terms of dentistry quality, not sure gets any better than Dr. Pollock.

I went to Dr. Pollock and had a root canal performed. He was very friendly, thorough, and professional. He didn’t try to tell lots of jokes or make small talk but remained focused on my concerns. He answered all of my questions and performed the root canal in less than 30 minutes. I was also able to make the appointment in less than 48 hours which was awesome. The staff was pretty nice as well.