Roanne Wiczer, DDS

I saw Dr Wiczer for two regular dental cleanings, and both times left with the sense that she was recommending things that were not necessary. The moment I set foot into her clinic the first time, I was hurried away to get a panorex x-​ray (which I only found out after the appointment was not covered by my dental insurance, so i ended up having to pay for it unexpectedly). Both the hygenist and and Dr Wiczer said that they had observed evidence that I was grinding my teeth and needed a nightguard, even though no dentists I had seen previously had recommend such an appliance. I thought that perhaps other dentists had overlooked this «standard of care» device, so thought I would wait to spend over $ 400 for the appliance after discussing with my trusted former dentist.
The second visit, six months later, a nightguard was again recommended. Dr Wiczer appeared for only a few minutes after my cleaning, and declared after briefly looking into my mouth that I had a cavity on my molar, even though the bitewing xrays just obtained did not show evidence of it. Before I had a chance to ask, Dr Wiczer left the exam room, and the hygenist instead explained that although there was no cavity on x-​ray, Dr Wiczer’s visual inspection suggested a cavity. I was directed to the secretary, who pressured me to schedule a follow up appointment to have the cavity be filled and for a nightguard cast to be made.
When I got home, I noticed in my treatment plan printout the apparent cavity was marked on the dental diagram on the wrong tooth — to a molar that had been extracted years ago! With that kind of mistake, I canceled my follow up appointment and decided to see another dentist.
I waited to post this review to give Dr Wiczer the benefit of the doubt, but after just seeing another dentist in the area who did not see the cavity that Dr Wiczer had seen previously, nor insist that I need a nightguard, I feel that it is important to communicate my experience.

Dr. Wiczer is a sweetheart, however, don’t confuse work with personality. She often assumes that you agree to all the services even before knowing the cost. Good strategy to get patients to use the services. The younger office assistant (who collects payment) is not very friendly and sometimes rude. She can use a customer service class if she wants to be in this industry. Prices are very high and they not often work with you. I know is a hassle to look for another dentist, but sometime is needed.

If you are seeking good, professional dental service WITHOUT the hard sell that is standard in this business, Roanna Wiczer is your dentist. Say goodbye to the fancy offices with coffee machines and heated dental chairs with cable TV at overpriced money-​making factories — which describes most offices these days. Dr. Wiczer has all the latest equipment without all the latest unnecessary“services” that so many other dentists add.
Her referral network, from what I have heard, is also value-​driven.
In my case she identified the source of my tooth pain, prescribed just what I needed and no more, and billed me very reasonably.
She has a very easy-​going, friendly personality and is happy to get to know you personally if you wish. But she is very skilled and competent as well.
Want value for your dental dollars? Here’s where you can get it. Feel free to contact me if you’d like more information. (Not related to in any way nor a present or past employee of this dentist).

Incompetent staff and dentist. Please don’t waste your precious time at Dr. Wiczer DMD.
They do not communicate with the other specialists they refer you.

I had my normal 6-​month cleaning this morning at Dr. Wiczer’s office. I had to switch dentists because my old one was no longer in my network. I picked Dr. Wiczer because of her proximity to my office and her ability to get me in the office the next morning. They were only about 15 minutes late for my appointment, so not terrible.
The hygienist was obviously a sadist. I think she was punishing me when I told her that I don’t floss (yes, I know, I should floss and it won’t hurt so bad, which is BS, because I’ve never flossed and never had this much pain after a dentist’s visit), and continued to lecture me about it for the entire visit. She kept telling me that I should get x-​rays, even though I told her several times that I had them at my last visit 6 months ago. She was pushing fluoride treatment, which I know my insurance doesn’t cover for people over age 19. Then told me that I need a night guard because I grind my teeth (nobody has ever told me this before). And this is all before the doctor came in.
Dr. Wiczer came in, didn’t say a word to me, didn’t introduce herself, nothing — I’m a brand new patient. She looked at my teeth for literally 15 seconds, talked about me to the hygienist like I wasn’t even there, made some comment about «sorry, I’m tired today» and walked out of the room.
I’ve already called to schedule another appointment with another dentist. I don’t need to be up-​sold on services at a dentist’s office, especially considering that every other dentist I’ve ever been to has raved about how healthy my teeth are and told me to keep doing what I’m doing. And I don’t need to be ignored by someone who is talking about MY medical/​dental condition. Maybe «Dentist Barbie» should focus more on making sure her patients are happy and healthy than on making money.

Roanne Wiczer is the best dentist I have ever been to – So, I have become a longtime and loyal patient. I highly recommend her, as she is a superbly skilled, experienced, and kind dentist. I have always had a pleasant experience at her office, even when for dentistry, which has a reputation for sometimes being unpleasant. Doctor Wiczer makes going to the dentist seem like hanging out with a friend, well, a friend who puts her hands and tools in your mouth, but a friend nonetheless. Thank you Dr. Wiczer and her friendly staff. I will see you for my next cleaning!

I had to get a crown for a root canal I had done a year previously. Before Dr. Wiczer glued it in, she didn’t check for the fit. Once the glue had dried, and I shut my mouth, none of my other teeth touched. There was no novicaine involved, as I had had a temporary crown that was just popped out before the permanent porcelain crown was put in, so it wasn’t an issue of my mouth being numb, the crown was not positioned correctly.
As most know, crowns are expensive, and when one visits a professional, one expects professional care. Dr. Wiczer was ready to send me on my way when I told her my mouth wouldn’t shut. When I told her, she got visibly nervous and called for whatever drill or grinder used to file down porcelain. She filed it down a bit, until it fit a little better, but she had to take it down to interior metal portion, so now I can see the metal in this porcelain crown which would have been perfect if she would have checked the fit and positioned it correctly upon insertion. Also, it STILL didn’t fit correctly, and for the next 4 days my bite was off. Eventualy my jaw shifted and adjusted to the misalignment, but again, a professional should provide professional service and I did not get it here.
In addition, the hygenist was extremely rough and when I looked over at the sucker tube, there was an inordinate amout of blood being sucked out. I have healthy gums that have never bled like that at the dentists, so it’s possible that if you do decide to go here you will encounter some rough treatment.
I will not return.

This is a joke. There are a dozen one star reviews that Unilocal «filters.» Why? They deal with serious issues such as that which I raise.
Here’s my experience. Wiczer pushed a nightguard on me as essential and critical because of excessive wear to my teeth, etc.
But she refused to submit the bill to my insurance company, despite the fact that my insurance pays 50% of nightguard costs.
Her staff repeatedly changed the purported coding for the nightgaurd to substantiate Wiczer’s claim that her nightguards somehow are «unique» and not covered. They first said it was not covered because my insurance company only covered softguards (standard billing code 9940) and Wiczer’s was a hard nightguard. I called my insurance company and they said that was false; they covered both hard and soft.
When I told Wiczer’s staff this, they told me the code was 7789. I called my insurance company back, and they said that code had nothing to do with nightguards of any sort; it referred to Temporomandibular joint disorder
treatment!
Third time — they changed the code to 9999, which my insurance company said also was irrelevant, as it stands for to «unspecified adjudicative code.»
Wiczer herself told me that she had called my insurance company, and that they had confirmed that her self-​purported special customm-​amde guards were not covered. I called the insurance company and they said that was not the case. They told me that such a determination only could be made if a claim form were submitted; that no conclusion could be reached over the phone, as Wiczer claimed had been the case.
Upshot, I went to a highly rated dentist who told me that my teeth were fine and that I did not need a nightguard.
Draw your own conclusions…
I slso noticed that Wiczer’s listing on the dr. oogle dentist review website was «under review.» I give the reasons why dentists are under review verbatim from the site:
” DR. Oogle may, without warning, change dentist rating, delete reviews and suspend practice listing of any dentist whose reviews, in our judgment, appear to have been manipulated.
# There are currently 765 suspended dentists.“
This may explain the gushing reviews…
You also may wish to check out the dozens of poor reivews on rate meds.

I just moved to the area, and needed a new dentist, this office had some good reviews, so I tried to call to set up an appointment
Disappointment 1) The Receptionists
The first time I call, a rushed-​sounding guy picks up the phone, takes my information then tells me he’ll call me back. Fine, sure.
Two days later, still no return call. I call again, this time another chick answers, and promptly sets up an appointment, great.
Disappointment 2) The Wait
I arrive 20 minutes early to fill out the paperwork. 45 minutes wait later, the receptionist makes some makes some vague motions and says I need to go around the corner, down stairs and I would see a sign for «chestnut street» and «dentist», so i wander outside, but no chestnut street, and no stairs to be found. So after looking around in the freezing weather for 5 minutes, i go back inside to get better directions, and end up asking some other dental person where the heck I’m supposed to go, and she gestures down a hallway (inside) where there are some spiral stairs.
Disappointment 3) The Wait, part 2
I make it downstairs, and am ushered into YET ANOTHER waiting room. 20 minutes there and I’m finally in a chair.
Yes folks, prepare yourself to sit for AN HOUR before being seen.
Disappointment 4) The Dentist
Dr. Wiczer didn’t spend more than 30 seconds looking at my teeth. After running her probe over my teeth for a grand total of 30 seconds, and says i grind my teeth.
That’s it, no suggestions for mouth guards, just that i grind a lot, which I had never heard before. She peeks at my x rays, says that I «really should stay with her» for the next couple years as my big fillings will likely give out. The quotes is the same phrase I heard her tell some other person while i was waiting in the first waiting room. Clearly she’s desperate to keep clientele. As she should be, it was terrible.
Disappointment 4) The Surprise Charges
Seeing as this was my first appointment with this dentist, I didn’t know what the cleaning régime entailed, so when the hygienist said he’d be applying a fluoride treatment, I didn’t question. Clearly a novice error. The white goo that took 5 minutes to slap on cost $ 40. Kinda ridiculous to not mention, IMHO.
Summary: I’m changing dentists.

Imagine being treated to the best meal of your life while scenes of deep bowel surgery played on the walls around you. Imagine you could smell the procedure too. Going to Wiczer’s is not far off from this scenario. She’s a brilliant dentist with a wonderful bedside manner, in the single most idiot-​filled place in Bethesda.
My husband and I bundled our newborn and took to icy streets so that we could have our teeth cleaned. Oh yes– hubby took the day off work to get there on time. «Oh, we cancelled your appointment. Didn’t you get the message?» No we didn’t get the message! And I haven’t taken my husband’s name, so there would be no way of knowing we were together. At least ONE of us should have gotten a call to cancel.
Appointments don’t happen, she referred me to a MASOCHIST to pull my wisdom teeth– the dentist from «Little Shop of Horrors,» was gentler. Dr. Josef Mengele probably had more compassion– but that’s for another Unilocal.
I wish I could refer her, as I found her to be lovely. But you shouldn’t have to trudge through Hell with imps probing your ass with hot pokers for a teeth cleaning. Hell would probably be more pleasant.

Hello,
I just came back from seeing a new dentist at Dr. Wiczer’s office. I saw Dr. Kim Hoa Lam. She was fantastic. Very quick and thorough, but not rushed nor did she cause any pain.
I’ve been very fortunate to have great teeth, so all I needed was my semi-​annual cleaning and for someone to make sure that my no-​cavity-​record was still in tact.
Dr. Lam was great! She just moved back to the area about 2 months ago. I would highly recommend her to my friends, family and coworkers.
I was able to get an appointment within just a few days of calling and my appointment was at 8am this morning, I arrived around 8:07am and was out the door by 8:50am. I got x-​rays and had my cleaning and had to fill in all of the paperwork, so I think that was pretty good in terms of timing.
I’ll be smiling all day, knowing that I have beautifully cleaned teeth…
Oh yeah… the waiting area had 3 patients there when I arrived and while completing the paperwork, the receptionist told the other patients that Dr. Wiczer was not going to be in until 8:30am and they could reschedule if they’d like. (If Dr. Wiczer was my dentist, I would’ve been disappointed!) But, I was impressed that they actually informed the patients that she was running late… most doctor’s/dentist’s offices would’ve just let you sit there thinking the doctor or dentist were in back working on another patient…
–Jennifer

I’ve been terrorized by dentists as far back as I can remember. I’ve regarded them as unfeeling robots hell-​bent on inflicting as much pain and flecks of fluoride on my clothes as they possibly could.
Thank god I found Dr. Wiczer, because I was seriously considering just letting my teeth fall out and replacing them with wooden dentures, a-​la my main man George Washington.
Her office is small but tidy, and her staff are nothing but courteous and accommodating. I got a call a day in advance of a cleaning I had scheduled to let me know they’d be a little backed up, and that I should show up 15 minutes later so I wouldn’t have to sit in the waiting room. When I arrived and flashed my Dental Network card, they said my name wasn’t listed under the group number anymore, so the office assistant actually dialed customer service for me and wrote down all my information for future reference.
The last time I got fillings from my family’s dentist, the anesthesia wore off midway through the procedure and I could feel the drilling. It was excruciating. When I first visited Dr. Wiczer (after two gleeful years of no dentist visits) I was told I had three new cavities, and I freaked out. I explained my past experience to the technician, and she was completely understanding about my anxiety, making extra sure that everything was numb and that I was comfortable. Drilling, filling — no pain! I was beyond impressed. I can’t recommend this dentist and her staff enough.
Insider info: Book cleanings and procedures well in advance, because this office is, not surprisingly, in high demand. Also, double-​check what space you park in when you arrive at the office, because she only has a couple of assigned spots in the lot. Dr. Wiczer takes all insurance :)