Bilal Ahmed, DDS

My comments about Dr. Ahmed’s butchery pale in comparison to the recent news stories about him being arrested for sexually molesting a patient:
.
However, in case he doesn’t get convicted, I want to report that he lacks the requisite skills and integrity to be a dentist. He would completely not show up for appointments or arrive over an hour late. He said he wanted to take advantage of my dental plan to give me a supposedly much needed restoration of one of my teeth, though I had no pain. I went back to my former dentist who reports that the work Ahmed did on that tooth defies any textbook and goes against what any professional dentist would do – and says it was likely done on a perfectly healthy tooth.
My wife was also a patient of Dr. Ahmed. She too had no pain before she went to him. The work he did — which he claimed was needed on one of her teeth — resulted in years of pain and out of pocket costs to fix it. Her new dentist believes the work was done on a healthy tooth.
My wife successfully sued Ahmed for butchering her tooth, and found out from the lawyers that Ahmed was facing about a dozen similar lawsuits. And yet DC did not permanently suspend his license notwithstanding all the complaints. (I am told his license may have been suspended his for 6 months, but then he went back to work.) Due to his arrest last week, he hopefully will not be butchering any other people’s mouths.

I have been waiting for 2 years to write this review. I wanted to make sure I was not in a position of needing to go back for ANYTHING. Well, my time has come, so here goes…
I, like an idiot, purchased a Groupon for Invisalign without first researching the business selling it. MY mistake. A mistake that I will never make again! When I first went to the office, I was pleasantlly surprised. It was very aestetically pleasing… calming, even. The receptionist was (and has always been) very pleasant. I was actually excited! «Dr.» Ahmed was pleasant, as was Mahsa (their «Marketing Operations who apparently doubles as a hygienist?). I was certain this was going to be a lovely experience.
*record scratch*
«Dr.» Ahmed was hell bent on lowering my expectations of the outcome of my Invisalign treatment. Interesting. Fine. He never once looked in my mouth and told me I grind my teeth. Say whaaaattt??? As a matter of a fact, for that entire first appointment, he never looked in my mouth. *here’s your sign* He kept insisting that I get my dental care at his office as well. I declined because there’s no way I could make the trek from Alexandria to DC for both Invisaligns and routine dental care. Molds were taken and I was sent on my way. Weeks pass and I was asked to come back in for new molds. Apparently they weren’t done right the first time. Fine. Went back in. A few months pass, no Invisaligns. I called and they explained that the Invisalign company was behind because of a high volume of orders– thank you for your patience. I finally called, fed up and pushed the issue. Hey! Guess what? My Invisaligns were sitting on a shelf somewhere. Thanks, for the call to let me know guys! Really appreciate your attentiveness!
During the long waiting process, I went to my regular dentist for a routine cleaning, where a small cavity was discovered. It was my first cavity. I called «Dr.» Ahmed to ask how to proceed because of my Invisaligns having already been ordered. I was afraid that a filling would make my tray not fit properly. He insisted that he had to do the filling because he has to follow a «template» to make sure my trays will still fit. At this point, I was already weary, but didn’t know what else to do, so I agreed to let him do it. First, he ensured me that it would not cost more than my regular denitst charges and asked what that amount was… What a load of crock. He charged me more. Jerk! Being my first filling, I had no idea what to expect, and I was extremely anxious about the process. Let me tell you something… I was in tears from the pain! When he gave me the numbing injections, it felt like he shoved a chissel into my jaw. Holy cow, it hurt!!! After the filling was applied, I could tell that my bite was off. He told me that it would wear back down with time. Oh, and he certainly didn’t use a «template.» I knew immediately that I had made a grave mistake by allowing him to touch my mouth. Over the next month, I experience severe tooth pain, where I’d had none prior to the filling. I couldn’t eat on that side or tolerate hot/​cold. They told me over the phone that it can take a while for the nerves to calm down. A month later, I was in worse pain, so I went back in. He did something, it made the pain a little better. I could at least eat on that side again. However, over the last 2 years, I have had to be very careful when I chew hard food. I went to another dentist for a 2^nd opinion and was told that everything looked okay, that it must be nerve sensitivity. Well, this week, after LOTS of review reading, I went to a new dentist who re-​filled my tooth. As soon as she started working, I knew that «Dr.» Ahmed had butchered my mouth. I barely even felt the needles. And, the tooth pain and sensitivity is completely gone. My bite is perfectly aligned. Wow! Wish I would have gone to have it fixed 2 years ago (another review on Ma’s Cosmetic Dentistry coming up next).
Bottom line of this review… CONSUMER BEWARE!!! I have renamed Universal Smiles DC «The Slaughter House»… I will never step foot in there again. I didn’t even finish my invisalign treatment, and I don’t care. They are not geting another penny from me. Ever!

Please see the review page for Universal Smiles Dentistry
which is/​was his practice. It looks like they are undergoing a new name…“Restorative Dentistry”? Same book… different cover.

I had a horrible experience with Universal Smiles. IT IS OVERPRICED, POOR, UNPROFESSIONAL AND DISRESPECTFUL CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!
I went there because I had «few» cavities I need to try «ONE ESPECIALLY» because it was starting to hurt. I had a 2pm appointment. at 11am they called me asking me to go at 1pm, I said I couldn’t so they said at 2 was fine after all. OK.
I went there at 2pm expecting to be attended, Dr. Ahmed Bidal came I explained my issues to him, and he didn’t even give a look at my teeth, he immediately said (in a very RUDE way) I had a bad infection there, that he couldn’t treat me, that I had a lot of tartar, and I needed a cleaning and also to take antibiotics to diminish the infection. I told him antibiotics affect my stomach and he said I should do it at least per 3 days (he left the prescription and left after 2 minutes of being with me), Once he left, somebody came to take me the x-​ray for my exam. OK, I schedule my next appointment and it was not until 1 MONTH AFTER. So I had to go to another dentist to have my filling and I had no problem.
I came back after the month for my cleaning and the filling of the other cavities that needed to be treated, and I made sure to take the antibiotics he requested me to take. I arrived there on perfect time and I waited 45 MINUTES TO be called, but ok the person who made the cleaning to me (a woman) was VERY NICE. When I was ready to have the fillings Dr. Ahmed WAS NOT EVEN THERE! Also, when I ask to have the filling from somebody else (they have more doctors) NOBODY EVEN DID MY EXAM, so they didn’t even know if I had any cavities or if I needed to be treated! So much $$$$, time wasted, no fillings, not even an exam, POOR service from the desk lady and an stomach upset for taking the antibiotics I DID NOT need to take, that is what I got for seeing Dr. Ahmed! GRRRR! STAY AWAY!!! And also, while I was having the cleaning, the gentle lady told me I had no an infection or tartar at all.
Finally, while the waiting area is very cozzy and pretty, their dentist equipment is not modern. They had an out-​dated x-​ray system.

9÷10÷2014
I visisted the office today because of an issue with my wisdom tooth (it had previously been filled by another dentist and a portion of the tooth fell out). So I scheduled a same day emergency appt without a hassle.
The Periodontist and Implant Surgeon, Omer Akmal, stated that my options included a root canal or extraction of the tooth. I was adament on keeping the tooth so I asked for more information about the tooth’s current state and about the suggested procedures. At this point, Omer stated that the other dentist would be in, in a second, to give me a 2^nd opinion and to provide further information… ok. He also stated that a root canal would be performed at a specialist’s office and that they could refer me to someone. I asked if the person would be in network, for insurance reasons, and he stated something to the effect of «the procedures are very expensive… are you going to be able to afford it»? I replied that the expense was not an issue nor a deterrant but I’d like to find an in network doctor. (as any other person with insurance and common sense would do.)
So Bilal Ahmed comes in. He spends the next 20 or so minutes trying his might and pushing his luck. He spends the entire time trying to persuade me to remove the tooth on the spot. He said that it was a «10 second job» and involved «no down time». I asked him about oral care after the procedure and he made it seem like a cake walk.
Bilal expected a decision immediately but I decided to go to the restroom to think this over. I consulted with a trusted relative, who had the procedure before I agreed to the extraction. After the conversation, I decided to get a 2^nd opinion and schedule the appt at a later time if I indeed needed an extraction. I returned to the suite and told Bilal that I would make an appt at a later time. He replied «ok, well just get your stuff».
I am in the process of finding another dentist. I refuse to support an establishment with a lack of professionalism or respect for it patients.

Okay, so my experience was not the best.
When it comes to Dr. Ahmed’s dentistry, I cannot say anything negative. I had 3 wisdom teeth pulled by him and both the procedure and recovery went flawlessly. I cannot praise him more. I was deathly afraid of having the procedure done, and he assured me that he would be gentle, and soothed my worries enough to convince me to save money and go without general anesthesia as I had planned. I went through with the procedure without any problems, and would do it again if I had to.
Now, the office staff is dreadful. Sharrone, the receptionist is very sweet. However, when I called and scheduled an appointment for a wisdom tooth extraction, she assured me that I could have a consultation one day, and the procedure the day after. She scheduled my consultation for a Thursday. The office is not open on Fridays. So, yes, I wasted a half day off from work, and came into the office for no reason.
The worst, the office manager. During my first visit, she was very pleasant. After going over all of the costs, she came up with some absurd amount of money that I should bring in in the day of my extraction. My insurance covered everything 100%, I knew this before I went in. Still, the office manager tried to convince me that it was only 80%. After many conversations, and requests for an itemized list of costs (which was never forwarded to me), I finally had to call my insurance company on THREE WAY to confirm that I was indeed covered 100% and did not require any copayment. Of course, she played dumb and confused and «didn’t know who told her that,» the issue was finally resolved.
On the day of my procedure, the office manager looked at me and did not say one word.
Needless to say, I will not continue routine care at this office. I wish I could still go back to see Dr. Ahmed, but not with that terrible office staff.

This rates with worst life experiences. Yes the waiting area is lovely, if you like pier one imports. This goes to show the quality of work of Dr. Ahmed. I went in for a crown when I moved to town, & he somehow scared me into going forward with 4 implants saying I had awful bone loss & would continue to loose teeth if he didn’t get them in right away. Fast forward & $ 10,000 later, I decided to get another opinion. He refused to release my records. I went to 2 new dentists who sent me to a real oral surgeon who had to remove all 4 implants as they were not in properly and did not bond to the bone. All 4 implants failed due to his incompetence. This cost me a fortune, not to mention the torture of the surgery. I wish I had discovered Unilocal sooner.

I’ve had a few appointments with Dr. Ahmed, none of them for more than a routine cleaning. His practice, Universal Smiles, is fine if you need a cleaning and exam to make sure nothing’s wrong. His waiting room is the most soothing I’ve seen at a dentist’s office — low light, comfortable, bottled water available, friendly people at the front desk. His hygienists are friendly and excellent, in my experience (i.e., the scaling doesn’t hurt too bad). Dr. Ahmed himself is a nice guy who, like most DC dentists I’ve encountered, will try to talk you into services you can never be sure that you need (nightguards, fillings, gum transplants, etc.). At least he’s not too pushy about it.

Dr. Ahmed was a great dentist in terms of making me feel comfortable when I was having anxiety about dental work. However, I would not recommend him to friends. He told both my husband and I that we had 5 cavities, which I now believe to have been false. Neither of us have ever had a dental appointment like that, and a year later we went to a new dentist who told us our teeth look great. He also performed a root canal on me, and I think he should have instead referred me to an Endodontist instead of doing it himself. He did so much work on us that our dental benefits for the year ran out. Three months after he filled a cavity in a tooth, I started have terrible pain in it, and was sent to an endodontist by a different, and wonderful, dentist who had to perform a root canal on the same tooth. The problem was that my dental benefits were exhausted and so I had to pay completely out of pocket for it! A year later, I also ended up having to have oral surgery and a tooth implant put in for a tooth he did a root canal on because he did such a terrible job. My mouth is finally fixed, it seems, after having gone to wonderful dentists and oral surgeons in my new home, Minnesota, but the costs have been astronomical, and I believe this could have been avoided had Dr. Ahmed treated me more appropriately.