Astoria Dental Studio

It’s been almost 3 years — I’ve been to 3 different dentists — none of them mentioned the teeth that this doctor was insisting I have to do.

Dr. Lena has been great. I’ve gone to see her several times and the quality of her work has been exceptional. She’s very attentive, careful not to cause any pain, very sensitive to my discomfort in the dentist’s chair (I often cringe, since I hate dental work), explains what she’s doing when asked and generally very accommodating.
I couldn’t have had it any better with my dentist, and I speak from a wealth of experience – my teeth are the worst and I usually need a lot of work done on them every year.
And I can’t even tell that I have any fillings in my teeth now that she’s done a few of them — it’s incredible!

Actually with all due respect you tried 2x to push the inlay on me. The much more expensive procedure. I then asked if a filling would work and you said yes. I went to an established dentist that said that my filling was in terrific shape. So, again be aware and get a 2^nd opinion.

Too much waiting over 90 minutes, Never again my time also has value

I was looking for a dentist in the area. I used Unilocal to settle down for Dr. Lena.
I set up an appointment few days in advance. I got a call one hour before the scheduled appointment saying that it was time for my appointment and I should be there. I’m not sure if the receptionist messed up the schedule or the doctor was in a hurry to leave. But, since I had some time, I decided to go there after the call.
After filling the forms, the waiting time was 15 minutes. They have a decent waiting area with a television.
I was escorted into the examination room. The nurse was super nice. She made me feel comfortable and took the necessary XRays.
After the nurse was done, Dr. Lena came in. She gave me her views on what she thought was going on. After that, she did the oral examination and cleaning. She told me the plan but I had a lot of unanswered questions and she didn’t make me feel comfortable at all. It looked to me like she was in a hurry.
The receptionist was really good as well. She spoke confidently and was friendly.
On the whole, my dental experience at Astoria Dental Studio was strictly okay and I wont be going there ever again.

In response to the comment Dr. Lena made, I have this to say:
The horrible review I left of your establishment consisted of three parts: the obscene wait time, your lackluster performance and (finally) the «billing specialist.» I’m not quite sure how you had this review flagged, but let’s get into each part separately.
Part 1:
The wait time: There is absolutely no reason at all why the wait time should average about 40 minutes in the waiting room and 30 minutes on the chair. I shouldn’t be able to watch one to three segments of «The Food Network» when I’ve been on-​time, early or 10 minutes late for an appointment.
Part 2:
Your lackluster performance: When I wanted to get my wisdom teeth removed I had seen several dental surgeons and dentists. One thing they all mentioned was that I had a bad habit of grinding my teeth. I bought an over-​the-​counter tooth guard but haven’t been the greatest about using it. When you made no comment about my tooth grinding it was confirmation that you weren’t that observant (or good) of a dentist.
The comment about your incompetence came from when you asked the Dental Hygienist if she new how to calibrate the polisher (the drill-​like instrument). The only discomfort I had was from the wait-​time, lackluster performance and «billing specialist» that I spoke of. I doubt your professors at Columbia University would approve. Which brings us to…
Part 3:
The «Billing Specialist»: In your comment it would appear that you actually confirmed the woman haranguing me over the phone not being an actual medical billing specialist. The fact that a person was trying, and quite unsuccessfully I might add, to intimidate me into paying a bill I had no responsibility for only confirms that your office staff is horribly mismanaged. It should be known that when I asked her how a medical billing specialist would be unable to reach a major health insurance company, she didn’t confirm or deny that she was an actual medical billing specialist and just repeated over and over again that I was responsible for paying that bill…(hence the quotes in «billing specialist»). In other words, the receptionist was the «medical billing specialist,» so that point along with the others stands.
Epilogue:
I’m not quite sure how you got my review filtered since all of my points were either ignored, deflected or actually confirmed by your comment. Please know that I’ll be contacting Unilocal directly about this.

After years of going to a super expensive Upper East Side dentist who didn’t take my insurance, but was close to my office, I decided to seek out a new option. Dr. Lena came recommended from a friend so I thought I’d give her a try. She takes my insurance so no extra forms to fill out and mail in.
I haven’t spent a lot of time in Astoria, but the office was easy to find off the subway, conveniently located between two stops on the N/​Q line. The office building is a bit dated and the foyer feels the same way with an old TV up on a shelf in a corner, though I liked that. It’s a real neighborhood dentist’s office rather than the ritzy autographed celebrity photos just-​off-​Park Avenue offices I used to visit. The other patients were from the neighborhood, which gave me a homey feeling. I’ve been twice and each time there was someone back for another visit. Repeat customers are a good sign.
Dr. Lena had her tech run a full battery of x-​rays on my first visit since it had been a while since I’d been to the dentist. This was one of the more comfortable dental x-​ray experiences I’ve had. I hate those little bite-​wing things, which almost invariably hurt my cheeks, but this was much more palatable.
Dr. Lena herself is a cute, petite young woman with a warm smile and easy laugh. She’s not who you might expect runs her own dental office, but she does so with a professional, yet easy air. She did a thorough exam and cleaning — and a great job considering how much plaque had built up. Her open office behind the payment desk makes her available for last minute questions from the patients as the bill is paid.
The receptionist scheduled my next visit as I left and I’ll definitely be back.

Great service & attentive relaxed staff. Everyone makes you feel so welcome here. What amazed me was when the Dentist walked into the room. She’s tiny, but she talks like she knows what she’s doing and since they’re all so nice, I’m inclined to believe her. (It doesn’t hurt that she’s hot!) I can’t wait to get My teeth cleaned in a fee months again!

This place is great! I am terrified of going to the dentist and for that reason don’t go very often. The staff was really sweet and made the whole experience smooth and painless. Dr. Sapoznhikova was very professional and explained everything. I have yet to get the real work done, but upon leaving I felt confident that my diagnostic was accurate and that the procedures will go smoothly. I am really Glad that I found Astoria Dental Studio.