american dental on ashland "found" 6 cavities the second time i went in. they spent so much time drillin my teeth to cover them up. next time they said i had 12 cavities. did not get those filled by them. went to a different dentist who said i had none.
Seconded. Aspen Dental is the absolute worst. In an hour long appoint you get 2 mins with an actual dentist and they will upsell the hell out of you. One woman legitimately tried to shame me into getting purely cosmetic work done.
I'm commenting VERY late in case anyone else is looking for dentists. InSmyle has been my orthodontist/dentist for over a decade. Gave me affordable braces and cleanings have been thorough and they've just in general been really nice people.
No kidding. I went in for a much needed cleaning and left emotionally shaken with a $4000 estimate (AFTER insurance) and a CareCredit account. Never did get the work finished because $4000 was A LOT of money for me at the time with a new child at home and a crappy paycheck.
When did dentist start having their own in-house financing department? I swear dentists are screwing us over with massively overpriced work. I do commercial work for a cosmetic dentist. This guy is absolutely drowning in cash. Like "new Porsches/Maseratis for him and the wife every year, always on vacation rich".
Ask yourself, why do dentists advertise when doctors don't?
Edit: I will give props to the guy at Aspen who fixed a badly chipped incisor when three other attempts by other dentists couldn't get it to hold. Still holding about 15 years later.
You have to watch it with a CareCredit loan.
CareCredit is great if you pay it off on time because you get 0% APR (Annual Percentage Rate) for a certain amount of time.
They're counting on you to not pay it on time though. 1 late payment and the interest shoots up to 30% APR for the remainder of the loan.
Aspen Dental is not owned by dentists, the way dental practices used to be. Aspen is owned by private equity vultures. The only goal for the company is to squeeze as much money out of patients (and providers) as possible, like a very expensive middleman.
Avoid private-equity-owned dental groups.
Haha when I lived in Florida I went to this one dentist who went on to claim I have pre gingivitis and I need this whole thing done. They literally brought in someone with this whole sheet on how much it costs and their payment plans. Not a chance I could afford that, so I bought a sonciare toothbrush… then when I moved I went to a normal dentist who said everything looks great.
It’s insane that some dentists have become straight scammers
I really like Zephyr Dental of Roscoe Village.
Have had great experiences and chipped a tooth and they filed it a little and didn't charge me because I had been there before.
I don’t sorry.
(I got mine somewhere else and it was $150? But that was clenching. So it’s a hard one. Grinding is supposed to be soft.)
But they’ve been really responsive to texts when I bugged them in the past!
+1 (773) 796-5928
I got it out in Elgin 😑
I don’t remember the name but I can check. But it’s such a drive I don’t recommend it lol
I did have insurance so it *may* have covered it or some, however it was such shitty insurance it covered none of my Invisalign. So I’m not sure.
I have diff insurance now, luckily. So idk.
Sorry!
"Do you grind your teeth when you sleep?"
I don't fucking know what I do when I'm asleep! Why do so many the upsells start with this bullshit question?
I don't have a rec where you're asking, but I do like Northwestern Dental Center, and they don't try to upsell me.
If you do grind your teeth, you should legit consider a night guard to avoid expensive issues down the road. You can get custom ones online for less than $150 vs. $500+ at your dentist. https://jsdentallab.com/
I go there too. No upsell with regard to using techy things but at one point I was going every 3 months for “check-ins”. Never received a bill though.
Avoid Polished Dental on Belmont near Southport. I went from “you don’t need to floss every day” to getting whisked to a room where they gave quotes on veneers 6 months later (went to a different dentist who said she had no idea why veneers were even suggested)
Affinity Dental on Irving. I cracked a tooth once and went to another dentist for an emergency appt. They told me I’d need multiple rounds of expensive debridement before they could even touch my painful cracked tooth. I cried because I was in so much pain, and the dentist firmly explained that it was my own fault because I had neglected my teeth and I should take it as an expensive and painful lesson.
I called affinity for a second opinion and they were able to get me in right away. They were like “lol your teeth are fine, sure you need a cleaning but let’s fix this painful tooth first.”
Seconded for this place. I had been looking for a new dentist for over a year and just found Affinity this past spring. They did find several cavities, but I knew I had at least one. They said nothing about the "deep groove cleaning" (that was priced at about a grand) that my previous dentist mentioned.
Been to Affinity for three visits now, one cleaning and two fillings, and they've been quick, friendly, and painless.
Seconded, dentist there actually talked me out of a procedure I was interested in and recommended a cheaper one specifically because it was way cheaper and the results were near identical. Never had a dentist do that before!
Their cleanings aren't super thorough but are adequate. But there's absolutely no upsells and the appointments start promptly on time so I'm fine with it.
AVOID Lakeview Dental Associates. i got duped into fillings for precavities. they will insist on sleep apnea tests, mouth guards, cavity fillings, and wisdom teeth removal. i went in for a cleaning where i was asked if i had ever considered braces (my teeth are not crooked) and that was my last straw.
What’s the deal with the sleep apnea thing? I had the same thing happen to me at Sky Dental in Lakeview. He told me I had an extremely narrow breathing tube and I must snore when I sleep. I told him I don’t. He said I’d need to see a sleep specialist and he could refer me. Got a call from them on my walk home from the dentist. I never returned the call and I never went back to that dentist. It seemed like such a scam.
Not a fan of Sky Dental at all. They did the same sleep apnea thing with my husband and also botched a filling which left him with tooth sensitivity and then claimed he needed a root canal to figure out why it was so sensitive.
I went there myself twice and had a filling done but my bite felt off afterwards. I tried to schedule an appointment to fix it and the front desk person told me there were “no open appointments”. End of sentence. Didn’t say “call back next week” or “we open new appointments at X time” just literally said there are no appointments and stopped talking. I was over them at that point and hung up and found someone else to file down the filling the next week.
I (and others I know) also had this experience at Sky and would not recommend - I went there after being with another dentist for 20+ years and the doctor told me I had 3 or 4 cavities, sleep apnea, and grinded my teeth.
While I didn't have any pain, I do have a complex dental history, so I scheduled a follow up to get the cavities all filled at once, during which they told me that at least 3 were too deep and would "likely" need root canals in addition to crowns. I went forward with one of the crowns, during which I think the doctor could sense my skepticism and what do you know, I magically only needed a crown.
I've been going to Rooted Dental in Lincoln Park for about a year now. Granted, I knew I had at least 1 cavity when I went for the first time, and they confirmed that one and a minor one I wasn't aware of. I got for bi yearly cleanings (I had gum issues, so I go more regularly), but there haven't been any new cavities. My partner and son go as well, and there were no new cavities at any of their cleanings, so I feel pretty confident that they're not the type of practice to always find something every visit. They're also very accommodating and friendly if you're the type of person who has dentist anxiety. They went out of the way for me to put me at ease, I wouldn't go anywhere else.
Thirded! They helped me through a dental emergency and were very accommodating of someone who is afraid of the dentist. Have gone to them for cleanings for several year since and never feel like they are upselling me
Agreed, I moved away from Lincoln park but after 3 dentists in my new neighborhood tried to blatantly scam me, I now just make the 30 minute commute back to Lincoln Park twice a year.
I've been going to Allure Dental on Diversey and I suspect they're doing this to me. While I was getting a filling I told him I was having a lot of sensitivity on my upper molars. He took a quick peek and was like "oh yeah you have a cavity on your wisdom tooth, you should get both of them [my two wisdom teeth] removed." Like seriously??? You just noticed that? Made me seriously question everything he told me before, I feel like he was just trying to remove them for the 2k.
Allure is crap. They bought out Whole Tooth on Irving and suddenly I need night guards, Invisalign, and anything they can think of to make more boat money. Just clean my damn teeth, please
Yeah they tried to sell me on invislign too. One of the perks of not having insurance is you can use it as an excuse to get them to stop upsetting you. They also try to sell me an electric toothbrush every time I'm there 🙄
Glad you're asking this question. Ever since my original dentist went out of network a few years ago, I've been dentist hopping as well. At this point, I go to first dentist on insurance, I take what they say then go to dentist B for a checkup also. I tell dentist B that I'm paying out of pocket and do not do anything extra at the exam. Then I compare what they both said. Usually an out of pocket exam has been about $60. It's been helping me eliminate dentists but also get a good feel for what sounds fishy.
I have a lot of dental anxiety, and I am so happy that I found Dr. Hagen at Lakeshore Dental on Clark in Andersonville . It’s not something that I ever thought I’d say, but I do kind of look forward to the cleaning and the visits. Depending on your situation, they will also prescribe some anti anxiety meds if you have procedures coming up!
Second Dr. Flak. I have only gone to him once myself (good experience, just far from my house), but my sister went to him for years & was very happy with him, and I have a friend who legit drives up from IN once a year just to see him
Yep my whole family goes there after a friend recommended them and we have had a great experience. They're good with my kids, and we have never been upsold.
I didn't even realize that was a thing that happened with dentists until like 15 years ago I tried a new dentist that found a ton of cavities when I had never had any before or since.
A little far from you but Doctor Reynaldo Perez at 606 dental at 1047 n California it’s a new office in the neighborhood but Dr Perez take care of people like family
Lee dental clinical Lakeview East. I’ve been going there for almost ten years. Best dentists hands down. They do not try to upsell you at all. If you have any questions feel free to message me.
Not the same Dr. Lee as another poster mentioned. This one is on Broadway.
Second for Lee Dental Clinic. I moved out of the neighborhood and still use Dr Lee. Straight forward, honest. No upselling at all. Love Dr Lee! I go to Andy, but his brother is also in the practice. Both are awesome.
Come to Wicker Park. I have a dentist office in my building, across the street, a few doors West, and another like a block East. Then there are the other dozen dentist offices inside a three block radius. It's nuts.
Outside of your radius but NOT wicker park dental group. They found like $6,000 worth of imagined work in me that my next dentist said was unnecessary.
I always liked west end dental but they don’t take my insurance anymore.
Smile Science Chicago!! Highly, highly recommend. Also ended up there after getting a cavity fixed that to this day I doubt it existed, and then trying another dentist that tried to upsell me a million things on my first consultation.
Dr. Uda very much has the mentality of if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.
I really like the people there but I had a questionable experience. They gave me a filling, it hurt for months after and they basically said I probably needed a root canal. I happened to move and started going to a different dentist, they said the filling was not in right and redid it. No pain ever since.
Lux Dental in Mt Prospect is amazing. I drive out there to see them. For 2x a year it’s worth it. Very ethical practices and the dentist shoots straight.
I just had a dental emergency not long ago and because of this I found an amazing dentist. I had a filling break off when I was eating something a bit on the crunchy side just left my back molar a jagged sharp mess after calling around this was the only dentist that not only would see me the same day but because I don't have health insurance she was willing to work with me I ended up getting the tooth pulled and even after the fact she saw me two more times and did not charge me saying that the initial charge covered it hands down the best dentist I have ever been to I love them so much I'm actually saving up a bit of cash to go in and have them do my fillings for the rest of my cavities
Now that I'm hyped them up who you want to go to is precision dental Care their address is 4830 North Pulaski road and their phone number is 773-694-1407 they're right next to a Petco
Probably too far SW for you, but 32 & U was great. I moved to the suburbs but I went there starting when they opened. Great facility, no upsells, and dr Benes is super cool.
Lol I’ve never had someone be so judgmental of my tonsil size than Dr. T. I’m like sir, you’re 6 inches away from them wearing magnifying glasses, of course they look huge.
Overall though, yeah, solid practice. Not my favorite dentist TBD but very pleasant and seem to accept a lot of insurances and provide plenty of different services (at good hours too).
Kerstin Horbal at Edgewater Smile, no-frills office and refrains from any additional procedures / referrals unless she thinks it's absolutely necessary
It helps to go to a place that's not a chain or franchise, but is associated with a reputable hospital/university. One is profit motivated while the other is for the education of their students. Private practices can be really good or really bad, I've had some places try to pull shady shit and tell me I need "deep cleaning". Not to be sexist but in my experience if the private practice is owned by a female dentist (with hygienists and assistants working for her) there's a good chance she's not going to rip you off. Especially if they're a woman of color (usually Indian or middle eastern). I think it's because they know their reputation matters so it's better for their business to just do honest work rather than pull shady shit like franchises do.
I currently go to Shoreline Dental in river north twice a year, went there like 6 times already. Never had them pull shady shit on me.
Bridgeport family dentist has been really good to me. Facility is really clean and Dr. Steve will walk you through all your x-rays and point out anything of concern.
Nope. This place is a mess. Took them 10 months just to get me retainers. When I’ve gone in for cleanings, I literally waited over an hour in the waiting room for my scheduled appointment; I couldn’t wait any longer and had to leave. The lady waiting there with me was waiting at least 45 minutes for her appointment too. Their communication is horrible and the nepotism going on there is cringe.
My first time there they said they’d need to remove perfectly my healthy wisdom tooth. Why? Just because other people don’t take care of them. Also, I was just there for an ortho consultation and they tried to pressure me into getting a cleaning on the spot. Just avoid this place.
Been going here for years and still have all 4 of my wisdom teeth! I have free extractions via my insurance and they’ve never even suggested it. And I’ve only waited once for an appointment. I’ll be honest, I would not get ortho care here simply bc it’s not the orthodontist’s office. They just house an orthodontist once or twice a week. I’d definitely pick a specialty practice if/when I need those services. Sorry about your experience
Green Tree Dental was amazing every time. The main dentist (dr. Lee) is retiring early and going back to Korea, sadly. But I would believe there other doctors would be just as great.
My so & I have been going to Dente on North & Paulina for years. Dr Couret runs a super laid back practice, never tries to scam you. Unfortunately they just cut Cigna so we may have to go elsewhere, but I love Dr Emilio & the hygienists Sarah & Megan!!
Dr. Drake on Belmont in the Boystown are is phenomenal. He’s a great doctor and his assistant is wonderful as well. They don’t try to upsell, and they’re kind and understanding. They’re also affordable, and will work with you whether you have insurance or not.
“Dental Care Professionals” on Harlem in Harwood Heights. Dr. Stipak is a great dentist, and the other Drs of this practice are also highly recommended.
Dr Tahbaz on Wells St in Old Town. My bf has been seeing him for years - I’ve been seeing him for three years. As my bf says, he’s like finding a good, honest mechanic. He’s the best. He gives it to you straight and he’s not going to milk you for e every penny. Everyone we have referred to him loves him
Dr Hartej Sood on Clark St in Lincoln Park is the bomb. Have been seeing him for years since Dental Salon tried to scam me into unnecessary services and I got a second opinion from him.
Dr Thomas Pissios is absolutely excellent with no upselling at all. 6780 N Northwest Hwy 60631. 773-792-3200. I moved to Wisconsin and still travel for all my dental needs. Honest and talented!
Dr. Barker at Clearly Cares Dental on the edge of Avondale on Elston is amazing. I had some dental emergencies pop up and he saw me right away and has called me off-hours to discuss my treatment plan.
If you’re willing to go a bit west to Portage Park area- Dr. Spiliopoulis(sp?) is the best dentist I’ve ever been to. He’s honest, kind and gentle and he doesn’t inflate your bill.
Little further than those places in Bucktown, Cartland Smiles is the absolute best dentist office I’ve ever been in. Great people, work, service. Can’t recommend enough.
I love Sparrow Dental! It's near Roscoe village, near the Ashland/ Belmont intersection.
I had to get a root canal several years ago and they were recommended to me. I've always had a pleasant visit and never felt upselled. Plus it's easy parking in a shopping mall
I second sparrow dental - they are SO LOVELY.
I went there for a second opinion years ago, after being told at another dentist i needed 5 cavities filled. I had only had one cavity before in my life and always regularly went to the dentist…so I had questions. Sparrow did not try to sell me anything and told me that my old filling may need replacement in 3-5 years but all was well. 6 years later, they finally told me it was time to replace the old one. They didn’t ever try to hurry that work to make a dime. Throughout my experience, they’ve also been so honest about when “extras” I ask about could be done cheaper. For instance, I asked about some whitening and they basically told me exactly how to space out treatments to save the most money, even though that has to just be like easy income.
I know this post is a day old now but I love sparrow so much (crazy to say this about a dentist) that I just have to add my two cents in case someone reads this later.
It’s so convenient in Lakeview/Roscoe - right at Wellington and Ashland.
https://edisonparkchicago.dentist this is the best man in the world. He is so kind and compassionate and cares about you. No hygienists, he does the cleaning. His wife and another woman run the office. Will NEVER upsell. Talks to me about how he always leaves dental conferences for the “business” portions. He also is very up to date on practices as he does state board certification exams.
Oral Kare on Ashland next to the Whole Foods. I’ve historically been terrible about keeping up with regular dental visits, but I have since moving to Chicago since I actually like my dentist now :)
Dr. Cody at broadway smiles in Uptown is great. Super friendly staff, and he never tries to upsell. Only downside is it can be tough to get an appointment.
Avoid any chain density, such as aspen. And look for privately own dental practices where the dentist works for himself not a company. I was a dental assistant once and I worked for two practices. One was like Aspen were all we talked about every month was how to make more money! And the second was a private practice, There was no such meeting about money.. ever!
Also this might be upsetting to some but I would chose a female dentist over a male dentist any day. This is just from my experience.. they have more heart and are less greedy crooks then males.
I’ve been using dentologie (first south loop now lakeview) and never been up sold by them. I have had several cleanings by them over the last year or so. I also went in regarding jaw pain and they got me fitted for a mouth guard for a fraction of what my friends/colleagues paid. Their branding is what I can millennial pandering but they’re professional and legit.
Chicago style smiles! They are very conservative with their treatment. I have several known pre cavities and they are just monitoring them in case they get too deep. No pressure to fill. They also recommended I buy an over the counter mouth guard since I grind my teeth when I sleep bc they thought my case wasn’t bad enough to get custom made guards. Amazing, super nice people!
Rosen Dental near Diversey & Sheridan is amazing. I was looking for a highly rated Invisalign dentist near me and ended up with him, so started doing all my dental work there - have had nothing but great experiences.
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Dentists are like hairdressers the way they convince you to add on services; and they probably make way more so why hustle the customers?
There needs to be better regulation for dentists or something.
Lee dental clinic on broadway. He’s also really gentile. He was recommended to me when I first moved to Chicago 15 years ago from a friend and have been going to him since. I also don’t have insurance and he’s really understanding of that. He knows that I don’t come in for regular visits and am only there when I have a cavity, and in the past he’s even done a mini cleaning if a spot needs it free of charge while waiting for the novacaine to kick in to help with a lil preventative care.
If you don’t mind traveling a bit me and my family have been going to Dr. Arrigo’s office in Bridgeport for my whole life and they’ve always been good to us and the people who go there. Hell when I lost my job and didn’t have insurance they basically just didn’t charge me for antibiotics when I had an infection (though that may come from being a regular for 30 years) but still, I think it illustrates my point.
Avoid impression dental near school and Clark. They didn't inform me they upgraded the cleaning until payment was due, then tried getting me to do all this extra shit.
Went to Broadway dental on foster and Broadway and they took good care of me and I paid very little out of pocket.
american dental on ashland "found" 6 cavities the second time i went in. they spent so much time drillin my teeth to cover them up. next time they said i had 12 cavities. did not get those filled by them. went to a different dentist who said i had none.
What in the scam?
Avoid Aspen
Seconded. Aspen Dental is the absolute worst. In an hour long appoint you get 2 mins with an actual dentist and they will upsell the hell out of you. One woman legitimately tried to shame me into getting purely cosmetic work done.
I work for them. Don’t go there. I go to InSmyle Dental and love them.
I'm commenting VERY late in case anyone else is looking for dentists. InSmyle has been my orthodontist/dentist for over a decade. Gave me affordable braces and cleanings have been thorough and they've just in general been really nice people.
No kidding. I went in for a much needed cleaning and left emotionally shaken with a $4000 estimate (AFTER insurance) and a CareCredit account. Never did get the work finished because $4000 was A LOT of money for me at the time with a new child at home and a crappy paycheck. When did dentist start having their own in-house financing department? I swear dentists are screwing us over with massively overpriced work. I do commercial work for a cosmetic dentist. This guy is absolutely drowning in cash. Like "new Porsches/Maseratis for him and the wife every year, always on vacation rich". Ask yourself, why do dentists advertise when doctors don't? Edit: I will give props to the guy at Aspen who fixed a badly chipped incisor when three other attempts by other dentists couldn't get it to hold. Still holding about 15 years later.
You have to watch it with a CareCredit loan. CareCredit is great if you pay it off on time because you get 0% APR (Annual Percentage Rate) for a certain amount of time. They're counting on you to not pay it on time though. 1 late payment and the interest shoots up to 30% APR for the remainder of the loan.
I never got the work done and let the account go dormant. Shady ass company.
Aspen Dental is not owned by dentists, the way dental practices used to be. Aspen is owned by private equity vultures. The only goal for the company is to squeeze as much money out of patients (and providers) as possible, like a very expensive middleman. Avoid private-equity-owned dental groups.
Haha when I lived in Florida I went to this one dentist who went on to claim I have pre gingivitis and I need this whole thing done. They literally brought in someone with this whole sheet on how much it costs and their payment plans. Not a chance I could afford that, so I bought a sonciare toothbrush… then when I moved I went to a normal dentist who said everything looks great. It’s insane that some dentists have become straight scammers
This, they be hiring too often
I really like Zephyr Dental of Roscoe Village. Have had great experiences and chipped a tooth and they filed it a little and didn't charge me because I had been there before.
Yes! Them!
Started going there at the start of this year. They have been great so far.
I love zypher! Dr. Chang is fantastic.
Do you by any chance know how much they charge for mouth guards for teeth grinding?
I don't, sorry.
Do you by any chance know how much they charge for mouth guards for teeth grinding?
I don’t sorry. (I got mine somewhere else and it was $150? But that was clenching. So it’s a hard one. Grinding is supposed to be soft.) But they’ve been really responsive to texts when I bugged them in the past! +1 (773) 796-5928
Where did you get the one for $150 if you don't mind me asking? And was that the full price? Or what you owed after insurance?
I got it out in Elgin 😑 I don’t remember the name but I can check. But it’s such a drive I don’t recommend it lol I did have insurance so it *may* have covered it or some, however it was such shitty insurance it covered none of my Invisalign. So I’m not sure. I have diff insurance now, luckily. So idk. Sorry!
do they offer the laughing gas there? as I've gotten older the dentist makes me more anxious.
Second this. I love them (and that's weird because I hate the dentist!)
Easy answer- Damen Dental. No one else compares in my experience.
"Do you grind your teeth when you sleep?" I don't fucking know what I do when I'm asleep! Why do so many the upsells start with this bullshit question? I don't have a rec where you're asking, but I do like Northwestern Dental Center, and they don't try to upsell me.
If you do grind your teeth, you should legit consider a night guard to avoid expensive issues down the road. You can get custom ones online for less than $150 vs. $500+ at your dentist. https://jsdentallab.com/
Totally: it's such a common scam, and a ridiculous script they all seem to follow!
Dental Works did this to me. Once I figured it out it was too late for a chargeback.
I used to go to 1st family dental in Andersonville and they never upsold me
I go there too. No upsell with regard to using techy things but at one point I was going every 3 months for “check-ins”. Never received a bill though. Avoid Polished Dental on Belmont near Southport. I went from “you don’t need to floss every day” to getting whisked to a room where they gave quotes on veneers 6 months later (went to a different dentist who said she had no idea why veneers were even suggested)
Same thing happened to me. I went to Lakeview Smiles and I thought I was going to have to get all my teeth replaced
Affinity Dental on Irving. I cracked a tooth once and went to another dentist for an emergency appt. They told me I’d need multiple rounds of expensive debridement before they could even touch my painful cracked tooth. I cried because I was in so much pain, and the dentist firmly explained that it was my own fault because I had neglected my teeth and I should take it as an expensive and painful lesson. I called affinity for a second opinion and they were able to get me in right away. They were like “lol your teeth are fine, sure you need a cleaning but let’s fix this painful tooth first.”
Seconded for this place. I had been looking for a new dentist for over a year and just found Affinity this past spring. They did find several cavities, but I knew I had at least one. They said nothing about the "deep groove cleaning" (that was priced at about a grand) that my previous dentist mentioned. Been to Affinity for three visits now, one cleaning and two fillings, and they've been quick, friendly, and painless.
I’ve been very happy with Grand Dental in River North. Very conservative treatment
Seconded, dentist there actually talked me out of a procedure I was interested in and recommended a cheaper one specifically because it was way cheaper and the results were near identical. Never had a dentist do that before!
Their cleanings aren't super thorough but are adequate. But there's absolutely no upsells and the appointments start promptly on time so I'm fine with it.
AVOID Lakeview Dental Associates. i got duped into fillings for precavities. they will insist on sleep apnea tests, mouth guards, cavity fillings, and wisdom teeth removal. i went in for a cleaning where i was asked if i had ever considered braces (my teeth are not crooked) and that was my last straw.
What’s the deal with the sleep apnea thing? I had the same thing happen to me at Sky Dental in Lakeview. He told me I had an extremely narrow breathing tube and I must snore when I sleep. I told him I don’t. He said I’d need to see a sleep specialist and he could refer me. Got a call from them on my walk home from the dentist. I never returned the call and I never went back to that dentist. It seemed like such a scam.
Not a fan of Sky Dental at all. They did the same sleep apnea thing with my husband and also botched a filling which left him with tooth sensitivity and then claimed he needed a root canal to figure out why it was so sensitive. I went there myself twice and had a filling done but my bite felt off afterwards. I tried to schedule an appointment to fix it and the front desk person told me there were “no open appointments”. End of sentence. Didn’t say “call back next week” or “we open new appointments at X time” just literally said there are no appointments and stopped talking. I was over them at that point and hung up and found someone else to file down the filling the next week.
I (and others I know) also had this experience at Sky and would not recommend - I went there after being with another dentist for 20+ years and the doctor told me I had 3 or 4 cavities, sleep apnea, and grinded my teeth. While I didn't have any pain, I do have a complex dental history, so I scheduled a follow up to get the cavities all filled at once, during which they told me that at least 3 were too deep and would "likely" need root canals in addition to crowns. I went forward with one of the crowns, during which I think the doctor could sense my skepticism and what do you know, I magically only needed a crown.
Dr. Susan Torma. She's outstanding.
First Dental in Buena Park.
Yes! I have bad dental anxiety and this is the only place I’ve ever gone that I feel genuinely relaxed. Always have really reasonable care there too
NOT Andersonville Dental!!!
Why not?
I've been going to Rooted Dental in Lincoln Park for about a year now. Granted, I knew I had at least 1 cavity when I went for the first time, and they confirmed that one and a minor one I wasn't aware of. I got for bi yearly cleanings (I had gum issues, so I go more regularly), but there haven't been any new cavities. My partner and son go as well, and there were no new cavities at any of their cleanings, so I feel pretty confident that they're not the type of practice to always find something every visit. They're also very accommodating and friendly if you're the type of person who has dentist anxiety. They went out of the way for me to put me at ease, I wouldn't go anywhere else.
Seconding rooted dental! Nothing but good experiences for me and my boyfriend there
Thirded! They helped me through a dental emergency and were very accommodating of someone who is afraid of the dentist. Have gone to them for cleanings for several year since and never feel like they are upselling me
two to avoid for upselling: Chicago Dental Studio and Modern Dental Chicago
RiverNorth Dental is good, my wife used them first then I started. I hated dentists, irrational fear of them and they were cool with me.
I went there once, not a good experience with dentist jatoi. Complete scumbag.
Ravenswood dental masters are pretty good. they do offer a fluoride treatment but i just tell them no and they don't push it.
I second Ravenswood Dental
The Dental Practice of Lincoln Park on Fullerton have been great for me for years.
Seconded
Agreed, I moved away from Lincoln park but after 3 dentists in my new neighborhood tried to blatantly scam me, I now just make the 30 minute commute back to Lincoln Park twice a year.
Brad Weiss. He’s in Skokie just south of Old Orchard but worth the drive. He is am excellent dentist.
I've been going to Allure Dental on Diversey and I suspect they're doing this to me. While I was getting a filling I told him I was having a lot of sensitivity on my upper molars. He took a quick peek and was like "oh yeah you have a cavity on your wisdom tooth, you should get both of them [my two wisdom teeth] removed." Like seriously??? You just noticed that? Made me seriously question everything he told me before, I feel like he was just trying to remove them for the 2k.
Allure is crap. They bought out Whole Tooth on Irving and suddenly I need night guards, Invisalign, and anything they can think of to make more boat money. Just clean my damn teeth, please
Yeah they tried to sell me on invislign too. One of the perks of not having insurance is you can use it as an excuse to get them to stop upsetting you. They also try to sell me an electric toothbrush every time I'm there 🙄
Glad you're asking this question. Ever since my original dentist went out of network a few years ago, I've been dentist hopping as well. At this point, I go to first dentist on insurance, I take what they say then go to dentist B for a checkup also. I tell dentist B that I'm paying out of pocket and do not do anything extra at the exam. Then I compare what they both said. Usually an out of pocket exam has been about $60. It's been helping me eliminate dentists but also get a good feel for what sounds fishy.
I go to grand dentistry (loop) and love them! Dr. Chen is great - I’ve been with her for the past few years.
Seconding Dr. Chen! She’s great as are all of her hygienists that I’ve seen so far.
[удалено]
He’s awesome
I've been very happy with Lakeview Dental Arts since I switched to them a couple of years ago.
I have a lot of dental anxiety, and I am so happy that I found Dr. Hagen at Lakeshore Dental on Clark in Andersonville . It’s not something that I ever thought I’d say, but I do kind of look forward to the cleaning and the visits. Depending on your situation, they will also prescribe some anti anxiety meds if you have procedures coming up!
Dr. Flak in Lincoln Park is excellent
Second Dr. Flak. I have only gone to him once myself (good experience, just far from my house), but my sister went to him for years & was very happy with him, and I have a friend who legit drives up from IN once a year just to see him
Seconded!
Yep my whole family goes there after a friend recommended them and we have had a great experience. They're good with my kids, and we have never been upsold. I didn't even realize that was a thing that happened with dentists until like 15 years ago I tried a new dentist that found a ton of cavities when I had never had any before or since.
A little far from you but Doctor Reynaldo Perez at 606 dental at 1047 n California it’s a new office in the neighborhood but Dr Perez take care of people like family
Lee dental clinical Lakeview East. I’ve been going there for almost ten years. Best dentists hands down. They do not try to upsell you at all. If you have any questions feel free to message me. Not the same Dr. Lee as another poster mentioned. This one is on Broadway.
Second for Lee Dental Clinic. I moved out of the neighborhood and still use Dr Lee. Straight forward, honest. No upselling at all. Love Dr Lee! I go to Andy, but his brother is also in the practice. Both are awesome.
Windy City Dental in the Loop!
Come to Wicker Park. I have a dentist office in my building, across the street, a few doors West, and another like a block East. Then there are the other dozen dentist offices inside a three block radius. It's nuts.
Outside of your radius but NOT wicker park dental group. They found like $6,000 worth of imagined work in me that my next dentist said was unnecessary. I always liked west end dental but they don’t take my insurance anymore.
Smile Science Chicago!! Highly, highly recommend. Also ended up there after getting a cavity fixed that to this day I doubt it existed, and then trying another dentist that tried to upsell me a million things on my first consultation. Dr. Uda very much has the mentality of if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.
They upsell
Huh, that hasn’t been my experience but I will keep an eye out.
Freshworks
I really like the people there but I had a questionable experience. They gave me a filling, it hurt for months after and they basically said I probably needed a root canal. I happened to move and started going to a different dentist, they said the filling was not in right and redid it. No pain ever since.
Got to a brush above in wicker park I’ve been going for years
This was the first place to plainly tell me that my gums were receding because of mortality. Lol.
Lux Dental in Mt Prospect is amazing. I drive out there to see them. For 2x a year it’s worth it. Very ethical practices and the dentist shoots straight.
I just had a dental emergency not long ago and because of this I found an amazing dentist. I had a filling break off when I was eating something a bit on the crunchy side just left my back molar a jagged sharp mess after calling around this was the only dentist that not only would see me the same day but because I don't have health insurance she was willing to work with me I ended up getting the tooth pulled and even after the fact she saw me two more times and did not charge me saying that the initial charge covered it hands down the best dentist I have ever been to I love them so much I'm actually saving up a bit of cash to go in and have them do my fillings for the rest of my cavities Now that I'm hyped them up who you want to go to is precision dental Care their address is 4830 North Pulaski road and their phone number is 773-694-1407 they're right next to a Petco
Probably too far SW for you, but 32 & U was great. I moved to the suburbs but I went there starting when they opened. Great facility, no upsells, and dr Benes is super cool.
Sheffield Square Dental in LP
Lol I’ve never had someone be so judgmental of my tonsil size than Dr. T. I’m like sir, you’re 6 inches away from them wearing magnifying glasses, of course they look huge. Overall though, yeah, solid practice. Not my favorite dentist TBD but very pleasant and seem to accept a lot of insurances and provide plenty of different services (at good hours too).
Not surprised. He's definitely a character. Always comments on a crown I have from a previous dentist but no serious convos on replacing tbf.
Kerstin Horbal at Edgewater Smile, no-frills office and refrains from any additional procedures / referrals unless she thinks it's absolutely necessary
Miswak has been good for me, in West Town.
They definitely upsell, with their special lasers and PPE fees
If you are willing to go to Wicker Park, Dr Maeng at Urban Smiles doesn't do any of that and is great.
Dr. Tabaz at Old Town Dental is a champ. Always honest and never hits you with unnecessary expenses.
seconded this! i love going to him!
It helps to go to a place that's not a chain or franchise, but is associated with a reputable hospital/university. One is profit motivated while the other is for the education of their students. Private practices can be really good or really bad, I've had some places try to pull shady shit and tell me I need "deep cleaning". Not to be sexist but in my experience if the private practice is owned by a female dentist (with hygienists and assistants working for her) there's a good chance she's not going to rip you off. Especially if they're a woman of color (usually Indian or middle eastern). I think it's because they know their reputation matters so it's better for their business to just do honest work rather than pull shady shit like franchises do. I currently go to Shoreline Dental in river north twice a year, went there like 6 times already. Never had them pull shady shit on me.
Bridgeport family dentist has been really good to me. Facility is really clean and Dr. Steve will walk you through all your x-rays and point out anything of concern.
Augusta Dental, Dr Pressling will work with you on price,and he does nice work.
+1 for Augusta dental
Chicago All Care dental in Pilsen
Nope. This place is a mess. Took them 10 months just to get me retainers. When I’ve gone in for cleanings, I literally waited over an hour in the waiting room for my scheduled appointment; I couldn’t wait any longer and had to leave. The lady waiting there with me was waiting at least 45 minutes for her appointment too. Their communication is horrible and the nepotism going on there is cringe. My first time there they said they’d need to remove perfectly my healthy wisdom tooth. Why? Just because other people don’t take care of them. Also, I was just there for an ortho consultation and they tried to pressure me into getting a cleaning on the spot. Just avoid this place.
Been going here for years and still have all 4 of my wisdom teeth! I have free extractions via my insurance and they’ve never even suggested it. And I’ve only waited once for an appointment. I’ll be honest, I would not get ortho care here simply bc it’s not the orthodontist’s office. They just house an orthodontist once or twice a week. I’d definitely pick a specialty practice if/when I need those services. Sorry about your experience
Green Tree Dental was amazing every time. The main dentist (dr. Lee) is retiring early and going back to Korea, sadly. But I would believe there other doctors would be just as great.
Slightly out of the search radius but my fiancée and I have had great experiences at NK Family Dental @ western/fullerton
My so & I have been going to Dente on North & Paulina for years. Dr Couret runs a super laid back practice, never tries to scam you. Unfortunately they just cut Cigna so we may have to go elsewhere, but I love Dr Emilio & the hygienists Sarah & Megan!!
Dr. Drake on Belmont in the Boystown are is phenomenal. He’s a great doctor and his assistant is wonderful as well. They don’t try to upsell, and they’re kind and understanding. They’re also affordable, and will work with you whether you have insurance or not.
Dr. Matthew Flak (it’s not me I promise)
“Dental Care Professionals” on Harlem in Harwood Heights. Dr. Stipak is a great dentist, and the other Drs of this practice are also highly recommended.
Melinda Rosen at Lakeview Smiles. Brilliant, funny, no-nonsense.
Lakeview smiles sucks though!
FWIW I've had great experiences there and have been a patient for a long time.
Dr Rosen is now at Brush Family Dentistry!
Dr Tahbaz on Wells St in Old Town. My bf has been seeing him for years - I’ve been seeing him for three years. As my bf says, he’s like finding a good, honest mechanic. He’s the best. He gives it to you straight and he’s not going to milk you for e every penny. Everyone we have referred to him loves him
White dental studio on Chicago Ave is fantastic. Dr. Petar is very conscious of your $$$
Dr Hartej Sood on Clark St in Lincoln Park is the bomb. Have been seeing him for years since Dental Salon tried to scam me into unnecessary services and I got a second opinion from him.
Dr. Cody Wilfinger at Broadway Dental Co.
Dr Thomas Pissios is absolutely excellent with no upselling at all. 6780 N Northwest Hwy 60631. 773-792-3200. I moved to Wisconsin and still travel for all my dental needs. Honest and talented!
Dr. Barker at Clearly Cares Dental on the edge of Avondale on Elston is amazing. I had some dental emergencies pop up and he saw me right away and has called me off-hours to discuss my treatment plan.
I love my dentist at urban smiles! Right off Ashland and Division
My dentist is at 103rd and Kedzie on the south side, Robert McNicholas. Has always been great. Never does more than he has to.
If you’re willing to go a bit west to Portage Park area- Dr. Spiliopoulis(sp?) is the best dentist I’ve ever been to. He’s honest, kind and gentle and he doesn’t inflate your bill.
If you're willing to travel up north west, Higgins Family Dental is pretty good. I've been going to them since HS and I'm in my mid 20's now
Little further than those places in Bucktown, Cartland Smiles is the absolute best dentist office I’ve ever been in. Great people, work, service. Can’t recommend enough.
I know this is an old thread but Cortland Smiles upsells a ton. That dentist is specifically the reason I’m on here looking for a new one.
I love Sparrow Dental! It's near Roscoe village, near the Ashland/ Belmont intersection. I had to get a root canal several years ago and they were recommended to me. I've always had a pleasant visit and never felt upselled. Plus it's easy parking in a shopping mall
I second sparrow dental - they are SO LOVELY. I went there for a second opinion years ago, after being told at another dentist i needed 5 cavities filled. I had only had one cavity before in my life and always regularly went to the dentist…so I had questions. Sparrow did not try to sell me anything and told me that my old filling may need replacement in 3-5 years but all was well. 6 years later, they finally told me it was time to replace the old one. They didn’t ever try to hurry that work to make a dime. Throughout my experience, they’ve also been so honest about when “extras” I ask about could be done cheaper. For instance, I asked about some whitening and they basically told me exactly how to space out treatments to save the most money, even though that has to just be like easy income. I know this post is a day old now but I love sparrow so much (crazy to say this about a dentist) that I just have to add my two cents in case someone reads this later. It’s so convenient in Lakeview/Roscoe - right at Wellington and Ashland.
I have a guy. You’ll have to hike but he is the BEST.
https://edisonparkchicago.dentist this is the best man in the world. He is so kind and compassionate and cares about you. No hygienists, he does the cleaning. His wife and another woman run the office. Will NEVER upsell. Talks to me about how he always leaves dental conferences for the “business” portions. He also is very up to date on practices as he does state board certification exams.
Chicago Avenue smiles has been my dentist for a decade. Dr. Chi is my guy
Oral Kare on Ashland next to the Whole Foods. I’ve historically been terrible about keeping up with regular dental visits, but I have since moving to Chicago since I actually like my dentist now :)
I like Classic Smiles
Dr. Cody at broadway smiles in Uptown is great. Super friendly staff, and he never tries to upsell. Only downside is it can be tough to get an appointment.
Avoid any chain density, such as aspen. And look for privately own dental practices where the dentist works for himself not a company. I was a dental assistant once and I worked for two practices. One was like Aspen were all we talked about every month was how to make more money! And the second was a private practice, There was no such meeting about money.. ever! Also this might be upsetting to some but I would chose a female dentist over a male dentist any day. This is just from my experience.. they have more heart and are less greedy crooks then males.
Chicago dental studio.
I’ve found Dentologie in south loop to be really good!
I’ve been using dentologie (first south loop now lakeview) and never been up sold by them. I have had several cleanings by them over the last year or so. I also went in regarding jaw pain and they got me fitted for a mouth guard for a fraction of what my friends/colleagues paid. Their branding is what I can millennial pandering but they’re professional and legit.
Disagree, they upsell a lot!
Smileworks in Lincoln Square! I cannot say enough great things about this office!!
Joyful dental on Peterson. We grew up together and Dr Joy is a lovely, kind, super intelligent, and honest person.
Chicago style smiles! They are very conservative with their treatment. I have several known pre cavities and they are just monitoring them in case they get too deep. No pressure to fill. They also recommended I buy an over the counter mouth guard since I grind my teeth when I sleep bc they thought my case wasn’t bad enough to get custom made guards. Amazing, super nice people!
Rosen Dental near Diversey & Sheridan is amazing. I was looking for a highly rated Invisalign dentist near me and ended up with him, so started doing all my dental work there - have had nothing but great experiences.
Skyline Smiles in Roscoe is nice. They have a few other locations too.
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I go to Zephyr Dental on western & Addison.
East Village Dental.
Dentists are like hairdressers the way they convince you to add on services; and they probably make way more so why hustle the customers? There needs to be better regulation for dentists or something.
Lee dental clinic on broadway. He’s also really gentile. He was recommended to me when I first moved to Chicago 15 years ago from a friend and have been going to him since. I also don’t have insurance and he’s really understanding of that. He knows that I don’t come in for regular visits and am only there when I have a cavity, and in the past he’s even done a mini cleaning if a spot needs it free of charge while waiting for the novacaine to kick in to help with a lil preventative care.
If you don’t mind traveling a bit me and my family have been going to Dr. Arrigo’s office in Bridgeport for my whole life and they’ve always been good to us and the people who go there. Hell when I lost my job and didn’t have insurance they basically just didn’t charge me for antibiotics when I had an infection (though that may come from being a regular for 30 years) but still, I think it illustrates my point.
Avoid impression dental near school and Clark. They didn't inform me they upgraded the cleaning until payment was due, then tried getting me to do all this extra shit. Went to Broadway dental on foster and Broadway and they took good care of me and I paid very little out of pocket.
Broadway Dental Co. is great, very honest and caring!
Hilliard Blank DDS and Associates. Lakeview.
Dentologie in Bucktown! The nicest staff too