Bicuspid Bliss: Best dentists in the Chicago area
Have dentophobia? Never fear. Here are 40 of the finest dentists in the Chicago area
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If you don’t have a dental horror story, then you probably know someone who does. Ever heard the classic, the ineffective novocaine shot? How about that time the endodontist answered his cell phone during a root canal? Lucky patients know that a good dentist discusses treatment options, explains preventive techniques, works gently, produces the results they expect, charges affordable prices, and certainly does not answer his or her cell phone midprocedure. Some people even hit a pearly white jackpot. The Lombard resident Madolyn Rogas takes everyone in her family of seven to Dr. David Carlson in Wheaton. “He takes the time to explain what he is going to do—and why,” Rogas says. “He totally rocks.”
Rogas isn’t alone in her praise of dentists in the Chicago area. Nonprofit magazine Chicago Consumers’ Checkbook (checkbook.org) collected ratings from 5,000 dental patients and pinpointed 252 recommended general dentistry practitioners. Nearly two-thirds of these dentists were rated “superior” in overall performance by 95 percent or more of their patients. The chart on page 70 lists the top 40 recommended dentists.
Not surprisingly, lots of dentists fell short. Among those who did not make Checkbook’s recommended list, some received “superior” ratings from 60 percent or fewer of their surveyed patients. Many clients related bad experiences with one dentist before finding one they liked. Rogas’s former family dentist scraped her daughter’s chin during one visit, leaving a scab. Then he gave her the hard sell on services she didn’t want.
Pushing unwanted or unnecessary services was one of the most common complaints made by surveyed patients. Another one: high prices. But the worst complaints were about inferior work. One surveyed patient wrote, “[The dentist] recommended a root canal, and after it was done, the tooth could not be saved. I wasted $600.”
It’s worth checking prices for standard procedures. Most dental offices will give pricing information over the phone. When Checkbook’s researchers, without revealing their affiliation, called area dentists for prices, they found no correlation between price and patient ratings. Many high-rated dentists were also among the most affordable—but overall, the prices Checkbook collected (see the table for cost comparisons) varied widely.
Another key to containing costs? Discuss treatment options with your dentist. In a restoration, a nonprecious metal could work just as well as gold, and for any recommendation for major work, get a second opinion. Consult a dentist who is unaffiliated with your primary dentist, and make it clear that you want only a second opinion.
If you don’t have dental insurance—and you anticipate a lot of dental needs—you might be able to save hundreds or even thousands of dollars per year by signing up for a prepaid dental plan. Checkbook looked into a plan for a family with husband, wife, and two children. For routine care plus two topical fluoride treatments, three fillings, and a root canal and porcelain crown, enrollment in a prepaid plan would cut this family’s total costs for the year by $1,500 to $2,000 after allowing for the plan premium. But bear in mind that prepaid plans limit your choice of dentist, and savings only amount to $200 when routine exams, cleanings, and X-rays are all that you need.
Of course, the best way to save money (and avoid a tooth-tacular nightmare) is by practicing preventive care. Brush. Floss. And get a professional cleaning every six months. Those obvious basics will keep your pearly whites pearly. And that totally rocks.
Illustration: Matthew Hollister
This article appears in the November 2009 issue of Chicago Magazine.
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Reader Comments:
There are a lot Chicago cosmetic dentist that overrate your conditions so that they could benefit more. It's good to know that there are few who offer better. Hope the government would do something about this dentist that over diagnose your condition.
what was the criteria for being in the top 40?
MisRecollection: They used the "Checkbook Magazine" as their source of names for this list. You should know that many unscrupulous dentists in the Chicagoland area are taking advantage of trusting and uninformed consumers by outsourcing their testimonials and reviews, so lists like this CANNOT be taken as a "thumbs up" for a dentist. These unscrupulous dentists pay thousands and thousands of dollars to sinister dental marketing agencies and "reputation building" agencies who encourage them to say and do fraudulent things--things that you can't even imagine unless you become their victim, and then it's too late. The fraud has gotten so obvious that there are actually glowing testimonials that use the wrong pronoun (he/she) to describe these dentists! These dental marketing companies teach the dentists how to manipulate ALL media, so you should be suspicious of everything that you read--including your local newspapers. There has NEVER been a more dangerous time to change dentists. The dentist who appears to be so "kind" and so "expert" could easily become your worst nightmare!
Dear MISTREATED:
You are wise to "consider the source" whenever looking on the internet for reviews. But NOT all sources on the internet are fraudulent and sinister. CHECKBOOK never charges for their reviews in any way. I believe they are indirectly affiliated with CONSUMER REPORTS and operate in a similar fashion. They collect reviews from yearly questionaires sent to subscribers of their magazine.
CHICAGO MAGAZINE does publish yearly issues where they list "top lawyers", "top doctors", and "top dentists". And inclusion in these issues does indeed require the purchase of full page ads that do cost a large amount of money. But if you notice, NONE of the dentists listed in the article (based on CHECKBOOK reviews) appeared in the CHICAGO MAGAZINE issue that required paid ads.
In my opinion, the dentists in this article did not pay anything to anybody to have their name included.
I have had an excellent experience with my dental implants as well with this Chicago Dentist, http://www.bigsmiledental.com/. I am so glad that there are gentle and kind dentists out there. This dentist also did a marvellous job with my smile, http://www.bigsmiledental.com/1_cosmetic_dentistry.php
I am wondering how to find a prosthedontist to help create a full mouth restoration due to lifelong TMJ. I am 60 and trying to save what I can. I live on the edge of Munster Indiana and long-distance commuting and investing- for extensive work is daunting. If it were a few visits I would go almost anywhere in the USA!
All procedures are expensive, I 'only' want to have the right approach used the first time,- when that is a reasonable hope. Of course, not all procedures work perfectly for everyone. But I dont know where to learn of a dentist's background and overall experience and specialties, ETCETERA. Many of us have lost 401k's etc.,- at my age, and investing in a "full restoration" with complications, is a lot to gamble on. BUT- it is a priority.
TMJ is often over-advertised as something 'we specialize in." In fact, I am advised (and learned) success is not that common, according to the great dentists I had access to in past years. Surgeries are still considered a hoax overall. (I just know how dominant that attitude is from other speicalists in other fields, that I use personally).
Any advice, reference sources, publications or organizations.. would be truly appreicated. Kathleen
Greg: I did notice that one of the dentists took out a paid ad in the "Best Doctors" issue. He is now touting himself (on his website) as a dentist "featured" in the "Best Doctors" issue of the "Chicago Magazine". This is an example of deceptive, unethical advertising that the dental board has done nothing about. The dental profession in Illinois has totally gone astray, and it is the Illinois citizens' responsibility to do everything that they can possibly do to get it back on track for future generations.
Older and Wiser -
My name is Jody and I work at Eon Clinics. I just happened to see your posting and wanted to suggest you check us out online. We do full mouth restorations and have a consultation center in Munster, IN. We offer complimentary consultations that include a free CT scan. You will meet with our Treatment Coordinator who will assist you in collecting all the information you need to make an educated decision about the best treatment option for you. If you should decide to go through with treatment, assuming you are a candidate for the All on 4 procedure, we would be able to schedule you for this one day treatment option. We would place implants and give you a new set of non-removable teeth in just one day. The best way to find out more is to visit our website at www.eonclinics.com. Then come in for a complimentary consultation. We'd be happy to answer all your questions and educate you about your treatment options.
Good Luck!
Jody