Tooth

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

 

Choosing specialists

A general dentist is your first line of defense, but who are all those other guys?

Endodontists treat the pulp of teeth, including root canal therapy.

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons specialize in surgery of the mouth and face, including removing wisdom teeth, removing tumors, doing biopsies, and performing cosmetic reconstruction of the face after trauma.

Orthodontists specialize in the diagnosis, prevention, interception, and correction of malocclusion (bad bite), as well as neuromuscular and skeletal abnormalities. They are best known for doing treatments with braces.

Pediatric dentists specialize in working with children from birth to 21 years of age, a period that usually gets patients through the time when dental growth ceases and the wisdom teeth are fully formed.

Periodontists (referred to as gum doctors) specialize in the tissues that support, attach to, and surround the teeth and the treatment and prevention of disease affecting these tissues.

Prosthodontists specialize in repairing and replacing teeth and oral structures, including especially complicated crowns, bridges, implants, and dentures.

Your general dentist will logically be your first source for a referral. You may also want to consider one of the specialists recommended by Checkbook based on its survey of general dentists in the Chicago area. A few of Checkbook’s recommended pediatric dentists and periodontists—those endorsed most often by surveyed general dentists—are listed in the chart.

 

Bills, Bills, Bills

Based on 252 evaluations in the Chicago area, Checkbook reports lowest, average, and highest prices for the most common procedures.

PROCEDURE

 

LOW

 

 

AVG.

 

 

HIGH

 

Routine examination and cleaning
$75
$117
$175
Routine examination and cleaning and four bitewing X-rays
$105
$172
$246
Initial examination (for new patients), cleaning, and full-mouth X-rays
$105
$250
$450
One two-surface amalgam filling
$111
$157
$235
Single root canal with porcelain crown using nonprecious metal, including core and post
$1,620
$1,938
$2,500

 

Which treatments are worthwhile?

Fluoride: recommended for children. Recommended for adults if there is a history of decay or periodontal disease.

Sealants: recommended for children as a long-term bargain. The picture is less clear for adults.

Gum disease: Don’t get surgery until you have exhausted nonsurgical alternatives such as scaling and root planing in combination with antibiotics.

Extraction: Avoid having a tooth removed if at all possible. It may seem economical in the short run, but it can cause larger long-term problems.

Bonding and veneers: Bonding resins (plastics) or porcelain veneers can be bonded to restore cracked, stained, or irregular tooth surfaces. But while less expensive, these solutions aren’t as strong as crowns.
 

 

40 TOP-RATED DENTISTS

NAME ADDRESS CITY        PHONE
Artisuk, Alexandra M. 770 Busse Hwy. Park Ridge
847-825-5977
Berni, David R. 4747 N. Harlem Ave. #D Harwood Heights
708-867-4700
Bertoglio, Richard M. 1940 W. Galena Blvd. #11 Aurora
630-892-7087
Birky, Harold J. 3115 Lewis Ave. Zion
847-746-8622
Candre, Francis C. 855 E. Palatine Rd. #260 Palatine
847-358-3134
Carlson, David L. 610 E. Roosevelt Rd. #101 Wheaton
630-653-9002
Caron, Thomas M. 7601 W. Irving Park Rd. #102 Chicago
773-589-9220
Colletti, Dominic A. 176 S. Bloomingdale Rd. Bloomingdale
630-893-6200
Cook, Philip E. 1515 Sheridan Rd. Wilmette
847-251-5200
Cummins, John M. 201 N. Constitution Dr. Aurora
630-896-4516
Duda, Richard J. 1625 Sheridan Rd. Wilmette
847-256-1070
Favale, John 1909 E. Grand Ave. #A Lindenhurst
847-356-0260
Fischl, Paul 636 Church St. #200-W Evanston
847-864-0822
Flor, Walter D. 18340 Governors Hwy. Homewood
708-799-0660
Fry, Peter 4801 W. Peterson Ave. #207 Chicago
773-545-1414
Furmanek, James J. 30 N. Michigan Ave. #1710 Chicago
312-541-9600
Garry, Michael 1475 N. Glen Lake Rd. Hoffman Estates
847-895-4510
Goldblatt, Stuart L. 6554 W. Higgins Rd. Chicago
773-736-5151
Graber, Jane B. 1220 Meadow Rd. #306 Northbrook
847-272-4020
Guzzardi, Thomas J. 2418 W. Indian Trail #E Aurora
630-907-2180
Haskins, Daniel F. 10022 S. Kedzie Ave. Evergreen Park
708-229-0444
Katz, Marvin J. 241 Golf Mill Ctr. #718 Niles
847-299-3365
Koehler, Douglas A. ON150 Winfield Rd. #A Winfield
630-653-2377
Kowalik, Michael J. 6320 W. 79th St. Burbank
708-599-3333
LaMantia, Gary M. 7942 W. Oakton St. Niles
847-823-0260
Lind, Dennis A. 1501 W. Dundee Rd. #100 Buffalo Grove
847-394-4333
Maloney, James D. 946 N. Northwest Hwy. #AB Park Ridge
847-692-3030
Milin, Kenneth N. 732 Elm St. Winnetka
847-446-5868
Nihill, John M. 949 W. Liberty Dr. Wheaton
630-668-6071
Noskin, Gerald M. 4833 Church St. Skokie
847-674-6636
Oster, Linda A. 127 N. Marion St. #2 Oak Park
708-386-4222
Petrucci, Ronald F. 629 S. Washington St. Naperville
630-357-5510
Potashnick, Steven R. 25 E. Washington St. #2401 Chicago
312-236-9322
Reardon, Brian 530 Cherry Ln. Elmhurst
630-832-8045
Strobel, Gregory F. 25 E. Washington St. #1917 Chicago
312-726-3135
Sula, Daniel 75 Market St. Elgin
847-742-8211
Tripp, Russell G. 28W530 Batavia Rd. Warrenville
630-393-4600
Tye, Richard 1800 Sherman Ave. #601 Evanston
847-492-3492
Unti, Michael V. 235 N. Northwest Hwy. Palatine
847-359-7520
Warga, George 485 Chestnut St. Winnetka
847-441-6510

 

TOP TEN SPECIALISTS

PEDIATRIC DENTISTS
Hayes, Mary 737 N. Michigan Ave. #1330 Chicago
312-266-8198
Lambert, Lance 45 S. Park Blvd. #105 Glen Ellyn
630-858-8755
McElroy, William 231 S. Gary Ave. Bloomingdale
630-351-4440
Resnick, Thomas 1707 Shermer Rd. #202 Northbrook
847-498-1595
Savide, Neophytos 12001 S. Harlem Ave. Palos Heights
708-448-6700
PERIODONTISTS
Elliott, Ian 1315 Macom Dr. Naperville
630-862-3600
Hosters, Gary 5212 N. Leclaire Chicago
773-774-4888
Kolinski, Martin 525 Tyler Rd. #E St. Charles
630-377-4677
Murray, Bernard 15300 West Ave. #211 Orland Park
708-349-1144
Oremland, Michael 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr. Skokie
847-982-0640