I visited IVOMS as a returning patient for implant placement in my two lateral incisors on the top…read morein May 2017. Dr. James Vaiana placed both implants and things seemed fine for awhile, before I realized one had failed in early 2018. I had to get a third opinion before I was made aware of the fact the implant had been placed directly against my front tooth, causing substantial bone loss that risked me losing the rest of my front teeth at 22 years old. I went under for maybe 6 more surgeries, one of which he changed the procedure to a rare one without my consent while under sedation. He performed ramus grafting, in which he cut a chunk of my lower jaw out and drilled it into the front of my face. Upon review a year or so later, the bone was never actually attached to my skull and was openly visible and floating at the front of my gums, as seen in the photo attached. I had to undergo extensive and intense reconstructive surgery of my gums by a top oral surgeon elsewhere who was able to correct this horrendous job. In October 2024, I realized that the other implant was showing official signs of failure, and contacted the dentist who got me out of the malpractice mess last time, and he was able to confirm that the same thing was happening again. This implant was placed at the very front of my gums, almost missing my upper jaw entirely (as seen in the photo attached). The fact that you didn't see metal protruding out of my face was absolutely incredible. This resulted in me having emergency reconstructive surgery AGAIN, and the entire process has cost me over $30,000 to correct. Dr. James Vaiana not only broke my trust in the greatest way, but he stole my smile, my confidence, and my ability to even eat. I truly believed for a period of time that he had my best interest in mind, but I learned too late that he did every single surgery negligently. I would not wish this pain, trauma, and financial destruction on anyone. Dr. James Vaiana does not deserve to be licensed, and I pray that no one else goes through what I did. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. He absolutely destroyed me in every way possible over the last 8 years and even into my future, and I will NEVER recommend people going here as a former dental professional and as a former resident of the IV.

I had 5 wisdom teeth removed in 2016. I was told my 6th wisdom tooth was "too close" to my sinuses…read moreto be removed--that's fine. I was NOT told that one of my wisdom teeth was impacted and part of my lower jaw was cut out to remove the wisdom tooth. I did not discover this until years later. Shortly after the procedure, I had dry socket which was the worst pain imaginable (close to child birth) and my pain was brushed off. Based on my experience and the other reviews, I would NOT recommend this office!!!

Warning: Predatory Billing and Financial Negligence…read more I am leaving this review to warn others about the unprofessional and predatory billing practices at A Lifetime of Smiles. After completing several visits in February 2025, I paid a total of $1,669.00 in person at the time of service. Despite these large payments, the office never sent me a single paper bill or electronic statement. The first "notice" I received of any balance was a casual text message sent at 4:00 PM the day before a scheduled appointment in April 2025, claiming I owed a "heads up" amount of $946.00. When I immediately asked for a breakdown, they waited until the next morning to tell me $829.00 was a "prior balance" from insurance adjustments. They went completely silent for 11 months, only to send this unverified debt to a collections agency in March 2026. After doing the math myself using my Cigna EOBs and bank records, their numbers are mathematically impossible: Verified Over-Collection: On February 12, 2025, my insurance EOB stated my responsibility was only $465.00. However, the office charged me $712.00 at the window--an over-collection of $247.00 for a single visit. Missing Credits: According to my insurance, my total responsibility for all February visits was $1,742.60. Since I already paid $1,669.00, my actual balance should have been roughly $73.00, yet they are hounding me for $829.00. This office appears to either have a complete failure in their accounting department or is intentionally "balance billing" patients for amounts the insurance company has already adjusted. To jump straight to collections a year later without ever providing an itemized invoice is a predatory and unprofessional way to treat patients. I have filed a formal complaint with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) and the Attorney General. Avoid this practice unless you want to be blindsided by fraudulent "balances" a year after your treatment.

I had cavities filled by them in 23'. I spent thousands with my dental coverage to have them fixed…read more The color never matched correctly, the shape was too sharp. I had to go back to have Dr. Pat fix the sharp spots(he was not thrilled). Now the filling has fallen out all at once and they will do nothing to fix it. My only option according to them is to now pay for more X-rays and a consult before they will even touch the work they did. It was expensive and unsatisfactory work. And don't let them put your on their phone list, it boarders on harassment... The front desk team is always very polite though

Huge thank you to Dr. Babiuk and his team. recently had a…read morevery scary wisdom tooth removal, along with three other teeth the wisodom one of which was in my sinuses! Naturally, I was nervous, but the dentist and the whole team were incredibly kind, thoughtful, and patient throughout the entire process. Even though no one wants four teeth removed at once, they made the experience as comfortable as possible. I'm still in the healing process, but I can honestly say it wasn't as bad as I expected thanks to their care and professionalism.

Procedure was done professionally and surgery went very well. However, The billing department is…read moreextremely incompetent. It took over 6 months to get the insurance claim processed after I paid the full bill out of pocket. They do not seem to be knowledgable in common insurance procedures from BCBS/delta dental. They submitted my claim to the wrong insurance location, did not submit the required documentation, and did not inform me when my claim was rejected due to their improper submittal. I had to make multiple calls to my insurance and their office to get the claim sent correctly (essentially doing their job). Office manager Crystal was not very professional or understanding over phone/email and does not respond to most inquiries. Comes off as rude or annoyed when asked to seek a solution in working with my insurance to get me reimbursed. Despite my best effort to remain polite while they displayed no sense of urgency after i paid in full, thousands of dollars.

Amazing job the entire staff did with my daughter's four impacted wisdom teeth ! Very caring and…read morecompassionate

This is the 2nd time we have used this office. The first time was amazing. The doctors are…read morefantastic and we will continue to see Dr. Junck if the need arises again. The office staff is hit or miss and can be condescending, even rude and disrespectful. I did say to the woman she was not very pleasant and it was upsetting to which she snapped back with another rude remark. However, I will say the medical staff are amazing and for this reason, we will continue to use them.

Great office! Everyone is friendly & makes you feel comfortable. Dr. Hey has a dental album…read moreavailable that has before & after pictures to view. Life changing smile makeovers that are unbelievable! If you are looking for a great dentist that cares about his work & his patients, Dr. Hey's your man.

I visited IVOMS as a returning patient for implant placement in my two lateral incisors on the top…read morein May 2017. Dr. James Vaiana placed both implants and things seemed fine for awhile, before I realized one had failed in early 2018. I had to get a third opinion before I was made aware of the fact the implant had been placed directly against my front tooth, causing substantial bone loss that risked me losing the rest of my front teeth at 22 years old. I went under for maybe 6 more surgeries, one of which he changed the procedure to a rare one without my consent while under sedation. He performed ramus grafting, in which he cut a chunk of my lower jaw out and drilled it into the front of my face. Upon review a year or so later, the bone was never actually attached to my skull and was openly visible and floating at the front of my gums, as seen in the photo attached. I had to undergo extensive and intense reconstructive surgery of my gums by a top oral surgeon elsewhere who was able to correct this horrendous job. In October 2024, I realized that the other implant was showing official signs of failure, and contacted the dentist who got me out of the malpractice mess last time, and he was able to confirm that the same thing was happening again. This implant was placed at the very front of my gums, almost missing my upper jaw entirely (as seen in the photo attached). The fact that you didn't see metal protruding out of my face was absolutely incredible. This resulted in me having emergency reconstructive surgery AGAIN, and the entire process has cost me over $30,000 to correct. Dr. James Vaiana not only broke my trust in the greatest way, but he stole my smile, my confidence, and my ability to even eat. I truly believed for a period of time that he had my best interest in mind, but I learned too late that he did every single surgery negligently. I would not with this pain, trauma, and financial destruction on anyone. Dr. James Vaiana does not deserve to be licensed, and I pray that no one else goes through what I did. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. He absolutely destroyed me in every way possible over the last 8 years and even into my future, and I will NEVER recommend people going here as a former dental professional and as a former resident of the IV.

dr James Vaiana, uncaring man. should not be in this profession, gives you nothing for pain. worst…read moreexperience I have had in my life with a dentist. no empathy had me crying and screaming in pain! never recommend him to anyone. I only hope he has the same treatment someday. terrible dentist

I was afraid to go here because there were no reviews. Now I've gone and wanted to post a review…read more They are a preferred provider with my BCBS dental insurance. I got in for a check up right away, and had two teeth in serious shape. They scheduled me for a cleaning but before that came about, one of my bad teeth became very painful. They got me in right away for a root canal. It turned out that the tooth could not be saved, and it had to be pulled because it was fractured. Not what I would call a fun day, but Dr. Patel and Sherry, the hygienist and assistant, made me feel very comfortable, and the office staff was very accommodating and helpful. Unfortunately, I'll be seeing a lot of them!

From the owner: Making smiles better…read more Dhaval Patel is a dentist in Ottawa, IL specializing in general and cosmetic dentistry. His office offers comprehensive dental care from routine cleanings and care to emergency work. Using the latest techniques and state-of-the-art technology in a relaxed setting, Dr. Patel and staff make smiles better!