Practices like this are why some people view the entire dental profession with distrust…read more This office pushed me into unnecessary and expensive procedures. They play up a sense of urgency and heavy handed tactics to get you to agree. My biggest regret is not getting a second opinion. For all their modernity, they are incapable of gathering an accurate estimate from your insurance. I have never had this experience with any other dental practice; the final bill has always aligned with the insurance estimate. At Artful Smiles, the bill was always, always significantly more than the delivered estimate. When I questioned the office on this, they told me to take it up with my insurance. Again, I have never had another dental practice (or doctor's office) do this. To give some idea of how absurd their pricing is, I was quoted $1,000 (with insurance!) for a crown. I am mortified to say I just accepted this without question. The final bill, however, was nearly $2,000 for a single crown. The crown broke down within a few years. I had a replacement done at North Shore Dental down the street for under $400. This office profits on scamming their clients and exploiting people in need of care. There are plenty of honest dentists in Evanston; I urge you to entrust your dental care to anyone other than these scam artists.

I have been going to Artful Smiles for a while, and while the care is generally good, I am getting…read moresick of them pushing random extra treatments, especially when they don't fully explain what they are. They convinced me to do Invisalign a few years ago. Not covered by my insurance, and the only discount they offered was if I paid in full up front. So, sure, I did it, and yes, I am glad I did it in the end, but the process was very frustrating. They said I would be swapping out aligners over the course of about 8 months, but that it could take a little longer. They did not explain that they would be placing semi-permanent attachments on my teeth until I was sitting in the chair. I felt like, oh, this is basically the same thing as having braces again. I followed all of their instructions, but it still took about two years to finish the process. At what I thought was the end of my Invisalign treatment, since they said it was the end, they had me sign a piece of paper that said they actually recommended further treatment. They'd been "fine-tuning" everything on the top, but apparently thought something else was needed on the bottom, but hadn't addressed that in the six months prior, so that I could have been wearing different bottom aligners, or something? I was vexed at this complete lack of information, only to have a hygienist sit down to put a wire retainer on the inside of my bottom teeth without saying ANYTHING. I had to ask, wait, what are you doing??? All of the Invisalign aside, they also recommended me for gum graft surgery to fix some gum recession, something that wearing those retainers for months/years actually exacerbates, yet another thing that was never explained. The last two times I have gone in for a cleaning, I really didn't like the male hygienist at all. He was very heavy-handed, poking my gums to measure each tooth for recession, and then "check for bleeding," like, yeah, my gums might bleed if you're jamming a metal pick into them. He also pulled up my X-rays and pointed at a couple of different spots and was like, "Yeah, these look like they're going to turn into cavities," before pushing some new spot-treatment. There was literally nothing on the X-ray to see, and I really wondered why the hygienist and not the actual dentist would be making calls like that. I've had one cavity in my entire life (of course, discovered and filled at Artful Smiles), so I was pissed off that this guy was pushing yet another expensive "treatment," yet again without any explanation of what it is, the cost or how long the "treatment" takes. After looking it up, I saw that it's very expensive, not covered by insurance, I guess approved in the US, but not widely used by dentists. Maybe it's great for some people, but I did not appreciate the aggressiveness. I shouldn't have to fend off unnecessary costs every time I get a cleaning.

TL;DR: The new ownership kept the practice name and patient data, but entirely voided warranties on…read moreprevious dental work. They charge exorbitant, out-of-network prices and operate with a strict profit-first mentality. Save your money and go elsewhere. I am sharing my experience to warn both returning and prospective patients about the current business practices at Stephens Dentistry. Four years ago, I had a crown placed at this office for almost $2000. Recently, the crown prematurely cracked and failed. When I contacted the office to have it addressed, I was informed that because the practice is under "new ownership," any previous warranty is completely void. They strategically kept the practice's established name, reputation, and all patient records (down to using the same email address!) to maintain business continuity, but legally shielded themselves from any accountability or warranties on previous dental work. Their idea of a "goodwill gesture" was a mere 10% discount on a replacement crown, bringing the cost to over $1,800. This is absolutely exorbitant and roughly twice the price of what other dentists in the Evanston area charge for equivalent or better work. When you pay top dollar for dental work, you expect exceptional quality and accountability for their work, but Stephens Dentistry offers neither. To anticipate the practice's likely response to this review: in addition to bluntly stating they voided all past liabilities due to the ownership change, they will probably also claim they cannot honor the warranty because I haven't been back for regular cleanings at their specific practice over the last four years. I have maintained my dental hygiene, just not with them. Why? Because Stephens Dentistry is out-of-network for basically all insurances and outrageously expensive. The previous management once admitted to me their fees were intentionally set at the 85th percentile of local practices, and it is abundantly clear the new ownership operates with the exact same "cash cow" mindset. In a university town like Evanston, operating with such an unscrupulous, profit-first mentality is deeply disappointing. If you are a long-term patient, be aware that your past warranties mean absolutely nothing to the new owners. If you are a new patient, be prepared for highly inflated pricing. I have decided to take my business elsewhere and strongly advise others to do the same.

I'm needing a new dentist and decided to interview references from several happy patients/friends…read more Dr Montoya is careful and attentive to every detail. As I have several more dentists to interview I have not arrived at a choice. Dr Montoya is definitely a top option!

After going to the same local dentist for six years until they retired, my husband and I just had…read moreour first visit here for a routine exam and cleaning. The receptionist, X-Ray nurse, hygienist and dentist were all super friendly and very professional. The place and equipment looks nice and clean. We felt we were in very good hands.

New to Evanston I chose dr Gordon from a list. Unsure what to expect. Got there 15 minutes early…read more Did the check in forms. And waited nearly 15 minutes past my appointment. Hygienist greeted me to do the x-rays. She was very nice and informative. She ask did photos of my teeth. This was a first for me and I thought it was cool. I really liked the dentist. He was quite thorough. I definitely thought he was more thorough than my previous dentist. He explained the x-rays.

I am a patient of Dr. Monika Singh. She is super thorough, proactive in health care, and extremely…read moreknowledgeable. Dr. Singh walks me through exactly what she is doing and why it is important, really taking the time to educate me about my dental health. She constantly monitors for pain and discomfort and makes me feel at ease. The Dental Hygienists and Assistants are also fabulous (shout out to Meggen, Tanya and Laura!) and the front desk staff is very friendly and nice. I am a 3rd generation patient at Northshore Dental Partners, and I highly recommend it.

I just had a crown put in, and it was as almost as relaxing as lying on the beach on a summer's…read moreday, with the soft music, and the excellence of Dr. Montoya. I honestly look forward to going to the dentist, even for a big procedure. Dr. Montoya is so gentle, I never feel any pain. He makes sure you are completely comfortable in advance, explaining every aspect to you, and making sure you have all the info you need when you go home. He's an expert in the latest technology, so procedures that might have been difficult in the past are a breeze. Though this was a 90-minute experience, it seemed to pass by in a moment. His hygienists are great too. If ever I moved to a new address, even if it was inconvenient, I would come back to Dr. Montoya for my dentistry.

Always had a great care, took the time to actually review my teeth, and gave me the resources for…read morethe specialist.

I am a bit bummed that Dr. Flavio left Logan Square, but he is the best dentist I ever had. I have…read morenever had any appointment or insurance issues with him. He is personable and honest. I had a bad experience with a fancy dentist who ambushed me with a root canal that he never completed (I looked into a lawsuit; it was that bad) so beware of con-artists in the loop with fancy offices. Dr. Flavio gives THE BEST cleanings I have ever had. He takes his time and I feel like I lost a pound of gunk from my teeth after each cleaning. from him. I adore Maria too. She takes care of you and makes you feel comfortable in his office. I am found her to be detail oriented and is always aware of my coverage no matter how many times my insurance changes.

I have been seeing Dr Z for over 40 years and still come from Wisconsin to see him and will…read morecontinue to do so until he retires! No one cares more for his patients and goes out of his way to see you in any emergency situation! if you go to him once you will never want to see another dentist.

Dr Z is a great dentist. I found him on Yelp and I couldn't be happier being his patient…read more Recently I noticed my face was swollen. Googled it and found it might be a tooth infection. Immediately called Dr Z and he asked if I could come in later that day. Seriously when does that happen with any doctor. He put me on antibiotics and everything worked out but could have been very serious. I am so grateful to have a dentist like Dr Z.

I don't want to say too many bad things, so I'll leave it at this: It was very nice of Dr Wier to…read moretake $75 off of my bill for all the trouble that I incurred. (Trouble, basically, being 5 appts to take care of a mere 3 fillings. 2 appts to do the fillings, and 3 trips to fix mistakes.) That being said, all the reviews on this site appear to be about Dr Rob Wier Sr. (who is no longer in the business) and none about Dr Rob Wier Jr (who is currently running the practice). Cant find a place to review Dr Rob, Jr. :( So, yeap, I got in the chair thinking I was sitting with the aforementioned Dr Rob, and instead I got the latter. A very nice man, no doubt, but 5 trips later I saw my error. Am again on the market for my "local denist."

This 5 star review is bittersweet. Sweet because they deserve it, bitter because they might get too…read morebusy for me to get appointments in ;) Very friendly and thorough staff all around! I was going to the dental salon for a few years before coming here and loved them too but made an appointment here earlier this year in the summer when my son got knocked in the mouth by accident with a laser tag gun during a birthday party and could not get an appointment at the Dental Salon to get his tooth checked for trauma. Dr Wier took us in right away to check and X-ray the tooth and I was so happy with the receptionist's (Vicky) friendly service that I scheduled cleanings for myself and my 3 kids in the fall. My 3 & 4 year olds loved their check up and keep asking when they can go back for a check up again, and my son loved them too so I forced my husband (who hadn't been to the dentist in years) to get his check up with them. My husband was blown away and was very pleased by their service. Fast forward to April 2014... All my kids and my husband and I have had check ups and cleanings. They were super thorough! I've never had such a thorough check up so I then scheduled myself for a simple procedure to fix a tooth and Dr. Kalkanas has been wonderful! I've been serviced by multiple staff members and they wear ALL consistent with their great friendly service!: Thanks, Dr. Wier Dr Kalkanas Receptionist: Vicky Diana, RGH Toureen, RGH Betty, RGH You guys are awesome!

Dr. L , is awesome. Totally trustworthy, very professional and just a great caring person…read more She is NOT trying to push unnecessary gum surgery, removal of all your teeth or major jaw reconstruction as an "upgrade" (unlike MENTIST aka marketing dentist). Only downfall, is she does not employee those super model hygienist like those Mentist , but actually hires really well qualified hygienist.

If only all professional service practices were like this one! Drs. Lauterbach and Torma are…read moreknowledgeable, professional, friendly, and caring. The word integrity springs to mind every time I think of them. We are all busy and pressed for time yet I gladly brave Chicago weather, construction, and a 45+ mile drive to continue seeing Dr. Lauterbach. And I'd drive even farther if that ever became necessary. I simply know of no other practice that offers the obvious skill along with the personal touch that is offered here. If you're looking for a dentist you cannot do better than this practice. These are people who care and it shows.