I'm sad to say our most recent experiences at Pine have caused us to move on to the next best pediatric dentist. My 3-yo ended up with cavities and she was not the best sports at her cleaning. It was bad. So we came back for x-rays and she was still not the best. I was told we would need to book with their partner in order to put my kiddo under for x-rays and her dental procedures. That is when I put a stop to the plan of action. My kiddo needed a root canal and 4 extractions to her front teeth, I kindly declined and went to look for a second opinion. I was made to feel like her teeth had no hope, however my daughter has since gotten a crown and fill-ins, and zero extractions. Goodbye Pine Dental. read more

Not honest. Dentist wanted to pull out all 21 teeth my 3 years old had. She said they were all decayed and needed to be all extracted. I got a second opinion at Toothbuds and that dentist saved All my daughter's teeth. Do not trust them. read more

We had a great experience with Dr. Rachel and with Shirley at the front office. We were on our third dentist when we got to Pine with 8 cavities that another pediatric dentist had somehow missed. We ended up needing to go with general anesthesia (with Dr. Higgins who is a GEM!!) and Shirley worked tirelessly to get insurance to cover it. Dr. Rachel was super on it and took really good care of my son--especially the follow up care. I was very pleased and look forward to years to come. That said, I see some of these other reviews and know that each dentist is different and encourage anyone reading these reviews to read them carefully and, if you choose to go with this practice, ask for a specific dentist who has gotten good reviews. read more

One of the worst experience of my life. I was pressured into the procedures. Hey we're very unprofessional start to finish about everything from private life questions to how they handled the mispractice. The pain of my procedure was excruciating! They ran out of anesthetics midway. The drill broke and they drilled my mouth with a broken diamond deep into my gums by accident for quite some time. They often mishandled my payments if I paid cash, we ended up paying hundreds on thousands for a procedure that marred my smile and caused me the most pain I've ever endured and broke my family. These people shrugged off the responsibility like, it was spilled milk. These guys are scum. read more

I'd like to start this review by saying that all 3 of my kids have attended Pine Dental from the start, and we've always been very happy. However, our last visit was horrific. My daughter needed a cavity filled and Dr. Charlie - who we've always trusted before - became angered while my daughter was under anesthesia (she wouldn't stop crying because she was afraid) and actually yelled at her. He was incredibly menacing and wholly unprofessional. Thanks to his behavior, my daughter is even more phobic of dental procedures than she was to begin with. As unfortunate as it is, I am now on the hunt for a new dental practice. read more

I love Pine Dental. The technicians are so patient, explaining all of the instruments and what they do. They make sure all the things they do are not scary. It really puts your mind at ease. And my daughter is excited about brushing and flossing! Dr. Richardson is really nice, making us very comfortable. I recommend this business to everyone! read more

i was referred to Pine dental by town and country peds (LOVE THEM BTW) and set up an appointment. My son was cursed with my wife's family's poor dental genetics, unfortunate for sure as i'm 39 with 1 cavity. (i will not say how many my wife has or my father in law) So my son had some cavities after his exam, we scheuled a time to get them filled - he was having pain and discomfort and the appointment the receptionist set up was 8-10 days out.(i was standing in front of her at the office) I told her that was not going to work as my son (6 at the time) was in pain and needed to see a dentist in the next day or two. She said, were way too busy to accomodate that - sorry try giving him tylenol. I said, really? tylenol for 8-10 days - i'll pass . Asked to speak to a manager - and the dentist. both confirmed that they were booked adn could not accomodate. That to me is rediculous, figure your schedule out and take care of patients that have pain, discomfort etc. I on site requested the x-rays i paid for (which sucked said my kids new dentist who i also love) and i will NEVER ever set foot in this place again. poor customer service, poor service and way over priced! i called my new dentist and they got him in same day and filled the one that hurt and again have been amazing ever since. read more

My son has been seeing Dr. Nancy at Pine Dental since he had teeth. Due to prematurity, there was always a chance of teeth problems early on so we started early. Both my son and I have always had a wonderful experience there. The hygentists are very nice and Dr. Nancy is very thorough and very good with the kids. My son actually reminded me he had to go to the dentist recently and was anxious to go back. read more

We are very disappointed with Pine Dental's service and charges. We would not return or recommend it to anyone. Our experiences with the front desk were particularly frustrating read more

Both my son (three) and daughter (six) are patients of Dr. Tehemina Richardson. I recently took my six year old daughter to Dr. Tehemina to have a cavity removed and had a wonderful experience. Let me preface this by saying that my daughter can be a bit high maintenance and it takes a while for my daughter to warm up. She tends to be tense and clingy in stressfulor unfamiliar situations. Dr. Tehemina and her staff put her at ease almost immediately. Not once did Dr. Tehemina move forward without my daughter's cooperation. Dr. Tehemina did a great job explaining the procedure step by step to not only my daughter, but to me as well. By explaining everything in such simple and fun terms, Dr. Tehemina really put my otherwise tense daughter, at ease. I have to admit that I'm a bit high strung as well, and she was able to ease my nerves as well. She explained to me what she was doing as she was performing the procedure and even invited me to take a closer look. She worked quickly and efficiently and all the while, she and her staff made my child comfortable and even brought a couple of smiles to her otherwise serious face. Before I knew it, she was done and the procedure was over. Dr. Tehemina even called me later in that same day to inquire as to my daughter's condition. Not only is Dr. Tehemina a highly experienced and skilled dentist, she is simply amazing with children. From beginning to end, everything was top notch. My daughter now enjoys going to the dentist and even flosses every day! As a parent, I am happy to know that my children have received great dental care in such a warm and caring environment. I highly recommend Dr. Tehemina and her staff without reservation. read more

I am amazed at how talented the staff are at dealing with children. My daughter is extremely phobic of any dental procedure. When (the amazing) Dr Richardson said she was going to do sealants on her molars without full general anesthesia (which costs over $2000) , I was thinking "good luck with that plan." To my utter amazement I watched her do the whole procedure by putting on a full blown Academy award worthy performance for her while doing all the technical work. I am sitting next to her working on my son right now. She is doing a pulpectomy and cap under nitrous gas. Again, she is amazing. Can't recommend highly enough. read more

I have a two-year old, have been to Pine Dental twice to see Dr. Kate, and am continually amazed by how unbelievably great they are. I had no idea what to expect on our first visit. Two-year olds and dentists are a potentially lethal combo. On our first visit, Dr. Kate came to greet us in the waiting room, patiently ushered us back to the exam rooms and then she and her staff carefully (and quickly!) dealt with my son's dental issues. He was fascinated by all of the equipment that she let him see and touch, and he didn't fuss one bit. On the second visit (a full cleaning), they turned on the tv in the ceiling (brilliant!) and we breezed through the cleaning. My son talks about Dr. Kate for months after our visits--she's awesome! I don't know how their prices compare to others in the area, but I would honestly pay up for the kind of care we get there. I've never had any issues with the front desk. They are matter-of-fact and courteous (I care more about the dentist and hygenists' bedside manner). read more

My 3-year-old son had his first dentist appointment today, and talk about a success! Dr. Richardson came out to greet us in the waiting room and get my son comfortable with him, went through everything step by step, and knew how to draw him out and make him wonderfully comfortable. I was hoping the appointment would be a success and it was, but that probably wouldn't have been enough to get me to hop onto Yelp. What made me write a rave review was how the office handled a scheduling change. We booked an appointment for a time that was convenient for us, and then about a week before the appointment the office called us and asked if we could move the appointment by 30 minutes. We didn't love the change, but it was only 30 minutes and so we said it was fine. When we arrived Dr. Richardson made a point of thanking us for being so flexible, and then when we checked out the office manager thanked us for being so flexible, and then told us there was no charge for the visit! We don't have dental insurance, so this was a nice comp. With great service for the patients and the parents, Pine Dental has got us for life, or at least while my son is seeing a pediatric dentist! read more

Pine Dental is very nice! The waiting room is a match made in heaven for kids with a few tv's, comfy seating and play space. The dentists themselves are kind, child-centered and helpful. My daughter loves her "goody bag" once she's done with a cleaning which includes the usual brush and floss but also has little toys, stickers and bracelets.The reception, as far as my experience, has been helpful but yes- they book our appointments months in advanced and my child has never had a dental emergency- (knock on wood). We've almost always gotten a particular dental assistant that was patient towards my daughter, but this time around we got one who seemed crabby and annoyed, which is the reason for 4 stars instead of 5. read more

My children have been seeing Dr. Charlie for their dental care for 11 years. I was referred to Dr. Charlie by our pediatrician because her children were his patients. My children trust Dr. Charlie and his staff. I have never heard a complaint from my kids about having a dentist appointment. Everyone is cheerful and kind. They explain everything to the children and treat them with respect. We were seeing Dr. Charlie before he had the new high-tech office and I don't remember the cost of care being much different. My 13 year old son just had a tooth pulled and it was not expensive at all. read more

Pine Dental Care is great, particularly Dr. Charlie. We were referred to him because my son had a bad experience with a dentist who claimed he worked with kids, but really didn't have a kid-friendly manner, staff, or environment. My son was understandably leery of dentists after some bad experiences there. From the first moment Dr. Charlie knew just what to do and say to gain my son's trust. My 3 boys talk about Dr. Charlie when we're brushing teeth because they like/respect him so much they don't want to let him down. They don't even flinch when I say it's time for a check-up. There was also a male hygienist there (can't recall his name) who was just amazing with my kids. 4 stars is because, yes, it's pricey, but I feel we get very, very good service for that price. Also, the front desk people could be friendlier, but that's a trade off I'll accept for a good practitioner. K read more

My children have been patients of Dr. Tehemina's since they were both 2 years old (one is now 7, the other 4). Both have difficult teeth - lots of cavities that need to be filled. Dr. Tehemina is a wonderful dentist that knows how to explain things to the kids and help put them at ease. She is great at adapting her style to fit the child. She is also great with the parents - helping us understand the process as well. I have been to many other dentists myself, ones that are not nearly as good as Dr. T - what a difference it makes!! Dr. T and the front staff have always worked to see the kids when needed. Most recently, they helped find time to fill cavities for both of my kids. I think what sums it all up is that after having 5 cavities filled, my daughter announced that now she wants to be a dentist, just like Dr. T! read more

The guy above me who wrote the review, is for lack of a better word, a IDIOT. The doctors at pine dental are great, their awesome with the kids, and the prices are fair unless you want cheap dentistry. The offices are very clean and nice, the TVs and computer stations add a nice touch, which most offices don' t have, I don't understand how that is annoying. The dentistry is great here and is definitely worth the price for your kids. read more

This is a wonderful practice with highly educated pediatric dental specialists. They are truly spectacular with young patients and those with special needs. I drive over an hour to take my kids to this office and it is the BEST! I highly encourage parents to bring their kids here for their dental care. read more

This is a good practice with knowledgeable dentists and orthodontists. Despite persistent scheduling issues, we will continue coming here because the care is decent. read more

I took my 4 year old son to Pine Dental in Chicago for a regular checkup and was told by his Dentist, Dr. Tehemina Richardson, that he would need a pulpotomy (which is a baby root canal and a tough proceedure for an adult let alone a young child). She said he would need to have the proceedure done within two weeks as the decay was significant. Our first difficulty was with the office staff. We were told that there were no appointments for weeks - even when I reiterated Dr. Tehemina's two week timetable and said we were willing to see another dentist. I was told a staff meeting regarding the appointment would be necessary for them to find time in the schedule. After several days of waiting we were given the last appointment on a Saturday afternoon. They made sure to let us know that the doctor would have to extend her hours to do this proceedure for us. Dealing with the office staff was very unpleasant. On the day of the appointment, Dr. Tehemina began by rather emphatically explaining the means by which my son could communicate any discomfort he experienced during the proceedure. He was instructed to raise his hand if he became uncomfortable in any way. The dentist stated that she would stop if he raised his hand and take care of any issues he had. I was initially grateful that she established a trust between herself and my son so that he might feel more at ease. At first everything went well. My son tolerated two novacaine shots calmly and without incident. Then, after a rather tedious and curiously clumsy process of setting up the dental dam, the dentist began to drill and my son raised his hand almost immediately. The dentist's assistant promptly put his hand back down. My son began to show clear discomfort and raised his hand twice more. Each time the assistant put his hand back down despite the fact that he was doing exactly what he had been instructed to do! Any trust between them was now irrevocably broken. I stopped them and insisted they check with my son as they had promised, to see what the problem was. When the doctor pulled back the dental dam we all saw blood and realized that she had been cutting into his lip with the drill! Dr. Tehemina immediately apologized and appeared to be flustered. She cleaned the wound and we decided to try once more - a decision I will always regret . When the doctor began to set up the dental dam again, my son, who was understandably frightened at the thought of going through the whole process again,became upset. It was then that Dr. Tehemina leaned over him and in a totally inappropriate tone, repeated over and over to him loudly that if he didn't stop crying "everything would be bad," and that "he was not being a good helper and he was not being a good listener". At that point I had reached my limit. I stopped the appointment, my husband arrived and we decided to have the tooth temporarily filled until we could figure out our next step. This is a PEDIATRIC dental office, where one would expect a certain level of expertise in dealing with upset children going through difficult proceedures. Instead, after physically hurting my son, Dr.Tehemina frightened him with her behavior and berated him for crying. The incident was utterly disturbing for us all and, needless to say, will not soon be forgotten by my son. The following Monday I contacted Dr. Nancy, one of Pine Dental's owners to voice my concerns. Although she at times seemed sympathetic, she asked several bothersome, leading questions, including - whether I thought it was a bad time of day for my son to have such an appointment; was he normally tired around that time? In my opinion her question was a poorly disguised way of blaming me for not knowing better and arranging a better time in the schedule. I told her my son was never tired around this time, and as I mentioned before, we had to struggle with the staff to get any appoinment at all. When I told Dr. Nancy that my husband and I were more than doubtful about returning to Pine Dental to complete the proceedure, she told me that she herself would see my son. She insisted that she would do her best to "make things better" if we were to return, and that she would have her staff call us within a day or two to give us time to think things through, and - if we wanted- to set up an appointment. NO ONE EVER CALLED US. This is a very poplar Pediatric Dental practice in Chicago. We were referred by our pediatrician, so I am sure there are some good dentists in the practice. But - even if I were to give the doctor the benfit of the doubt - maybe Dr Tehemina just had a bad day - my son ended up paying for it, and no one ever did anything to "make things better," despite Dr. Nancy's claim. I would not want any other child to have to endure what my son did should Dr. Tehemina have another "off" day. I shudder to think of what may have happened had I not been there to stop her when things got bad. I would NOT take your child to this dentist! read more

dr. charlie is great with kids and i suppose that's ultimately what should be most important. i'm only giving two stars because i have a hard time with the fact that my 5 1/2 year old son is in the chair no longer than 5 minutes and i have a $165.00 bill for this. i know there are plenty of good dental alternatives in chicago. i don't know if this is the going rate but 5 minutes worth of care comes with that type of price tag and it's really annoying to see the giant plasma screens he has all over his waiting room, the internet station and the brand new office. instead of subsidizing a fancy office i would rather pay a fair price for excellent pediatric dental care. we're going to try someone else. i have no doubt dr. charlie is well qualified and gives great care, i just have a hard time getting past all the glitz and reconciling that with the high priced for an office visit there. read more

My daughter (6) has been a patient of Pine Dental Care since she was 2, and I couldn't be more pleased with our experience thus far. It is immediately evident upon meeting Dr. Tehemina that she loves children and is skilled at putting them at ease, which I imagine is no easy task when dealing with kids at the dentist! Her warm bedside manner makes my daughter a happy patient, and her professionalism makes me a happy mother. As an added plus, the entire staff at the office are extremely friendly and helpful. My 16 month old son will become one of Dr. Tehemina's patients when he's a little older and ready for his first checkup, and I always highly recommend her to all the parents I know. read more

Everyone here has been super helpful with my children. My daughter with Autism is treated with great respect here. I am so thrilled to have a professional really take time to ask me about what my daughter likes or dislikes and sensory aversions and interests and then use that information to make the doc office experience the most positive possible. As oppossed to some other offices that were ' this is how WE do it' this office has always tried to get to know us and do what works best with our family. Dr. Nancy stressed that dental care is lifelong so forming that trust with a dentist and the dental experience early on is key to good dental health. She and her partner have both given us tips to not just get through the current appointment but to help us down the road. They are committed to life long care and support of families really think through each of their actions about how it will effect the whole child. I am very impressed and at answering all my questioning. read more

Our 8 year-old daughter Mollie thinks Dentist Tehemina Richardson and all of the people at Pine Dental Care rock! Thanks to Dr. Tehemina and all of the fabulous staff at Pine Dental Care, we have a kid who actually looks forward to going to the dentist and this is a kid who has had nine fillings (or "silver sparkles" as Dr. Tehemina explained to our daughter) and is now in the process of getting an expander and "bracelets" on her teeth with Orthodontist Carrie Thanamani! Our longtime Lakeview dentist recommended Pine Dentist Care as the group that she had used for her children when we were looking for a pediatric dentist for our young child. From our initial visit four years ago and up to the present, we have been so thankful that our daughter has only had positive experiences with her dental care. We appreciated the fact that Dr. Tehemina warned us early on that our daughter would most likely need braces because she had big baby teeth tightly crowded into a little mouth. We were prepared when our daughter's adult teeth started wedging themselves in as best they could and were comforted when Dr. Tehemina assured us that they wouldn't fall out from lack of space! We have been so impressed with the care our daughter has received at Pine Dental Care that we have recommended Dr. Tehemina Richardson and Pine Dentist Care repeatedly to our friends who have all reported similar positive experiences. Familiar front desk staff members Jannette or Mollie greet our daughter by name when she arrives. The waiting room has a star ship play area, books, TVs, and computers with kid friendly games. Once our daughter is in the chair there is interesting equipment to investigate (how high up will the chair actually go?) as well as a television on the ceiling. Best of all, there is an explanation in kid-friendly language for our daughter from Dr Tehemina or her assistants Gina or Dolly for every tool before it goes in our daughter's mouth. Mr. Squirty is our favorite but we are also fond of the elephant nose gas mask and the purple duck mouth that our daughter wears when getting her sparkles. Finally, Mollie gets gobs of stickers at the end of her appointment. Wow, is it any wonder that our daughter can't wait to go for her next appointment and see Dr. Tehemina Richardson at Pine Dental Care? read more

I like this place. It's right across the hall from my kids' pediatrician's office, which is very convenient. I have never had to wait long, which is key when you are bringing kids to any kind of appointment. Dr. Charlie is great with the kids and very patient while they squirm, kick, scream, whatever. The facilities are nice and the support staff is good. Getting an appointment is fairly easy as well. read more

Dr. Tehemina Richardson has been my pediatric dentist for 3 years now - my girls are age 7 & 5 and my boy, who's 2, will be seeing her very soon. My children absolutely adore her -- they actually ask me when they're going to see her again! From the very beginning, when my daughter was just over 3, Dr. Tehemina put her at ease by using the "magic nose" (having the child press his/her nose to help lower and raise the dental chair) and being very nice (my kids pick up on other people's emotions very easily) and chatty with her. Dr. Tehemina very lovingly establishes a great rapport with my children and never makes them feel as though they are being rushed. She explains every movement that she makes and asks them if it's ok to continue or begin anything. Plus, she does it all with great patience and a wonderful smile. It's clear that she loves what she does. I have to drive anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour to get to the office, and I recommend her and her office to anyone that I can. My 7 year old currently has to have a tooth pulled and after several appointments with Dr. Tehemina in order to ascertain which one should be pulled (the whole staff has been very helpful through the process), she is at ease with the fact that the process has to be done. I have no reservations in having Dr. Tehemina perform the procedure. My 7 year old has to be physically restrained by me when she gets her shots because she kicks and screams - if she can be calm about having a tooth pulled, then kudos to the dentist!! The offices are very modern (I have been to both places). It shows that they care for children and that they like children. There are nice flat-screen TVs in the waiting room, plenty of books and magazines for both children and adults, and room for the children to play a bit. There is plenty of comfortable seating. I know the bathroom in the Glenview office even has a toddler's potty and sink - not only a nice added convenience, but it makes the children comfortable. There are TVs on the ceiling that allow the children to watch TV if they wish while their dental work is being done. My kids always leave the office happy. The staff has always been friendly to the children - they acknowledge them and engage them in conversation, which shows that they have plenty of experience with children. If I have any problems with trying to fit an appointment in with my schedule, they are very accomodating; often fitting me in regardless of how busy they are. Even if that happens, we are never rushed through any procedure. Plus, I feel that if they are that busy - they must be good at what they do. read more

My kids have been going to Pine Dental/Orthodontist for almost 10 years and I have always been pleased. My son had a root canal at age 5 and it went smoothly. The dental hygienists are great as is Dr Charlie. I have found the practice has very good hours and is very accommodating. My only gripe is that I have to pay them for the bill upfront and then wait to be reimbursed from my dental insurance vs. just having to pay my copay. They do offer discounts for prepayment of orthodontia which was very helpful. Overall an excellent practice group with a new state-of-the art office with a parking garage (very important for the busy neighborhood they are in). read more

The doctors here are second to none. Compassionate and patient - I recommend them to all my fellow parents.

They are not in network. With anyone. We found it very frustrating that they did not provide straight answers to our simple question of whether they were. We felt their staff was misleading, and we're sure this is not a difficult question to answer directly if they would have wanted to. $90 out-of-pocket for a 5 minute cleaning for our three year old. We have no confidence in the practice; and are thankful we didn't have them working on our children for anything besides a cleaning. Definitely will not be going back. read more

While my son was a patient at Pine Dental until he was 16 I was happy with the service and very much liked the dentists, although I too blanched at the prices. However at 18 he was ready to transition to my adult dentist. A 30 second exam revealed a cross bite which is much more difficult to fix at 18. "Someone dropped the ball" said the oral surgeon. Perhaps worse, they missed an impacted wisdom tooth that was growing into another tooth - they never did a panoramic x-ray. The wisdom tooth destroyed the tooth next to it so now they both have to be removed, a bone graft done, and eventually an implant. My dentist discovered both of these things in one visit. The x-rays sent by Pine Dental never included the furthest back teeth. I have no dental insurance, and am out thousands of dollars. We don't know yet whether the bite problem can be corrected with braces or will require breaking his jaw! If I heard one more time "If only this had been caught when he was 14" I think I would have screamed. read more