Bucktown Wicker Park Dental

After looking at previous Unilocal reviews, the opinion seemed pretty evenly split. Because they took my insurance and it was located only a few blocks from me, I decided to give it a try.
They office is very modern. Small but cozy, it’s decorated very well. The sign is cool, but just reads «bWPd» and I nearly passed it cuz I wasn’t exactly sure if I was at the right place. I was greeted by the desk staff and taken back on time for my appointment. Michelle, my hygienist, was very warm and friendly. Talked me through everything she was doing and laughed at my bad jokes. Also did a good job of telling me what all was covered by my insurance when I was hesitant about getting X-​rays.
Dr Schwartz (?) was fantastic. Just like Michelle, she talked me through everything and did a thorough cleaning of my teeth. She even offered to grind down/​fix a chip I had in my tooth that my previous dentist had never attempted to fix (said if it didn’t bother me to just leave it). Any questions I had she answered, and her and Michelle both worked quickly together to get me in and out.
If you’re looking for a new dentist, I would definitely recommend coming here. I absolutely loved how friendly everyone was. I just might start to actually look forward to coming to the dentist.

Rosa J. loves to write and Unilocal,and this certainly doesn’t require an open mouth.
Nevertheless, she was out of the dental insurance for some time before the current one through her employer. For the longest time, she assumed that her oral hygiene was decent since her teeth were cavity-​free. Did the professionals agree with her hypothesis?
Dr. Schwartz broke the news to me (yes, back to the first-​person pronoun) that I needed a deep cleaning, formally known as «scaling and root planing» since the periodontal probe showed that pockets between tooth rooters and the gums. This phenomenon also has caused bone losses, and these bones have said «farewell» for good and wouldn’t grow back.
Wow, I was a bit worried, but I held on and listened to Dr. Schwartz’s advice for what to do next. Through my employer I have insurance with Delta Dental, and Bucktown Wicker Park Dental is one of many in-​network providers in the city.
Three (3) weeks after the initial visit, I came for my first deep cleaning. Brenda (hopefully caught her name correctly), the dental hygienist, performed this on second and third quadrants of my mouth. I bought my earphones with me and was told that I could listen to my Pandora while the process is being performed. Yes and yes, I immediately searched my dear Mariah Carey radio station and hoped my anxiety would fly away like MC’s signature butterfly!
The first song came up was «Shake It Off,» no, not the TS’s version, but MC’s. The «numbing» shots were crucial to administer. Otherwise, all the needle pokes would hurt me like crazy!
After K-Ci&Jo Jo, Beyoncé, Ashanti, and Mary J. Blige who were nice enough to accompany me through this semi-​awkward process, mainly because of my incapacitated mouth, I requested a short bathroom break.
After the brief intermission, Brenda began to work on my upper mouth. I also switched my choice of music to «Black Box,» a.k.a. The 90’s house music. When «Good Vibrations» came out, I was reminding myself that the tools used to insert my gums provided pretty good «vibrations» per se. Mr. Wahlberg, thanks for your «Marky Mark» identity in your youth years because you were with me while I was sitting on the dental examination bed.
I didn’t mean to be this creepy with the music I like; I just wanted to have a better time with this uncomfortable mouth position. Toward the mid-​portion of the bottom teeth, there was minor pain, coming from the «fourth quadrant» where the topical anesthetic medicine wasn’t applied to. Yet that pain didn’t last long before she moved onto the inner portion of the third quadrant.
At the end of the session, I was given a bottle of anti-​microbial mouth rinse, a toothbrush, a travel-​sized toothpaste, and a package of floss. After this experience, I will be diligently flossing, brushing, and rinsing so that the accumulated bacteria (eventually turning into tartars… not the dipping sauce) won’t have to pay mortgage for their «home» they’ve found in the neighborhood… inside my lovely mouth.
With the dental insurance, I was responsible for ¹⁄₃ of the portion, in which was within the range of my estimates. I will be coming back for the other half of deep cleaning in a week.
My experience with BWPD was pleasant. Going to a dental appointment isn’t normally an exciting routine of my life, but I now have a piece of mind and know that getting examined and treated to regain the oral health is important and should NOT be skipped.

I alway felt like they were trying to sell me services I didn’t need. My last visit confirmed my suspicions when they gave me a deep cleaning for no apparent reason. They didn’t bother to ask me or tell me why I needed one. They always try to guilt me into 3 visits a year even when I don’t have any problems. This place is a scam

I’m having almost the same experience as Charlene S. I suddenly got a bill (even though I’ve paid my balance each time, hundreds of dollars for a deep cleaning and a crown). The dentist said I would need 3 root canals. I went to a specialist who said I only needed 2. I’m beginning to think this place is a scam, but it’s so close to my home, so we’ll see. Same issue w/​the gum swish and discoloration.
Always check your insurance.

I was pleased with the dentist. But not happy with the overall service. Came in oct 2014 for an overdue cleaning and the dentist suggested to come in a few months later for another cleaning. I agreed. It would be a new year and my benefits would start over. But bc she said to come ev 4 months I asked at the front desk about verifying my benefits and without hesitation the woman said, «you’re allowed 2 a year». And I asked how much it would be if I came more frequently. She consulted a binder and told me that it was $ 60 for additional cleanings. So I made my follow up in January.
In the meantime I bought this overpriced dental wash they said would help my inflamed gums and swished it around for 30 sec religiously everyday. After a month it started to turn my teeth, near the gums, brown and I brushed harder and swished more. Then when I read the side effects it said may cause staining. I looked like Austin Powers. I stopped using it and the staining faded slightly. But by the time I went back for a cleaning in January they were still slightly «off». When I complained to the hygentist she said that I could have come back periodically for a buff to get rid of the staining. No one had given me those instructions before I used it. But who has time to get cleanings so frequently?
The dentist again suggested that I come back in a few more months to get my teeth cleaned. Before I made an appointment I confirmed with the same woman at the front desk that it would be covered and subsequent treatments would be $ 60. So I made an appt for April. Had the same hygentist who was nice. Had the dentist poke around for 5 min afterwards. Paid a mysterious $ 1 balance. Made an appt for August thinking it would be $ 60. When August rolls around and I get the confirmation text I call to confirm the price and appt and find out that I have a hundred plus something balance. What?! I cancel the appt and she said she would have the head of the front office call me. I never got that call. And about a week later the head of the front office calls to confirm the appt I JUST canceled and I told her to verify my benefits and that appt was canceled. I relay the conversations we had on previous occasions about what she quoted me. She says she’s about to go on vacation and will look into my insurance and the costs and call me when she returned from vacation. I never got that call either. She states at the very most she can offer me a discount.
All I got was a bill 2 months later with a recent fax of denial from my insurance company that they won’t cover the frequency of visits (which is why I verified TWICE about my coverage). I called the following day and I didn’t get an explanation of unprofessionalism nor accountability why I never received a call (out of courtesy) when I was told they would, or why I was misquoted twice, and not honoring the price they originally said. I was given 15% off. She said that was the «best I could do.» Sounding like a used car salesman. Charged 70 $ for the 5 minute poke from the dentist. And $ 107 for the mediocre cleaning that they said I needed to come in frequently to get.
Disappointed with the staff. I’ve done my Unilocal research and I’m disappointed that their low ratings were for similar complaints about the office staff. I’m sorry but I won’t be returning.

I just went in for my 6 month cleaning and check up and thought it’s about time I review my experiences here. I think this might be one of the longest relationships I’ve had!!!(and I’ve been married before! LOL)
Dr. Schwartz is spot on, fun, interested, knowledgeable and willing to go that extra yard for her clients. (I had an emergency earlier this year and needed an Oral Sgn asap)
The front staff is friendly and on point, and yes it’s a business so if they seem busy… guess what. they are!
For the cleanings I see Dr. Thereasa now, for fillings and specialty needs, Dr. Schwartz and Suzi the assistant is pleasant and bright.
I actually «check in» on face book today because I really enjoy the people, atmosphere (now that the renovations are complete (ish) and the results. I will never break up with you!!!
ps — i drive the 30 – 40 minutes from S.E. Evanston to go here — I did live in the neighborhood, but that was a while ago. BIG SMILES!

I had an appointment for a cleaning today at 9am. I missed the train by seconds, and thought I should be courteous and call the office to let them know I would be a few minutes late. This call took place at 8:50am, 10 minutes before my appointment. I was only two stops away. The woman on the phone said I may need to reschedule. I told her no, it was not even 9am so I was not late yet, and that I would only be a few minutes late.
I called two more times when I was almost at the Damen stop, but they did not pick up. I called one last time when I got off the Damen stop and was already walking to the office. A different woman answered the phone and told me that I would have to reschedule, even knowing that I was already walking to the office, and was only about 2 blocks away. This final call I made was at 9:07am. I was not even 10 minutes late at that point and they wanted me to reschedule my appointment for a later date.
I was a repeat client here, was courteous enough to go above and beyond by giving them the play by play that I would be a few minutes late, the wind chill this morning was –15 degrees and there was snow on the ground. In extreme weather conditions such as this morning, I expect professional establishments to be more lenient, considerate and understanding when their clients are a little bit late.
When I told the receptionist I would find a dentist closer to work next time, she wasn’t concerned that she had lost my business. That upsets me that they don’t value me as a client and turned me away on a day such as today when the weather conditions are well below freezing.
If you want to feel like a valued client, whether you are a repeat client or a new one, I would suggest staying away from this unprofessional and inconsiderate business.

Ahh, dentists. I am very, very, very picky about my dentists. Like in a lunatic kind of way. I have had some pretty horrible experiences with dentists in the past and it literally took me almost two weeks to decide to make an appointment with Bucktown Dental. To be clear, I really despise dentists that specialize in cosmetic anything. You know what a dentist should do? Clean teeth. Treat gum disease. Fill cavities. Perform root canals. Be concerned with the general health and well being of teeth, gums, etc.
You know what a dentist shouldn’t do? Provide orthodontic advice (go see an orthodontist for retainers or braces). Insist that whitening treatments are important. Push expensive cosmetic treatments on patients who a) don’t want them and b) couldn’t care less. I have sat in too many dental chairs and been told that I should get some kind of cosmetic treatment that I don’t need. Who cares about fake white teeth? If it is not detrimental to my oral health, I don’t want it. Please don’t tell me that you «recommend» I get a retainer — my orthodontist would probably be offended that you’re saying his two years of work didn’t «take.»
But… I digress. Bucktown Dental is none of these things. My experience here was the exact opposite of ones that I’ve had at dentists in the past. All of the staff were friendly and I was seen by a technician to start my x-​rays immediately. Everyone was very talkative and made me feel very comfortable. I was treated by Dr. Daza and she did a great job cleaning my teeth. She asked me what I wanted from my visit (I’m sure some people would like orthodontic advice or have come in with some kind of massive tooth pain), but she was perfectly happy to just clean my teeth like I asked. No argument, no pressure to whiten or get fitted for Invisalign… just a nice, healthy teeth cleaning.
I was in and out in an hour, and that included yearly x-​rays and a long conversation about my job with Dr. Daza. All in all, very pleasant and I’m actually looking forward to going to my appointment in March (I know, weird… right?). The office is pleasantly decorated (even though it’s partially under construction). The waiting area chairs are super cushy and comfortable and all of the décor is sleek and modern. They are really upfront about cost and insurance information, so give them your insurance info over the phone as soon as you call to make your first appointment. They were very clear about insurance and payment costs and they answered questions I had about different procedures in case anything happens in the future. Again, I’m actually looking forward to coming back. I think I finally found a dentist I can be really happy with.

I came to this office because my dentist-​who is great-​is no longer practicing in the office where I normally saw her and is now practicing exclusively here.
When I was told that Dr. Schwartz would be moving her practice to the Bucktown location, I called to make an appointment. I informed them that I had been seeing Dr. Schwartz in Lincoln Square for 8 years or so and I had only been to the Bucktown location once, maybe 10 years ago.
They scheduled my appointment and didn’t ask me any questions about my insurance – which I assumed they had on file since I was a longtime patient.
When I arrived for my appointment, I was immediately told that they checked with Blue Cross Blue Shield and found that I did not have insurance with them. I said I was not surprised by this, because BCBS doesn’t carry my dental coverage – another company does. They didn’t have my records, even though I had been going to Dr. Schwartz for nearly a decade.
Nonetheless, when they checked my insurance coverage, they told me that Dr. Schwartz was an out of network provider and so insurance would only pay a portion of the amount.
I asked them why they didn’t ask me for this information in advance rather than wasting all of my time to drive down (after all, they apparently thought I had BCBS and wasn’t covered at all)? The woman at the front claimed to have called my cellphone the day before and left a voicemail. When I told her I hadn’t received a call or a message (and showed her my call log to prove this), she started to get an attitude with me.
To summarize, I would say my comments are pretty consistent with the other negative critiques of this place: The dentist is good but the staff is very rude. I never had an issue in 8 years at the Lincoln Square location.
These dentists may want to think about upgrading their staff or at least teaching them how to treat customers with respect.

I continued to experience confusion and problems here with my Invisilign treatment planning. The doctor offered my initial down-​payment back and I took it and left the practice. It is unfortunate because their dental hygienists are fantastic. I just wish the service that the doctor provided to be more complete and understanding to my needs when I was making a big investment financially and to my teeth!

They are very nice and do a good job. The staff is nice and the dental hygienist is exceptional! I moved to a different part of the city and I still come here. I’m afraid to go anywhere else. I come here bc they have my history and have great referrals.

How unfortunate that a dentist who seems to be pretty good (Dr Daza) runs a practice like this. There are plenty of good dentists in Chicago who emphasize customer service, but not this place.
It may take a while for you to encounter the issues, but trust me: skip Bucktown Wicker Park Dental and go elsewhere unless you plan to be with these guys until you die.
This dental practice used to be located in the Loop, where my husband was a long-​time patient. Once they moved to Bucktown/​Wicker park, the location was inconvenient and he switched practices. He needed his records and x-​rays for his new dentist, and this is where the the wheels come off:
(1) He provides his email to the Bucktown Wicker Park Dental receptionist so she can email his records to him. She types his email address wrong. Several days go by without hearing from them.
(2) He calls to ask for those records again. She realizes her error, successfully emails him the release form, and it includes a $ 15 «handling fee.» To hit send. On an email. To obtain his own records. After having to chase them because of a clerical error on their end.
(He could go pick them up his records for free apparently, but since he’s leaving because the practice is no longer conveniently located and his appointment with his new dentist is now right around the corner, that’s not going to work.)
Did I mention he’s been a patient there for nearly 7 years?
(3) Husband’s new dentist’s office even called Bucktown Wicker Park Dental to ask for an exception: no dice.
Look elsewhere: you CAN have it all: solid customer service, a skilled dentist, and not get fleeced… you just can’t have it all at Bucktown Wicker Park Dental.

I found the hygienist, assistant and Dr. Schwartz to be excellent.
But I will say the front office really put me off. In fact, I won’t be returning. Luckily, Dr. Schwartz has an office in Lincoln Square that is run differently.
It’s the beginning of the year and my employer changed our dental coverage back to a previous insurer. It’s a known insurance company, they even had my records (from two years back, just not the current ones). But that didn’t stop the woman at the front desk from treating me like shit. At first, it was pleasant but the policies at this office are nuts.
The cost for the visit wasn’t very high, and knowing it would be covered (preventive care!), i wasn’t worried. But there is something weird when the hygienist said to the assistant «oh, don’t do the panoramic xray — he doesn’t have insurance» that just pissed me off. Instead of being given any kind of choice, it was assumed I would cheap out.
Like I said, even at the full cost, it wasn’t very expensive — so I’m unclear what possessed them to treat me like that.
After a lot of back and forth and being asked to wait in the office while she contacted my broker (!) to find out the data, i just pulled out my credit card and paid. I asked to be contacted when she found out more. And I never heard back.
I’ve now been able to get the reimbursement and other stuff figured out. This was a pain in the ass. The office wasn’t communicative or helpful. So I’m just glad I didn’t get fleeced.

Looking for a new dentist in the bucktown area, thanks Unilocal!Now it’s time to pay if forward! Everyone is exceptionally nice, dr. Schwartz was awesome, asked me questions appropriately based on my intake form, and assisted in the cleaning and consultation herself instead of just popping in at the end, like my typical dental experience has gone historically. I have to have a pretty large filling replaced and we are going to try filling it again before doing a crown… I appreciated her honesty and the time she spent talking about my teeth!

I began seeing Dr Schwartz when I first moved to Chicago. I needed a new crown which she replaced at a low cost. And I guess that you get what you pay for because the temporary broke in half the next day. Being that it was one of my front teeth, I was completely embarrassed. They were reluctant to do it, but I went in and they glued it back. Then my permanent crown came in and she replaced it. Not only is it the wrong color, it’s too big and the metal is exposed at the gum line. I am a young woman and my smile is a big deal to me, and I am so self conscious about my smile that I rarely smile with my teeth. I have a new dentist now who agrees that my old dentist did a sub par job. Spend a little extra money and go somewhere else. Your smile is worth it!

You never know how good a place is until you actually need them. On a recent flight home to Chicago, my crown (the permanent one) which Dr. Falcone implanted came out after causing me some pain the preceeding few days. Of course this is on a Fri afternoon, so I called the office from the plane to see if someone could reattach the crown and was told that they couldn’t see me until Tues. After having been a patient for years, when I needed them in an emergency they couldn’t see me for several days. I couldn’t eat or drink anything, breathing was painful since the root was exposed, and they couldn’t see me until Tues?! So of course I called another dentist, who could see me the following morning, even though I had never, ever been a patient of his. Customer service when you need it most is what matters to me, not how fancy a waiting room you have.

Just when I thought I found a good dentist, I realized I was dealing with the used car salesmen of the dental world.
So I had to get root canals. Dr. Daza kept trying to convince me to get crowns instead of fillings. I agreed, but said I had to wait a few months because I had met my maximum for the year for my dental insurance. I told her I would just get fillings then and then go back and get crowns when I wouldn’t have to pay out of pocket.
Without discussing anything with me, she put posts in 3 of my teeth when I thought we were just doing fillings. I did not know this until I got a bill months later for a few hundred dollars.
I called the office about this and they really could not have cared less. I kind of forgot about the situation after a while and I went back for my biannual teeth cleaning a few months later.
I casually asked about cosmetic dentistry. I pointed out a few minor things I would like to correct about my smile if correcting it was something as easy as using a retainer. Dr Daza’s response:
«Your entire jaw is messed up. It’s not an issue with your teeth. If you want to have a nicer smile and fix those lines around your mouth then you should get botox. I would definitely recommend it»
By the way, I’m 21 years old. I have never been told that I should get botox, I figured it would be a while until I got that one. I especially didn’t expect to hear it from my dentist when I was discussing getting a new retainer or invisalign.
But still, I went back. Why? Because I didn’t feel like looking for a new dentist. Plus I already hate the dentist anyway.
One of my root canals failed. This was no fault of my own. I went back to my endodontist who corrected it for free. Then I went to Dr. Daza to get a filling. Yet again I was pressured about getting crowns. Not only that, I ended up paying for that filling. My endodontist (who is amazing, by the way) did it free of charge, but Dr. Daza and Wicker Park dental charged me for another filling on top of 3 previous fillings and 3 posts I didn’t want.
No thanks! This place is fine for simple cleanings as long as you’re okay with being told about everything that is wrong with you (not just limited to the appearance and health of your teeth). Just be sure they aren’t doing some much more expensive procedure even when you said you did not want it. I’m going to take Dr. Daza’s advice and spend the money to get the crowns, but I’m sure as hell not giving her office my money for it. I’m taking my business elsewhere.

This place is off the charts. I am still in shock of the exceptional service. Dr. Schwartz (sp?) was very thorough. The technology is the place is very new and cutting edge. The assistant to the dentist Erica was very sweet. The dentist was with me the entire time, even did a cleaning. I am accustomed to dental assistants doing the cleaning and then the dentist coming in checking for cavities and that’s it. This place is amazing. I had the greatest experience. I have Delta Dental PPO and didn’t pay a dollar for the great visit. And one more thing, instead of trying to sell me some expensive fluoride toothpaste or dental whitening package, the dentist recommended Colgate Total and Crest White Strips. The bathroom was lovely! The ladies at the front were polite and kept me informed during my wait time. I just love this place. Sorry to ramble. I have never written a Unilocal review.

Yeah everybody is nice & the waiting room is great & scheduling is a breeze, but I am not paying over $ 300 per cavity on my child’s baby teeth. BABY TEETH!!! When I called my insurance provider to explain they said, ‘You should have read the fine print, they used a white resin as opposed to a silver resin.”
I do not enjoy being gouged.
I looked at the average cost of filling a tooth and it is $ 75. What these people charge, about $ 300 per tooth, is fucking outrageous and anyone who goes here has way too much $$$ and not enough brains.

I’m a dental snob. And I love this place. I have had the worst, most horrible experiences in the past, and I’m so happy to call this dental office mine. Dr. Falcone is so wonderful, and so is her assistant Abbey. They are so personable and friendly and funny, they make the dentist a relaxing time, believe it or not!
I HIGHLY recommend them!