Blank Hilliard I & Assoc

Great office if you never have an issue. If you do, be prepared for pay full price to fix THEIR mistakes. Long story short I have two front teeth that don’t match with one being set at an outward angle. In order to fix it, I have to pay 100% out of pocket — $ 1000 each tooth, insurance won’t cover a RE-​DO. I chipped both my teeth next to the front and needed the crowns redone and wanted it done prior to my wedding last June. I have been a client of Dr. Cushing for years and love and trusted her. She has a very close attention to detail which is exactly want I wanted when working on my front teeth, especially before such a special event. Unfortunately we couldn’t do both crowns at once and when it was time to do the second crown Dr. Cushing was on maternity leave but left specific instructions to Dr. Blank what color to use and to send it to the same lab that did the first one. Dr. Blank chose to send it to his own lab despite Dr. Cushings specific instructions. Everything looked okay as far as I could tell but when he cemented the crown in, it was at an angle and jutted out. I could feel space between the top of the crown and my gums on the back side. Once I got home I also noticed that the shades are not the same, one clearly whiter than the other. I came back in to discuss my concerns with Dr. Blank to which he said, «you don’t want your teeth to look perfect or they won’t look real» and that «the space I’m feeling is normal and should be there». If that was the case, why do none of my other crowns have that issue? I figured I would wait until my next cleaning to discuss it further with Dr. Cushing since she is my regular dentist and I felt we had a rapport. She apologized she wasn’t there to do the second crown and that was it. I am reminded of this terrible experience every day when I floss my teeth. It’s unfortunate because I really liked Dr. Cushing and even referred my husband to their office.
I’m not a big Unilocal reviewer and being in the service industry I like to give someone every opportunity to make something «right». In this case when I told Ashley I was going to find another dentist she quickly said «okay, no problem — I’ll deactivate your account. Should I deactivate your husband as well?» Very unsympathetic and unappreciative of my business. Super disappointed. The final dig was when I expressed my dissatisfaction again while cancelling my account; Ashley told me «had they known sooner, they may have been able to do something». I was back in the office immediately after almost being in tears when I saw what the «finished product» so it makes it even worse to know they COULD have done something but chose not to. Sorry Dr. Cushing — love you but this is total BS and I have to share my opinion. Best wishes.

In a word, yesterday’s visit to the dentist was a «pleasure.» Pleasure. Not a word typically associated with the word, Dentist. From the extremely efficient, yet personable, ASHLEY at the front desk, to MELISSA (smiling and gentle and my new favorite hygienist of all-​time), to DR MUELLER (a highly-​focused, though pleasant, professional who inspires confidence), to the sweet and happy BRENDA back at the front desk, who scheduled my next appointment, this was an all-​around terrific experience. This is a modern, airy and comfortable office full of people who seem to really enjoy doing what they do, which creates the kind of atmosphere that makes going to the dentist a pleasure (there’s that word again), rather than a chore. And they had XRT on the radio — another plus! Five stars all the way.

I feel so lucky to have found this dentist office just a few blocks from where I live. I’ve been here 4 times and never had to wait more than 5 minutes in the waiting area.
I’m petrified of going to the dentist since I fear pain and sharp instruments being poked at my gums and teeth. I had to get some fillings and Dr. Mueller is so great. She is kind, gentle, and awesome at not killing you with pain when she administers the novacaine shot in the gums. She also keeps you informed of progress and what she is doing. I never feel afraid that she’s going to hurt me. She is also genuinely nice and seems to care about her patients.
The people at the front desk are very friendly and efficient too. Great experience!

This place is great! It’s the best dentist I’ve ever been to. They staff are pretty awesome and remember all your details. While they fill up with appointments pretty quick/​book far out, it’s worth it for the quality service and attention you’ll get as a patient.

I’ve been going here since I’ve lived in Chicago, seven years. They are just fantastic. I worked with Dr. Cushing and Dr. Mueller primarily, both of whom are extremely kind and lovely people, gentle and skilled dentists. The front office staff are extremely friendly and always knew who I was and what procedures I was in the middle of, whenever I called with a question or to make an appointment. The front office staff were also very knowledgeable and could answer many questions accurately without consulting the doctors. The hygienists are thorough but still gentle — just right. The team here took me through complicated procedures without any hitches and I am very grateful to them for a wonderful experience while I lived in Chicago. I wish I could take them with me when I move!

I had written a review for Blank many years ago, but now that he has moved locations, I am due to write a new one. I have been seeing Blank since 2007, and my husband has been seeing him since 2011. Blank and his staff have consistently surpassed both our expectations and have corrected some fillings and crowns that previous dentists had placed incorrectly for both of us.
I am surprised to see a previous reviewer’s quote about being nervous and Dr. Blank poking fun at that. I came to Blank having had a terrible and painful dentist history, including an infected filling and a botched root canal. He told me off the bat his goal was to make me feel more comfortable while getting dental work. I am sympathetic to this reviewer’s experience but offer that it was maybe a bad joke, as dentists sometimes make?
After six years, several fillings, and one crown later, I am still confident in his work and will be hard pressed to find a better dentist should I ever move away from Chicago. My husband says the same thing. Our fillings look like real teeth, the staff is very nice and professional, and Blank is a very efficient and friendly tooth sculptor!

I have never experienced bad dentistry in my 50 years– I was very fortunate to have my uncle take care of my teeth for many decades and afterwards found great work in NYC, Iowa City and Sarasota. I’m back in Chicago after a 20 year hiatus and found Dr. Blank on my Blue Cross/​Blue Shield list of dentist who are within 5 miles of where I live (Lincoln P) and who are in my network, how lucky for me that I picked his name and good for me, my luck continues! Great Attitude by the front desk, on my 1^st visit they didn’t even need my BC/​BS card, they had already made the necessary contacts to secure my co-​pay, Irina was great and patient with me during my cleaning and Dr. Blank is now taking care of replacing all of my old cavities, I’m in excellent hands, he has great credentials and a great presence, I’m very happy at my new Dentist Office and I’m very impressed with all the up to date technology they have in place here in their lovely new office.
I’m looking forward to my next session of pain free cavity work.
Maureen

I found this dentistry via my insurer and looked over some Unilocal reviews beforehand. Some reviewers seemed not too thrilled about their experience, eeek, but I chose this place anyway since I figured I was only going in for a dental cleaning.
My experience with this dentistry was good — the staff was attentive and professional. I’d recommend Irina as a hygienist, she is very nice and efficient; Dr. Cushing is very nice too. I was in-​and-​out in a zip.
Also, I didn’t experience all that much pain during the cleaning, contrary to what other reviewers have mentioned. Some pain is to be expected after all, but it wasn’t that different from other dentistries I’ve been to in the past.

Just came back from seeing Dr Blank for the first time and I think he’s awesome. Considerate, efficient, professional and very easy to talk to. Truthfully, I don’t think I’ve ever had a dentist who has treated me so well.
Definitely coming back!
EDITED 1÷11÷2012
Why would this office give appointments promptly for treatments and then stall people for months on end and never make any availability for patients? I really don’t get the point! Don’t go because you will get one appointment and then becuase you’ll want to go back, you will miss cleanings and pay your deductible again and again.

I’ve been here a few times since, and as always Dr. Cushing is pretty awesome. I’ve recommended her to a few people who have all had great experiences with her as well.
I’ve also noticed that the front desk is a more buttoned up than before (thumbs up), and the hygienist I’ve had the past few times has been really warm and easy going.
They’re also great about making sure a the little details are in your chart (what flavor topical anesthetic you find disgusting), and I do appreciate that. I may only see them a couple times a year, but those little details are a huge part of the awesome beside manner that Dr. Cushing and the hygienist here have.
But the walls are low. So noise passes easily.

I have been visiting this office for several years. They are very accomodating to my schedule and very professional. As a healthcare professional myself, I have high standards and they meet these. I would recommend Dr. Cushing, as well as this office for other professionals and look forward to my next visit.

I chose Dr. Blank’s office for proximity four years ago when I moved to Lincoln Park, and even though I never met the man, I was seen by Dr. Govoni and later when she left, Dr. Cushing. They are both great dentists and really nice people. Last year Dr. Cushing did a filling for me and it’s done the job beautifully.
My problem with Dr. Blank’s office is that it is the only dentist I’ve been to where my gums hurt terribly during cleanings. My boyfriend goes there as well and he’s in extreme pain the whole time. I thought it was normal until a friend, whose mother is a dental hygienist, told me it shouldn’t be that way: they should have different sized tools for each patient’s need. Ok.
Also on three instances I had problems with my insurance and their staff. These were:
1. did some work that was not included in the policy (which the staff seemed to be pretty familiar with; but as it turned out, they weren’t). I would’ve had to pay the difference but I called and complained.
2. did a filling with a different material that the insurance didn’t pick up — I had to pay the difference. This wasn’t a big deal, since the filling looks better with the upgrade, but it would have been nice to know beforehand.
3. scheduled my cleaning appointment before 6 months’ time; the insurance didn’t pay and I had to pay the balance. The doctors agreed to give me a discounted price, which was nice of them; but as a patient who pays insurance to not have to worry about paying at cleanings, this sucked.
So what you can learn from my problems when going to Dr. Blank or Dr. Cushing is:
1. double-​check your insurance policies before agreeing on any dental work other than standard cleaning, and
2. double-​check your appointment time! normally you would just go by the date they give you, since you’d think this was their job and not yours, but the staff isn’t infallible and they make mistakes too.
Lastly, set reminders for your appointments on your Outlook, phone, everywhere, since if you miss your appointment they charge you $ 40! They usually call you to kindly remind you, but in my 4 years (roughly 8 appointments) they missed one, and there you go.

Ive been seeing Dr. Blank for 6 count em 6 years… He is great and totally helps a gal out when she is getting married with some teeth beauty. Love him!

I’ve been going to Dr. Blank and Dr. Cushing for a while now and have always had pleasant experiences, especially considering the fact that it was a dentist office. Dr. Cushing is extremely friendly and always makes me feel very comfortable in the scary dentist chair. The hygenists are always very friendly and conversational and seem to remember me every time! Highly recommended.

I’m originally from Houston, and I have been going to my family dentist there all of my life. However, when it was time for me to go to DePaul, I moved up to Lincoln Park. Later in the year, I had been experiencing extreme tooth sensitivity and thought I had a cavity. So, I looked on Unilocal and any dentist review resources I could find. My choice became obvious. Somewhere close with good reviews? This was it.
I made an appointment and went to see Dr. Jaime Cushing. The environment and people were nice, but as soon as I sat in the chair, problems arose. Maybe I’m more tolerant, but I have never felt any pain while at the dentist. I’ve been sitting in the dentist’s chair getting wisdom teeth extracted or braces tightened all wide awake, with just a few shots of Novocaine. Not even those shots usually hurt! But, that day, they hurt. They hurt a lot more than usual. But I just blew it off, and thought it was a good time.
Then came the day I received the bill. It was humongous! I only got one filling, and it was a lot more than I was used to paying. First of all, I have never had to pay a co-​pay at my family dentist. Also, my bills are significantly smaller, without taking away anything from quality! So, I called and asked them about the bill. I asked if I could get some kind of student discount, and finally they budged for 10% off. A month later, I received another bill. 10% was not taken away. Again, I called and confronted them about it, and finally, the new bill was correct; but still more than what I am used to paying.
Over the summer, I went home to see my family dentist. He could immediately tell which one I had filled in Chicago. The filling was not nearly as white as the rest of my fillings! And I had pay more for it.
Then, my dentist took another look at the filling, and realized that the wrong side of my tooth had been filled. According to my x-​rays, I had a larger filling on the other side of the tooth. Now, I have to wait an entire year to get the other side filled because Cushing had already claimed this tooth on my insurance. So next year, I get to pay for the same tooth again – but at least it will be a lot cheaper going back to the dentist I know well.
In the end, I didn’t get the cavity filled that I needed. In addition, it was more uncomfortable, lesser in quality, and completely overpriced. I hate giving bad reviews, but I couldn’t help it this time. I honestly will never go back to this place again, nor would I recommend it to others.
EDIT
Unfortunately, this review got deleted shortly after I posted it the first time. However, I can assure you that this is not spam nor is it a review from a competitor. I’ve only been in this city for a year and I hate that I had a bad experience. I also wanted to let others know of my terrible experience because I tend to rely on Unilocal just as much as everyone else does.

This place was recommended to me by multiple co-​workers when I was 23 and had just moved to Chicago. I have been going there ever since and I really enjoy their work. I don’t know that I’ve ever met Dr. Blank, but I’ve had 2 – 3 different dentists in that practice and they’ve all been good so far. I have always found the hygentists to be friendly, quick and thorough. Mine even remembers little details like my girlfriend’s name and the jobs I’ve worked at over the years.

I’ve been coming here for about 3 years since I moved to Lincoln Park after college. And overall, I really like it. Since coming here, I’ve worked for two different companies and both of their insurance plans (Metlife and Delta Dental) were accepted by the office. I’ve always had quick and thorough experiences and they even have good Saturday hours if you can’t make it during the week (some evening hours, too). In fact, I think the job they do is top notch when I recall my experiences as a kid in Indiana. One con though is I think they’re on the pricey side. I saw once what they billed my insurance for a cleaning and it was like $ 130. Wow. Thankfully I pay nothing, but you should definitely check in on their prices when you come here. But the work definitely speaks for itself. Great place!

Possibly the worst dentist I’ve been to. There is no privacy and the people are extremely unfriendly! Going to the dentist is bad enough but they make it almost intolerable! Furthermore, they bill for everything and then send you to collections if you question them!
Terrible customer service. Skip this dentist!!!

Dental cleanings and other basic services seem to be covered by most insurance plans. The hygienists are thorough and quick, if a bit chilly. Dr. Blank is very professional and straightfoward – he didn’t mind when I brought my discman with me during a filling replacement (I don’t like the drilling sounds).
There is little privacy; the «rooms» are separated by waist-​and chest-​high walls.
**Update**
The «bedside manner» here has definitely improved – I now look forward (as much as it is humanly possible to do so when concerning dental work) to going to the professionals here.