Flavio A Cajiao, DDS

I had to weigh in here when I saw that Dr Cajiao is getting some shade because of things like his office being less than shiny-​new or people not knowing their own insurance. Yes, his office is minimalistic, but I love it. There’s one chair, one doctor, one patient at a time so I feel really cared for. Insurance? Sorry guys, but medical offices check your insurance so they know how they’re getting paid, not because it’s their responsibility to look after your finances. Your coverage, your care, your responsibility. Sucks, but true. Personally, I’ve never had an issue. They check my coverage and I pay what I owe, always a reasonable sum, no complaints.
The important part though is that Dr Cajiao actually cares about his work and, even better, tells you what he’s doing. I’ve never before had such a guided tour of my own mouth. I’ve been seeing him regularly for 3 years and had some real work done really well. And, bonus, he tells great stories :) Best dentist I’ve ever seen.

Dr. Cajiao is my favorite dentist and Maria is a wonderful receptionist. They’re both kind and hilarious. It’s a small shop, and it’s nice to support small businesses. The dentist is very thorough. He also has varied interests and has talked to me about everything from ketchup, roses and One Direction.
It is cash only and that requires a bit of planning, but they’re also upfront about charges so you can be prepared. Also, it’s right next to Reno, Same Day and Longman, so you have plenty of options for a post-​appointment coffee or cocktail.

I love going to this dentist!
He is fun, competent, clearly explains what needs to be done and tries to offer you the most economical options. A far cry from the rapacious dentists I have gone to in the past.
I really enjoy talking with both him and his receptionist. It feels like I am visiting family. Best kept secret in Logan Square!

Horrible. Honestly, don’t go to him.
1. At both visits (I went to Dr. Cajiao twice – once for a cleaning and once for a filling), he didn’t wear a surgical mask, and he breathes really loudly and close to you. Basically, the man pants in your face.
2. About a month after I visited him, half of one of my molars chipped off – well, crumbled off. I’d had a really big filling in that tooth for about 10 years, and that tooth was obviously rotten, but he/​his X-​ray didn’t catch it. I guess that’s to be expected when the equipment you’re using looks like it’s from 1980.
3. He wouldn’t send a copy of my X-​rays to my new dentist. Needless to say, I switched dentists after seeing Dr. Cajiao, and I called him to get him to send copies of my X-​rays to my new dentist, or give them directly to me. He refused both, claiming that the X-​rays were the property of his office. While they are the property of his office, he is required by law to provide copies (source:
). He said he couldn’t give me copies of X-​rays that were more than 6 months old (this is completely made up and false, and plus, these were only 5 months old), and that if I wanted him to give me X-​rays, I’d have to come in and get them taken again. RIGHT. My new dentist was shocked when I told him this.
4. While he was doing my filling, his phone rang and he picked it up. Really? He couldn’t just let it go to voicemail? Also, his receptionist went home a little early that day, and I was his last patient. He was polite when he asked if he could lock the door while I was in there (he said drunk people come by and open the door sometimes), but it was still kind of weird to be alone in a locked office with just him.
5. Like others have said, his office is pretty gross (really needs remodeling, old looking equipment, doesn’t feel sanitary), and he doesn’t take credit cards.
The one good thing was that his receptionist was really nice.

After the experience I had had at another dentist in Chicago, I decided to search for another dentist that was closer to me after moving to Logan Square. Dr. Cajiao turned out to not be that dentist for long.
I chose Dr. Cajiao because of the convenient location and because they had Saturday appointments — something I need because I don’t get vacation time for my 7 – 4 volunteer job as an AmeriCorps member out in the western suburbs.
I set up an appointment to have a check-​up and a few remaining cavities filled.
When I showed up for the appointment, the doctor said that he couldn’t do the dental work because they couldn’t get any information from the insurance company about reimbursement… unless I wanted to pay the full price for everything up front to cover his costs. What? You mean you had my information for well over a week and did not get a hold of the insurance company to find out their reimbursement schedule? And what doctor refuses to work on you because they haven’t gotten a hold of the insurance company and demands to be paid for everything up front?
They made a last minute attempt to contact the insurance company and got a printout of direct dollar amounts to be paid for each procedure, after several fax attempts, the difficulty, of course, blamed on the insurance company. Despite this complete breakdown in hand, they said they still couldn’t do any work because they needed a percentage of costs, not dollar amounts, in order to figure out reimbursement. How do they ever get paid if they can’t figure out how to do basic insurance billing or can’t read a direct dollar reimbursement schedule?
The doctor and the assistant even threw a little pity party for themselves, saying they were losing money because they were essentially wasting about 2 hours set aside to do the dental work, and now they couldn’t because I wasn’t willing to pay about $ 500 up front and wait to be reimbursed by them after they get paid by the insurance company. Based on their actions so far, I wasn’t willing to do that, knowing I could be without that reimbursement for weeks, if I ever would receive it. Plus, they had wasted my time by not calling me ahead of time to let me know this news until I was in the physical office.
They rescheduled me for the following Saturday and said they would call me later that week with more information once they figured out the insurance. They never did call me, and when I called to cancel my appointment (figuring I would run into a repeat of the previous Saturday if I didn’t) they didn’t seem to care in the least or know anything about my case.
I can only assume that their dental work is similar to the way they handle insurance, billing, and scheduling: incompetent.

Very nice dentist… but… He over-​booked myself and my husband causing my husband to have to take off from work three different times to get his teeth cleaned. And, he has a weird policy where he charges extra for a real teeth cleaning (100+ extra which is no chump change). Umm, shouldn’t my insurance cover plaque scraping? It does at EVERY OTHER dentist I have ever been to.
And, I HAVE had better teeth cleanings since he didn’t remove all of the plaque from my teeth since I didn’t want to pay extra. He doesn’t use a water pick, which I feel is outdated and ineffective in teeth cleaning. My last dentist removed the tea/​wine stains on my teeth with a water pick (but she retired) and the water pick is the way to go these days.
Overall, not pleased and not going back.

Dr. Flavio is the best dentist I’ve ever had, period. Honest, hilarious, caring, & walks you thru what he’s doing every step of the way. His receptionist is wonderful too. So, so happy I stumbled upon his office. Never going anywhere else. I don’t write Unilocal reviews anymore unless I’m super impressed, and I’m super impressed. I’d recommend him to anyone, friends/​family included. And have. And they like him too. This guy’s a keeper.

Very good dentist! Dr Flavio is very thorough .He wasn’t trying to rush & took his time cleaning my teeth. He is also very gentle & very patient. Makes you feel very comfortable; I felt as if I were at home getting my teeth cleaned, lol.
Also very honest & upfront; I have to get a fill in so he explained how my insurance wouldn’t cover for all of it & let me know ahead of time how much I would have to pay when I came for my next visit.
The receptionist is very friendly & nice .
It’s not a fancy office with flat screen tv’s or a big sign out front but it’s an office with genuine kind people & great service!

i really liked the mom&pop feel of Dr. Cajiao and his office, until it came time to deal with insurance.
i had a cleaning and it was good, he talked me through everything, and was very specific that i would be paying for. i had a few cavities, some more urgent than others, and one big problem: root canal. as i was there, he had his assistant look up my insurance info to see what kind of coverage i would be looking at. he was very adamant about wanting to get me prices for everything.
he said he had «bad news» that the insurance wouldn’t cover it until i had one year of coverage (i already knew this) but that i could count on 50% coverage starting in september. this is where i mis-​stepped: i should have double checked his information. but he was so nice, and ALWAYS so thorough and detailed and wanted to talk me through every single procedure. i trusted him.
long story short, my insurance did not cover root canals until november. i got mine done on october 18^th and just received a WHOPPING bill. i spoke with the insurance and they said Dr. Cajiao had never requested any price quotes (which should be done for any service over $ 300) and the specialist he referred me to never filed a «medical necessity» form (another thing that should be done for any service over $ 300; that missing piece of paper cost me $ 125).
unless you know your insurance policy inside-​out, i would consider taking your business elsewhere.

BEST dentist EVER! Like most people I HATE going to the dentist! But I left Dr. Flavio’s office like I have never left a dental office before! He was great, and the nice girl at the front desk was awesome too (we were swapping dog stories and showing off pictures after my appt)!
I don’t have a great dental plan, and the dentist I went to in the west loop a few months earlier, wanted to charge a few hundred dollars for problems that (I recently found out) I don’t even have! Dr. Flavio makes going to the dentist easy, informative (he really takes time with his patience explaining what he is doing… RARE!!)

Excellent Dentist. Excellent Staff.
I feel like he completed a thorough exam with NO rush what-​so-​ever.
I really like the fact that he has a small practice.
Highly recommend him for a routine cleaning!
Especially if you have DELTA DENTAL
100% Coverage.

I went in for a consult today. I ran 8 minutes late and was still seen. The dental receptionist is quite nice and swiftly got me seen. Not to mention she reminded me to put more money in the meter as to not get a ticket!
Dr. Flavio is very kind and gentle. For me, this is important when it comes to getting dental work done. His office isn’t super modern and up-​to-​date, but if his quality and customer service is superior (an he has years of experience) AND the equipment still performs how its suppose to, then whats the big deal?
I’ll be back for a cleaning :)

Doctor Cajiao Flavio is tied for the nicest dentist I’ve ever had.
He’s very careful with his cleanings and makes sure he doesn’t hurt you. He really cares about his patients. He did extra cleaning on my teeth for no charge because my insurance wasn’t going to cover it and he didn’t think that was right. When he was running late and couldn’t finish my cleaning he set me up for a follow up cleaning no charge. I can’t say enough great things about him.
If you’re looking for a state of the art set up you’re not going to find it here but if you are looking for a dentist that really cares about your teeth and does an amazing job cleaning your teeth then Doc Cajiao Flavio is the guy for you.

Best dentist I’ve ever gone to. He does a great job and is one of the nicest guys around. Perhaps most importantly for my purposes, he didn’t make me feel embarrassed (even though I had every reason to be) for the shape my teeth were in when I first went to see him. Very highly recommended.

Dr. Flavio is the wrost dentist ever… I went for a checkups and a cleaning but didnt get the cleaning done cuz his office was so old looking it just didnt feel right i would never go back.

Dr. Flavio is fantastic. What a nice man. He took such good care of me. I felt totally comfortable. They got me in right away and I got great service that was not expensive. I think this office delivers exchange in abundance and I have recommended him to others. When I went in I hadn’t seen a dentist for years so I was really afraid and getting ready to have to have explanations, have my guard up and to be ready to hear how bad things were. I got only patience, understanding, and NO making me wrong for anything. Delightful.

Dr. Flavio is the best, I have gone to him multiple times for checkups, cavities, cleanings, etc. He is a great guy, great dentist and great prices. i was scared about finding a new local dentist, but glad I found Dr. Flavio

Dr. Cajiao’s office is right next to the more modern-​looking Logan Square Dental Group, but when I needed to find a dentist, he had appointments available about three months earlier than the other place.
He had a pleasant personality and chats with you while he’s setting up. He remembers my profession and relates stories about his nephew, who is also in my field.
He isn’t pushy, trying to make me get procedures that really aren’t necessary. The previous dentist I went to (only once) told me I had seven cavities (out of nowhere!) that needed to be filled immediately. When I went to Dr. Cajiao, he saw only one small spot on a back tooth; he said it didn’t seem to be problematic, so I could either get the filling at that time or wait to see if it changes or not. It hasn’t changed, so he said I don’t have to worry and rush to get it filled.
The waiting room may be a little bland, and the equipment is not the newest, but it functions just fine. No free toothbrush and floss like I got at other dentists, but not a big deal. I can get that myself for a couple bucks at the drugstore.
One time I goofed on how far apart my appointments were — my insurance will pay for only one visit every six months — but Dr. Cajiao’s office held the bill until the insurance would cover it. They went out of their way to save me probably $ 100!

I like Dr. Cajiao! He takes Medicaid and insurance if you are lucky enough to have it, and his prices for cleanings, which Medicaid does not cover, are very reasonable– $ 95, and it was thorough. I don’t think anyone enjoys going to the dentist, but I’ve seen him 3 times and each time, he makes me feel comfortable. You can’t really talk while stuff is being done to your mouth, but he just chatters away about various light topics that either interest me or at least don’t annoy me. He was very gentle when x-​raying me (those hard card things you have to bite down have caused me pain in the past), and when I needed 2 small cavities filled, he suggested that I do it without anesthesia and I really appreciated that actually. It was very quick and not too painful, and then I didn’t have to walk around for hours with a numb lip and cheek. The receptionist, I should remember her name by now, is super friendly and nice to talk to if you feel like it. In fact, I ended up canceling appointments at the last minute 2 or 3 times, and she made it known that that was not cool, but held no grudge at all that I could see. The only reason I withheld the 5^th star is minor– the atmosphere is just a little dull. But, I highly recomment Dr. Cajiao.