Matteson Orthodontics

I wore braces for a year and one month. Im reviewing my before and after pictures and what a difference. Dr. Shah does beautiful work. The entire staff are very nice with gorgeous teeth. Why would they not all have nice teeth? They had the best Orthodontist in town, Dr. Shah hook them up. All the employees are friendly, professional, helpful, and they even have a sense of humor on some days. The office is very clean, the atmosphere is comfortable, and they make you feel like family. I made a great choice choosing this office, because they are caring and catering. Mostly, I’m very pleased with the finished work. I recommended my girlfriend to take her daughter, and she took my advice. Now I’m spreading the word to you too. Look no further, and head over to Matteson Orthodontist so you can get you a winning smile too.

Very friendly staff and great doctor. Takes extra time to make sure you are comfortable. We travel an hour to get here, so they must be good!

Let me give you some background. I am in my early 20s and had a diastema up until the removal of my braces a couple weeks ago. I also have two congenitally missing teeth. I had the standard metal brackets at the bottom, and clear ones at the top. I used Chase Health Advance to finance my braces and paid 100% out of pocket, with no help from insurance (or mom and dad lol)
Now on to my experience…
Did I enjoy the care I received during my two year long braces journey? Yes, I would say so. Dr. Shah has a very gentle touch and I never experienced any discomfort with him. He is a really nice man. Did I feel like sometimes his assistants did shoddy work to rush me out of the chair? Yes. But to be fair, most of the young ladies who worked on me were sweet. Do I feel like I received a reasonable price for my braces? Yes.
I was ultimately satisfied with my orthodontic work and care I received until I reached my extremely frustrating retainer dilemma.
I was extremely excited on the day of my braces removal. At the end of my appointment I received a Hawley retainer, with two pontics where my missing teeth are located. «Fake teeth» were attached to my brackets and wire during my stint with braces, so the concept was not new to me, however the appearance of my mouth with the Hawley’s brought me to tears!
The pontics were poorly shaped and angled in a way where they hovered in front of my mouth and were not in alignment with my actual teeth. I understood that the fake teeth used were not a permanent fix and were just used as a place setter until I got implants, but a better job could’ve been done to make it look better and more natural. I and it looked absolutely ridiculous. I could not hide my sadness and frustration, it seemed like the moment I had waiting for took a turn for the worst.
Dr. Shah did seem concerned that I was unhappy and took an impression of my teeth for an essix retainer. I was scheduled to pick it up two weeks later.
I arrived two weeks later to pick up my appliance. One of the assistants gave me care instructions while I was waiting to be examined by the Orthodontist. She told me to brush the retainer with a soft bristle brush. The doctor saw me, fitted my retainer, and I left. Everything seemed fine. That was until I cleaned it.
I followed the directions that were given to me and brushed my new clear retainer with a soft bristle brush. I noticed scrapes in the plastic and immediately stopped brushing it. This was my first time ever seeing my new retainer out of my mouth, very first time cleaning it, and it was damaged already; and what made the situation that much for frustrating was all I did were follow the cleaning instructions given to me. It also starting sloughing away at my gums and the skin started peeling and turning white. I called Matteson Orthodontics and explained my situation. The scrapes were not only aesthetically unappealing, but a future breeding ground for bacteria. They scheduled for me to come in for an appointment.
I received another clear retainer to replace the one that was scratched and painful. I thought this indeed was going to be my happily ever after. But I was WRONG. My new retainer was not made properly and has a warped bubble in the front, by the bottom of my two front teeth. I looked at it in sunlight and indoor lighting, even asked my family if they noticed anything that didn’t seem right… And everyone noticed the bubble immediately. It looks like I have a lump on the bottom of my tooth. I am livid.
Orthodontic work comes at a hefty price, emotionally, physically, and financially. After the pain, dozens of appointments, and bill, I expected to be satisfied when it was all said and done. But shoddy craftsmanship has left me frustrated, angry, and saddened by my experience. I am a naturally shy person, and don’t like to complain, but I believe I deserve for my retainers to be made correctly. I believe I should receive accurate information in regard cleaning and care.
I’ve watched a myriad of videos and have seen dozens of pictures of beautiful, bubble-​free, warped free, natural looking pontics containing retainers. I guess I wasn’t that lucky. I guess I shouldn’t expect to have my Orthodontist be my ally and send my appliance back or demand a remake when it was sent defective. Anyone with eyes could see where it wasn’t right, and yet, the assistants and Doctor, continued to plop my new retainer in my mouth and send me on my way.
My final chapter with Matteson Orthodontics has altered the way I view them and their establishment. I hope in the future, more care is taken. I shouldn’t have to file a complaint with the American Board of Orthodontics, go through a lawyer, or any drastic measure to have things done right.
I am now forced to find an independent lab to make a new retainer. Let’s just say I’ll be doing my research this time around. I know I deserve better than subpar, defective work, even if Matteson Orthodontics doesn’t believe so.

I initially chose this place because it was close to work… I did a lot of shopping around for an orthodontist around my home as well. I am so glad that I picked this place. Every member of the staff is super friendly! My appointments have always been really quick since they are very efficient with their time. Most importantly, Dr. Shah and his team produce great results. This is my second time getting braces since my teeth shifted even though I had braces in my teen years. I’m very pleased with my results after a year of treatment. I love that Dr. Shah will continue to see me even though my braces are off now. I learned the hard way that teeth can still shift if you don’t wear your retainer or have follow up check ins!

Staff customer service needs improvements. Doctor is knowledgeable, professional and pleasant.

I am very pleased with the level of service and professionalism my daughter an I received at Dr. Shahs office. The staff are friendly and engaging. There is nothing that needs to change about this office. They are organized and ready to service you. I recommend this office with the highest regard. All of their bases are covered.