I am a huge fan of Northalsted Dental Spa and Dr. Griffin, which I never thought I would say about a dentist! It is SO hard to find a trustworthy dentist - who isn't trying to scam you into extra work. At least that has been my experience. In Chicago I had previous gone to Westend Dental (on Armitage) and Polished (on Belmont). At EVERY appointment I would be told I had 1-3 cavities, every 6 months. I brushed, I flossed, I thought I just had bad teeth prone to cavities. I trusted these dentists, let them do filling after filling until the point where I needed a crown and a root canal on one tooth. After my root canal I was told I had THREE more cavities that needed to be filled. I stopped right there and did not get the work done. That was when I decided to go to Dr. Griffin for a 2nd opinion. They did a full cleaning, xrays and appointment and Dr. Griffin found ZERO cavities. He said there's one spot we could watch, but no cavities, no fillings needed. I truly believe I was getting scammed by several dentists for years before finding Northalsted. I have now been going to Northalsted for over 3 years. Dr. Giffin fixed my crown that was not done well by the previous dentist too. Office staff is super friendly. Have had a couple of painful cleanings, but nothing I can't deal with for the great doctor experience. read more

I've been going to Dr. Griffin for about 10 years. He's personable & knowledgeable! It's good to see a private practice handled with care that hasn't been taken over by a conglomerate. read more

I have been coming here for about 5+ years, the staff is super friendly, they are always willing to work around my schedule and take care of my smile! They offer free cold bottle water while you wait and the team is so friendly. Service is quick and very detailed. I love it here and don't trust my smile with anyone else. read more

Said I had 8 cavities but I had none. I was suspicious and went to my hometown dentist for a second opinion. Not a single cavity. Save your money and run. Go to someone that won't try and scam you. A couple of cavities could have been an oversight (maybe) but telling someone they have eight when they have absolutely none? Nope! read more

I don't know where all these negative reviews are coming from. I've always had a great experience there. I've had horrible experiences at other dentists so I have to say you can't go wrong with Dr. Griffin. Everyone has an off day but he is always professional and cares about his patients. Don't take these other negative reviews at full value. Visit and judge for yourself. Like I said, I haven't had a negative experience with his practice. read more

Considering Dr. Griffin's reply, I'm increasing my rating to 3 stars, instead of 1. I truly hope his new staff works out for him in the long run. read more

My second time going to this dentist to get service never got seem the front clerk receptionist need better training on how to talk to customers in addition, Appeared to be unprofessional. I will not go back. read more

Dr Griffin and the team here are phenomenal! Besides being always the cleanest and calmest dentist office I've ever been to, you always feel informed about what is going on during your visit. I would recommend anyone looking for a dentist to consider coming to Northalsted Dental Spa read more

I'm sure this practice is lovely, but the front office unprofessionalism is too much. (especially after reading other reviews) Call 1: They answer but tell me they're busy and need to call me back (They call back while I'm on a call, and they leave a VM) Call 2: I call within 30 minutes - no answer. Call 3: I call shortly thereafter - no answer. I let it ring and ring and ring and finally a completely incompetent answering service answers. It takes 15 minutes to schedule a routine cleaning visit. Call 4: The next day, the office calls me back and tells me that I do NOT have an appointment and to call them. Calls 5-7: I call the clinic, no answer. "Call" 8: I email the clinic through their website asking them to call me. At this point, I just want to make sure that any appointments I may/may not have are cancelled. read more

Went a year ago. Was told I have two cavities, and that the receptionist will follow up to make an appointment. Did he ever? Absolutely not. Also, after cleaning was complete, the dentist took 45 minutes to come by and check out my teeth. Turns out I had no cavities, as I went to my childhood dentist in the suburbs. What a scam. Meanwhile, outside in the corridor while I was waiting the dentist was flirting with a patient. Save your money and go to a reputable dentist somewhere other than on a strip of sleazy bars in lakeview. read more

Take your business elsewhere and save yourself a lot of stress and money. I'd rather pull me own teeth with pliers than let this guy get near me. read more

I've been going to Dr. Griffin for a number of years. I wanted a LGBT friendly dentist and have. Lasts been pleased with his services. I appreciated the difficult work he did on two root canals he provided. He also put on veneers 7 years ago which are still going strong. I'm the first to say his prices are a bit higher than other providers however, the quality of the work is extremely high. But to me. It's completely worth it because we're talking about your smile. read more

Dr Griffin has been my dentist for 12 years. I travel from Bucktown to see him and will not think about changing to someone more local. He is very caring and very thorough. He will follow up with phone calls to check on you which is above and beyond in my opinion. He will make you feel at ease and listens to your concerns...I hate the sonic cleaner so he compensates. I would and have recommended him to anyone. Liam N read more

Worst dentist experience I have EVER HAD. Hands down. My experience was similar to Laura Z.'s. I chose Northalsted Dental because it was close to my apartment and my school. What a horrible decision. Dennis, the front-desk guy, was amazing and always remembered me, even recognized my voice when I called. Dr. Griffin, on the other hand, was awful. He did unnecessary work (confirmed by two dentists that I've seen since), took WAY longer than necessary to do the work (3-4 hours at a time), and didn't communicate at all with me. I'd go into detail, but it really reads pretty much the same as Laura Z.'s experience. And in my opinion, a doctor should never go on a public forum and call a patient a "head case". Just sayin'. read more

I decided to finally write this review after seeing that others have had the same negative experience that I did. It is my opinion that you should look elsewhere for your dental needs. I went to Northalsted due to the close proximity to my home. I went in for a cleaning, and, for starters, it was the most painful dental cleaning that I have ever had. Then, after taking a thorough series of xrays Dr. Griffin told me that I had 4-6 (I can't remember exactly) cavities and he may "See more once he got in there". This seemed very odd, and expensive, so I went to get another opinion at Strobel Dentistry with the same xrays that Dr. Griffin had taken. Dr. Strobel told me that I had ONE cavity not 4+, and that the xrays were very clear and he had no idea why I was told I had that many cavities. I promptly called to cancel my follow-up at Northalsted. Months later I received a bill from them for $50 for "late cancel". After an email correspondence I was basically told that I had to prove that I had cancelled 24 hours prior to the appointment or pay the late cancel fee. I pulled up my cell phone records, showed them when I had placed that call and only then did they agree to remove that charge. Overall, it is in my opinion (and as I said, other people have had similar experiences/opinions here-read some more of these reviews) that Dr. Griffin would perform unnecessary dental procedures. I would not recommend this establishment. I think that you should STAY AWAY. read more

I love having a good neighborhood dentist. They are always so considerate of both my time and the dental work that is needed. Dr Griffin explains everything in detail and answers all of my questions about procedures. The staff is very friendly and they make going to the dentist easier! read more

I had an absolutely wonderful experience with Dr. Griffin, and did not experience any of the issues that others reported on Yelp. Everything from the front desk experience to the dental cleaning went smooth, and I will be back for my regular cleanings. No cavities found! read more

I have been going to Northalsted Dental Spa from the time I moved to Chicago six years ago, and it has definitely been the right choice for me. The staff is very friendly and helpful with any issues you may have. Dr. Griffin is excellent and has always given me excellent advice when it comes to my dental health. Since I've been with Northalsted Dental, I've had my wisdom teeth removed, a cavity filled, and my teeth whitened. The only procedure that had a hitch was my teeth whitening. They were trying out an in-office gel procedure, but it didn't have the desired effect. However, when I voiced my concerns, my dental hygienist was very accommodating and made whitening trays for me, free of charge. The trays worked wonderfully, and I was appreciative of the fact that they cared about my customer satisfaction. The office is beautiful and clean, and along with wonderful service, you receive a substantial goodie bag with gum, floss, toothbrush, magnets, etc after each visit. The receptionist also gives you a complimentary phone call a few days before your appointment. As someone with a very busy schedule, this perk is very helpful for me as many doctors' offices have removed this benefit. If you live in the Lakeview area and are in search of a great dentist's office, I highly recommend Northalsted Dental Spa! read more

Dr. Michael Griffin and his team are so sweet and gentle with my teeth. I'd recommend Northalsted dental to anyone in the Chicago area and Lakeview! read more

If you are looking for a dentist for cosmetic dental teeth whitening in Chicago then I highly recommend this place. For years, I was pretty much embarrassed to flash a smile, due to gaps in my teeth, and yellow stains from coffee. Dr. Griffin and the staff were very gentle with my teeth and offered several cosmetic procedures to fix the problem. I decided to go with Lumineers, which are a high end version of veneers. Dr. Griffin and his assistant took their time and explained exactly how the procedure would work. On the first visit, they made a mold of 4 teeth, and then sent them off to the lab to be created. A few weeks later I returned back to have the Lumineers placed on my teeth. They look fantastic. My teeth are 100% more whiter now, without the ugly spaces. read more

I have lived in Chicago for two years now and had one dentist, Lakeview Smiles. Dr. Lee charged me $85 to tell me I needed to use Listerine an to come back for a cleaning. I came for a cleaning in July of 2010 and it was done by her hygienist whom "lightly" cleaned my teeth. When I asked about a slight pain (possibly my wisdom tooth) they just gave me a business card to "a guy she knew." The only time I felt important was when I was sitting at a chair in a business like office being told how much I owed. I obviously tried to keep the best care of my mouth so I would have to go to the dentist and be lied too. Last Monday I began to have the worst pain in my mouth and eventually assumed it was my wisdom tooth. I called to set up an appointment with Dr. Griffin and was able to come in the next day, this Tuesday the 7th. Dr. Griffin immediately evaluated my teeth and extracted the lower right wisdom tooth and by yesterday I was feeling much better. Today I went in for a cleaning and he asked if I wanted to remove the remaining three as asked before and I agreed. He numbed me and cleaned my teeth. It was painful but it was because he was actual cleaning my teeth and getting out all of the tarter and build up since my previous dentists' didn't do a great job causing my gums to weaken. I am slight discomfort right now but I am sure I will be up and ready tomorrow. He also filled two cavities. I have no doubt my oral health is only going to get better from here. Lucy his assistant is really nice and helpful giving great advice for ways to save out-of-pocket expenses and slowing the pain after extraction. Ben remembered my name, is really nice, helpful, and makes the experience that much better. I didn't feel like I was in a financial meeting, he was more concerned about if I was feeling good. I had about $1,300 in work done this week which I think is exceptionally valuable alone, but after my insurance I only paid $145.80 out-of-pocket. Best dental experience I have ever had! read more

Dr Griffin is the best dentist I have had in years. Professional and knowledgeable, he helped me with replacing a filling that was giving me trouble from a previous dentist. The staff is so friendly and personable, they remember details from your visits and make it enjoyable to return. Nice clean office and conveniently located in Lakeview. I've never had a problem finding parking for my appointments. Thank you NorthHalsted Dental Spa. read more

The staff is nice but the of pocket was so expensive, twice as much as two quotes I received from other dentists. I paid half the amount out of pocket at my new dentist. They even billed me a no show fee when I called and cancelled. read more

Pushy, terrible staff. Being billed from when I lived in the city in March 2015. It's almost March 2017. I called bc I got a statement saying I owed over $200.00. I am confused why after so long I'm getting this bill when I also paid $200 in office on day of service and this was submitted through my insurance. I now know that this place is 100% NOT worth your time. I had a couple filling, fluoride which they pushed me into getting and wasn't covered by my insurance and a cleaning. So I paid over $400 for a couple cavities. I've had the same insurance for years and NEVER have I paid that much for fillings. I did end up paying the sky high fees in the end but as others said to avoid collections and a hit to my credit. I like Dr Griffin but the practice is over priced and aggressive and I think it's unethical to bill such exorbitant amounts for average work. I also wish I could give zero stars. Such a bad experience read more

Be careful. They don't bill you till you go in for next exam. Then you get hit hard! And then you are accused of being offensive and offensive because you are standing up for your self. I was hung up on three times today...for trying to understand my bill. read more

Like others I chose this dentist office for the convenience. At first the experience was decent until it was time for a follow up appointment a few months later. All I can say is yikes. Some of the older posts on this thread are incredibly accurate. The guy who works at the front desk is very kind but seems overwhelmed managing the office. Multiple insurance and billing inaccuracies have been the largest red flag throughout this whole experience. Unfortunately, I will not be returning. read more

Please, don't go to this office and don't give them your money. Honestly, I feel like I was scammed. First, their fees are sky high and unreasonable; second, their customer service skills are nonexistent; third, the office manager of this place is a very cold and just mean person, whom you don't want to deal with. Dr. Griffin is ok but he's not worth it overall. They give you a plan of treatment and an estimated amount you're supposed to owe and they promise you things, which might sound good. Don't trust them, that's how they're trying to lure people in. It only looks reasonable on paper, and then you end up paying almost 80% of their crazy fees, because not one insurance company will ever reimburse them for whatever they charge. I found another amazing dentist that does a better job for half the price and never "chases" me with bills like Dr. Griffin's practice, that sent me a bill one year later after my dental insurance refused to reimburse them (because of their ludicrous fees). AGAIN avoid this place at all cost and look for a better dentist's office somewhere else. p.s. I should have read other review onlive, I regret ever going there. Yelp should really allow you to give a place 0 stars. read more

I've been going here for years and have always received great advice and service. If you have questions about billing or price you just have to ask. Sadly, my insurance is not the best and they understand that and try to work out the best bang for my buck. The staff has always been courteous, understanding and friendly. Dr. Griffin takes his time to be sure you understand everything that's going on so you can make the best decision for you. I really feel like I have a suite of partners in my medical/dental adventures. Hey, they must be doing something right - they even got me started flossing!? Who'da thunk?? read more

The reception staff was friendly and offered me a seat in the lounge as well as a welcome beverage before I was called in for my appointment. I had a routine teeth cleaning done, and the staff was very friendly and personable during the cleaning. The office was clean, and the environment was comfortable. I would gladly recommend to anyone! read more

I'm finally writing this after a few years have passed since I saw Dr. Griffin. As others have stated, the location was perfect. As others have stated, I too was shocked by the number of cavities Dr. Griffin said I had. I've always had decent teeth and even worked at a dental office at one point; where I got free dental work done. I decided to get the larger one filled and clearly stated that I couldn't afford the others. His assistant kept pushing me to get the others "since your here." I literally felt like I was in a jewelry store with a pushy sales person. It seemed to me that his staff was getting a commission. I will never go back to this dentist. read more

If this place could receive no stars, it would warrant it. I should have read the reports on Northhalsted Dental Center before making my decision to go there. Seems like he has a pattern. I experienced many of the same issues as other yelpers. This post has been altered because I received some threatening messages about being sued from someone with a mysteriously close name "Miguel G.", so I will just leave it as I feel taken advantage of and cheated. read more

Unfortunately I had a bad experience - not sure if this was a one off although other reviews seem to have had negative reviews as well. Dennis, the office asst was wonderful. No complaints about booking, paperwork, billing ,etc. However, the actual work done was nothing short of out of date, rough and of poor quality. Since seeing Dr. Griffin, my fillings (silver - not white) have been replaced. But worst of all, the crown he did was awful. I couldnt chew on the left side of my mouth for two years. I went back several times to get the crown adjusted when in reality, it should have been replaced. As a matter of fact, when shown to another denstist, the response was "Please tell me I didn't do that crown." There were gaps and decay surrounding the tooth which was all clearly pointed out to me on xrays. It was obvious. The crown was scheduled for redo with my new dentist, however, mid way through, it was apparent to the dentist that a root canal must be done. Of course, the process is terrible but what could I do? He said redoing the crown would only fix the issue for a short while and that there was so much decay (from the orginal crown), a root canal was necessary. After the root canal, we took more xrays and found that the decay damage was really too deep and the best option was to just remove the tooth. My new dentist credited me for the root canal. Because the tooth is a necessary molar, I now need a implant and crown. The cost of this is insane. Had the crown been done correctly in the first place, this wouldn't be the case. My new dentist has never, not once, bashed this other dentist but it was very apparent that the work wasn't done correctly. I wouldn't recommend this practice to anyone. read more

Awesome staff, very friendly and polite. Took great care of my teeth. Found this in my neighborhood and haven't been to a dentist in awhile. Super easy too make the appointment and text reminders was awesome. read more

I went here after moving to the Lakeview area. The front desk help are super friendly and the cleaning was great, the doctor did it himself. He used a high tech machine that was painful, high pitched, and gave me one of the best cleans I've ever gotten (no pain no gain)!! However, I highly recommend you get a second opinion before proceeding with any major operations at Northhalsted Dental Spa. Having only one or two cavities in my whole life, I was informed that I now had developed 9 or 10 cavities and/or problem spots that needed to be addressed. It would take multiple visits, require some tooth extractions, and cost around $3,000. The extreme nature of this diagnosis prompted me to get a second opinion from my former dentist in the suburbs, and he said there one only 1 area that needed to be addressed. I'm not a dentist, so I can't speak to the benefits of being more conservative vs proactive and nipping problems in the bud. Perhaps this doctor values taking care of things before they become a problem. Nevertheless, it is ALWAYS a good idea to get a second opinion before proceeding with any major operation, especially in a proactive environment like this one. read more

Overpriced and do unnecessary procedures. It cost me three thousand dollars just to get a night guard.

Just having moved to Chicago from out of state, and having the same dentist for 9 years, I was very reluctant when I know I needed to find a new one. I turned to my own online research and settled with Dr. Griffin after reading good reviews, and knowing I didn't just want a general dentist. (I have veneers and wanted to make sure I selected a dentist that was able to support them if needed). I couldn't be happier with my first appt and meeting Dr. Griffin and his team. They echo'd my previous dentist with how good my oral-hygiene was and didn't try to "upsell" anything. This to me is so important..as well as how welcoming the staff was. Highly recommend this office if you are looking for a quality dentist. read more

The staff is the only reason they don't get a single star. Dr, Griffin deserves no stars at all. I am not going to vent but feel that if you are looking for a dentist I strongly suggest you keep looking. Three words of advice to Dr Griffin... communicate, communicate, communicate read more

I had an amazing experience at Northalsted Dental Spa! Dr. Griffin and staff were professional and courteous. Their state of the art office is refreshing and relaxing. I'm very glad they took time to explain my dental procedures. I had no billing issues. They've been my dental care specialist for over three years now and I'm ecstatic that I made the change! read more

Dr. Griffin is an excellent dentist, very caring, compassionate and patient. I have been having extensive dental work done and very pleased with the results. As of a result of his excellent knowledge and caring I have switched from my dentist I have had since I moved here 5 years ago to Dr. Griffin. He is centrally located in Boystown and has a very neat and clean facility. ALSO, the staff is excellent ! ! and the receptionist is quite cute ! ! ;=) ha, Charlie, had to throw that in ! ! With the work he has done to improve my smile I am sure i will have a new sense of confidence. read more

I'm giving this place a 5 star review! They are absolutely amazing! The staff is super friendly, professional and non-judgmental which was exactly what I was looking for. I would definitely recommend asking for Carlos he's very informative and patient. read more