Joseph F. Antolak, DDS

"When you arrive, it’s WONDERFUL! BUT things go down hill REAL FAST… The front end staff is AMAZING if I could leave a review just for them it would be 5! And because of them, this review will not be a 1 The Dentist AND the Hygienist?? Service wise… they get the job done However, I did have an awkward unappreciated conversation with the doctor. “That’s all we will say about that for now” The hygienist… I will say that I was the problem “I guess” I have issues with my gums, not my teeth so much “only 2 cavities in my life and I am over 50” I see this team as well as a periodontist, each one once a year. I am years past the surgery. And now I get a routine cleaning from each once every six months. I am a HUGE wimp. So my cleaning was HORRIBLE. It was so uncomfortable I had to take several breaks from being in what I call pain. During the many breaks I actually had to ask why didn’t she use a hydro laser? “That’s s machine that shoots a jet stream of water onto your tooth to remove plaque” It is PAINLESS! They can not perform the entire cleaning with this piece of equipment, but they can remove more than 60% of what they need to. That keeps the physical scraping down to the bare minimum. The hygienist explains that “yes they do have the machine, but she prefers NOT to use it” Her reason made sense “for her” I’ll explain: This machine does “spray water” She explained that the mist becomes airborne and she doesn’t want to have that near her face. However.. the spray doesn’t reach that far, there is a suction device, and she can wear a face shield “ they have those too” The spray doesn’t fly around like that “ in my opinion” the outside of my mouth as well as my face never gets wet. I do not feel anyone should willingly put themselves at risk for ANY reason other than protection. But I have had routine cleanings from my other dental team, and I NEVER feel like I have been treated a certain kind of way. I originally thought it was just me being wimpy. BUT my wife described a similar unpleasant experience when she gets a cleaning also. Take that plus the uncomfortable discussion I had with the doctor involving ethnicity? We both decided that maybe we needed to find a service provider that doesn’t make us feel a certain kind of way. I do know that dental work doesn’t feel like a gum massage, but I also don’t believe it should feel like revenge."

"Just went in for an appointment this evening and walked out without getting anything done. Dr Antolak referred me to another dr for a root canal years ago and the filling popped out. When he mentioned the other dr I let him know that he wasn’t a very good dr (extremely poor bedside manner, literally throwing things and yelling. Then let me sit mouth propped open for hours in the middle of the procedure to go take a walk in). He replied with his opinion of him being a very good doctor and had quite the attitude. Makes sense he’s a fan of the other jerk, they share similar personalities! He stated there shouldn’t be any pain after a root canal (at which point I absolutely said “maybe the other guy didn’t do a good job then!”) and went to poke my tooth , but I asked if he could not jab it because it hurts when I chew food even. He was clearly already agitated that I expressed I didn’t like his buddy and got angry with me and went to jab again and I asked him to please not jab. So unprofessional. He snapped his gloves off and said he couldn’t do anything for me because I didn’t “connect” with the other doctor and clearly we weren’t “connecting” either!?!? I’ve never seen a fully grown adult male throw such a tantrum. AFTER he threw his fit he explained he saw some cotton in there and wanted to try and get it out. Maybe explain what you’re trying to do beforehand when going at someone’s mouth with sharp objects thats experiencing pain? It’s the dentist, people have anxiety going in there, it’s already uncomfortable. Wasn’t aware I needed to emotionally connect with the “doctor” and fawn over his golf buddies. Honestly, I feel creeped out by the behavior. 0/10 do not recommend. The hygienist was super sweet though."

"I had a major toothache and since my regular dentist didn't accept my new insurance, so I called Liberty and the were able to see me that same day. I first met Denise who was wonderful, then I met Brittany (not sure if I have the spelling correct) and although I was in pain she was able to clean my teeth because she was so gentle....then Dr. Antolak made me feel so comfortable and he not only took care of my pain, which was gone two days later and I couldn't be happier. I will be going back for my follow up and my regular check ups. Thank you Liberty Dental."

"You will not find a better dentist in the Crystal Lake area. Every staff member is friendly and professional."

"Dr. Antolak and his staff are very professional and knowledgeable. When I had moved about an hour+ away for approx. 3 years I kept Dr. Antolak as my dentist. He had set a plan to care for my teeth and correct issues. It is nice going in to the dentist now as prior to utilizing Dr. Antolak's skills I had always expected some problems. Now I can go in and be calm as I no longer expect teeth issues. He has done a great job. His staff is very good too."