Compass Dental

Dr. Prusa is one of the best dentists in Chicago. I give him my highest recommendation. He is professional, honest, and fair.

I’ve had 2 other dentist in Chicago prior to meeting Compass Dental. The two before Compass tried to nickle and dime me for everything and add all sorts of procedures I didn’t need.
I now go to Compass Dental and couldn’t be happier. They never try to push anything on me, the cleanings are quick and easy and all the staff there is super nice and down to earth. Plus they have parking which can sometimes be tough in Lincoln Park. If you’re looking for a dentist I highly recommend Compass!

Dr Prussa is the best dentist I have ever seen. Being born with the most problematic mouth, I have had numerous dental procedures. I can say, without reservation, that Dr Prussa has provided me as well my entire family with the highest level of dental care. He not only is professional but his technique and wisdom are of the highest caliber!

The hygienists at Compass Dental are nice, friendly people. That’s the only positive thing I can say. Any trace of professionalism at this office goes out the window when it comes to Dr. Prussa’s demeanor toward patients, although I can only speak to my own experience.
I came in for a cleaning last week and while I was there I told the hygienist I was concerned about a gap between my upper canine tooth and the gum line that was a result of a small skin graft surgery I had on my gum area a year ago.
Dr. Prussa said he could fill it in for me, and while he was at it, he said he’d fill a small chip on another tooth as well. Before I left, I was presented with a bill totaling nearly $ 300 for both teeth, but with an option to only fill the first one for $ 50. I signed the form, agreeing to only have the first tooth worked on since I don’t have insurance and $ 300 is too much for me to pay for the minor cosmetic service on this separate tooth.
I came in for my appointment this morning, and the hygienist was friendly and professional. Then Dr. Prussa came in. He seemed angry – talking fast and he seemed like he was high-​strung.
He sat down and said to me, «I’m running a business – I have staff to pay and the rent in Lakeview is high. You should know that, you live here. I can’t afford to be giving you discounts like this.» He used a whiny tone like he was talking to a child, not a 33-​year-​old patient.
Then he tells me he’s given me a break on the costs way too many times and he didn’t want to do the work unless I had BOTH teeth done for the $ 300. Never mind the fact I signed a form committing to one tooth for $ 50 just one week before. While he was saying this to me, he had a belittling look on his face, and you could see the anger boiling up in him. I don’t know if this guy is having serious financial stress or what is happening over there – but no one should be treated this way when they go to see a medical professional.
I tried to explain to him that his staff had given me a form to sign the week before to agree to the one tooth procedure, but he was having none of it. He wouldn’t listen, but instead continued talking over me and getting in my face. Yes, he got into my face – it was as inappropriate as it sounds.
I left without getting my tooth fixed because I was so upset.
I have never experienced anything like this in my life. I actually can’t believe it happened. The saddest part of all this is that the late Dr. Purcell, the second-​generation owner of the business who sold his practice to Prussa when he became sick with ALS two years ago, would never have wanted to see this happen. Dr. Prussa is nothing like Dr. Purcell. The way he treated me was so beyond out of line. I would suggest that you find a different dentist, because this place doesn’t deserve anyone’s business.
Side note: the receptionist was helpful and professional when I asked for my dental records to send to a new dentist. He forwarded my x-​rays and the notes from last appointment right away.

I just recently became a patient of Dr. Prusa, and I came out of necessity, my tooth and jaw where killing me. I currently don’t have dental insurance, will be getting it soon, but the issue needed attention. He was made aware of the circumstance, and was more than willing to work with me.
He was very thorough, I explained where it hurt, what it felt like, he did the tooth tests, 3 x-​rays, yet we couldn’t find the issue, I had him stumped. After poking around on my jaw and in my mouth, he had the answer. …I’m a grinder, stress grinder… there I said it! He gave me some options of how to remedy it, before my insurance kicks in and I have to get a sleep guard. But told me if I need anything to always call and let him know.
Back to the willing to work with me — the kicker, the icing on the cake, actually don’t eat that bad for your teeth — I only paid for the visit, he didn’t charge me for the x-​rays!

I recently became a patient of Dr. Prussa’s after having about a year of extensive, unpleasant and expensive dental work done with a different dentist. I was feeling quite bitter about dentists after my experience, but faith has been restored after seeing Dr. Prussa. Not only was Dr. Prussa upfront and honest about my treatment he was very kind and empathetic about the amount of pain I was in and money I had spent. I had a root canal done with my previous dentist and he had missed a few canals, and I was experiencing severe pain. Dr. Prussa saw me a couple of times (very accomodating) and even fixed some of the work the previous dentist did (my bite was off and was causing me pain) free of charge. He had me see a specialist he often refers to (who was also amazing) and really helped me decide next steps with my treatment. I ended up having to have the additional canals cleaned out. He was very responsive (via phone call) when I was deciding on my treatment plan. I think I heard him say to me «I just don’t want you to be in pain anymore» numerous times. He is very kind, talented and I will continue to be a patient of Dr. Prussa’s. Highly recommend!

I have been going to Dr. Prussa since he took over the practice from Dr. Purcell. Thankfully, my visits up to now have been limited to cleanings, but I recently had an old filling that gave out and the tooth required a crown.
Dr. Prussa walked through the process to put me at ease and made sure I understood everything that had to be done. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt more comfortable during any dental procedure. The procedure was pain free and just as he described.
The front office personnel has changed a bit, but everyone is still professional and polite. Heidi has been my hygienist for years. I know Dr. Purcell invested a great deal of time toward finding the right dentist to take over his practice and I am happy he chose Dr. Prussa.

I have been a patient at Compass Dental for almost 4 years now and I have had nothing but great experiences.
Dr. Prussa is incredibly skilled not only with general dentistry but I also just had veneers done there. He was honest and upfront with how the whole process works and made sure that it was done right. I had a lot of questions as this procedure was done on my two front teeth so it had to be perfect. Dr. Prussa took the time and made sure that I was comfortable with the entire process and I could not be happier with the results! The extra steps that he takes and the labs and tools that he uses are top notch. They look amazing!
Also have to give a shout out to all of the the dental hygienists and staff there who are all SO friendly! Any time that I call or go into the office, they know who I am and it makes it a much more comfortable visit to the dentist.
If you are looking for a new dentist that has convenient hours and can do it all, Compass Dental and Dr. Prussa and team are the easy and best choice.

Used to be a patient of Dr. Purcell and am now a patient of Dr. Prusa. Dr. Prusa is an excellent dentist: he’s patient, professional, gentle (especially with the needles) and takes his time to explain everything to me, what my options are and what he’s going to perform. The staff in this office is great too.

I poped in to have my teeth whitened. Actually, I was referred to Dr. Prusa by another dentist. So, that speaks volumes.
It took about 2 hours, 3 – 4 rounds under the space age «zoom» light. Out the door. The «zingers» afterward were tough to tolerate but only lasted 4 hours or so. Since Dr. told me to expect these, I wasn’t too surprised.
Numerous people commented that my teeth looked whiter! I can’t think of a cheaper cosmetic improvement with immediate results. Nice…

I have nothing but positive feedback to give about my experiences and results from here. Doctor Prusa and his entire staff go above and beyond to assure I am comfortable. I never had a dentist care more about making sure I wasn’t in any pain and making sure I was happy with the results, which every time I am. I have referred several friends to him and they all will tell you the same.

I have nothing but positive things to say about this place. Everyone from the front desk to the hygienists to Dr. Prusa have been more than professional, friendly and accommodating. It has been a very welcome change from the last place I went to. Dr. Prusa did a great job at fixing a poorly done crown from my previous dentist and even helped me deal with the insurance issues associate with it.

I think we are lucky that Dr. Purcell cares enough about us that he interviewed so many dentists to find a good guy like Dr. Prusa. It would have been a nightmare to shop around for another dentist. His work is excellent.
It breaks my heart to hear that Dr. Frederick Purcell passed away. He was a dear friend and such a funny guy. No other doctor would have found another good guy to keep up the work. Rest in peace Dr. Purcell and I wish his wife and children the best.

I’ve been largely disappointed with my experiences with Dr Prussa and Compass Dental. I had been a very happy patient of Dr. Purcell for several years, and wanted to continue going to the office after his retirement. The staff were always exceptional, and I actually always looked forward to seeing my hygienist Heidi and talking with her.
Unfortunately Dr. Prussa is nothing like Dr. Purcell. While I’m happy with the work that he did, I was not happy with my experiences afterwards and how the new (new with Dr. Prussa) staff treated me. Like many people, I don’t exactly have a lot of cash laying around for paying for things up front. Dr. Purcell didn’t expect payment upfront, so it was not something I even considered when visiting the taken over office. Instead I found I owed several hundred dollars at the end of a visit (which is fine, it’s my mouth and it’s worth it), however they were less than nice about my request of a payment plan (telling me it would be a one time exception). I’m understanding though, it is a business after all, and had planned to come back. Unfortunately I felt like every return visit was met with snide remarks about me «paying at some point» (despite making biweekly payments, and paying it off earlier than agreed to). Whatever. Changing dentists seemed like a hassle.
All attempts to make future appointments have failed. In December I received a postcard reminding me it was time for a cleaning. Great! I called midday on a Monday to no answer, assumed it was due to the holidays, and figured I’d try back after the New Year. I later received a text letting me know it was time to come in, and clicked the link to set up an appointment. The message told me someone would call me soon. No one ever did. In fact I’ve made five attempts over the last month, all on different days and times to schedule an appointment. The fact that a kept trying is a testament to how awesome the hygienist staff is. I’m honestly not sure why I kept trying, but I’m done trying. It’s time to find a new dentist.

I just visited Dr. Prusa’s office for the first time last week and I couldn’t be happier. First of all the office is conveniently located right off of Lake Shore Dr. on Belmont. Not to mention the have FREE VALET PARKING!!! Secondly, Dr. Prusa and his staff were great. Dr. Prusa is so knowledgeable and takes time to listen, understand, and inform you as the patient. I felt comfortable even though I was pretty nervous being at the dentist office.
They were cheerful, efficient and straightforward about what I needed to do to improve my dental hygiene and fix a couple of issues without making it seem like a bigger deal than it was. The last dentist I saw told me I had all kinds of problems that would require thousands of dollars of treatment. I was skeptical and so decided to wait until I saw someone I thought was more trustworthy, and I’m really glad it was Dr. Prusa. He identified the one problem area that has been actually bothering me but without any of the additional BS my last dentist tried to talk me into. My new dentist for life!
***(Bonus points for super quick appointments and great availability.)*****

Giving 2 stars only because I was going to this office when Dr. Purcell was still the dentist, and the hygienists, who are still there, are great. HOWEVER, I have now been asked to reschedule my appointment TWICE, so they have now lost a patient.
I don’t care if other patients canceled their appointment and you don’t feel like waiting for me to come in at my appointed time! My job won’t allow me to come in earlier, and to call and tell me I HAVE to reschedule b/​c you don’t want to wait for me to come in for my appointment later is absolutely ridiculous and unprofessional!
And, like I said, this was the SECOND time they’ve called ME to say they need me to reschedule my appointment due to their scheduling issues. I highly recommend finding a different dentist.
UPDATE: The office manager did contact me directly to ask if there was anything they could do. I do appreciate that he acknowledged their mistake. However, I still don’t believe the business deserves an updated star rating b/​c it still happened and it never should have. Hopefully they’ve learned and won’t treat future patients the same way.

Dr. Prusa and his staff are absolutely the greatest kindest people you will ever meet! I was terrified of going to the dentist my whole life until I was recommended to dr Prusa’s office. I look forward to my appts! Parking in that area is a nightmare but they provide free parking right next door! Win win

Dr. Prussa is awesome! Not only is he hilarious and kind and remembers little details about your life, he is thorough and clear about your dental needs. It is so important to have a dentist that you feel comfortable with and can trust – Dr. Prussa is just that. He is always checking to make sure you understand your treatment, is clear about further actions required and is fun to talk to. I was with him before he moved to Dr. Prucell’s office and will stay with him as he continues to grow.

I have been coming to this dental office for over a year now. It is one of the best! Dr. Purcell was excellent, he has retired and will be missed but the new dentist Dr. Prusa is excellent! He is very professional, very caring and not bad looking either :) I’m also very impressed with my dental hygienist, Monica. She is one of the best. She did some deep scaling cleaning on my teeth and she is so good at it, I felt no pain. The front office staff is always friendly and very professional. This by far is one of the best places to go to in Lakeview!

I was sent to Dr. Purcell on the recommendation of a coworker — and was NOT disappointed. His staff was very accommodating and cordial– Front office staff is SO crucial to a patient’s first impression about the care they are going to receive.
Dr. Prusa, the new dentist in his office, is excellent– highly recommend following up with him if you were a patient of Dr. Purcell’s– he pretty much gave me the skinny on the status of my teeth– giving me a non judging assessment of what I needed to do to prevent things from getting worse.