Meet Our Pediatric Dental Team – Grayslake, IL

Dawn M.
Office Manager

Dawn has been part of Kids Dentist for over 26 years, and in the dental field for 42 years. According to Dawn, the best part of her day is watching patients and their parents leaving the office confident and happy, because they’ve had a positive experience while here, especially if they arrived feeling anxious. Some days you’ll find Dawn at our reception area, welcoming patients and overseeing paperwork. At other times she is working with our patients and their families to discuss treatment planning. And she is always available to answer your questions about our practice and pediatric dentistry. In fact, she encourages questions, believing that informed patients make better, healthier decisions about their care and lives.

In her downtime, Dawn is often found surrounded by her animals, crochet hook in hand. She and her husband have four cats and two dogs, and the antics of the animals keep them entertained.

Don F.
Front Office Manager

Don has been part of Kids Dentist for over 18 years. Don may be the first person to greet you when you arrive for your visit. He’s always smiling and loves to welcome new and returning patients and hear about everyone’s lives and families. Overseeing the day-to-day running of the front office keeps Don busy: He schedules patients and submits and follow-ups on insurance claims, and he’s our computer/technology trouble-shooter, as well.

His off hours are spent with his wife and animals. Don’s very involved with the sport of K9 Nose Work. He and his dog Cooper have been competing since 2012 and have achieved titles in Nose Work 1 and Nose Work 2.

Cathy R.
Dental Hygienist

Cathy has been part of Kids Dentist for over 23 years, and in the dental field for 48 years. Cathy says that the most rewarding part of her work is when a child and the parents come in, very frightened, and she is able to help them work through their fears so that when the appointment is finished, everyone leaves having had a positive experience and with a smile on their face. Among her many duties, Cathy is our OSHA trainer and compliance person, and she manages the clinical areas of Kids Dentist. She’s certified in infection control and nitrous oxide and oxygen conscious sedation analgesia administration. On top of that, helps manage our Facebook page!

Outside work, Cathy loves spending time with her family, especially her five grandchildren. She also enjoys photography, creating audiovisual slide shows, boating, and traveling.

Lisa H.
Dental Hygienist

Lisa has been part of Kids Dentist for over 18 years, and in the dental field for 28 years. Lisa says the greatest joy in her job comes from watching the children grow up, over the years, and being a part of that process. She spends a lot of time with our younger patients, talking with them about oral health and teaching them not just how to keep their mouth healthy between visits and cleanings, but why it’s important to do so. Always encouraging and reassuring, Lisa excels at helping timid patients work through their fears and actually smile and laugh during their visit — which shouldn’t be surprising, because she used to be a “cast member” at Disneyland. In addition to providing education and cleanings, she’s certified in nitrous oxide and oxygen conscious sedation analgesia administration.

In her free time, Lisa loves being outdoors, losing herself in a good book, traveling, and being with friends and family.

Stephenie T.
Dental Hygienist

Stephenie has been part of Kids Dentist for over 9 years, and in the dental field for 11 years. Stephenie is a graduate of the College of Lake County Dental Hygiene Program and received her license as a Registered Dental Hygienist in 2009. Stephenie likes to split her time between Kids Dentist and working with adults to get a well-rounded view of dentistry. In addition to being a Dental Hygienist she is an avid reader, loves to spend time outdoors and quality time with her family.

Gabbie C.
Front Desk

Gabbie says that she is very excited to be a part of an office that truly cares about making kids feel comfortable at the dentist. She loves helping the front desk run as smoothly as possible. She has enjoyed meeting and getting to know every patient, she loves helping parents, from scheduling their appointments at the best possible time, to helping them handle co-pays and maximize their insurance benefits.

In her spare time, Gabbie loves spending time with her husband and 3 children. She enjoys the outdoors and trying new experiences.

Jannet C.
Front Desk

Jannet says that the best part about working at Kids Dentist is seeing the children smile at the end of their visit. She loves working with kids and helping parents schedule their next appointments at the front desk. She is very excited to learn and be a part of the front desk crew!

In her spare time, Jannet loves teaching and spending time with her son and husband.

Maggie B.
Dental Assistant

Maggie joined our team in June 2018 with 6 years of experience providing both hygiene and chairside dental assisting. Maggie has been fortunate to work in several aspects of dentistry and in doing so has gained a wide array of knowledge along the way. Her gentle touch and friendly chairside manner helps patients feel more comfortable and relaxed during their visit. Her main goal is to make sure patients’ needs are met.

In her free time, she enjoys jogging, swimming, and spending time with her two children and husband.

Haley B.
DEntal & Hygiene Assistant

Haley joined our team in September of 2019 and has loved providing comfort and assistance to both the children and parents of our office. She is a helping hand in the hygiene department, keeping the children calm when they are nervous or providing some laughter for a fun and positive visit.

Outside of the office Haley enjoys going on camping and hiking trips with her dog Darla and her daughter Aliya.

Michelle
Front Desk

Michelle is extremely thrilled to join the Kids Dentist team and is excited to be a part of the process in helping young minds keep a big bright clean smile on their faces!

Outside of the office Michelle enjoys horse back riding, dancing with her dance company L-Theory Collective, and being the best fur-mom she can to her new dog and 3 cats.