Dr. Horton or Dr. Vranas believe that the very best dental care begins with caring about people. It is our philosophy to treat the whole person with comprehensive dental care and we want our patients of all ages to be relaxed while their dental care is delivered in an atmosphere of total comfort.

In 1997 both Drs. Horton or Vranas committment to continuing education earned them the prestigious Fellowship Award from the Academy of General Dentistry. Both doctors are active members of the American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, Illinois State Dental Society, Chicago Dental Society, and Fox Valley Dental Society.

Horton & Vranas, D.D.S. proudly serve the western Chicago area including the cities of: St. Charles IL, Batavia IL, Geneva IL, Aurora IL, Elgin, IL, Wheaton, IL, Warrenville IL, Wayne, IL and West Chicago, IL

Michele Shely Horton received her Bachelor of Science Degree from Northwestern University in 1982. She then continued her studies at Northwestern and received her Doctorate of Dental Surgery Degree from Northwestern University Dental School in 1986. Dr. Horton then completed her general practice residency at the Lakeside Veterans Administration Hospital in Chicago.

Dr. Horton is diligent in participating in continuing education and earned the prestigious Fellowship Award from the Academy of General Dentistry. The Academy of General Dentistry is an international organization of 35,000 general dentists committed to continuing dental education in order to provide the best possible care to their patients.

Dr. Horton believes the very best dental care begins with caring about people. Dr. Horton feels her career has been purpose driven as she enjoys the clinical dentistry as much as she enjoys her relationships with the many wonderful patients she has met along the way.

Dr. Horton is proud to be a long-time resident of the Fox Valley and enjoys living and practicing dentistry in the same community. Dr. Horton met her husband Scott when they both attended St. Charles High School. They have three beautiful grown daughters who have benefited greatly from growing up in the Fox Valley. Dr. Horton, as well as the rest of her family, have volunteered and are active in many local organizations.

Dr. Horton is a member of The American Dental Association, The Academy of General Dentistry, The American Academy of Clear Aligners, The Illinois State Dental Society, The Chicago Dental Society, and the Fox Valley Dental Society. She is also on the dental staff at Delnor Hospital, a Northwestern Memorial Hospital affiliate.

Ellena Kontos Vranas received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Purdue University in 1982 and her Doctorate of Dental Surgery from Northwestern University Dental School in 1986. Dr. Vranas continued her studies by completing a general practice residency at Hines Veterans Administration Hospital and then a hospital dentistry fellowship at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

As an associate instructor in the Removable Prosthetic department of Northwestern University Dental School, Dr. Vranas enjoyed supervising students on dental treatment at some of Chicagos inner-city nursing homes. A second generation dentist, Dr. Vranas worked with her father, Dr. Michael H. Kontos, in Montgomery Illinois, until she joined her dental school classmate, Dr. Horton, in her St. Charles practice in 1993.

Dr. Vranas is diligent in participating in continuing education and earned the prestigious Fellowship Award from the Academy of General Dentistry. The Academy of General Dentistry is an international organization of 35,000 general dentists committed to continuing dental education in order to provide the best possible care to their patients.

Dr. Vranas is a past member of the board of the Illinois Academy of General Dentistry and a current member of the board of the Fox River Valley Dental Society.She is a volunteer dentist at The Chicago Dental Society Foundation Dental Clinic and a member of The Hellenic American Dental Society. She is fluent in Greek.

While she enjoys the variety of treatments that general dentistry afford her, Dr. Vranas greatest professional joy is taking the time to first get acquainted with her patients and to relieve any concerns they may have about their treatment. She believes in first listening to her patients so as to provide the gentle, thorough care that they deserve.

Dr. Vranas and her husband Nick have two adult daughters and she resides in Naperville. When not practicing dentistry she enjoys keeping fit, traveling, involvement in her church and is co-founder of The Apollo Dance Troupe, a Greek folk dance troupe founder by her mother over forty years ago.

We are dedicated to the highest standard of excellence and extraordinary service. It is the goal at Horton & Vranas to help you achieve and maintain optimal dental health for a lifetime, restore problem areas, and cosmetically enhance the appearance of your smile. We pride ourselves on providing the best possible care and service in an atmosphere of total comfort, placing great importance on patient relationships, and working hard to earn the trust and respect of each patient. We believe the very best dental care begins with caring about people.

Sheila has been providing administrative support to Drs. Horton & Vranas and their team since 1990. Sheila holds a certificate of dental assisting since 1976 and earned her degree in Group Practice Management in 1985. Nothing is more important than building lasting patient relationships.

Sheilas main focus is to ensure every patient receives exceptional care and service. She is excited to be working with a great team of professionals who work closely with their patients to create a smile they can be proud of!

Shanyn resides in DeKalb with her husband. They have three beautiful children and one wonderful son-in-law. In her free time she enjoys being outside with family, attending music festivals and vacationing at the beach.

She has worked in dental offices in five states and has been with the Horton and Vranas team since 2000.Polly is our remote specialist ensuring timely correspondence and communication for our patients to our referring dental offices.

She enjoys people and helping our patients feel at ease when visiting the dentist. While Donna has been in the dental profession for many years, she studied art at Northern Illinois University. She and her husband reside in St Charles, where he is a dental technician.

The number one goal of our clinical team is to provide you with our utmost personal attention during your dental treatment. Patient comfort is our number one priority as we assist our doctors in creating healthy, beautiful smiles for our patients. Excellent technical and communication skills bring warmth and a welcoming environment to our patients. Our clinical team has a combined total of 60 years of experience along with advanced training and continuing education courses which keep them current in modern technology, procedures and products.

Jurgita enjoys working chairside and she joined our dental assisting team in June of 2019. Her seventeen (17) years of dental experience is a testament to her commitment to the profession and patients.

Jurgita takes great pride in her expertise in using the latest technology available in dentistry today, especially using the CEREC and iTero for digital impressions. She realizes this technology enhances the comfort of her patients visit.

She has a real passion for dentistry which makes it easy for her to establish a relationship with her patients and to make them comfortable during their dental treatment. Her favorite part of being a dental assistant is to share her knowledge of dentistry with the patients she cares for and to see her patients happy and smiling when they leave the office.

Cathie lives in Carol Stream with her husband and the younger of two sons and enjoys spending time attending her sons hockey games, gardening and cooking. She also enjoys traveling to visit her older sons family and especially spending time with her granddaughter.

Torree, a member of our assisting team, attended Liberty University, where she pursued a degree in Kinesiology. While living in Missoula, Montana she worked as a dental assistant prior to joining the Horton & Vranas team in 2019. She enjoys the interactions with patients that she sees on a day-to-day basis.

Torree is a long-time St. Charles resident who enjoys water sports and spending time with her family in her spare time. Torree is a former Division 1 runner and has continued to run even beyond her NCAA career.

Our hygienists are devoted to educating patients in regards to their oral health and hygiene. They take great pride in providing the best possible care along with delivering their service with precision and gentleness. Their commitment to continuing education allows each of them to provide you counseling on nutrition, periodontal disease, and how your dental health plays a significant role in your overall general health and well-being. We look forward to working with you to eliminate any fear, anxiety, and help you understand all aspects of your dental health and play a significant role in creating a healthy, beautiful smile that will last a lifetime. All hygienists are certified to administer local anesthesia. This team is passionate about ensuring that their patients develop and maintain excellent oral health.

Michelle graduated from Southern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science degree in dental hygiene. She has been in the dental profession since 1999 and enjoys interacting with patients to help them achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle through excellent dental care. Michelle and her two boys Mason and Jaxson currently reside in Huntley. She enjoys spending as much of her free time with them as she possibly can.

Lisa is passionate about providing dental hygiene care and building relationships with her patients. One of her top priorities is making sure you are comfortable while in the dental chair. Lisa works one-to-one with patients giving them the knowledge and tools to maintain optimal oral health and smiles between visits.

Lisa and her husband live in St. Charles. Her family is always their priority and they have spent many years watching and volunteering with their three childrens activities and sports. They now are finding more free time as their children head off to college. Lisa enjoys being creative and crafty and spending time outdoors.