Joyful Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, formerly known as Fredric Tatel and Associates is one of the oldest established pediatric dental practices in the southwest suburbs. Dr. McDonald was an associate at Fredric Tatel and Associates and the practice was transitioned to her in February of 2017. Dr. McDonald was selected because of her ability to provide patients with the same level of care. She is a skilled dentist and a caring person with the qualifications and the desire to continue the practice in a highly professional manner. She looks forward to meeting your little ones!
Dr. Yaa McDonald received her undergraduate degree in the biological sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and then completed a Doctorate in Dental Medicine degree (DMD) at Southern Illinois University. Following her doctorate degree, she completed a two-year residency in Pediatric Dentistry, obtaining both a specialty certificate and a Master of Dental Science from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. During residency, Dr. McDonald was awarded the Graduate Student Research Award for her outstanding masters thesis research on the periodontal ligament stem cells of human deciduous teeth.
Dr. McDonald is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and is an active member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. She is adjunct faculty at Marquette University School of Dentistry, where she teaches pediatric dentistry to undergraduate dental students. Dr. McDonald is also currently a staff member at Childrens Hospital of Milwaukee, WI.
Dr. McDonald is a community advocate and enjoys volunteering. She has participated in activities such as Convoy of Hope, Jamaican Dental Missions, and in other local organizations. In 2010 was honored by Metro Achievement Center with the Woman of Character Award.
Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, he studied at the University of Toronto obtaining his degree in Industrial Engineering and Applied Mathematics. He went on to complete his dental education at New York University where he graduated amongst the top of his class and was inducted into the Omicron Kappa Upsilon National Dental Honor Society. During his training, Dr. Chong was concurrently involved in research that was presented at national conferences where he gave award-winning presentations on accelerated orthodontic tooth movement and critical thinking in dental education. His passion to educate has led to giving presentations at conferences, study clubs, and at dental institutions.
Dr. Chong went on and completed his orthodontic residency at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he was a winner of a national Invisalign award. He also obtained a Masters degree for his research involving the development of a novel method for analysis of tooth movement in 3D.
Dr. Rory Chong is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics and is an active member of the American Association of Orthodontists, American Dental Association, Illinois Society of Orthodontists, and Chicago Dental Society. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, skateboarding, tennis, and traveling. Dr. Chong looks forward to meeting you and being part of your familys great dental experience.
Dr. Maria Javier (or Dr. Maria as most of her patients call her) was born and raised in the Southside of Chicagos Back of the Yards neighborhood. She comes from a family of 6, being the 2nd oldest in line; because of this, interacting with children is like second nature for her. She understands what it takes to handle different personality needs. Every child is different, but she believes every one of them deserves the care and attention that a pediatric dentist can help provide. She encourages all parents to bring their children to see a pediatric dentist starting at age 1, and continually every six months until the child feels condent to graduate and see a hygienist or general dentist. She welcomes all who feel passionate about their childs overall dental health, as well as those who have difficulty finding a dentist for children with special needs.
Dr. Lauren Price grew up in Portland, OR. She received her undergraduate degree from Arizona State University and afterwards spent three years teaching English, science, and preschool before attending dental school. She then completed a Doctorate in Dental Medicine degree (DMD) at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. Dr. Price is a general dentist who absolutely loves working with children of all ages! She has multiple years of experience doing dentistry for the general population as well as dentistry for kids; working in private offices, clinics, nursing homes, and school environments.
Dr. Riddhi Desai grew up in the small town of Somerset, Pennsylvania. After earning her Doctor of Medical Dentistry (DMD) degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, she continued her education at Oregon Health & Sciences University. At Oregon she earned her Master of Science in Dentistry (MSD) degree in Orthodontics. During her time in dental school, Dr. Desai found that the most engaging cases were those in which she built long-term relationships with her patients.
Dr. Desai has held the following Fellowships & Externships: Oregon Health & Sciences University TMJ Mechanics & Growth Research Doernbecher Childrens Hospital- Cleft Palate & Craniofacial Program UPenn Center for Advanced Medicine Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Externship
Dr. Desai holds memberships in the following professional organizations: American Board of Orthodontics American Association of Orthodontists American Dental Association Chicago Dental Society Psi Omega Dental Fraternity
Dr. Sara Day grew up in rural, northwestern Illinois. She attended Lewis University as an undergraduate and then attended Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine to receive her Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree. Following graduation, she completed an Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency, where her favorite rotation was pediatric dentistry! Dr. Day is an active member of the American Dental Association.
Dr. Day loves to travel and try new foods. Some of her favorite activities include cooking, various arts & crafts, golfing, hiking, and reading. She is proud of the Little Free Library she built to share her love of reading with her community.
Reviews
Rating 4.8 out of 5 based on 146 reviews
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newest oldest highest lowestStephanie Purnell
a year ago
Great experience!
Jessica O'Brien
a year ago
My son needed emergency dental work done & our insurance wasn't accepted, so it was paid out of pocket.(approximately a thousand dollars.) Being a single mother, that is very hard to gather for the initial visit and one procedure. With my busy schedule, I had forgotten to cancel his appointments to be rescheduled. Mind you, fillings are in the thousands. I am now being charged $81.00 for a no show fee. I have never experienced that with any doctor or dentist in my life. When signing your paperwork, be sure to note this and remember! This fine print shouldn't be fine print. It's a rip off. I'll be making payments now for what? The office? The establishment? Have you considered you're making millions off of families and $81.00 for a nonsense fee can be detrimental to single parents? We will never be back to this establishment. To be quite candid, caring for the patient & parent's needs isn't entirely in your best interest. Please consider reading the reviews and experiences of other individuals ahead of time. It'll save you money in the long run.
Bethany Kime
a year ago
So accommodating to children! We all love it!
Alisa Woodworth
a year ago
They're terrible. Dentists are nice enough. Handful of the staff are kind as well. The rest of them are useless. The scheduling department is atrocious. Somehow they "forgot" to schedule my son for a dental procedure he needed after I had to front $420. I paid and magically they fell off the face of the earth. After radio silence from them I called to request a refund of my money so we can get my son to a dentist closer to where we are now, they told me that it was NON REFUNDABLE. For a service they did not perform. I fought them tooth and nail on that one since they are the ones who never scheduled us... Not my problem.. They were rude and I will never recommend them to anyone.
Naffie Lightsey
a year ago
My son (6) had to have sealants on his teeth. Dominique took care of him and did an incredible job. She was kind, patient, professional, and all-around wonderful.
Kristen Rubio
2 years ago
Joyful Smiles has a great & friendly staff! They work great with my kids 3yrs - 13yrs. Staff is super great at communicating with the kids to keep them calm and informed during the process. Very positive experience.
RodriguezFamy Rodriguez
2 years ago
Very friendly and super patient. They made both me and my child feel super comfortable. Thank you
Olive Ver
2 years ago
I'm not sure how this place received a 5 star rating. My daughter's first visit, I drove an hour to get there, they told me I didn't have an appointment. They managed to get her in, which I appreciate. It says they have a payment plan for those without insurance on their website. Bull! I had to apply for a care credit card. They also told me that they're one of the few dentist that cover gas, because my daughter is terrified of the dentist. Another lie. $126. The woman who is supposed to go over your insurance doesn't have a clue what she's doing. Today was my second visit, with insurance. She told me my bill would be up to $1000 for 2 extractions!! With insurance. Then she actually called the insurance company and gave me a different answer. This will be the last time here.
Jessica P
2 years ago
Amazing and professional! I definitely recommend this place! Staff is all very nice and helpful! Great place to take your little ones!
Jennifer Bull
2 years ago
My daughter (11) was petrified the 1st time went to see the dentist. (Another dentist office) Coming to this dentist was a drastic change! Everyone is so polite, the assistants are knowledgeable and the best part is each chair has a TV that plays movies! My kiddo wanted Nightmare Before Christmas and she watched it and was calm the entire time. Thank you so much for relaxing my kiddo and she can't wish to get her next cleaning!
Rachel F
2 years ago
LOVE the staff at Joyful Smiles. We've been going for years, to the Tinley office before they opened Bradley down by us. The dentists are amazing and the staff that take care of the kiddos are truly great at their job. Can't say enough how much we love them!
Andre Washington
2 years ago
All of my kids go here and they have always been professional and nice. They don't frighten the kids. Each dental experience has been very positive.
Nikki Dimiele
2 years ago
I have never been to a more friendly place
Link Starkey
2 years ago
Metrice was amazing and made the experience positive even with anxiety
Sheena Holmes
2 years ago
Dr. McDonald and all of her staff were great! They were professional, very informative and he was seen in a timely matter. What I loved best was the time they took to educate not only me, but my child on every aspect of the visit and pretty much everything that was being done and needed to be done including the X-rays and book that was given. My child himself learned a lot when it came to taking care of his teeth and so did I. Thank You
Lillian Bobo
2 years ago
I just started coming here for my kids like two months ago, and everytime I come here I always leave with a joyful smile. Today Dominique and Don at the desk helped me out a lot and was very informative about what mu next step should be for my son. Today was my daughter first time and she loved it. This place help ease my worries when it comes to my kids and keepimg their teeth clean. Dominique was so patient with my son and giving him good insight as to why its so important to brush 3x everyday. Thank yall so much... If you're looking for a place that will treat your kids good and keep them smiling the entire service this the place.
Joi Lovie
2 years ago
I love taking my children to this office. The staff and doctors are very nice and made my children feel very comfortable during their procedure!
Tay Thomas
2 years ago
I absolutely love Joyful Smiles. The entire staff is so nice and patient with my daughter. I feel comfortable with the care they provide every time I bring her in. I highly recommend them
Landon Mohr
2 years ago
We had an amazing experience. The staff were all so friendly and amazing. We were seen very timely. The facility was amazing. My son had an amazing experience and can't wait to go back!
Britney Marko
2 years ago
Our hygienist (Monique) was superb with my toddler. My daughter was so scared and trying to climb out of the chair before she started but Monique was super patient with her and turned it into a learning game with my daughter that had her liking going to the dentist by the end. The dentist also was super sweet and patient.
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