Dr. Jerry Udelson has been a Pediatric Dentist for more than twenty five years. He graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry in 1987. He then completed two additional years of specialized training in pediatric dentistry at Indiana University School of Dentistry. Following that, Dr. Jerry was awarded a one-year fellow- ship at Riley Childrens Hospital in Indianapolis, which was sponsored by the United Cerebral Palsy Research and Educational Foundation.

Dr. Jerrys passion for pediatric dentistry began at ayoung age. His older brother, Mark, had Cerebral Palsy and Dr. Jerry was able to understand the real need for quality dentistry in children with special needs and disabilities. Dr. Jerry has based his entire career on providing the best quality care and service for the smallest, anxious, and most challenging pediatric patients.

When Dr. Jerry isnt at the office, you can find him playing golf, riding motorcycles, or spending time with his family. Dr. Jerry and his wife Michelle live locally with their four children. In between attending the many games and activities of his children, Dr. Jerry considers himself a foodie. He and his wife Michelle enjoy going into Chicago, as well as the surrounding suburbs to try out new foods and restaurants. Although Dr. Jerry considers himself a Chicagoan now, when he can find time, he loves visiting his family home in Tennessee and spending time with friends.

Dr. Risa Hurwich is so excited to be a part of the Little Teeth Big Smiles community! A true Midwesterner, Dr. Risa was born in Chicago, IL, and was raised across the border in Munster, IN. She graduated magna cum laude from Indiana University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts. She majored in Spanish while at Indiana, and she spent a semester studying abroad in Seville, Spain. Dr. Risa still loves any opportunity to practice her Spanish-speaking skills with her patients and their parents!

Dr. Risa continued her education at Indiana University School of Dentistry and quickly became interested in pediatrics. She served as the co-president of the Pediatric Dentistry Outreach Club and received a community service scholarship, as well as the Special Interest in Pediatric Dentistry award from the Indiana Society of Pediatric Dentists.

Dr. Risa has always loved working with children and thinks that pediatric dentistry allows for the biggest opportunity to make a difference in todays world. She is grateful that she was able to return home to Chicago to pursue her specialty training in Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry, where she was a recipient of the Health Resources and Services Administration grant. This allowed her to simultaneously complete her Masters of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health. Dr. Risas public health training has helped her to become a better pediatric dentist, and she feels very fortunate to be in a profession that is constantly evolving yet is always focused on the health of the child.

When not working as a pediatric dentist, Dr. Risa loves to do yoga and spend time with her family and friends around the city. She also enjoys podcasts, cooking and trying new bites on the Chicago restaurant scene.

Dr. Jennifer is a true Mid-Westerner having grown up and spent most of her life in Illinois. She completed her Bachelors in Biology at Illinois State University and then went on to earn her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from Southern Illinois School of Dental Medicine. Dr. Jennifer followed this by completing a one-year Advanced Education in General Dentistry through NYU Lutheran in Providence, Rhode Island. Dr. Jennifer worked as a general dentist for four years in a Chicago childrens community clinic, where she realized her true passion was working with kids! She headed back to school and completed her residency in Pediatric Dentistry at LYU Langone in Phoenix, Arizona.

Dr. Jennifer is so excited to be a part of the Little Teeth Big Smiles family and working in this amazing specialty! She strives to provide the highest quality care possible in a comfortable environment by taking the time to build trust and rapport with her patients and their families.

When Dr. Jennifer is not in the office, she loves running, staying active, and spending time with her family, friends, and her boxer Max! Like any other true Chicagoan, Dr. Jennifer enjoys watching her favorite Chicago sports teams, the Bears, the Blackhawks, the Cubs, and the Bulls!

Dr. Elissa grew up in a small town in New Hampshires vibrant Merrimack Valley. She attended Colby College, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Chemistry. She then moved to Boston, Massachusetts to complete her dental school education at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. While at Tufts, she was honored to receive the Honos Civicus award due to her dedication to providing outstanding community service to the underserved population in the Boston area. She regularly provided free dental care to homeless youth, visited local schools to educate children about oral health and hygiene, and organized an annual preventive-screening event, Tooth Day at Fenway, for all park patrons.

Following dental school, she completed a one-year Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency on the Navajo reservation in Winslow, Arizona. She considers this an invaluable experience in her professional life, as she continued to treat an underserved population of deserving patients. After completing her general residency, Dr. Elissa worked at a private pediatric practice in Charleston, South Carolina for three years. It was there that she realized her passion for providing care to the pediatric population and patients with special health care needs. She decided to pursue specialized training and went on to complete a two-year pediatric dental residency at The Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University and Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta while continuing to work at the pediatric practice in Charleston on the weekends.

Dr. Elissa is excited to be a part of the Little Teeth Big Smiles family and is devoted to providing quality care in a positive environment for both her patients and their families. She considers herself lucky to be in a position where she has the ability to impact and influence children at such a young age. Dr. Elissa strives to create a calm and inviting environment for her patients in order to alleviate fears while promoting positive future dental visits. She loves seeing improvements and growth with each and every encounter. Dr. Elissa is passionate about pediatric dentistry and finds the profession incredibly rewarding.

Dr. Elissa visited Chicago frequently and was intrigued by the city, culture, and even the snow (after living in the Southeast for the last five years). When shes not taking care of little teeth, you can find her staying active at yoga and group exercise classes, hiking mountains, traveling to untouched areas of the world, volunteering, exploring the Chicago food scene, and spending time with friends and family, both near and far. She looks forward to meeting you and your family soon!

Dr. Kelsey Brar grew up in the western suburbs and attended Benedictine University in Lisle where she received her undergraduate degree. She then went to The University of Illinois at Chicago where she obtained her D.M.D. After dental school, Dr. Kelsey furthered her education with a three-year pediatric dentistry residency program at the University of Illinois at Chicago while also pursuing a Master of Science in Oral Biology and a Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Administration. While in residency, she focused her research on reducing oral health disparities amongst pediatric patients.

Dr. Kelsey is a member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Dental Association, Illinois Society of Pediatric Dentists, Illinois State Dental Society, and Chicago Dental Society. She is committed to continued education and growth in the dynamic field of pediatric dentistry. She loves to incorporate new techniques into her practice to provide the best care to all of her patients.

Dr. Kelsey believes that going to the dentist should be an enjoyable and positive experience for all children. She truly enjoys working with anxious children and helping them become comfortable in a child friendly dental environment, while teaching her patients the fundamentals for achieving a lifetime of excellent oral health.

Outside of her professional activities, Dr. Kelsey enjoys life in Downers Grove with her husband and children. Together they explore local parks and trails, and love to go on walks. Dr. Kelseys hobbies include arts and crafts, interior design, and staying active. She is so excited to have the opportunity to be a part of the Little Teeth Big Smiles team!

Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Dr. Priyal Mangrola obtained her Bachelors in Microbiology at Texas Tech University. Dr. Mangrola opted to further her education by obtaining her Masters in Public Health before being accepted to Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine in 2013. After completing her doctoral studies, Dr. Mangrola completed a one- year general practice residency at Mercy Hospital in Saint Louis. She then completed her pediatric dental residency at Saint Louis University where she worked at the Cardinal Glennon Childrens Hospital. During her time in Saint Louis, Dr. Mangrola received extensive training in children with special health care needs.

Dr. Mangrola wants each visit to the office to be fun and educational for both patients and parents the end goal being preventative dentistry. A firm believer in making the dental experience enjoyable and comfortable, you might catch her singing or dancing.

In her spare time, Dr. Mangrola enjoys playing golf and basketball, playing video games, traveling with her husband, and following her favorite sports teams. She is sadly a die-hard Texans and Astros fan, no trash talk needed, but still loves watching all Chicago sports teams.

Dr. Josh Woodruff is a Board Certified pediatric dentist. He was born and raised in Huntington, West Virginia. Dr. Josh attended college at the University of Florida where he received a bachelors degree in Psychology. Following college, Dr. Josh attended dental school at Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine where he earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree.

Upon graduation from dental school Dr. Josh headed north to New York City where he completed a residency in General Practice Dentistry at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Josh then worked as an adult dentist before deciding to head back and further his education in pediatric dentistry. Dr. Josh continued his training in New York and completed his residency in Pediatric Dentistry at The Mt. Sinai Hospital in Manhattan.

Through his years in dental school, residency, and practice, Dr. Josh has obtained extensive training in treating children of all ages. His residency in pediatric dentistry emphasized greatly behavior management, helping children to feel comfortable and confident in visiting the dental office.

Dr. Josh loves having the opportunity to shape the experiences children have at the dentist and he strives to foster a relationship with every patient so that they feel comfortable and confident at all dental visits. Working with children and young adults on a day to day basis is an exciting journey, and Dr. Josh is happy to be a part of the team.

Our team provides you and your child with outstanding dental health care. Every member of our team has a passion for working with children and is committed to making your familys visit to our office enjoyable, pleasant, and educational.

Treatment Coordinator Determined to figure out the details on her own smile is what eventually led Belsa to join the dental field and get answers to all of her questions! In 2013, Belsa started working as a pediatric and orthodontic dental assistant. Belsa enjoys teaching both children and parents good hygiene skills and the importance of keeping our teeth healthy! Belsa was born in Guatemala and relocated with her family to the United States when she was four years old. Since then, Chicago became her new home and she has learned to love her new city life! Belsa also enjoys the outdoors and doing arts and crafts! Fun fact, Belsa is proud of her amazing present wrapping skills!

Scheduling Coordinator Catalina is thrilled to be a part of the LTBS team! She was born and raised in the Chicagoland Suburbs and has 5 years of retail customer service experience. She enjoys working with kids and wants every parent and child to feel welcome the moment they walk into our office! In her free time she enjoys spending quality time with her family and loves watching Disney movies and visiting the Disney World Theme parks.

Dental Assistant Denise loves being a part of the Little Teeth Big Smiles team! She has always wanted to make a difference and working with children is the most logical path for her. She has worked in the past with a non-profit which led her to the passion she has for wanting to help others. She gets most excited to help in whatever way she can and to help our patients to feel at home in our office and leave with a smile on their faces! When she is not working, Denise enjoys reading, baking and spending time with her nieces and nephews.

Dental Assistant Erick is a wonderful addition to our LTBS team! After multiple visits to the orthodontist himself, he realized his passion was in the pediatric dental field. Ericks amazing personality helps our little patients to feel comfortable when visiting our office! If you know him, you know hes always laughing or cracking jokes! When Erick is not at work he enjoys spending time at home and playing video games.

Treatment Coordinator Ravenn is excited to join Little Teeth Big Smiles! Colorado is home but after moving to Chicago in 2020, she wanted to find a work home that is as passionate about childrens health as she is, and that brought her to LTBS! She has a Bachelor degree in Healthcare Administration and over 8 eight years of customer service experience. Ravenn enjoys encouraging children to build healthy habits young and to be just as passionate about their own health. In her free time, Ravenn likes watching funny movies with friends and exploring all things outdoors!

Administrative Supervisor She loves helping patients and making sure they understand the Doctors recommendations. She has been in the dental field for over 14 yrs and with Childrens Dentistry since 2010. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico and currently resides in Berwyn. Brenda is a proud mom of two boys and a dog named Bo. In her spare time, Brenda loves being with her family and friends, and spending time on her hobby: collecting I Love Lucy memorabilia.

Head Dental Assistant After four years of assisting in a general office with both adults and children, Carlos decided that he wanted to be part of a team that dedicated their time to the little ones. He came across Little Teeth Big Smiles and is so thankful to be a part of our team! He has a knack for helping kids AND parents feel at home and be as comfortable as possible. He loves getting to be a part of a childs first dental visit, and believes that if the child has an AMAZING first experience, that future visits will be a breeze! Carlos is currently in the process of going back to school for his bachelors degree, and has plans to attend dental school. He is even hoping to specialize in pediatric dentistry! When Carlos is not at the office, he is usually at home watching some Netflix and if its Thursday night, you can be sure that he is eating some delicious pizza!

Dental Assistant She is from the Chicago area and has been a dental assistant since 2012. Working with kids has been her calling and she considers it a privilege to work with children. Becoming a dental assistant is one of Danias proudest accomplishments and she finds it rewarding in many ways: She feels strongly about educating parents on preventive care, oral health and proper hygiene and making sure dental visits are a happy experience for the whole family. She enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends when not at the office. She also likes to stay fit and enjoys going to the gym and reading in her spare time.

Practice Manager Heather began working at Little Teeth Big Smiles in 2010. With more than 20 years of customer service experience, Heather is a great team leader and works hard to make sure the office is running efficiently. She loves to help with questions or concerns patients or parents may have about their pediatric dental care. Heather was born and raised in Vermont and obtained her Bachelors degree in psychology from Saint Michaels College in Colchester, VT in 2005. She then moved to the Chicago area and received her Masters degree in Clinical Counseling from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in 2007. Heather and her husband have three children who keep them very busy. In her free time, Heather loves to be with her family, attend barre classes, and bake delicious treats for her co-workers

Dental Assistant Karina has been a dental assistant since 2012 and is excited to be a part of the Little Teeth Big Smiles team! She was born in California and moved to Illinois at the age of 9. She started off in general dentistry and then decided to give pediatric dentistry a try and absolutely fell in love with it! She enjoys educating children and parents on proper oral hygiene and making a childs visit enjoyable. She is working on pursing a degree in diagnostic medical sonography. During her free time, she enjoys watching cooking videos, working out, going on hiking trails, and going on nature walks with her fianc.

Dental Assistant Marlene is super happy to be a part of the Little Teeth Big Smiles team! She has enjoyed learning everything there is to know about pediatric dentistry and has even incorporated what she has learned into educating her own kids about oral hygiene! Marlene does a fantastic job of helping to ease the worries of our little patients when they are anxious or afraid during their visit. She enjoys creating a positive experience for the patients and educating them on how important oral hygiene is. When not at the office, you can find Marlene spending time with her kids reading books, trying different hobbies, or traveling. She also volunteers her time giving out food to the homeless and picking up garbage from the streets, as she believes these things are extremely important in making a difference in the world!

Dental Assistant Sonia was born and raised in Chicago! In 2018 she started working as a dental receptionist at a general dental office but quickly worked way into dental assisting. She is excited to now be working in a pediatric dental office! As the oldest of 4 siblings, she knows how to help kids feel comfortable and safe during their dental visits. She is amazing when it comes to welcoming our little new patients in for their visit and introducing them to a dental setting! In her spare time, she loves to watch movies and spend time with her family!

Required qualities for our applicants are a friendly smile, a genuine concern for others and love of teamwork, and being a people person. We are highly selective in hiring because taking excellent care of patients is what keeps our families happy and returning for a lifetime of dental care. Respect, a caring attitude, and a good work ethic never go out of style.