From the gracious decor, to our spacious rooms, we have designed our beautiful new office with comfort and elegance in mind. It is so pleasant here; our patients say they sometimes forget they are at the dentist!

Dr. Podlasek received her Doctorate of Dental Surgery from the University of Illinois Chicago where she served as class president for her graduating class. She has been practicing dentistry in private practice since 2004. She prefers to be known as Dr. Lynn to her patients, and she thoroughly enjoys her daily interactions with people, working hard to make all her patients feel as comfortable as possible while providing superior dental care. She also likes to educate her patients about dental health and treatments, something she fostered when she served on faculty at the UIC College of Dentistry as Assistant Clinical Instructor.

Dr. Podlasek is involved in many of the organized dental associations, including the American Dental Association, Chicago Dental Society, Illinois State Dental Society, American Dental Education Association, and the Academy of General Dentistry. Through the many organizations that she is active in, as well as the hours of continuing education that she commits to, she hopes to stay on the leading edge of dental health and continue providing the highest quality dental care for many years to come, especially in the areas of implant dentistry and cosmetic dentistry.

She really enjoys the relationships she has with her patients. She listens to their needs and treats them the way she would care for her very own family. She wants going to the dentist to be as enjoyable as possible for every patient, every visit.

Dr. Silvio Arauz began his dental career by graduating from the Universidad Americana College of Dentistry in Nicaragua in 2004. Then, in 2014, he continued his professional education by graduating from the University of Illinois College of Dentistry. Advanced education, as well as yearly continuing education, is very important to Dr. Arauz, as he knows this provides him with the knowledge and skill to best treat his patients. He completed advanced training in Esthetic Dentistry at continuing education course at the Pacific Esthetics Continuum in 2016. Dr. Arauz also maintains his 2014 and 2018 Invisalign certifications to be able to help his patients discreetly straighten their smiles! Also enjoys placing dental implants. When hes not in the office, you can find Dr. Arauz enjoying time with his family, including his wife, kids, and Great Dane named Sally! In addition to quality time spent with his family, he also enjoys biking local trails and roads, listening to the newest mystery podcast, and completing any home improvement project (big or small).

Emily is a proud graduate of the Dental Assistance program at First Institute in Crystal Lake. Before she joined our practice, she was actually a surgical dental assistant for about 7 years. She knows that this will sound strange, but she has always liked going to the dentist. Thats why she loves getting to know our patients so that she can help them achieve healthy, confident smiles. Youll find Emily answering phones, scheduling patients, verifying insurance, and doing anything that she can to make patients comfortable. Outside of work, Emily is a huge animal lover, so you might find her and her family traveling and exploring zoos.

Danielle does more than just assist the dentists and help patients, shes also a Ms. Fix-it, wearing many hats around the office. Shes been a part of this dental family for over two decades, so she definitely knows her way around the office. Danielle says helping people and having a purpose is what she loves most about her smile-saving work as a dental assistant. She says she kind of fell into dentistry and enjoys it because you feel like youre part of an extended dental family. Danielle is kind, fun, high-energy, helpful, and respectful. When shes not assisting doctors and patients, Danielle is usually doing something involved with exercise or fitness. She enjoys running, traveling, musicals and concerts, being with her daughter, and trying new restaurants.

With nearly three decades of dental experience under her belt, its safe to say Debi knows a thing or two about teeth. Were so thrilled to have her as part of our dental family, and so are our patients! What started as a part-time job working in dentistry in high school, made Debi think it could be fun as a full-time career. Fast forward nearly thirty years later, and shes still loving what she does, educating patients and helping them to feel at ease. Debi is so passionate about her work, she says shed probably teach and train other dental assistants if she wasnt working with us. (And breed French Bulldogs too!) Debi is easy-going, friendly, organized, and determined. When shes not busy at work, Debi enjoys being with her husband Jeff and their three daughters, watching movies, reading a good book and spending time with their Frenchie puppies.

Kerri brings over 27 years of dental experience to the office both assisting and managing the front desk duties. This means shes a master of all things scheduling, billing, collections, and insurance. She doesnt have just one thing she loves about her job. Kerri says its her fellow team members, her bosses, and (of course) her patients that make it fun to come to the office every day. Kerri works hard to continue learning every day, consistently improving our patient experience and customer service standards. Youll find that Kerri is honest, dependable, hard-working, fun, and caring. Outside of work, Kerri is usually doing something active like playing with her kids, volleyball, camping, and riding bikes.

Amy earned her credentials and training in dental hygiene from Rock Valley College. Shes also certified in pain management and level one laser therapy. As a registered dental hygienist, Amy spends her time at the office taking digital x-rays, screening patients periodontal health, cleaning teeth, and helping with pain management. Amy says she comes to work each day not feeling like shes going to a job. Dental hygiene is truly her passion, and the bonus is how rewarding it can be to make a difference in peoples lives. Amy was honored as the Golden Scaler of her college graduating class. Shes enthusiastic, creative, friendly, personable, and outgoing. When it comes to her work, Amy is very meticulous. When shes done helping patients, Amy enjoys taking care of her busy blended family, including five kids. Along with her husband (a first responder), they enjoy camping as a family, volunteering, and caring for their rescue pets.

Amanda has been working in the dental field since 2012 after graduating from the College of Lake County. One of her main duties as one of our talented dental hygienists is to help patients achieve optimal oral health through regular cleanings and at-home instructions. Amanda says being a dental hygienist is rewarding work because she is providing a service to people that when they leave they feel better, and it makes them smile. Amanda decided to pursue dentistry for a career because she loves her teeth and always wanted to work in healthcare. She says working with her fellow team members is a unique and rewarding experience because of their ability to connect with people, leading to lifelong relationships. Amanda is a volunteer with RAM (Remote Area Medical) and MOM (Mission of Mercy) to provide dental care to people in need. Amanda is caring, ambitious, kind, friendly, and short! She enjoys spending time with her three boys, biking, and hiking.