While in college, Dr. Patel had a physics lab partner who introduced her to her sister. The sister worked as a dentist and was currently searching for an assistant. At that time, Dr. Patel wasn’t sure if she wanted to pursue the medical field or dentistry in particular – but she started working for her and was quickly inspired! Whether through alleviating dental pain or completely transforming a smile, the dentist was able to change people’s lives for the better every single day, and she wanted to provide that same level of immediate gratification. The rest, they say, is history. After graduating from Loyola University in Chicago, Dr. Patel pursued her dental doctorate at New York University College of Dentistry. Continuing education has been very important to her over the years; she’s completed numerous workshops with Spear Education, along with training in CEREC, BOTOX, oral conscious sedation, Invisalign, and more. Currently, she is a member of the American Dental Association and the Illinois State Dental Society. At home, Dr. Patel and her husband have a young daughter and son, as well as their 10-year-old Boxer. When she isn’t busy caring for patients, you can typically find her taking the kids to museums or spending a family day at the beach. She also loves listening to almost any kind of music live!