The team in the office
Marie is the first voice you hear and the first face you see. She's been in the dental field for over thirty years, has the warmth of someone who genuinely loves what she does, and is the kind of person who, if you need something, will help you figure it out. That's not a small thing.
Jackie has been a hygienist at this practice for 26 years. She's originally from Hong Kong, fell in love with biking when her family moved to Boston, and has “smeyes” — she smiles with her eyes, and it is completely real. My kids adore her. Adults (I say this with love and full self-awareness) prefer her to me. She is one of the most thorough and caring clinicians I've worked with in 22 years, and she's still learning. That's the whole thing.
And then there's Evelina. She came to us with a story that stopped me in my tracks. She's been drawn to dentistry since her own orthodontic care as a kid — but what shaped her most was watching her mom, who didn't have consistent dental care growing up in Poland, navigate the American dental system as an adult, appointment after appointment, some of which failed. Evelina's heart ached watching that. She decided she wanted to be someone who helps people avoid that shame. Next year, she enters dental school to do exactly that. Right now, she is one of the most caring assistants I've had the privilege of working with. This is her training ground. I'm proud of that.
The lab, the network, and everyone else
Beyond the people in this office, there's the Chicago-area dental lab whose ceramists handcraft every crown and restoration we place — custom, meticulous, local, accountable. There are the specialists I've built relationships with over nearly twenty years — an oral surgeon, a periodontist, an endodontist, an orthodontist — people I've watched work and followed up with, people I'd send my own family to.
And there are the researchers and educators whose work I draw on every time I sit down with a patient. Continuing education matters to me — not as a checkbox but because dentistry keeps evolving and my patients deserve to know I'm keeping up.
What this adds up to
I think about this sometimes: what actually sets a dental practice apart? It's not the equipment, though we invest in good technology. It's not the location. It's not even the services offered, because most dental offices offer the same list.
What sets a practice apart is the people — and what those people believe about why the work matters. At Tree Streets, we treat the whole mouth, not isolated problems. We think about how your oral health connects to your overall wellbeing. We try to make this a place that feels calm and human, not clinical and rushed. We see patients of all ages — kids who are coming for the first time, grandparents who've been coming for years — because we want to be your family's dentist, not just one person's.
That only works because of the village. The team that actually means it. The lab that takes the time. The network that earned the referral.
And you
I save the most important for last: our patients. You choose to come here, to trust us, to show up even when the timing is hard or the appointment is inconvenient. That trust is not something I ever take lightly. It's why we do this work the way we do.
This November, I'm grateful for the whole village — the team, the lab, the specialists, the researchers, and you. Thank you for being part of ours. 🦃
See you soon,
— Dr. Chan 🦷
