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The Cary Dental Blog

Home Remedies For Removing Plaque Build-Up

At Cary Dental Associates, we know everyone is keeping a little distance right now. To help do our part in helping to keep our staff and patients safe, we are only taking emergency dental appointments at this time. While you may have to skip your cleaning this month, use these tips from our dentists in […]

How To Care For Your Cary, IL Veneers

Veneers are the perfect solution in transforming a discolored, broken or chipped smile. Plus with diligent care, they can last a lifetime. However, porcelain veneers can be affected by gradual wear and tear, making their average life expectancy 12-25 years. Aside from practicing proper oral hygiene, there are a few things you can do to […]

5 Myths About Gum Disease in Cary, IL

Gum disease affects almost 65 million Americans and can have significant consequences including tooth and bone loss. The first step in preventing gum disease is to have the correct information. Here are the most popular myths about gum disease debunked.  Gum Disease Is Painful Believe it or not, gum disease is often called the “silent […]

How to Make Your Holiday Smile Sparkle This Season

The holiday season is upon us, which means plenty of holiday parties and delicious treats. This year impress your family and friends with your brightest smile by utilizing these tips from your favorite family dentist in Cary, IL.  Teeth Whitening  In just two easy appointments, our dentist in Cary, IL can help you achieve the […]

How To Help Your Child Fight Sugar Cravings

It’s no secret that your child loves sugary snacks, but maybe they tend to eat a little more of the sweet stuff than they should. Binging sugary snacks attracts harmful bacteria that can eat away at your child’s enamel, causing them cavities and dental pain. While sugary foods can be eaten in moderation, use these […]

Participate in National Dental Hygiene Month 2019

October is National Dental Hygiene Month! To celebrate, the dedicated dental hygienists around the country want to raise awareness of the importance of dental health. Our family dentist in Cary, Il invites you to take part in our dental health challenge. While keeping up dental care every month is essential for a healthy and happy […]

5 Secrets For a Healthier Smile

At Cary Dental Associates, we love seeing our patients come in with a beautiful and healthy smile, but oftentimes, our patients wonder what more they can do to maintain their dental health outside of our office. Here are five tips you may not have thought about from our dentist around Cary, IL.  Drink More Water  […]

How Vitamins and Minerals Affect Your Teeth

The root of most oral health issues is poor dental hygiene, however, what you eat and drink can also play a huge role in your dental health. Our dentists in Cary, Il know that eating and drinking unhealthy items repeatedly can take a toll on your mouth and result in decay or gum disease. Make […]

How Can Thumbsucking Affect My Child’s Teeth?

Thumbsucking is a natural habit that almost every child has at one point in time. However, prolonged thumbsucking can be detrimental to your child’s dental health. Learn more about the effects of thumbsucking and help your child break the habit with these tips from our dentist in Cary, Il.  The Effects of Thumbsucking  While thumbsucking […]

Invisalign FAQs

Invisalign in Cary, Il continues to rise in popularity as an alternative to braces. While both teeth-straightening methods can achieve the same results and fix most of the same problems, Invisalign does so in a much subtler way. If you have been considering Invisalign but you had some lingering questions, read below: Q: Who can […]

Katelyn

Katelyn

Before becoming a registered dental hygienist, Katelyn worked as a dental assistant starting in 2016. She earned her Associate in Applied Science in Dental Hygiene from the College of Lake County in 2022 and is certified in nitrous oxide, local anesthesia, and CPR, ensuring patients receive a safe and comfortable experience.

Katelyn is dedicated to educating patients on improving their oral hygiene, nutritional habits, and periodontal health. She has a special ability to work with diverse populations, including pediatric, special needs, geriatric, and periodontally involved patients, and is skilled at crafting individualized treatment plans based on each patient’s unique needs and risk factors for cavities and periodontal disease.

Outside of the office, Katelyn enjoys long walks, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. Born and raised in McHenry County, she now resides in Mount Prospect with her fiancé, Jeremy.

Trisha

Dental hygienist Trisha believes in educating each patient about their oral health and individualizing treatment to cater to every patient’s current needs. She does this by gathering a full medical history and performing an oral cancer screening, periodontal measurements and a full oral exam. With this information, she makes a unique, personalized treatment for each patient. Skills she performs in the office include detailed cleanings, sealants, fluoride, periodontal deep cleanings, and impressions for whitening.

Trisha attended Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in dental hygiene and a minor in biomedical sciences. She holds a certification for local anesthesia and has been trained using Biolase lasers. She completes at least 36 hours of continuing education every three years. Trisha also has experience as a dental assistant starting at the age of 15. She assisted for three years in general dentistry prior to attending Marquette University and assisted as a periodontal surgical assistant and pathology assistant while attending Marquette.

Trisha grew up in Crystal Lake, IL. She now lives in Huntley with her husband Ryan and their two boys, Mason and Chase. Trisha enjoys hiking with her dogs, fishing, going on adventures and spending time watching her boys play football and baseball. She is very involved with her boys’ school, holding the position of president of the home and school association and running the school lunchroom. When it’s time to unwind she loves spending time with friends and family.

Jen

Jen has been a dental assistant since she was 21. She enjoys assisting Dr. Brewer and is dedicated to ensuring that procedures go smoothly and patients are comfortable and relaxed. Jen will always greet you with a smile and make sure you feel welcome. She is certified in coronal polishing and sealants. Jen lives in McHenry with her husband Rob, their dog Sarika and their cat Puddy. They have a son and two daughters. When not at work, Jen enjoys working out, reading, knitting and spending time with her kids.

Renae

Renae joined the exciting world of dentistry in 2004, and it wasn’t long before she realized this was the career path she would follow. Renae joined the Cary Dental Associates Team in August of 2016.

As our office manager, insurance coordinator and implant coordinator, Renae has her hands full, but you’ll always see her smiling and she wouldn’t have it any other way. She enjoys educating patients about their dental benefits to help them make decisions to receive the best possible care. She oversees the submission of insurance claims along with the processing of insurance payments. She is always up for a challenge when it comes to appealing claims that may have been denied by an insurance company. Renae also enjoys working with patients and our specialists when it comes to implant treatment. She makes sure patients understand their treatment from start to finish and thoroughly explains the financial aspect of the implant process along with any applicable insurance benefits. Renae will happily go the extra mile to help any and all patients in the practice.

Renae grew up in Crystal Lake and still calls it home. Renae enjoys spending time outside with her two sons, Cameron and Christian. She loves watching Cameron play baseball and considers herself his biggest fan.

Tracy

Tracy is our social media and marketing coordinator. You may see her in and out of the office throughout the week. Tracy enjoys working out of her home creating content for Cary Dental Associates’ Facebook and Instagram pages.

Tracy has lived in the Crystal Lake area for over 40 years, and she and her husband, Dr. Skleba, currently reside in Prairie Grove where they raised their family. In her free time, she enjoys anything that has to do with being outside and spending time with family, especially playing with her grandchildren. Tracy loves to travel to new and exciting places where she can play golf and hike.

Marisa

As an assistant to Dr. Brewer, Marisa focuses on helping patients achieve brighter smiles along with utilizing her certificate for sealants and coronal polishing to help keep patients’ teeth healthy. Marisa is always smiling because she’s able to help patients feel confident in their own smiles. She’s been working in the dental field since 2006 and recalls getting so excited to go to the dentist as a child.

When she isn’t working, Marisa enjoys traveling, boating or simply spending time outside in the sun with her children, Brayden and McKenzie. If Marisa could spend a year doing anything, she would spend as much time as possible traveling with family and friends.

Debbie

Debbie has been part of our dental hygiene team since 2007. She obtained her Associate of Applied Science in dental hygiene from Harper College. She has been practicing dental hygiene since 1983 and has years of experience in both periodontal and orthodontic offices. She is thrilled to be part of such a great team with incredibly wonderful patients.

When not at work, Debbie’s favorite thing to do is spend time with her husband, their three daughters and four grandchildren. She also volunteers at her church with the PADS program.

Bonnie

Dental hygienist Bonnie’s priority is to work in tandem with the rest of the dental team to provide full oral health care. Her training lets her specialize in the treatment and prevention of oral diseases such as periodontal disease and dental decay. She evaluates potential risk factors for these diseases by taking a full medical history and performing an oral cancer exam, a dentition exam and a periodontal exam. She then follows up with treatment, which can include removal of plaque, calculus and biofilm, as well as any necessary radiographs, fluoride treatments and sealants.

Bonnie lives in Ringwood, IL, and has resided in McHenry County her whole life. In 1988, she obtained her Associate of Applied Science from Harper College in Palatine, IL, and holds local anesthesia and diode laser certifications. She maintains 36 hours of continuing education every three years for licensure. Originally an oral surgery assistant, Bonnie realized she had a very real desire to learn more about other forms of dentistry and decided to turn her attention toward the prevention of oral diseases.

When she isn’t keeping patients’ mouths healthy and shining, Bonnie is spending time with her husband Derek and their three children, Grace, Gretchen and Griffin. She enjoys coffee on the porch, swimming and boating on the lake.

Terri

As the insurance and scheduling coordinator, Terri is always willing to go the extra mile for our patients. Terri works directly with insurance companies to verify patients’ coverage and obtain detailed benefit information. When she’s not on the phone with insurance companies, she helps patients book appointments, checks them in and out and keeps up with patient relations. Terri has been working in the dental field on and off since 2000. She loves helping people and educating them on how to achieve their best smiles. Terri loves working at Cary Dental Associates and with everyone in the office.

When she is not working, Terri enjoys spending time with her family. She has been married for over 35 years and has three daughters. She loves spending time with her grandchildren, Simon and Winnie, who live in Holland, MI. Terri loves playing with her 2 grandpuppies, a golden retriever, Rudy, and a Bernedoodle, Riley. She also loves cooking, watching movies and seeing live shows.

Bridget

Bridget has worked in the dental field since 2005. She has been both a dental assistant and a front desk coordinator. Bridget joined the Cary Dental Associates team in June 2021. As the scheduling coordinator, she oversees scheduling appointments, checks patients in and out of the office and keeps up with patient accounts. Bridget enjoys helping people find their way to a brighter smile.

Bridget was born and raised in Chicago and moved to McHenry in 1993 with her husband Rob. She has three children, twins Jimmy and Joey, a daughter Brianna and a beloved dog, Phebe. When Bridget is not working at the office, she loves to spend time with family and friends. She is always on the go and loves to be busy and active. She’s an avid sports fan and loves the Chicago Cubs, Blackhawks and the Bears.

Dr Katarina Crause

Dr. Katarina Crause grew up in Ann Arbor, MI. She completed her Bachelor of Science in evolutionary anthropology with a minor in biochemistry at the University of Michigan.

Having always wanted to work in healthcare, her family dentist convinced her to consider dentistry, and she was inspired by the amount of hands-on patient care, precision and artistry involved in the field. She received her DDS from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry in 2021 and then moved to Chicago, completing her general practice residency at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in 2022.

Dr. Crause is a member of the Chicago Dental Society, the Illinois State Dental Society, the American Dental Association, and the Academy of General Dentistry. She has participated in various volunteer events, including Give Kids a Smile and Mission of Mercy.

When not caring for patients, Dr. Crause enjoys exercising, traveling, watching Broadway shows and dancing with friends. You might also find her walking along Lake Shore Drive or trying a new restaurant in Chicago!

Dr Sarah Brewer

Dr. Sarah Brewer always loved puzzles as a child, and seeing how pieces fit together to make a functioning and visually pleasing whole.

“When I started college, I had no idea what I planned to do, but the brother of a friend of mine started talking to me about dentistry. I quickly saw it was the perfect blend of medicine and creativity for me!”

A Bloomingfield, MI, native, Dr. Brewer did her undergraduate work at Indiana University, achieving a Bachelor of Science in biology and a minor in chemistry and graduating with honors. She followed up her undergraduate with dental school, attending Boston University for her DMD and graduating magna cum laude in 2006 before completing her residency at Illinois Masonic Medical Center.

“There are two ‘best parts’ of my daily job,” Dr. Brewer says. “The first is working with patients who call themselves ‘flight risks.’ They are so scared of the dentist that they literally want to jump out of the chair and run. When I am able to successfully treat them and they say to me, ‘Wow, I’m not scared anymore!’—well, that’s a great feeling. The second is working with patients who tell me they are embarrassed to smile because of the way their teeth look. When we do restorative work and they are able to smile again, you can see what a difference you’ve made in their life. It’s transformative.”

When she’s not guiding patients toward a happier, healthier approach to dentistry, Dr. Brewer can be found at her Cary, IL, home with her three children, Lucas, Dylan and Beckett. She enjoys relaxing in warm weather and going to the beach to build sandcastles with the kids, and confides that her dream vacation would definitely involve travel to Europe with friends, family and a babysitter!