Trusted Female Dentist in Evanston, IL

Get to Know
Dr. Polly Reese

Evanston Illinois dentist Doctor Polly Reese

Dr. Polly Reese loves creating smiles that are not only healthy, but beautiful! Her welcoming and caring demeanor helps her patients stay comfortable no matter what procedure has brought them into the dental office. She has over 25 years of experience, 14 of which have been spent right here as a female dentist in Evanston. She can’t wait to show you how easy and fulfilling taking care of your teeth can be, but first, you can start getting to know her below.

Why did you decide to become a dentist?

Doctor Reese working in dental lab area

Dr. Reese comes from a family of health professionals and started considering a career in healthcare at an early age (after going through a stage of wanting to be a pilot). An accomplished athlete, her father told her she would be a natural for dentistry because of her great hand/eye coordination. She eventually chose to pursue dentistry because she saw it would allow her to make positive and lasting changes in people’s lives, and she couldn’t be happier where she has ended up!

Where did you study dentistry?

Dr. Reese completed her undergraduate studies at Augustana College in Rock Island, IL, where she graduated with a BA degree in 1982. She continued her studies at the University of Illinois, Chicago and received a BS degree in 1983 and her DDS degree in 1986. In 2000, she decided to pursue an MBA and received one from the Northwestern Kellogg Executive Program in 2002.

Dr. Reese has worked diligently to advance her education and skills throughout her career. Most recently, she completed continuing education through The Huggins/Grube Protocol, which is an intensive study in biologic/holistic dentistry. In addition, she has been certified in the Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique (SMART) and has studied with the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology. She attended the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies, taking multiple courses, including Functional Aesthetic Dentistry and Mastery of Dynamic Adhesive Principles in Complex Reconstructive Cases. She has completed Supra-gingival Dentistry: Easy, Predictable Porcelain Veneers, Onlays, and Crowns, Occlusion for Everyday Dentistry, and Advanced Occlusal Disease Management at the Los Angeles Institute for Esthetic Dentistry. She is also a CEREC Doctors Mentor.

Dr. Reese is a Spear Education Study Group Member and meets monthly with her peers to discuss cases. Some of the advanced courses she has completed through Spear Education include:

  • Treating Worn Dentition
  • Facially Generated Treatment Planning
  • Occlusion in Clinical Practice
  • Restorative Design
  • Demystifying Occlusion
  • Esthetic Techniques and Materials
  • CEREC Level 1,2, and 3 Training

Dr. Reese is a Silver-level preferred provider with Invisalign®.

Dcotor Reese at the Spear study club Doctor Reese outdoors sitting in wild flowers

What do you like to do outside of the dental office?

Doctor Reese training dogs

Outside of dentistry, Dr. Reese’s passion is caring for animals. She and her partner have four rescue dogs, and they are her third and fourth pair of rescues. While her intention was never to have four dogs at once, she and her partner quickly became foster failures.

Dr. Reese tries to stay active as much as she can. In the past, she has completed three Ironman Triathlons, including the famed Hawaii Ironman. While she does not participate in triathlons currently, she still swims, runs, and bikes because she loves it and enjoys the benefits of staying healthy. She likes playing golf as well but doesn’t take it too seriously. Hiking is her preferred getaway for vacations. She uses it as a time to commune with nature and practice photography.