Polly Reese, D.D.S.

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Get to know Dentist Dr. Polly Reese, who serves patients in Evanston, Illinois.

With a love for aesthetics and meticulous attention to detail, Dr. Reese is uniquely qualified and trained in the areas of family, restorative, holistic, and cosmetic dentistry. She has over 25 years of experience, 14 of which have been spent at Winning Smile Dental Group in Evanston, Illinois, of which she is the owner. 

A CEREC Doctors Mentor and a Silver-level preferred provider with Invisalign®, she 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. 

Coming from a family of health professionals, Dr. Reese 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.

Academically, Dr. Reese completed her undergraduate studies at Augustana College in Rock Island, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1982. She continued her studies at the University of Illinois, Chicago, receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in 1983 and her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 1986. In 2000, she decided to pursue a Master of Business Administration degree and received one from the Northwestern Kellogg Executive Program in 2002.

Having worked diligently to advance her education and skills throughout her career, Dr. Reese 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. 

Attending the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies, she took multiple courses, including Functional Aesthetic Dentistry and Mastery of Dynamic Adhesive Principles in Complex Reconstructive Cases. She also 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. 

A Spear Education Study Group Member, Dr. Reese 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, and CEREC Level 1,2, and 3 Training.

Dentistry, also known as Dental and Oral Medicine, is a branch of medicine that consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions of the oral cavity. Dentists diagnose and treat dental issues and help patients develop better oral hygiene regimens. They clean teeth, correct bite issues, perform surgeries and extractions, and perform other duties to ensure that the teeth and mouth are healthy.  

Winning Smile Dental Group & Dr. Reese received the Spectrum Award for Service and Excellence, the National Consumer Advisory Board, America’s Best Dentist, Nextdoor Neighborhood Favorite, and America’s Top Dentist. 

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.

Trying to stay active as much as she can, Dr. Reese has completed three Ironman Triathlons in the past, 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.

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