Dr. Long is an experienced, gentle clinician with a passion for providing her patients with exceptional care. She
enjoys getting to know her patients and developing lasting relationships based on trust and transparency. Her
favorite part of her job is helping people smile more by removing barriers like pain or self-consciousness from the
equation. Keep reading below if you’d like to learn more about her.
Why Did You Want to Become a Dentist?
Growing up, Dr. Long was lucky enough to have parents who supported her dreams wholeheartedly, as she went
through stages of wanting to be a waitress on rollerskates, an astronaut, and an MD like her father. It
wasn’t until college that she really started to home in on the dental field, which combined her interests
in biology, healthcare, psychology, and community service. As a teenager, she’d spent several years in
braces and undergoing gum surgeries. In college, she chipped her front tooth, which made her self-conscious and
more introverted. She was finally able to visit her hometown dentist when her school was on break. Her dentist
was able to restore the tooth so beautifully that it looked as if it had never been fractured and Dr. Long was
once again comfortable smiling and laughing without reservation. After that experience, it became her calling to
give other people that gift, and she’s never looked back.
Where Did You Study Dentistry?
After studying at the University of Virginia, Dr. Long pursued her dental doctorate at the University of
Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry. Today, she pursues more continuing education than most dentists,
having completed over 600 hours so far in her career. She travels several times per year for continuing
education, seeking the most sought-after instructors and the best professionals in the field to learn from.
She has attended numerous workshops and seminars at the Spear Education Center in Scottsdale, AZ, and is
currently enrolled in the Dawson Academy advanced cosmetic dentistry curriculum. She also attends the annual
Chicago Midwinter Meeting, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry conference, and various study clubs,
both in-person and online. Dr. Long earned her Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry, an honor
accomplished by only 6% of dentists in the country.
Outside of the Dental Office, What Do You Like to Do?
Dr. Long is lucky to have her husband Ryan as our business manager and her best friend. They currently live with
their two kitties (Kismet and Kylo Roo) and newly adopted rescue dog (Lulu) who bring them so much joy (along
with some aggravation- they get into everything!). As for personal hobbies, she enjoys reading, exercising, and
traveling; some of her favorite trips have been to Costa Rica and New Zealand. She would love to see Africa
someday too! She’s also a big animal lover (with the exception of mosquitos) and has volunteered at
shelters in the past- she had to stop volunteering for a while because she wanted to take all of the animals
home. Of course, spending time with family (especially her young niece and nephew in Chicago) is a big priority.
All in all, Dr. Long believes that life begins at the end of your comfort zone. So far, she’s tried scuba
diving, skydiving, and bungee jumping, with more adventures hopefully on the horizon.
