Chicago Holistic Dentistry

I really wanted have a good experience here as I’ve been looking for a non traditional approach to my dental problems. Unfortunately there were a few issues. Dr. Chen put her gloved fingers in my mouth and then touched her keyboard and computer screen. I had to ask her to change gloves before putting hands back in my mouth. She used my legs to rest her keyboard like a table. She also used a camera to take photos of my teeth. I thought that dentists usually put some kind of covering over those before putting them in a patients mouth but this was just a bare tool that was laying on the counter when I walked in. While using the camera she contorted her body around my head it was very uncomfortable. When we did the TMJ release portion it wasn’t explained to me that she needed to do it for a certain amount of time and I didn’t know it would be so painful. Based on the intake form I thought this practice would be somewhat trauma informed (especially since I put down that I have a fear of the dentist due to excruciating dental exams) I pulled her hands out of my mouth bc it was unbearable. We went back and forth with her telling me it’s supposed to hurt which I understand but I’m not going to sit there in unbearable pain clenching my entire body digging my nails into my hands just to hopefully release my jaw. I agreed to continue as long as I could tap her hands whenever I needed a break. She later laughed at me for “trying to stop her” from doing the release. She wanted to take picture of a portion of my neck for reference and when I moved my hair out of the way she smacked the back of my neck which I did not appreciate at all. She also took before/after photos of my face to show me the difference from the TMJ release. She told me that in the before my eyes look lifeless and my cheeks look chubby which was weird. I also heard her comment on the next patients weight by saying he lost weight so she seems comfortable commenting on peoples appearances. She then pressured me to take out a loan or borrow money from my parents to pay for an almost $10k treatment.

Dr. Chen is the first dentist I’ve worked with who truly understands how interconnected the jaw, bite, posture, and nervous system can be. She looks far beyond just teeth, and her awareness of TMJ, alignment, muscular tension, and how all of that affects the body has been incredibly eye-opening for me. Her approach is direct, thorough, and deeply focused on root causes rather than surface-level fixes. I’ve already noticed meaningful shifts in my posture, jaw tension, and overall body awareness through the corrective work she’s doing. If you’re looking for a dentist who thinks holistically and takes bite/jaw alignment seriously, I’d definitely recommend Dr. Chen.

Switching to Dr Chen is one of the best decisions I’ve made for my health. I found Dr Chen when I was looking to make the switch to a biological dentist. She truly cares about my transformation. Thank you Dr Chen. You’re a godsend to Chicago.

I went to see Dr. Chen on advice from my functional medicine practitioner that my incorrect bite was causing strain on my autonomic nervous system and ultimately my immune system. I have been trying to heal from Lyme and Bartonella and this was the last piece of the puzzle. Dr. Chen is a professional. She is extremely skilled at understanding how to correct an individual's bite. It's not just about having the right equipment. It's also about skill and intuition. She is an individual who trusts her intuitition. I visited her in Chicago from out-of-town, like many of her clients. I visited her a total of three times. Two times I flew in and out the same day. That was a bit stressful. The third time I visited her on a Friday and stayed through the weekend. She accomodated my schedule in every way possible and made it easy for me to see her as a patient. She is a straight shooter and tells it like it is, but she is also kind and compassionate. I appreciated her honesty, and it forced me to look inside myself for answers, and that isn't always easy. I know from a lot of emotional work on myself, that healing is a process and it starts with being emotionally honest with ourselves. My experience is that she is incredibly skilled at what she does, she understands that those with bite issues are often dealing with emotional challenges, and she cares deeply for her patients and takes pride in providing a good outcome. In fact I was ART tested to check if the mouthpiece she created for me took the strain off my autonomic nervous system, and it in fact was successful at doing that. I also went to her for cranial sacral therapy at one of my visits and the side of my mouth she worked on has never felt better. She told me I was always welcome to come back. She deeply cares about her patients. The two times I flew in and out of Chicago on the same day, she loaded me up with snacks and water and made it a point to make me feel cared for. She did not have to do that, but I greatly appreciated her kindness. I highly recommend her.

Dr. Chen is amazing!!! When I say I went in the office with a toothache and came out feeling way better I'm not telling a story. I had pain eating and she massaged my mouth and now I can eat on it. She didn't charge me to do unnecessary work she did what was needed to be done. She tells you what the underlining problem is and treat it. I'm definitely going back.

Dr. Chen honestly changed my daughter’s life. After years of exhaustion, brain fog, upper back pain and seeing specialist after specialist with no answers, we finally learned her problems were caused by jaw misalignment from fairly standard orthodontic work. Other doctors wanted to perform double jaw surgery or over medicate, but Dr. Chen fixed her problems without surgery. My daughter is finally sleeping again, her back pain is gone, and her energy is back. Yes, Dr. Chen can be direct, but that’s because she’s so passionate and really knows her stuff. I’m beyond grateful we found her — she gave my daughter her life back. I cannot recommend her highly enough.

Finding Dr. Chen has been nothing short of a blessing. I came in for a dental cleaning after 5 years of gum bleeding and Dr. Chen was able to help me address the issue, clean my teeth and also identify other issues in my body. She explained how my jaw stores emotions like anger and how that area is connected to my liver. My functional doctor diagnosed me with fatty liver and Dr. Chen was able to identify that issue just by looking at my teeth and jaw. She makes certain to go the extra mile for the time and money you spend to care for your body and teeth. Dr. Chen takes the time to explain everything. Prior to booking an appointment with her, I probably spent a total of 1.5 hours asking questions and Dr. Chen would take the time to answer them. I never felt pressure to do anything I wasn’t comfortable with and Dr. Chen would ensure you would have all the information you need before proceeding. Dr. Chen doesn’t just treat teeth — she treats people. Thank you Dr. Chen, for the work you do, the wisdom you share, and the genuine heart you bring to your practice. I’m so grateful to have found a dentist who cares about the whole person.