BEHIND THE CHAIR

Failure was never an option for Dr. Gail Tischke, a retired U.S. Naval Aviator and board-certified endodontist whose mission today is to provide compassionate care to her patients at Metro Chicago Endodontics.

Imagine a 4-year-old Gail Tischke watching footage of Neil Armstrong landing on the moon. Wide eyed and in wonder, the Michigan native turned to her big brother and declared, “I’m going to be the first woman on the moon!” His response stayed with her, all the way through childhood to engineering school—”You’ve got to be a pilot first.”

She never forgot those words or lost sight of that dream. However, years later when she told an Army college recruiter that she “wanted to fly,” Tischke was quickly shot down. “They said there are no women pilots in the military,” recalls Tischke, explaining that she earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Kettering University while working at Buick Motor Division. “I said never mind, and went back to finish school.”

Her journey from that moment to her soaring success today as one of the Chicago area’s premier endodontists was anything but linear.

For one, she did fly—completing two deployments and accumulating more than 150 carrier arrested landings as a Naval Aviator in the U.S. Navy. But the most unexpected plot twist came years later when she decided to pursue an entirely new career in dentistry, and ultimately endodontics.

By then, she and her husband, Jim—also a retired Naval Aviator who works as a commercial pilot—had four children.

“My thought was that flying will always be there, but kids will only be here once,” says Dr. Tischke (DDS, M.S.), who today runs Metro Chicago Endodontics in Willowbrook. “So, I was a stay-at-home mom while I was in the reserves, then 9/11 hit.”

With the airline industry in turbulence, she made the “practical” choice to enroll at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry while working as a student recruiter for the Illinois National Guard. Dr. Tischke fell in love with the art of dentistry, earning the Outstanding Achievement in Operative Dentistry award from the Academy of Operative Dentistry at graduation. She was in private practice as a dentist for five years before once again—taking her aspirations to the next level.

“I always wanted to do endodontics,” says Dr. Tischke, who completed her postgraduate training at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry, earning a specialty certificate in Endodontics and a M.S. in Oral Sciences. “With the technology we have today, results can be transformative.”

One of the many things that sets Metro Chicago Endodontics apart from other practices is exactly that—the pursuit of state-of-the-art 3D imaging and laser-assisted innovations that allow she and her team to provide a higher caliber of care.

Located in west suburban Willowbrook, Metro Chicago Endodontics specializes in root canal therapy to save natural teeth that might otherwise need extraction. Dr. Tischke also utilizes cutting edge technology to assist patients with cracked teeth and other complex cases involving pain or infection.

As a member of the International Association of Dental Traumatology—and as the mother of four—she is particularly passionate about treating patients whose teeth are compromised by sports injuries or other dental trauma.

“It’s so important that it’s handled correctly so the tooth has a better long-term life,” says Dr. Tischke, adding that laser-assisted endodontic treatment is the latest, greatest tech in the industry and hers is “top of the line.”

The Fotona LightWalker II at Metro Chicago Endodontics is a dual wavelength laser, which allows for advanced endodontic irrigation for more complete disinfection of the root canals, along with advanced healing and pain management. This includes the healing of aphthous ulcers (canker sores) and herpes lesions (cold sores) in just a few days instead of the typical one to two weeks.

The practice’s dedication to compassionate care extends to making everyone as relaxed and comfortable as possible during the procedures, especially what she calls her “nervous” patients. Dr. Tischke also welcomes younger patients and makes special efforts to ensure their early experiences in dentistry leave a positive impression.

“It’s a different mission than the one I started with, but an equally rewarding one,” adds Dr. Tischke, who retired from the U.S. Navy with 24 years of service and now is a Diplomate with the American Board of Endodontics. “I take great pride in our patient-first approach and leading a team of professionals to deliver the highest standard of endodontic care—truly best in class.”

For more information about Metro Chicago Endodontics, visit metrochicagoendodontics.com.