Title: Owner, General Dentist
Company: Happy Smiles Dental Office
Location: Chicago, IL United States

When Alicia Franklin was a young girl, she became inspired by her dentist and how he gave people confidence in themselves and provided a positive influence. Following the encouragement of her parents, she decided she wanted to pursue a career as a dentist. Dr. Franklin proceeded to attend Howard University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in microbiology, and obtained a job as a product research and developmental assistant at Abbott Laboratories, Inc. She eventually decided to return to school, however, and received a Doctor of Dental Surgery from Howard University College of Dentistry in 1996. Dr. Franklin completed her postdoctoral training in a general practice residency at the Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago.

In 1998, Dr. Franklin opened up her own practice, Happy Smiles Dental Office. She is very proud of her ability to build her own practice from the ground up. Looking to the future, she hopes to bring in another dentist a few days a week, so she can expand the practice. With 20 years of experience in the dental field, she has faced many challenges, the most significant of which was being a woman in a male-dominated field. Dr. Franklin refuses to let anyone or anything stop her from pursuing and achieving what she wants, however, and ultimately succeeded in overcoming that challenge. Providing her patients with quality care, education and the passion they deserve further validates that she is doing what she is meant to do.

Dr. Franklin considers her strengths to be working with children, educating patients, and extractions. Her hard work and dedication to her practice and her patients has been recognized with an award for the pro-bono work she does through Save a Smile and the Special Olympics.  She is also affiliated with a number of associations related to her field, including the Academy of General Dentistry, the American Dental Association, the Illinois State Dental Society, the Chicago Dental Society and the National Dental Association. In 2010, she became a fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry, which required at least 500 hours of dental continuing education and passing a “fellowship examination” on a variety of dental topics. Further, in 2016, Dr. Franklin earned a Dental Lifetime Network of Illinois award for 10 years of volunteer dental service.

Outside of her work as a dentist, Dr. Franklin is a supporter of the Susan B. Komen Foundation, Knit for the Cure and Smile Train. When she is not working, she enjoys arts and crafts, going to the movies, knitting, gardening and bike riding.

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