Orthodontist gets in the Halloween spirit

Ritchey Orthodontics is not for the faint of heart in October.

Every fall Dr. Alex Ritchey's staff decorates the Joliet and Morris locations in Halloween themes such as "Mad Scientist Lab."

Ritchey even extends that Halloween spirit to the community when the business helps support local organizations and schools with their October events and festivals.

For the past five years, Ritchey has been a major sponsor of Joliet Junior Woman's Club's (JJWC) Halloween Fun Fair and Family Expo which was held earlier this month.

Ritchey also donated orthodontic treatment as an auction item at local Oktoberfest events, including the Cathedral of St. Raymond School of Joliet, Immaculate Conception School of Morris, Holy Family School of Shorewood, and George Werden Buck Boy's and Girl's Club annual dinner dance.

The donated braces item was the biggest money-maker of the night at the Immaculate Conception auction. "It brought a lot of excitement to the event," said Katie Thomas, auction chairperson.

"In addition to Dr. Ritchey's commitment to his patients, he is also committed to our community through various charities and events that he supports," said Nicole Murray, chairperson of St. Raymond Oktoberfest auction and a patient. "One example of this is his continuous generosity to the Cathedral of St. Raymond School. His donation of a full set of braces continues to be a hit at the Oktoberfest auction."

In addition to all his fall fundraising efforts, Ritchey sponsors many youth activities, including area baseball and softball teams, the Christian Youth Center, school activities, and various booster clubs.

For nearly seven years Ritchey has been practicing in Joliet and Morris, serving the orthodontic needs of children and adults. The mission of his practice is to provide excellent orthodontic treatment while attending to the dynamic needs and wants of his patients. That involves offering the most current orthodontic treatment available, including digital imaging and integrating technology such as e-mails and phone texts for appointment reminders.

"Dr. Ritchey is a very fair orthodontist because he tells you what your child needs at the time and doesn't rush you. He is very caring with his patients and my son felt very comfortable with him during his visits," said Teresa Summers of Plainfield.

Ritchey is a member of the American Dental and American Orthodontic associations, the Orthodontic Education and Research Foundation, and a diplomat of the American Board of Orthodontics.

He serves as vice president of the Will County Dental Society, is a past Illinois State Dental Society delegate for Will County, and is a board member of the George Werden Buck Boy's and Girl's Club.

Ritchey is a resident of Shorewood with his wife, Sheri, and three children, Rylee, Caden and Piper.

For more information on his practice, visit www.ritcheyortho.com or call 815-725-9130 (Joliet) or 815-942-8513 (Morris).

Amy Mangun of Shorewood writes, "Dr. Ritchey is an all around great person. My son Andrew, who is on the shy side, needed braces. I took him to Dr. Ritchey, he made Andrew feel relaxed. Dr. is so down to Earth and relates beautifully with the Kids. I think one conversation with Andrew was about video games. He knows how to make them comfortable in a not so comfortable situation. He is genuine and cares about children. He sponsors a baseball or softball team for the Minooka Baseball Association every year. As a member of the Joliet Junior Woman's Club, Dr .Ritchey had been very charitable to our group supporting our Halloween Expo service project and at our spring fundraiser as well. I would definitely recommend Dr. Ritchey to my family and friends."