External Board Member’s feature in the Philadelphia County Dental Society Newsletter
Dr. Christopher Lai is a board-certified associate orthodontist in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas and will start serving as a Governor on the Board of the Philadelphia County Dental Society next year. Dr. Chris was born and raised in Philadelphia to a family of immigrants from Hong Kong. He was the first in his family to be born in the U.S., a first-generation high school and college student, and the first to become a dentist. He attended the University of Pennsylvania for his undergraduate degree. He spent two years after undergrad working in an orthodontic office, where he decided to pursue a career in dentistry. He stayed in Philadelphia and graduated from Penn Dental in 2019. At Penn Dental, he completed honors in community health and research. His community health projects involved oral health promotion and screening activities for the Asian population in Philadelphia.
After graduating from dental school, Chris moved to New York City — the first time he has lived outside Philadelphia. In NYC, he attended NYU Orthodontics for his orthodontic residency. He missed Philadelphia greatly and returned to Philadelphia to practice orthodontics following residency. Currently, he is a full-time associate orthodontist at Kellyn Hodges Orthodontics, serving Bala Cynwyd, Bensalem, and Montgomeryville. He sees 60-140 patients daily, ranging from various malocclusions and providing all types of treatment.
Chris loves orthodontics and the different life changes he can provide for patients with their new functioning and beautiful smiles. He is active in new technologies and techniques in orthodontics and is constantly finding new ways to best treat and care for his patients.
Beyond his orthodontist obligations, Chris has become heavily involved in community oral health activities. He spends some of his weekends volunteering at Health Promoter events led by Saint Joseph’s University’s Institute of Clinical Bioethics at various locations throughout the city. He works closely with lovely pre-dental students to promote oral health and provide screenings and fluoride treatment to at-risk populations. After his screenings, he will work with the students to provide referrals for regular dental care. He loves using these opportunities to help pre-dental students explore their passion for dentistry while serving the community. He hopes to continue these community oral health opportunities in Philadelphia and surrounding regions and bring more interest to the field of community dental health.
Chris loves photography and food. He loves using his camera to capture smiles and moments for his patients and friends when he has free time. He sometimes holds photoshoots for his patients and friends. Aside from photography, he is also searching for interesting food in Philadelphia. He is a total foodie and loves trying new foods with company.
Thank you to Dr. Chris for all you have done for the community, students, and the Institute of Clinical Bioethics. We are very fortunate to have you.