Orthodontist – Woodbridge Township, NJ
Get to Know
Connie Lai, DMD
As our in-house orthodontist, Dr. Lai loves getting to know Woodbridge patients and their families really well throughout the treatment process. Seeing the confidence a new smile can give someone is so rewarding! She and her husband, Dr. Aquino, are always ready to go the extra mile here at White Oak Dental & Orthodontics, so don’t hesitate to visit soon. You can also keep reading below if you’d like to learn more about her.
Why Did You Decide to Become an Orthodontist?
Dr. Lai’s decision to pursue dentistry was actually pretty sudden! She couldn’t imagine it for the longest time, but one day, a conversation with her mom caused something to just click. She realized that she wanted to be in a profession where she could use her patience, empathy, and compassion to help people feel comfortable and cared for, and those strengths were actually the perfect fit for oral healthcare. In particular, she loved that orthodontics was like a puzzle waiting to be solved by moving teeth around in just the right way – it was so fun! Today, she still finds it amazing to witness the physical and emotional transformations that her patients go through with the right orthodontic solution.
Where Did You Study Dentistry?
After completing her undergraduate degree at Case Western Reserve University, Dr. Lai achieved her dental doctorate at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine. From there, her educational journey took her to the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, where she completed her Master of Science in Orthodontics and Certificate of Orthodontics. Today, she is Board-Certified by the American Board of Orthodontics and regularly invests in continuing education. This includes an Align Intensive Fellowship, which involves using Invisalign®/clear aligner therapy to treat a wide variety of malocclusions.
Outside of the Dental Office, What Do You Like to Do?
Dr. Lai’s family consists of Dr. Aquino, their brand-new son Jackson, and their cat Nala. She has truly enjoyed these first few months of parenthood and watching her son learn and grow! She can’t wait to travel together as a family. Outside of dentistry, she LOVES all things Disney and Harry Potter and going to their respective theme parks – she can ride rollercoasters all day, way longer than the rest of her family. Other favorite hobbies include hiking, trying new foods in Woodbridge, and rewatching favorite TV shows like The Office.