E Dental Solutions for Family and Cosmetic Dentistry: Improving Smiles and Increasing Confidence in a Comfortable Environment
Feb 28, 2023 09:00AM ● By Julie Peterson
Elahe Wissinger, DMD
Elahe Wissinger, DMD, uses her spare time pursuing relaxing hobbies like hiking, traveling and spending time with family and friends. She’s also a firm believer that her patients should be able to feel relaxed from the moment they walk into her dental office until they leave. That is why the space at E Dental Solutions doesn’t feel like a dental office.
Oral hygiene plays a crucial role to our overall health and wellness. Bacteria found in periodontal disease, for instance, can predispose individuals to cardiovascular disease, GI disease, pregnancy complications such as low birth weight babies, diabetes, insulin resistance and Alzheimer’s disease. That is why I recommend regular checkups and hygiene appointments. We also review proper home care with all patients, which includes brushing and flossing, including hydro flossing techniques. We feel it is important to educate our patients so that each person joining our office knows what products to use to help reduce oral bacteria and help keep the mouth and the rest of the body healthier.
What dental procedures does E Dental Solutions specialize in?
I am a general dentist; however, I specialize in biologic/holistic dentistry with a focus in cosmetic dentistry. Safety of our patients is of the utmost importance in our practice, which means we don’t use any products that may be harmful to the body. The oral cavity is the gateway to the body and creating a healthy environment in the mouth will aid in balancing other factors in the body. We feel passionate about personalized individual care and take pride in the services we provide. We want our office experience to be an exceptional one for every one of our guests.
What is one holistic method that sets your practice apart from others?
We offer safe mercury removal using the safe protocols for mercury amalgam fillings set forth by International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology. Mercury amalgam fillings contain about 50 percent mercury, which is the most toxic neurotoxin known to date. When it is used in the mouth it can release great amounts daily when heated by chewing, drinking or eating. To avoid exposing the patients and providers to this toxic mercury vapor, we place the patient on pure oxygen. Providers wear a special mask that protects them from the mercury vapors. The tooth with the mercury filling is then isolated to protect the patient from mercury particles and fragments.
How do you help patients who present with fear of pain or dental phobia?
The majority of dental clients have some level of dental phobia, so we try to make every dental experience as free of pain as possible. We often get compliments for our anesthetic technique. I firmly believe anesthetic given properly can greatly decrease anxiety in addition to decreasing the need for multiple numbings, which can overdose people with what is not needed. I believe in practicing with a “soft touch”, which all our patients recognize and appreciate.
What is the most essential message about dentistry that you want people to understand?
I feel it is very important that everyone realizes the importance of a properly maintained mouth. This is not just with hygiene maintenance or products and exams but shifting the thinking from emergency care to routine care. My team and I are very focused on preserving teeth, smiles and health and integrity of the teeth so that no one would need to go through emergency care if it can be helped. For example, we look at an individual’s bite to see if crowding is present and, if it is, then we look further to see if that can lead to teeth fractures or periodontal issues. In some cases, we see slight to severe loss of tooth structure as a result of crowding.
How do you stay informed with advancements in dental care?
I am a continuing education junkie. I take courses in dentistry and urge my team members to do so as well. I also find it very important to have educated clients. We spend quite a bit of time educating all of our patients so that they have a very high dental IQ, which then aids them in selecting the best dental care for themselves. Information empowers one to make the appropriate decisions regarding dental health and well-being.
Your practice gives back to the community. What does that involve?
We donate services and financial aid to different organizations because community participation and leadership are important to the team at E Dental Solutions. We spend numerous hours each year volunteering and donating to local organizations such as Hopefest, Arizona Mission of Mercy, American Diabetes Association, Parent Aid for child abuse prevention, Arizona List and World Care.
Can you describe your dental practice in one sentence?
We are compassionate about our patients and dentistry, we provide excellence in dentistry with a holistic approach and we are gentle.
E Dental Solutions is located at 2504 E River Rd, Tucson. The office is open Monday through Thursday from 8am to 5pm. For more information on services offered or to make a new patient exam and consultation appointment, call 520-745-5496 or visit EDentalSolutions.net. See ad, back cover.
Julie Peterson is a freelance writer who has written hundreds of articles on natural approaches to health, environmental issues and sustainable living. Connect at [email protected].
“We have a Zen environment with a fountain to help soothe and relax patients. The reception area is like a living room,” says Wissinger. “Our patients can enjoy themselves by watching a beautiful nature show filmed for us here in Arizona.” Indeed, the entire staff works hard to create an atmosphere that allows patients to feel like guests in a home, complete with hot and cold beverages, reading materials, Wi-Fi, blankets and pillows.
Years of five-star reviews across the internet tout the E Dental facility as beautifully designed, impeccably clean, open and spacious and as comfortable as home. And that’s all above and beyond the stellar reviews regarding superior dental care that many say is the best they’ve ever found.
Wissinger was inspired to become a dentist after working in a dental office and seeing how the dentist could change someone’s smile that then led to changing the person’s personality for the better. Seeing these people become more outgoing and confident was the spark that ignited her passion. “I wanted to do that for people—make them smile,” she says.
After graduating from Albuquerque High School, Wissinger went on to the University of Massachusetts Boston and received a BS in Psychology. Then she continued at Boston University’s Goldman School of Dental Medicine for her DMD degree. She began practicing dentistry in Boston in 1996 and moved to Tucson in 2001. Since 2003, Wissinger has owned and operated E Dental Solutions, which is in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains. She is proud to have a team that is very well trained, with each member coming from the top of their field. As a whole, the team at E Dental Solutions provides the best care possible through their philosophy, materials and expertise.
Part of that philosophy is treating people as a whole, because current research has shown that the prevention of oral diseases is linked to the prevention of systemic diseases. “We realize that the oral cavity is not a separate entity from the body, but intimately involved in the overall health of the individual,” says Wissinger.
E Dental Solutions offers a wide variety of dental health services including bite improvement, treatment of gum disease and full-mouth reconstruction. In addition, cosmetic dentistry is offered with the latest state-of-the-art treatments so that patients of all ages can easily achieve a beautiful, healthy and aesthetic smile. These treatments can include options such as whitening, veneers, orthodontics using Invisalign, porcelain onlays and many more methods that are determined for each individual based on their desired outcome. The office also provides snore guards and sleep apnea appliances that can help people breathe better and maintain health.
Q&A with Dr. Elahe Wissinger
How is oral health linked to total body health?Oral hygiene plays a crucial role to our overall health and wellness. Bacteria found in periodontal disease, for instance, can predispose individuals to cardiovascular disease, GI disease, pregnancy complications such as low birth weight babies, diabetes, insulin resistance and Alzheimer’s disease. That is why I recommend regular checkups and hygiene appointments. We also review proper home care with all patients, which includes brushing and flossing, including hydro flossing techniques. We feel it is important to educate our patients so that each person joining our office knows what products to use to help reduce oral bacteria and help keep the mouth and the rest of the body healthier.
What dental procedures does E Dental Solutions specialize in?
I am a general dentist; however, I specialize in biologic/holistic dentistry with a focus in cosmetic dentistry. Safety of our patients is of the utmost importance in our practice, which means we don’t use any products that may be harmful to the body. The oral cavity is the gateway to the body and creating a healthy environment in the mouth will aid in balancing other factors in the body. We feel passionate about personalized individual care and take pride in the services we provide. We want our office experience to be an exceptional one for every one of our guests.
What is one holistic method that sets your practice apart from others?
We offer safe mercury removal using the safe protocols for mercury amalgam fillings set forth by International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology. Mercury amalgam fillings contain about 50 percent mercury, which is the most toxic neurotoxin known to date. When it is used in the mouth it can release great amounts daily when heated by chewing, drinking or eating. To avoid exposing the patients and providers to this toxic mercury vapor, we place the patient on pure oxygen. Providers wear a special mask that protects them from the mercury vapors. The tooth with the mercury filling is then isolated to protect the patient from mercury particles and fragments.
How do you help patients who present with fear of pain or dental phobia?
The majority of dental clients have some level of dental phobia, so we try to make every dental experience as free of pain as possible. We often get compliments for our anesthetic technique. I firmly believe anesthetic given properly can greatly decrease anxiety in addition to decreasing the need for multiple numbings, which can overdose people with what is not needed. I believe in practicing with a “soft touch”, which all our patients recognize and appreciate.
Dental hygiene or dentistry does not have to be painful or scary. Superior quality can be delivered with a soft touch. We even have many patients that fall asleep during procedures, but that always comes with familiarity and trust in the provider’s ability.
What is the most essential message about dentistry that you want people to understand?
I feel it is very important that everyone realizes the importance of a properly maintained mouth. This is not just with hygiene maintenance or products and exams but shifting the thinking from emergency care to routine care. My team and I are very focused on preserving teeth, smiles and health and integrity of the teeth so that no one would need to go through emergency care if it can be helped. For example, we look at an individual’s bite to see if crowding is present and, if it is, then we look further to see if that can lead to teeth fractures or periodontal issues. In some cases, we see slight to severe loss of tooth structure as a result of crowding.
I feel it is always better to take care of smaller issues so that we can prevent larger issues later. Sometimes consequences of refusing preventative care can lead to devastating results. A small issue, if left untreated, can lead to a much larger issue which can even lead to tooth loss. Therefore, I am a firm believer in prevention rather than emergency care. We all need to use the same philosophy used with our bodies. Prevention is the key.
How do you stay informed with advancements in dental care?
I am a continuing education junkie. I take courses in dentistry and urge my team members to do so as well. I also find it very important to have educated clients. We spend quite a bit of time educating all of our patients so that they have a very high dental IQ, which then aids them in selecting the best dental care for themselves. Information empowers one to make the appropriate decisions regarding dental health and well-being.
Your practice gives back to the community. What does that involve?
We donate services and financial aid to different organizations because community participation and leadership are important to the team at E Dental Solutions. We spend numerous hours each year volunteering and donating to local organizations such as Hopefest, Arizona Mission of Mercy, American Diabetes Association, Parent Aid for child abuse prevention, Arizona List and World Care.
Can you describe your dental practice in one sentence?
We are compassionate about our patients and dentistry, we provide excellence in dentistry with a holistic approach and we are gentle.
E Dental Solutions is located at 2504 E River Rd, Tucson. The office is open Monday through Thursday from 8am to 5pm. For more information on services offered or to make a new patient exam and consultation appointment, call 520-745-5496 or visit EDentalSolutions.net. See ad, back cover.
Julie Peterson is a freelance writer who has written hundreds of articles on natural approaches to health, environmental issues and sustainable living. Connect at [email protected].
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