Dr. Elaine Sedhom

When Dr. Elaine Sedhom walks into an appointment, she never begins by looking at a patient’s mouth: “I usually ask, ‘What can I do for you? What brings you in?’” she says. “I like to have a conversation and listen to what you have to say, what your issues are, both in relation to your teeth and your systemic health.”

Dr. Sedhom became interested in healthcare as a child. “My father was a doctor and I visited him at his clinic,” she says. “But I also liked using my hands. So around high school, I started exploring dentistry.” After obtaining her dental degree, she began her general practice residency at Columbia, where she stayed on an extra year to learn more about special needs cases and complex procedures.

When she found Tend, she knew it was the place for her. “I liked the approach around hospitality. It’s making dentistry cool and changing people’s minds about it,” she says. “There are a lot of misconceptions about the field. It’s important to make the dentist a more comfortable place because oral health is part of your overall health.”