Like many college students, Abbey Elson, DMD, was not entirely certain about the career path she eventually wanted to take. Her father is a physician and both her mother and sister are nurses, so it was natural for her to lean toward healthcare.
But even after spending time shadowing several dentists while earning a degree in microbiology from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and then enrolling in the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry in 2015, Elson admits she still was not 100 percent sold on a career in dentistry.
“I just wasn’t convinced I wanted to be a dentist,” Elson says. “Even when I was in dental school, there were times when I questioned the decision.”
Then during her D3 year at the UAB SOD, Elson considered concentrating on oral and maxillofacial surgery. So she took the Comprehensive Basic Science Examination and went to Vanderbilt University for a one-week OMS externship. That was when her career future finally came into focus.
“They didn’t have a pediatric dentistry residency at Vanderbilt, so the oral surgery residents would take the pediatric calls,” Elson says. “I realized that I loved seeing those patients the most. So when I got back to UAB, I decided to pivot and pursue pediatrics. That’s when everything fully clicked, and I felt like I couldn’t have picked a better career.”
Children, of course, can be notoriously ill-tempered dental patients. But Elson says she never looked at it that way. For her, being around children was ideal.
“I grew up (in St. Louis, Missouri) babysitting and working a lot of with children. At one point I thought I might become a teacher,” Elson says. “So pediatric dentistry combines my two loves. A lot of people wouldn’t think that pediatric dentistry would be fun, but I love it. I can’t think of a better fit for me.”
Once the decision was made, Elson says she was “all in” for the career. So even after receiving her dental degree from UAB in 2019, she decided to stick around another two years and complete the SOD’s Pediatric Dentistry Residency.
“I knew if I was going to go down this path, I wanted to do it really well,” Elson says. “I wanted to do a residency in order to have the most expert knowledge possible. It’s a very evidence-based program, and it’s helpful to have a such a solid didactic base.
“There was so much good clinical experience in the residency, and a lot of autonomy. I found that I was able to focus on other things and practice other skills, because I wasn’t worried about the basic dentistry. I felt confident in that. It gave me an independent mindset that really helped prepare me for practice.”
After completing the residency in 2021, Elson moved to Atlanta – which is her husband’s hometown – and began working as an associate in a private pediatric dental practice. Then early in 2024, she opened her own practice in the Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta called Mini Molars Pediatric Dentistry.
Elson hasn’t left UAB completely behind, however. She started a study club with other dentists in the Atlanta area who have recently opened their own practices, a group that includes several UAB SOD alums.
“When I started my practice, it was very isolating and lonely and a bit scary,” Elson says. “You can view other colleagues who are in the same position as you as competition, or you can view them as being your support and your community. I chose the latter. So I started the club. We meet virtually and in-person. It’s a great way to get connected. We’re supporting each other in the craziness of practice ownership.”
Elson says the club also is a good way to swap tips on how to deal with nervous children and other challenges of being a pediatric dentist. Her top piece of advice is to build trust with a child before starting any procedure.
“In pediatric dentistry, you have to work really fast. But you can’t work fast until you first build that relationship slowly,” Elson says. “So take five minutes at the beginning of the procedure to let them get comfortable, to show them everything and explain it to them in kid-friendly terms. Then once you’re ready to get started with the procedure, you’re cruising.
“It takes some effort on the frontend to have a smooth procedure on the backend. Kids just want to have fun and be relaxed. If you’re confident and comfortable, they’ll follow your lead.”