Timothy E Elder, DDS

The receptionist was very helpful and put me on a waiting list and called me as soon as appointments became available. All of the staff in the office were very friendly and nice and Dr. Edler and his hygienist both seemed experienced and knowledgeable.

Just moved to DC in the last 2 months and stumbled upon Dr. Elder through Unilocal.It was very easy to make an appointment and they got me in relatively quickly. Instead of having to fill out a bunch of paperwork at the office they had an online form that I filled out ahead of time. I liked that.
When I arrived I was a little early but they got me in pretty quickly anyway. My hygienist was VERY knowledgable and did a great job explaining to me how I could take better care of my teeth. She also explained what she was doing and why she was doing it. She kept the conversation going and had 80s music playing in the background to help distract me during the actual cleaning. She did a very thorough job and clearly loves and takes pride in her work.
Dr. Elder himself was a nice man and also seemed quite knowledgable. He told me that the fillings I have are well done and I should never let anyone take them out unless I’m in pain. So that tells me that he’s not out just to get money but is the real deal.
Overall a great experience. I made another appointment for 6 months from now, and am thinking I’ll stick with Dr. Elder and his crew for as long as I’m in the DC area.

I happened upon Dr. Elder because his office is very close to where I work and a lot of co-​workers go to him, and I can’t believe how lucky I was! Dr. Elder and his entire staff are incredibly nice, very approachable, and just downright pleasant to be around. As opposed to just about every other medical office I’ve visited in DC, my appointments always start on time and are super efficient. I agree with the other reviewers that Dr. Elder and his hygienists never try and upsell you or convince you of things you don’t need– they truly do have your wellbeing and care in mind!
I couldn’t recommend Dr. Elder more!

This review is long overdue. I’ve only reviewed businesses a couple times in the past and feel that Dr. Elder and his team deserve a five-​star rating. I’ve been going to Dr. Elder for several years for my routine cleanings.
Recently, I’d visited another dentist for a cleaning, as I no longer have dental insurance and decided to purchase a groupon. The dentist told me I had 3 cavities and a chipped filling that needed to be replaced. I was suspicious, so I called Dr. Tim for a second opinion. He did an exam and saw no signs of decay. Just to be certain, I got copies of my x-​rays from the other dentist and sent them to him. Again, he saw no signs of decay and didn’t recommend fooling with the chipped filling because it wasn’t causing any pain or any other issues. After all this, he didn’t even charge me for his time! You can’t get better customer service than that.
I grew up in this area and have had a few dentists in the area. My experience with Dr. Tim and his staff has been the best yet. They have always been friendly, helpful and upbeat, and Dr. Tim is about as nice and honest a dentist as you can ask for. I’ll be moving out of state soon, but will plan to get my teeth cleaned by him and his staff when I’m back in town for a visit!

He is honest, caring, pleasant and easy going. He’s not uptight or high strung and just a good guy. Not gonna try to sell you every little thing. Always makes me feel relaxed and at ease too. Barbara, the hygienist, is a miracle worker.

My dad and I have been going to this dad-​son dental duo for years. Seriously, I can’t say enough about Drs. Elder and their staff. The kind of doctor’s office that you look forward to visiting. I would even go if I didn’t have insurance and had to pay out-​of-​pocket. Also, I live abroad now and make sure to schedule an appointment the 1 – 2 times per year that I am back in DC.

Fans of my reviews have followed my painstaking quest to find a dentist I would not mind sticking with for more than 2 visits. Today was my first visit to the office of Dr. Elder and Elder. When I first called in for an appointment, the receptionist told me that they were booked up until November, but she asked me if I was willing to take a cancelled appointment – which I gladly took.
The hygienist, Barbara, was very sweet and her lively chatter distracted me from her rummaging in my mouth. Instead of the water and suction, she scaled by hand which I prefer. Both her and Dr. Tim were very thorough with the examination and I felt like I was taken care of and not just another paycheck.
In addition to the wonderful service, I loved that they didn’t push any unnecessary procedures on me. In fact, they confirmed that I don’t need enamel fillings (or bondings), like one of my previous dentists had recommended. I grind my teeth so Barbara went over all the different types of mouth guards I can try. They answered all my questions very thoroughly and did not rush me out at all.
Absolutely pain-​free and wonderful visit. Yes, I’m describing a dentist’s office.

Such a kind and informative dentist! I needed a broken filling fixed, and had very limited time available to fit in a visit to the dentist because of work. Thankfully, Dr. Elder was able to fit me in to his tight holiday schedule around mine. He was so personable and quick. He listened, examined, then explained everything he was going to do to me clearly before and during the procedure. He even adjusted it to feel more comfortable for me after he finished. And to top it all he gave me a discount because I did not have insurance coverage for the work. I highly recommend Dr. Tim Elder to anyone needing a dentist in the heart of DC.

Both dentists – dad and son/​Gary and Tim are very good and don’t try to sell you on unnecessary procedures. I switched from someone who claimed I needed 3 – 4 root canals or I’d lose those teeth «within a year.» Dr. Elder reviewed the X-​rays and said «nah.» That was 4 years ago; no problems.
Friendly office and convenient to work.