New dentist and new equipment at Ely Family Dental

Ely Family Dental welcomed a new dentist to the team this year and added new, revolutionary equipment for those looking to age more gracefully.

Getting a dentist in Ely has been extremely difficult over the last several years, so the community was ecstatic when Spencer Wihlm came to town.

Wihlm moved to Ely with his wife Tove in the spring of 2023 after graduating from the University of Iowa Dental School and began working at Ely Family Dental shortly after.

Having a new dentist in town was a relief not only to people needing a dentist, but also to Ely Family Dental, who was often short-staffed and overwhelmed with clients.

“He’s been a Godsend,” said doctor of dental surgery at Ely Family Dental, Crystal Chopp. “We had been looking for somebody for five years to fill that slot, and then he came along.”

According to Chopp, Wihlm was exactly what the community needed.

“He has a heart for the community and wants to help people and was interested in learning and growing,” she said. “He’s very good with kids, very gentle, very soft-spoken and very kind and caring, and he fits in really well with our team.”

Chopp and Ely Family Dental have been working down their wait list since Wihlm arrived, trying to accommodate as many people as they can.

Before Wihlm came to Ely Family Dental, Chopp had around 3,000 patients. With Wihlm in the mix, she is hoping to add another 2,000 to 3,000 patients.

“Thanks to Wihlm, we are working down our (waiting) list,” said Chopp. “I’m truly grateful to have him here.”

A main reason Wihlm was able to come and work in Ely for Ely Family Dental was because of the Martha Mordini Rukavina Loan Forgiveness Program.

The IRRRB-funded loan forgiveness program was founded to try and alleviate the dentist shortage on the Iron Range about 12 years ago.

The program helps dentists pay back educational loans if they are willing to practice in the Taconite Assistance Area (TAA) for at least five years.

Wihlm, the latest recipient of the loan forgiveness program, will receive $30,000 for four years, totaling $120,000 if he complies with the program’s requirements and stays a total of five years.

“It’s a huge relief and a big-time help in relieving the financial stresses of post-graduation,” said Wihlm.

Along with the new dentist, Ely Family Dental added some state-of-the-art equipment.

The two new machines, a BTL Emface and a BTL Exeon, are revolutionary tools for strategic muscle toning and skin rejuvenation.

They are designed for patients who don’t want to inject collagen or Botox directly into their face but want similar results.

“The Emface is basically a non-surgical facelift,” said Chopp. “It works on three different muscle groups to help strengthen those muscles and help lift the face.”

The BTL Exeon, the other piece of equipment, is a microneedling machine intended for similar results.

Ely Family Dental would like people to know they currently offer sinus grafting, dental implants and they make sleep appliances for sleep apnea.

Chopp says she often hears people say “Aren’t you a dentist? Why are you doing facelifts?” but she considers facial aesthetics almost as important as a good smile.

“I’ve always had an interest in dermatology, and I think they go hand in hand,” she said. “I’ve always been able to offer fillers and Botox, but now we’re able to offer non-invasive procedures to help with those things, which is great.”

“I’ve had many people tell me that Botox and facelift procedures would never take off in Ely, but we are seeing more and more people who want to age gracefully and getting these treatments, in this area” Chopp said. “People shouldn’t be ashamed to get these procedures done and should consider it like getting teeth whitened or straightened.”

Seeing people leave Ely Family Dental smiling and happy with the way they look is one of Chopp’s favorite parts about her job.

Now that Chopp and Ely Family Dental has more staff and state-of-the-art equipment, they are slowly running out of space and are thinking about adding on or expanding.

“We’re looking at different options as far as how we want to expand,” said Chopp. “We’re at a pivotal point now because we’ve definitely outgrown this space.”

While they currently have enough space to accommodate everyone, Chopp would like to hire at least one more hygienist.

“We need to hire one more hygienist, but right now, we don’t have a space for them,” said Chopp.

The most likely option for Ely Family Dental is adding to their existing building.

“Honestly, there isn’t a building that we could move into, so we would probably have to build a new building or add on to the building we are at now,” said Chopp.

Chopp says she loves living and working in the Ely community and looks forward to serving Ely and the surrounding area for years to come.

“The small-town connection and community are what I like most about Ely,” she said. “There’s no traffic and being so close to everything makes living here very comfortable.”