When Dr. Ellen Paulisick got the call that she’d been voted Best Dentist by the readers of Mount Pleasant Magazine, she laughed, teared up a little and then said what most of us would: “Wait … really?” She’s read this issue for years, always flipping through the winners and cheering on local favorites, so seeing her own name in these pages felt a bit surreal. “It’s such an honor,” she said. “This is honestly my favorite issue every year.”
Longboard Dental opened only two and a half years ago, though it feels like it’s been part of the community longer. Dr. Paulisick started the practice after a season of feeling stretched thin. By her own words, the idea came “out of default” and at a moment when she realized she needed more balance, more freedom and the space to care for patients the way she truly wanted to.
That heart-first approach is exactly why people stay. The office has the kind of warmth you can’t fake. Kids come in for their very first visits, parents ease into the chairs and adults with complicated cases find someone who doesn’t rush them or talk over them. “If you take care of people, the rest will fall into place,” she said. “We want to know your family. We want to be here for the long run.”
Part of what makes that so natural is that her patients really are her community. She lives in Carolina Park, meaning she runs into patients at the park, the grocery store, school events — everywhere. “There’s a different sense of accountability when you’re treating your friends and the people who eventually become like family,” she said. “Everyone is right around the corner.”
Still, for all the cozy, local feel, Longboard Dental is equipped with technology you’d expect from a much larger clinic. Dr. Paulisick constantly reinvests in education and new tools which she believes is a responsibility, not an option. The office has a milling machine and oven for same-day crowns, which she designs, mills and custom-glazes. She places implants using the same systems she has lectured for Glidewell Dental, the world’s largest dental lab. “I love being able to bring what I learn straight back to my patients,” she said. “It keeps us moving forward without losing the small-practice feel.”
Giving back has always been part of her DNA. She served as the head dentist at East Cooper Community Outreach’s dental clinic, and now she runs a hands-on assisting program out of her office for high school and college students who want to see what dentistry is really like. “I want the career to outlive me,” she said.
After 14 years in dentistry, she knows nobody wakes up excited for their dental appointment. But she also believes it doesn’t have to be something people dread. Her simple goals entail keeping patients comfortable, offering most care under one roof and treating everyone like they matter.
Judging by this year’s vote, Mount Pleasant agrees. Dr. Paulisick hasn’t just built a practice, she’s built a place that feels like home.
For more information, visit longboarddental.com.
By Cari Lawson
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