Meet Us

Get To Know Dr. Elsey

The founder of West Side Kids Dentistry, Dr. Riina is a mom focused on building a friendly, family-oriented space to provide exceptional dental care that kids can be excited about! But Dr. Riina’s path to dentistry didn’t start out with all smiles.

Growing up as a child with a poor diet in an area without preventative dental care or anesthesia, Dr. Riina endured painful dental treatments and developed a fear of the dentist. Later, she realized that compassionate, patient-centric care and modern anesthesia can be life-changing. She looked up to dentists she met, and desired to be just as knowledgeable, reliable, and helpful as them. Today, Dr. Riina is a proud pediatric dentist and mom of two amazing boys. Her biggest passion in dentistry has evolved into prevention and minimally invasive dentistry, as she knows that those two simple concepts would have made an incredible difference in her own childhood experiences. Dr. Riina is passionate about working with families on education and prevention so that they can spend less time in the dentist's office, and more time having fun! 

While she was born in the small northern country of Estonia, Dr. Riina calls Philadelphia her true home as she has lived here for the longest period of her life and completed her education at local universities. Dr. Riina finished her undergraduate with honors at Rutgers University, then went on to dental school at Temple University, where she received the American Association of Pediatric Dentistry Predoctoral Student Merit Award. Her pediatric dental residency took place at Temple University, where she served as a chief resident and trained under the nation’s best pediatric dental specialists.

Dr. Riina is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, a member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and a member of the International Association of Pediatric Dentistry. She is also an active member of the American Dental Association and the Pennsylvania Dental Association.

Dr. Riina loves being a mom to two boys that keep her busy with bike rides, nerf guns fights, and lessons about Minecraft. When possible, Dr. Riina spends time outdoors or traveling, ideally to national or state parks. Recent favorites include Acadia and Volcanoes National Park and dreams about an adventure trip to New Zealand with a rented RV!

Meet Dr. Riina

Your little ones are in great hands

We work hard because we want our patients to leave smiling and looking forward to their next appointment. The friendly team at West Side Kids Dentistry is dedicated to delivering top quality dental care to kids of all ages. We subscribe to a high standard of treatment and use nothing but top-of-the-line tools so we can be a comprehensive resource and reliable support system for our little patients and their families. The positive attitudes of our easy-going and highly talented staff make visits fun, thorough, and enjoyable. We can’t wait to meet you!

Team Member headshot

Team Member 1

Title

Read Bio
Team Member headshot

Team Member 2

Title

Read Bio
Team Member headshot

Team Member 3

Title

Read Bio
Children thumbing up with a dentist

What to expect at your first visit

Our goal for the first visit is to make your child’s introduction to our office a pleasant experience. To help accomplish this, we have set up our office to be child friendly, welcoming, and safe. In keeping with your child’s developmental stage, we will provide information to help recognize and prevent cavities, giving you the tools to prepare you for your child’s needs. We are happy to see children from birth through adolescence and help build positive oral health habits. 

At your first visit, Dr. Riina will discuss recommendations for a great at-home preventive routine, plus diet and oral hygiene.

We know how hard it can be to keep up with your child’s oral care, and will always maintain a compassionate approach to every visit. We intend to provide care that will help them for a lifetime.

Technology and amenities

As a modern, technology driven practice, we have the capabilities to address all of your unique child’s dental needs, while keeping you informed from start to finish. Rest assured that we have options to help keep your kids comfortable, like providing big screen TVs during procedures, and offering you the chance to accompany your little one during their appointment. Making sure our practice is inclusive of all children, we also have calming resources for kids with autism, like a skylight projector, weighted lap pad, and fidget toys.

Because positive patient experiences and trust are the focal point of our care, we use top-of-line tech and tools. Dr. Riina is a mom, and believes in the minimally invasive and conservative “image gently” community, so she will only encourage x-rays for your kiddo as needed. Your visit to West Side Kids Dentistry is our opportunity to provide you and your child with an education and understanding of the path to create the smile your child deserves.

Fidget Image
Special Needs Services Image

We love our community

As the mother of a child with autism, Dr. Riina understands the extra gentle care and attention kids on the spectrum need. That’s why West Side Kids Dentistry is proud to partner with a nonprofit organization that serves individuals with autism spectrum disorders, as well as children with a variety of behavioral health concerns or other developmental disabilities. Ask our staff for more information, or how you can become more involved today!