BLOG

Meet Our Fun-Loving General Dentist, Dr. Jennifer Matelis!

Staff | March 2021

At EJL Dental, we strive to do everything possible to provide compassionate, quality dental care to our patients. We understand that for some people, visiting the dentist is a nerve-wracking experience and we’re on a mission to change that. This is just one of the things that Dr. Jennifer Matelis loves about EJL Dental. Dr. Matelis joined our team in 2016 and quickly fell in love with the family atmosphere at the practice. As someone who draws her motivation for becoming a dentist from her own positive experiences with her childhood dentist, she tries to emulate this same comfort and friendliness with all of her patients..

From a young age, Dr. Matelis knew she wanted to pursue a career in the medical field because she has always wanted to provide care for people. In college, she volunteered at a dental practice which solidified her desire to join the field. After she graduated dental school in 2002, she worked with the United States Navy Dental Corps. During that time she also completed a  1-year post-graduate Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) program.  She is an active member of the American Dental Association and the Maryland State Dental Association. 

Dr. Matelis enjoying some time on the ice with her kids.

Reflecting on what has influenced the career choices she has made, Dr. Matelis says  it probably all comes down to her parents and the lessons they taught her as a child. Her mother, Carol,  worked as a social worker for the public school system and her father, Larry, was a grant manager for transitional housing projects for the homeless so both of their careers involved working with and for at-risk communities. In a way, that torch for helping others was passed down to Dr. Matelis, as she often does charity work including cooking for local soup kitchens, volunteering at her church, and providing dental care to underserved populations through the Mid-Atlantic Mission of Mercy. 

 Dr. Matelis’ children enjoying some fun in the sun.

As the mother of 4 children (ages 8,10,12 and 14), Dr. Matelis has quite an active lifestyle outside of the office. She and her family live in Potomac with their dog, Layla. They all often go hiking, biking, kayaking and skiing. Her kids are also involved in different sports and extracurricular activities and she’s fully embraced the lifestyle as a proverbial ‘soccer mom’. She is currently the Chair of the Mother-Son Bowling event at her kids’ school (although it has been changed to a lego competition due to COVID restrictions). She has also been a room parent and has served on various committees. 

Caption: Dr. Matelis and her family

For Dr. Matelis, her patients' well-being is of the utmost importance. She strives to always be compassionate, understanding, and gentle with the patient sitting in her chair. She loves that EJL Dental has a complement of staff that has been with the practice for years and, in some cases, decades. She says that one of the main differentiators for EJL Dental is our ability to provide a high-quality level of care to populations that some other dental practices would not have the capacity to treat--such as special needs children and adults. She feels strongly about providing patients with all of their options and working with them to create a dental wellness  plan that best suits their unique needs. Dr. Matelis’s door is always open and she’s eager to meet you!