SHAILJA DHIR ENSOR

Meet The ‘E’ In EJL Dental, Dr. Shailja Dhir Ensor!

Staff | November 2019

Not many of us can say that we have stuck to the career choice we made at the age of ten, but for Dr. Ensor, there was nothing else she wanted to be other than a dentist. Her pleasant experiences at the dentist’s office as a child further fuelled her desire to emulate her pediatric dentist. When she was just 16 years old, her pediatric dentist hired her as a part-time dental assistant in his Columbia office and she has been in the field ever since. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County.  She then went on to pursue her childhood dream of being a dentist at the University of Maryland at Baltimore Dental School, where she also completed her residency in pediatric dentistry. She is also a proud and active member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and Maryland Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. 

So just how did Dr. Ensor become the ‘E’ in EJL Dental? Well, in 1995 she joined our practice which was then known as Drs. Morgenstein and Levy. One of the many things she admired about Dr. Morgenstein was his passion for treating special needs adults and children, which has become an integral part of our practice. It was here she met Drs. Lewis and Johnson who both later joined the practice. In 2013, when Drs. Morgenstein and Levy were ready to retire, Drs. Ensor, Johnson and Lewis made the decision to become partners and assume ownership of  the practice, renaming it EJL Dental. Dr. Ensor is extremely fond of her partners and over the years, they have become more like family. She considers them to be very experienced, professional and amazing people to work with and feels blessed to have them in her life. She describes their journey so far as nothing short of incredible. Together, along with our other team members, we have been able to continue to provide the same level of care and service that our patients have come to expect. 

Forty years later and Dr. Ensor remains extremely passionate about her chosen profession! Her favorite aspect of being a pediatric dentist is getting to know the patients and watching them grow up with healthy, happy smiles. Her calm and gentle nature are lovable traits that her “little” patients absolutely adore...not to mention the peace of mind it offers their parents who quickly realize their sons and daughters are in good hands. Dr. Ensor takes the time to ensure that all her pediatric patients are comfortable and that their dental experience leaves them with good memories of their visit (and looking forward to their next visit!).  She is also very proud of having acquired, over time, the unique skill set required to work with special needs kids. 

Dr. Ensor is happy to be part of such an amazing team and her contributions to our practice has been invaluable. She views her attendance of continuing education meetings and seminars as a mission in life to be able to provide her patients access to advances in dental treatments and therapeutic options. Her commitment to staying at the forefront of what is new and exciting in pediatric dentistry is highly commendable, along with her warm and gentle “bedside manner”. It is infinitely important to her that she fosters an atmosphere for her youngest patients where they are literally bounding through the door, very excited to come see Dr. Ensor--just the way she did as a child going to the dentist. 

In her downtime when Dr. Ensor is not at work, she’s outdoors doing outdoor things. She is a boater, loves tennis, playing golf with her son and biking. She visited Ireland two years ago and biked all around the country, which is an experience she will never forget! Dr. Ensor has also biked the ‘Seagull Century’, a fundraiser for cancer research, in addition to her annual participation in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, which she has done each year since 2006.  Spending time with her family and friends is also at the top of her list.  She also tries to emulate the values her parents - Renate Beers and Suresh Dhir instilled in her, to her five children. Having a good work ethic, being professional and doing things with a kind heart are all  things she hopes her children will learn from her. Maybe she might teach them a thing or two about German, another language she speaks, or about her understanding of Hindi, as her dad is from India. All in all Dr. Ensor is happy about her great relationships with her family, friends and colleagues. Her exemplary leadership skills, gentle heart and ability to keep it fun for her youthful patients are what make her such a highly sought after local pediatric dentist.  If you would like to schedule an appointment with us, please click here, Dr. Ensor and her team would love to have you!

A beautiful family moment!

From L-R: Danielle, Aaron, Josh, Paige, Shailja, Mark, Matt, Joe

Dr. Ensor and her husband Mark Gower