Meet Our Elite Dental Care TN Team
Our goal is to provide for the patient’s needs in a caring, sensitive manner generating comfort and satisfaction for our patients and the dental team. We believe that value is best delivered by a excellent staff using the best quality materials in an efficient manner, and, that the ultimate benefit to the patient is to have attractive teeth that will be beautiful, functional and comfortable for a lifetime.
Meet Dr. Lenihan
I arise every day looking forward to assisting my patients in achieving their optimal oral health. The Beautiful Smiles we achieve are the result of the patient’s desire for the Beauty of Nature and our ability to technically assist them toward their goal of Oral Health.
I was born in Oak Ridge, TN. I graduated from Oak Ridge High School in 1969 and received a B.S. degree from the University of Tennessee in 1973. My wife, Marla, and I have two children who are both Attorneys: a son, Brennan, and a daughter, Meighan, and are very pleased to be back “home” in East Tennessee.
I attended dental school at the University of Tennessee at Memphis and graduated with a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 1976. I was selected as one of four residents in 1982 to pursue a post-graduate degree at the United States Air Force Medical Center in San Antonio, TX, in Prosthodontics (crowns, bridges, implants, etc.). I graduated as a Prosthodontist in 1985.
I have been an instructor at the University of Tennessee Dental School, been active in the American Cancer Society, and instrumental in developing continuing education programs during my ten years in the Air Force. I have done many lectures on occlusion and TM Dysfunction, various diagnostic procedures, and restorative dentistry to Regional and National dental meetings.
I am a member of the American College of Prosthodontics, the American Dental Association, and the Tennessee Dental Association. I am involved in several Community organizations: Oak Ridge Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce, Public School Education Foundation, which helped rebuild the ORHS, and St Mary’s Parish.
Success and happiness are not to be found at the end of the journey, but in the way we lead our lives each day.
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Hello! My name is Deanna, or DeeDee to some! I earned my Certificate in Dental Assisting (CDA) in 1988 while living in Illinois and obtained my Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) status after moving to Tennessee in 1994. I earned my Certificate in Dental Practice Management Administration (CDPMA) in June 2004 and received a BS in Management from Tusculum University in 2017. I have been working with Dr. Lenihan either chairside, at the front, and in management since April 1995. I enjoy helping our patients with their clinical treatment planning and financial needs!
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Hi! My name is Lindsey. I have been a dental hygienist since 2023 and was a dental assistant before transitioning into hygiene. I graduated from the dental hygiene program at Roane State Community College. I am passionate about providing the best oral care for my patients, so they can have a confident healthy smile!
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Hi! My name is Emily! I’m so excited to be working at Dr. Lenihan’s office. I joined Elite Dental Care in December 2024! You may have already met me hanging around the office, for those of you who haven’t met me yet let me introduce myself. I graduated from Tennessee College of Applied Technology in 2022 with my Registered Dental Assistant License. I actually worked some of my Clinical Extern hours at Dr. Lenihan’s office where I met Deanna and Doc! I worked at UT Hospital in Oral Surgery, but really found my love for Dentistry in General practice. My favorite part of working in Dentistry is helping to give people smiles they can be proud of! I look forward to meeting all of our wonderful patients.
