Dr. Alec N. Elchahal, Orthodontist and Volunteer

Not long after moving to Georgia from Lebanon, Alec N. Elchahal found his calling. He was drawn to dentistry and eventually orthodontics because of what he calls an ideal patient population that consists mainly of healthy children, teenagers and adults. He liked the idea of being part of a happy industry driven by transformations -- being able to give his patients a little boost in their confidence levels and put smiles on their faces.

“In working with primarily children and teenagers, I get to watch them blossom and grow,” says Dr. Elchahal. “And when the day comes to remove their braces, it’s like unwrapping the best gift.”

What he may not have realized when he received his Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree and did his subsequent orthodontic residency at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta was that his career path would transform him in special ways, as well.

“It never registered when I finished school that from the day I opened my practice, I would be running a business,” recalls Dr. Elchahal. “I feel a real sense of responsibility for adding to the livelihood of my 18 employees and their families.”

This sense of responsibility extends beyond the walls of his offices at Hamilton Mill and out into the community. Prompted by Dr. Bruce Carter of Lawrenceville, Dr. Elchahal has partnered with Brighter Smiles for Brighter Futures – Dentists Curing Cancer One Smile at a Time. For every whitening treatment Dr. Elchahal performs, $50 of the proceeds are donated to help fund breast cancer research.

“My oldest sister is a breast cancer survivor,” explains Dr. Elchahal. “In all, I have four sisters, two daughters and a wife -- so this is a cause that is near and dear to my heart. I would love to see the day that this disease is eradicated.”

Over the past nine years, more than 65 volunteer dentists who partner with Brighter Smiles for Brighter Futures have raised over $800,000 to aid in the fight against cancer.

In addition, Dr. Elchahal is a Business Partner in Education with Glenn C. Jones Middle School, he buys back candy from his patients after Halloween to donate to the local Children’s Hospital, he takes up a collection for the Thanksgiving Food Drive at all three of his offices (Hamilton Mill, Johns Creek, and Vickery), and his practice sponsors a family every holiday season.  

“Giving back is a daily practice,” says Dr. Elchahal. “It shouldn’t just be something we do during the holidays. Being involved in the community is crucial to success. We can’t expect success by taking, taking, taking -- we have to give back and make the community we serve better somehow. In turn, others will pay it forward -- that’s the hope.”

The doctor with a genuine smile of his own and an apparent heart of gold doesn’t just stop with the community, but takes on a global approach with his concerns for the environment. The décor that adorns his 5,300 square foot Hamilton Mill office is largely repurposed -- rugs created from carpet samples and overages, light fixtures fashioned from recycled bottles, and reclaimed bricks and timber that line the walls. On a daily basis, his staff follows recycling practices and utilizes paperless technology. As a result, the Hamilton Mill office received the Gold Certification from the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) -- recognizing it as the first “green” orthodontic office in the state of Georgia.

“The philosophy is a win-win,” said Dr. Elchahal. “For instance, the utilization of technology in place of paper records saves trees and is more efficient. This is the future.”

Dr. Elchahal’s biggest passion is reserved for his family consisting of wife Marlo, an immigration law attorney, and three children all under the age of six. Although he lives in the Johns Creek area, he still feels right at home in the Dacula community. When he opened his Hamilton Mill office in 2000, he was the first orthodontist in the area at the time.

“Dacula has that ‘small town feel’ where people are more down-to-Earth and truly appreciative,” says Dr. Elchahal. “You get to know people better in a small town, and I really love getting to know my patients and their families. The longer I’m in practice, the more I learn -- it’s about the journey -- the people I work with and the patients I serve. Since I’ve been here, I feel as though I’ve really grown with the area.”