Rework element_helpers

[TheSecondComing123]

Currently, the functions in element_helpers using isinstance checks, however it would be much easier and better to do EAFP with try excepts.

[TheSecondComing123]

Actually, that might be a little unclear with harder to see overloads. We might do this in the future though.

[TheSecondComing123]

Although I do think element_helpers is getting too complicated. Maybe we should use singledispatch.