Today, despite all the advancements in dentistry that have been made over the past few decades, many people remain apprehensive about visiting the dentist. Some even choose to suffer with dental pain or embarrassing cosmetic issues rather than visit the dentist to resolve those issues.
“In my experience, there are three main reasons why people do not visit the dentist, and they all have to do with one underlying thing—fear,” says Lindsey Marshall, D.M.D. “Fear of discomfort; fear of the time it will take to receive treatment; and, lastly, the fear of how much it is going to cost to get treatment.”
Yet, such fears are unfounded under the care of Dr. Marshall, who has dedicated her practice to transforming not only her patients’ smiles but also their feelings about trips to the dentist’s office.
A native of Wayne, Dr. Marshall received her degree in dentistry from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, where she received several awards for excellence in dentistry and graduated cum laude. After completing her dental training, she returned to the Greater Philadelphia Area to begin her practice at Suburban Square in Ardmore. In the 17 years since, Dr. Marshall has built a state-of-the-art practice where patients can receive treatment in a pleasant, stress-free atmosphere of complete comfort.
“I see a lot of people [who] have neglected their dental care due to their fears and then they become embarrassed about it,” says Dr. Marshall, who specializes in comprehensive aesthetic dentistry. “Often patients tell me, ‘I know I should have come in and gotten this done, but …’ “Many people wait too long, until they have to get their dental problems fixed,” she continues, “and then they don’t know where to begin. My goal is to remove that embarrassment and allow everyone to feel comfortable and in control of their situation so they can get the care they need and want done by addressing any fears they may have.”
First, Dr. Marshall consults with every new guest in her office to discover what care they are looking for and what is holding them back from getting that care. When she seeks to understand what her guest is looking for, she begins with diagnostics, using the latest technologies to make this first step toward dental health comfortable. Some of the latest technologies and equipment used in her practice include:
* Cone beam scanner: This 3-D imaging system provides Dr. Marshall with a comprehensive view of the patient’s head and neck to aid in the diagnosis, planning and treatment of a patient’s dental condition. She also uses digital X-rays that expose patients to far less radiation than traditional X-rays.
* Sedation dentistry: This is not to be confused with sleep dentistry, which uses sedatives to put patients in a “twilight” state. Patients are conscious enough to be aware of their surroundings and are able to respond to instructions. Post-procedure recovery is much shorter and less complicated and, perhaps the best benefit of all, patients do not remember much or any of their procedures.
* The Wand: This computer-controlled delivery system is used to administer local anesthetic, which flows very slowly to minimize the discomfort and pain patients typically feel from traditional needles.
* LightWalker Laser: Dr. Marshall uses this dental laser to provide precise and gentle treatment to the gums and the teeth for problems such as cavities, enamel erosion and periodontal disease.
* NuCalm: This all-natural sedation technique relaxes patients during their dental appointments without leaving the patient feeling nebulous or “dopey” afterward.
* Entertainment: For those patients who don’t like to hear the noises associated with dental treatments, Dr. Marshall provides options for movies and music. Patients can drown out the unpleasant sounds with their favorite song or film via noise-cancellation headphones.
Of course, Dr. Marshall’s practice is unique for reasons far beyond her advanced equipment. It is Dr. Marshall herself—specifically, her commitment to excellent service and to continually expanding her education and training as a way to stay up on the latest advancements in dentistry.
Dr. Marshall finished her dental studies at Harvard and has attended the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies for the last 15 years, where she has completed thousands of hours of advanced study in the latest techniques and technologies in neuromuscular, general and cosmetic dentistry. She even earned her LVI Fellowship in 2014. She has applied these advancements to her practice, continually raising the bar on dental excellence.
“My neuromuscular training gives me the ability to look at the mouth differently and take the entire mouth and bite into consideration when diagnosing a patient,” she says. “This helps me understand why, for example, a tooth has that particular problem. I can then treat the cause of the problem and not just the tooth.”
Consequently, Dr. Marshall has been able to relieve many patients’ years of pain and suffering in many ways. Temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMD, is just one example. “[TMD] starts with symptoms like headaches or pain in your joints,” she says. “When approaching complex cases, I reset the bite first and then make their smiles beautiful.”
As for the other two issues that cause patients anxiety—money and time—Dr. Marshall and her treatment coordinator, Emily, work closely with patients to lay out treatment plans that work for them, including addressing patients’ time and financial concerns. Patients have the ability to do as much or as little as possible in every visit to accommodate their time constraints. Also, Dr. Marshall offers a variety of financing options that can fit the care a patient wants and needs into any budget comfortably.
Dr. Marshall certainly gives her patients something to smile about. Whether she is alleviating their pain or restoring their smiles, people can put their worries aside and no longer put off getting the smiles they have always wanted.
Lindsey F. Marshall, D.M.D.
602 The Times Building
Suburban Square
Ardmore, PA 19003
610-649-0696
www.lindseymarshall.com
Photograph by Rachel McGinn
