Ean Marshall grew up in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, a small town in the central part of the state, nestled between the Susquehanna River and Bald Eagle Mountain.

Its claim to fame? To dedicated baseball fans, it’s known for being the home of the Little League Championship. But for Ean Marshall – this is a story about his journey to the big leagues. Not of baseball – of dentistry.

Today, Ean is a registered dental hygienist with Aspen Dental in Virginia Beach. He is known by his colleagues and patients as the one you can count on: the hygienist who will take the extra time for a heart-to-heart conversation with a patient who hasn’t been to the dentist in 20 years. The guy who will give up his lunch break to study with the new dental assistant who is pursuing their RDH certification. The one who knows every patient by name and knows their personal stories, not just their dental history.

But his start in dentistry goes back to Williamsport.

The Formative Years

In his last year of middle school, Ean transferred to a new school and, at the end of the year, the teachers and students awarded superlatives to the graduating 8th grade students. Many of the superlatives were standard – best attendance, best grades, etc. – but there was one award they created especially that year for Ean: Best Smile. The description on the award read His smile could light up a room.

What may have seemed like a small gesture to his fellow teachers and classmates had a significant impact on Ean.

“When I look back, I realize – receiving that award changed my life,” says Ean. “I realized the power a person’s smile can carry and started to think about how I could build on that to make a difference. It’s something I’ve carried with me to this day, and I have made it my mission to share that gift with others.”

As a child, when Ean visited the dentist, his hygienist would talk about his experience in dentistry and how much he appreciated the unique opportunity to help people through relieving pain and helping patients build confidence in their smiles.

From a young age, Ean was determined to do the same. But when graduation time came, he faced a roadblock that many young, aspiring dental hygienists face – finances. Not to be deterred, Ean enrolled in ROTC and served in the military for more than six years while completing the necessary schooling and certifications to become a hygienist – an experience he says he’s grateful for and helped shape his approach to his work today.

“There are some key tenets to operating in a military environment. No matter what life throws at you, you keep going, you make a game plan, you complete the mission, and you treat everyone with dignity,” says Ean. “I apply that mindset to my work every day. I try to put myself in the patients’ shoes, understand where they’re coming from, and come up with a game plan no matter how small the treatment or how big the barrier.”

Building A Career in Dentistry

In addition to his time in the military, Ean also drew on his experience working as a dental assistant at Aspen Dental, where he started in 2014. A close friend’s mom worked in the local Williamsport office and knew Ean was eager to break into the field. When a position opened for a dental assistant, she immediately called Ean and encouraged him to apply.

“I’m grateful I had the support from my Aspen Dental office as I was going through school and finishing up my certification,” says Ean. “School was much easier because I had a strong foundation from working in the office. The terminology, skills practice and other lessons were much more intuitive. But more than that, I felt surrounded by a community I knew was rooting for me. Dr. Turkewitz, the practice owner and my mentor, helped me study for my exams and made sure I had time off when I needed to prepare for finals.”

Today, Ean remains as passionate and committed to his job as ever. He reflects that it has given him endless opportunities to meet new people, serve his community, and spread kindness through the power of a smile.

Ean received his RDH certification right before the pandemic hit, and tells the story of a patient who,
shortly after the pandemic began and mask wearing became the norm, said she was grateful to be able to hide her smile under the mask.

“My heart broke for her and so many other patients who have expressed similar insecurities to me over the years,” says Ean.

“Oral care is so critical to a person’s self-esteem and their overall health, and we need to continue to find ways to make care more affordable and accessible to those who need it – to do anything we can to make them smile, anything we can to feel proud of their smile.”

This conviction is one that has kept Ean at Aspen Dental – a company committed to reducing barriers to care and empowering the healthcare professionals it supports to continuously grow in expertise and practice to serve their communities. Still early on in his career, Ean is already invested in growing the profession and mentoring the next generation of dental hygienists to help more patients.

“Some people are surprised when I say I knew I wanted to be a dental hygienist from such a young age,” says Ean. “It’s not necessarily a career path many people consider, but I would encourage others who have the passion to help people to seriously consider it. It’s consistently challenging, inspiring, and rewarding work.”

Changing the World with a Smile

So what is next for Ean? Ean is now preparing to take his talents global. In May 2022, Ean will join a small group of doctors, hygienists, and dental assistants from across the nation, to San Martin, Guatemala – where they will provide dental care to underserved communities as part of the Aspen Dental Healthy Mouth Movement – a charitable giving program that transforms the lives of people around the world by bringing better dental care to more people.

“A single smile can change the world,” says Ean. “By helping people find their best smile – I know I’m changing the world, for the better.”