The team at Donald Marks Family Dentistry welcomes every member of your family with comprehensive and compassionate care. We are a full-service State College dental office with a patient-centric focus that includes metal-free direct dentistry, preventive dentistry, and cosmetic dentistry. Our goal is to address your oral healthcare needs and partner with you in order to create individual treatment plans designed to ensure dental wellbeing.
As a professional dental team, caring for our clients' dental and overall health for a lifetime is our number one priority. We strive each day to treat each individual with the utmost respect and our philosophy is that oral health is a doctor/patient partnership. A beautiful smile is a healthy smile, and we will be clear in our communications regarding treatment, finances, and education. Our materials and methods are based on sound scientific evidence and up-to-date technology. We constantly enhance our knowledge and skills through personal development and continuing education.
When you visit our State College family dental office, we want your visit to be as pleasant as possible. Thats why we offer various amenities to help you relax. Start with coffee, bottled water, or juice at our drink bar and enjoy the free Wi-Fi in our waiting room. Snacks are available as well. Our operatories feature chairside workstations, Pandora Radio, pillows, blankets, televisions, and DVD players. We just ask that you bring your own earphones! If theres anything we can do for you, simply ask one of our friendly team members. Were here to help, and we look forward to making your time at our State College family dental office a time of relaxation and wellbeing.
When you visit our dental office, you will notice we really take the time to get to know you and communicate any potential treatment plans in clear, easy-to-understand language. Because we value taking a down-to-earth approach in our warm, friendly dental office, youll feel comfortable asking questions and voicing any potential concerns.
We know you dont want to spend any extra time at the dentists office, and so we make sure to complete all treatment plans as efficiently as possible. But at the same time, you dont want your care to be rushed our careful approach helps us combine efficient and effective care for the best interest of your smile.
Our team of experts comes from a wide variety of backgrounds with significant collective experience in many aspects of dentistry. From general checkups and cleanings to more complex restorative or cosmetic care, you can feel confident when you partner with our team in your oral healthcare journey.
Dental technology is rapidly advancing, and you want to make sure that your dentist stays on top of the trends by regularly investing in the most effective technology. Our dental office is well-equipped with modern tools and equipment to allow us to offer the ultimate in comfortable, advanced dental care.
Finances are an important aspect in your dental decisions, and so we work to make sure our excellent services are offered at a price that fits within any budget. To help, we accept dental benefits, work with CareCredit financing, and also offer our own in-house savings plan.
As a native of the Keystone State, Dr. Marks has called Pennsylvania home his entire life. He and his wife, Renee, have deep roots in the State College community, and they cherish each opportunity to spend time with their adult daughters and their growing families in New York City and Washington D.C.
At the same time, Dr. Marks has utilized his incredible knowledge and his love of learning to provide the highest level of dental care in a friendly, comfortable environment. Clinical excellence drives everything he does, and the life-long friendships he has built with patients and colleagues are equally important.
Even at a young age, Dr. Marks had diverse interests. Beyond sports and music, he enjoyed drawing and art. He was good at science and solving problems. In addition, he loved helping others. Encouragement from his own, childhood dentist and a job during his undergraduate years in the lab of the local hospital opened Dr. Marks eyes to the potential of a healthcare career.
While pursuing a dual major in biology and chemistry in college, Dr. Marks realized dentistry was the best fit for him. It required extensive scientific knowledge yet provided the opportunity to be creative and to work with his hands. Most importantly, it made it possible for him to interact with his patients and to have a direct impact on the quality of their lives.
After earning his undergraduate degree at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Marks decided to stay at Pitt and enrolled in their School of Dental Medicine. He welcomed the opportunity to continue learning, and he knew immediately he had made the right choice. The lab work fueled his artistic side while the clinical studies fed his love of science. And, there were plenty of opportunities to work with patients who truly needed help with their smiles.
Upon graduation from dental school, Dr. Marks opened his own dental office in the State College area. In the early 1990s, he moved to his current location on University Drive and has enjoyed the culture and energy that comes with being close to the Penn State campus.
During his career, Dr. Marks has learned from and worked with some of the finest dentists in the world. Two of these mentors include Dr. Ron Nevins and Dr. Frank Spear. In turn, Dr. Marks has embraced his responsibility to share his knowledge with others. He is an active member of many dental associations and organizations, and he takes a proactive role in mentoring younger dentists and has been involved with the Penn State Pre-Dental Club, guiding young men and women who are contemplating dentistry as a career.
Life as a grandpa is great. When not visiting his daughters and their families in New York City or Washington D.C., Dr. Marks and Renee can often be found at a Penn State football or basketball game. In addition, he tries to make time for a little golf, cooking, a glass of wine now and then and especially while traveling.
Along with these interests, Dr. Marks served as an official for various, local swim leagues, a softball coach and he continues to pursue his passions for gardening, photography and architectural design. In many ways, his personal interests mirror his professional career.
Roxanna joined our dental office in March of 2014 and brought nearly 20 years of experience with all facets of dental care to our team. She attended Allegany College and has been happily married for over 15 years to her husband Ray. They have a beautiful daughter Kayla. Roxanna enjoys spending time with her family and watching her daughters sports competitions as well as volunteering for the American Cancer Society, Saxton Library, and the Clay Bishop Water Rescue Fund. Roxanna likes helping patients achieve optimal dental health and educating them on the correlation between dental health and overall health. She especially loves the compassion and enthusiasm that Dr. Marks and the whole team have for each patient.
Lindsey has worked in the dental field since 2010. She holds an associates of applied science in dental hygiene from the Allegany College of Maryland, and a bachelor of science in healthcare administration and management form Colorado State University. Voted the top hygienist of 2010 by the International Association of Healthcare Professionals, Lindsey is passionate about offering her patients only the best care. She is dedicated to continuing education as well as serving her professional and local communities, and combines the two while serving as the Vice President of the Huntingdon Health and Wellness Association. Outside the dental office, Lindsey enjoys spending time with her family, vacationing, camping, going to Lake Raystown, and anything outdoors.
Morgan graduated with her Associates of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene from Pennsylvania College of Technology in 2015. She then completed her Bachelor of Science in Health Policy and Administration Concentration in 2016. Today, she does her best to keep up with continuing education and the latest dental technology, using this expertise to improve her patients oral health. She really enjoys teaching visitors the importance of oral hygiene while also going above and beyond to help them avoid periodontal disease! Outside of work, her favorite hobbies include boating at Raystown Lake, going to the beach, and snowboarding with her boyfriend. She also always makes time to play with her Golden Retriever Lincoln.
Renee helped found the dental office with Dr. Marks and served the patients as a dental hygienist until 1990. She still works in the dental office when her teaching and consulting schedule permits. Renee founded her own consulting company, Marnee Management LLC, in 2008. Prior to this, she coached for 10 years at numerous private practices, as well as the Scottsdale Center for dentistry in the areas of periodontal care and dental office management. She is also a myofunctional therapist and Buteyko breathing instructor. Renee is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh Dental Hygiene program and Pennsylvania State University, where she earned her Masters Degree in Health Occupations Training and Development. She has lectured extensively throughout the U.S. and has articles published in professional journals. Most recently she was appointed as an resident faculty member for Spear Education in Scottsdale Arizona.
Sara works directly with Dr. Marks throughout the treatment process and also does lots of behind-the-scenes lab work, setting up rooms and sterilizing equipment. She loves that this dental office gives her the opportunity to expand her knowledge and skills every day! She strongly believes (along with Dr. Marks) that every patient deserves to receive proper care and knowledge regarding their oral health. Outside of work, she loves going on walks and exploring with her two dogs Bear and Sumara. When the weather is warm, you can typically find her working in the garden and enjoying the sun. She also likes being creative with various art projects.
Faith studied at the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science & Technology and is relatively new to the dental world. As part of our team, she loves being able to make such a positive impact on each patients life! She hails from a big, boisterous family and spends her free time hiking, listening to music, going on adventures with friends, and traveling. She really loves fashion from the 1950s and 60s and also considers herself something of a coffee connoisseur.