Its no wonder your friends and neighbors love our pediatric dental services. They count on our dedication to excellence to keep their little ones teeth bright and healthy. They rely on our proven methods and technology to make dentistry safe and comfortable. And they trust us to make sure their children are wrapped in warmth and comfort so they feel safe and relaxed every moment they are with us.
When your child is happy about their dental care, they are much more likely to be happy about taking care of those super-important teeth and gums! Providing a caring and fun atmosphere sets the stage for a lifetime of great oral health.
Thats why all of our pediatric dental care starts with getting to know both you and your child. We believe that building relationships with our young patients and their parents is the foundation of all positive dental experiences. In fact, we know that your comfort and relaxation is key to your childs attitude toward dentistry!
We want every child who sits in our dental chair to feel safe and maybe have a little bit of fun while they are with us. We also want parents to feel in control, informed, and at ease through every visit. We rely on your understanding of your child to guide us through our own assessment of his or her personality.
Thats right! We may ultimately be treating your childs teeth, but we are also treating the whole child mind, body, and spirit. Our treatment techniques allow us to avoid pharmaceutical sedation methods in most cases.
Our office has always maintained infection protocols that meet and exceed minimal recommendations, and we will continue to do so. In fact, our standard of care is now being adopted as the industry gold-standard in reducing aerosols.
Awards and achievements arent the only things that make Dr. Lucia Gerstmann an outstanding choice for your childs dental care. (You can read all about them lower on this page!) What makes Dr. Lucia really loved by her patients is the amazing way she has of putting her patients at ease. She has a special interest and training in behavior management, a stiff-sounding phrase that really means getting to know, understand, and gently meet the needs of every child on their level!
She knows that she and her staff are the biggest influence in their patients comfort and cooperation, right down to the tone of voice and body language they use! And while positivity, compassion, encouragement, and fun come naturally to Dr. Lucia Gerstmann, it is also a big part of her practice philosophy and why she is able to treat even the most anxious or special needs child.
Everything Dr. Lucia Gerstmann does, every interaction, every word she says is intended to reduce anxiety and encourage patient cooperation. She is a behavior management expert! But all that fun and warmth is just as real as can be. She loves kids and even has two of her own! She is an expert on everything princess and knows quite a lot about video games, too!
Even though Dr. Lucia was born in New York, she considers herself a total Buckeye and has lived in Ohio since 1988. Whats more, she graduated with honors from The Ohio State University, holding a Bachelor of Science in Biology. But Dr. Lucia had always dreamed of being as happy as her childhood dentist was and continued her studies at The Ohio State University College of Dentistry, where she received numerous awards for her research.
In 2001, Dr. Lucia obtained her Doctor of Dental Surgery and went on to complete a pediatric dental residency at the Nationwide Childrens Hospital, where she helped begin the Infant Oral Health Clinic. This respected clinic is still going strong and is today the foundation of several important research projects.
After residency, Dr. Lucia worked in private practice and part-time as an attending faculty member at Nationwide Childrens Hospital until joining Dr. Kassoy as an associate in 2005. In 2011, Drs. Lucia and Kassoy formed a partnership and renamed the practice Buckeye Pediatric Dentistry. Dr. Lucia continues to teach in the pediatric dental residency program at Nationwide Childrens Hospital.
Dr. Lucia is an active member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, which means she has undergone additional testing and credentialing to become a board-certified pediatric dentist.
She is happily married to her college sweetheart. In her spare time, Dr. Lucia loves driving her kids to fencing and volleyball practice, cheering at their tournaments, reading, Starbucks, traveling, cooking, and is newly rediscovering her love of racquetball, want to play?!
Marlina Shah received her doctorate in dental surgery from the University of Detroit Mercy and her MS in pediatric dentistry through The Ohio State University and Nationwide Childrens Hospital. Shes a part-time clinical professor at both of these renowned institutions. Dr. Shah is also a Board Certified Pediatric Dentist through the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. In the past, Dr. Shah was named Chief Resident while working hard to complete her dental residency.
With a focus on the diagnosis, treatment, and management of dental disease in children of all ages, Dr. Shah has helped restore countless smiles to prevent a future filled with dental issues. Despite her busy schedule helping children and teaching, Dr. Shah manages to put great effort into completing her continuing education to remain up-to-date with the latest treatment techniques and technologies. Shes completed extensive coursework with the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and the Columbus Dental Association. Dr. Shah is also certified in oral sedation and sees patients under general anesthesia.
When shes not busy helping kids and their smiles get healthy, Dr. Shah enjoys spending time with her family, husband, and their daughter. Dr. Shah also likes trying new recipes in the kitchen, traveling to new places, and going on hiking journeys.
Kelly attended The Ohio State University, where she was unsure of what career path she wanted to pursue. She explored dental hygiene (at her mothers request shes a dental assistant), and eventually decided it was a good fit for her. Fast forward over thirty years, and Kelly still loves seeing patients for their regular checkup visits because you never know what fun each day will bring. She says that the entire Buckeye Pediatrics team works well together because everyone truly wants the very best outcome for each child during their visit to the office. Kelly really enjoys being able to work with children because theyre the funniest, most spontaneous human beings. Shes friendly, compassionate, reliable, and a great listener with an even better sense of humor. She keeps busy at home spending time with her husband and three daughters. The family likes shopping, dining out, walking their dogs in the evening, watching HGTV, and vacationing at their home away from home in Hilton Head, SC.
Tasha is a graduate of Everest College and has been working in dentistry since 2012 as a dental assistant. She is also certified in coronal polishing and dental sealants. She works closely with the doctor during your treatment and is responsible for setting up and breaking down the treatment room. Being a coronal polisher and dental assistant is rewarding for Tasha because she can help families and children have healthier smiles, all the while making them feel comfortable at the dentist. Tasha says working with our team is a unique experience because of the way every patient, from kids to seniors, can feel at home and get the dental care they need. Parents know that their children are in good hands. She has two young boys, and she loves traveling with them, hiking, swimming. Their favorite place to vacation is sunny Florida.
Susan is a graduate of The Ohio State University (OSU) with both bachelors and masters degrees. She has been working in dentistry for nearly four decades, with the majority of her career spent working with children or pediatric smile care. Susan has instructed and mentored dental hygiene students from OSU during their pediatric rotation practice experiences at Nationwide Childrens Hospital. Shes served on the advisory board for the dental hygiene program at Columbus State, where she also was an instructor. Susan says she loves being an integral part of the services we provide, catering to children and their unique dental needs. When shes not at the office, you can usually find Susan spending time with her family, including her husband of nearly three decades and her three daughters. The entire family loves to take vacations, traveling the U.S. and abroad when they have the opportunity.
Dayana is a graduate of Alterius Career College. She says that when she walked into our office for the first time for her interview, she knew this was where she belonged. As part of the team as our lead assistant, Dayana helps by providing our patients with high-quality care by performing a variety of office and lab duties. Dayana says every day is a wonderful and unique experience because our team has a great connection with one another and our family of patients. She says the patient care we provide and the smiling faces we create make our dentistry style show special. Dayana is passionate, independent, dependable, outgoing, caring, and committed. She loves spending time with her family and friends outside of work. Dayana is a busy mom and enjoys every minute with her kids.
Jackelyn is a graduate of Kent State University and began her dental career in 2015. She knew pediatric dentistry was for her when she found out how much she loves connecting with patients and parents at the office. Jackelyn also enjoys seeing kids be excited about coming to the dentist and knowing they are creating a great foundation for a lifetime of excellent dental hygiene. She loves coming to work each day and being part of a family of dental professionals dedicated to connecting with children and creating a fun environment. Jackelyn says shes blessed, adventurous, ambitious, loyal, and positive. When shes not busy helping patients and coworkers in the office, Jackelyn is probably doing something outdoors with her family. Born and raised in Central Ohio, Jackelyn loves skiing, boating, and caring for her animals, including two dogs, chickens, and goats.
