2020 Winner, Dr. Pamela Marzban
We conclude our 12th Annual Sedation Safety Week on a high note by sharing our 2020 Safe Sedation Dentist of the Year. Selecting just one dentist among so many notable and dedicated professionals is no small order. However, a Virginia dentist rose among the ranks, in part due to her extraordinary story of putting her training into action to save the life of an automobile crash victim outside her office (read the full story here).
“In the midst of some dark days of worldwide crisis, it’s refreshing to hold up a professional who’s consistently been a shining light in the sedation dentistry profession. Dr. Pamela Marzban’s dedication to excellence and her heart for improving the lives of others make it an honor to announce her as our Safe Sedation Dentist of the Year.”
—Dr. Michael Silverman, SSW Founder and National Chairperson
Dr. Pamela Marzban is a sedation dentist in Burke, Virginia providing a wide range of family and cosmetic dentistry services to patients throughout several Northern Virginia communities. She is a firm believer in the adage, “Every smile has a story,” and she strives to change the lives of her patients by delivering a beautiful smile that restores confidence and maintains optimal levels of oral health for years to come. In order to provide her patients with the best possible treatments, she believes it’s important to continue studying with the finest dentists in the country throughout her career.
“Right now is a perfect example of understanding that fear is not logical,” Dr. Marzban told us in a March 19 interview. “Sedation dentistry has made a huge impact because a lot of patients come in terrified, but also embarrassed about their fear; often they have a tangible reason for their anxiety, like past trauma.”
Sedation dentistry opens up a whole range of possibilities for helping people with understanding and compassion.
“Sedation dentistry opens up a whole range of possibilities for helping anxious people with understanding and compassion,” she added. “With the various options, including oral sedation and IV sedation, we can help people take that step and come to understand there is a better way.”
Dr. Marzban has been practicing dentistry for over 20 years, including about 14 as a sedation dentist. “Sedation dentistry been a big help to our practice,” she says. “It has been so effective in producing a great experience that we have even seen formerly anxious patients return and decide they don’t need the sedation anymore to feel at ease!”
Dr. Marzban believes her success comes with a responsibility to the profession. To help other dentists achieve the level of success she has enjoyed, she created a speaking and consulting service that helps dentists unlock their potential to realize success.
Among other topics, she teaches and speaks about sedation for cosmetic work, which often entails 3-5 hours in the chair—an uncomfortable experience even without underlying anxiety issues. “Sedation allows our patients to be more comfortable during long treatments, and helps mitigate stress that could lead to post-operative discomfort.”
After graduating with honors from the Medical College of Virginia, she pursued a rigorous post-graduate training program at the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI), the leading school for cosmetic and neuromuscular dentistry in the nation. Upon completion of this program, she graduated as an LVI Fellow, only awarded to a select few dentists who have demonstrated mastery of the entire LVI program that includes a minimum 278 hours of dental training in advanced aesthetics and neuromuscular science.
In addition, Dr. Marzban has earned several other prestigious accolades as part of her continued post-graduate training:
- Board-certified cosmetic dentist
- Fellowship with the Academy of General Dentistry (a distinction held by only 10% of dentists nationwide)
- Certified by the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine
- Certified Digital Smile Design (DSD) dentist
Dr. Marzban’s work has been published, awarded and internationally recognized and she is known as one of the top cosmetic dentists in Northern Virginia by patients and peers alike. She has earned the following honors:
- Named “Top Dentist” in Northern Virginia Magazine, Washington Checkbook, Washingtonian and Virginia Living Magazine (2003-2019)
- Included in Consumers’ Research Council of America’s “Guide to America’s Top Dentist” publication (2009-2016)
- Published on the Academy of General Dentistry’s The Daily Grind and in several issues of the Washingtonian that you can find here.
- Featured in Dental Town Magazine, Dental Product Shopper, and Dental Manager Magazine.
Over the years, Dr. Marzban has had the opportunity to serve the dental profession in many capacities. She is very active in the dental community as a teacher and a volunteer:
- Clinical Instructor in the Department of General Practice at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry
- Provides less fortunate children with important dental treatments through the Northern Virginia Dental Clinic’s “Give a Kid a Smile” program
- Involved with the LVI Study Club and Mission of Mercy projects
Dr. Marzban and her staff have taken an ACLS Recertification course offered by DOCS Education five times. Many of her team members have been working with her for over five years, and their passion for sedation dentistry matches her own.
Her experience saving a crash victim’s life was a watershed moment for Dr. Marzban and her team.
“I speak on the business side of dentistry about hiring the right people, training them and reducing turnover,” she says. “When we were called on to help the victim of an accident outside our office, my team knew exactly what to do, thanks to their training. That’s how I explain to people the relevancy of our training and the importance of our profession.”