The right find
Establishing roots in a high-needs area
As a high-schooler in Pocatello, Idaho, Jordan Allen planned to enter the family business. But after a few months working at his dad’s car dealership, he realized he needed a different career.
Fast forward seven years to Marietta, Ohio, and now Dr. Allen is right where he wants to be.
Every day, he relieves pain, improves health, builds confidence—all while working with colleagues he describes as “wonderful—just the greatest people.”
Dr. Allen graduated from The Ohio State University College of Dentistry in May 2018 and immediately moved to Marietta to work for Family Tree Dental, with two locations in Marietta and an office just across the West Virginia border.
Marietta is an active city, population 14,000, with loads of community spirit, cute shops, and scenery for days since it’s located at the confluence of the Ohio and Muskingum rivers. But it’s also considered a high-needs dental treatment area, and one of the Family Tree Dental offices is the only dental office within a two-hour drive to accept Medicaid.
I feel really fortunate to be part of this group. Our motto is ‘comfortable, convenient and kind,’ and everybody here lives it. We take wonderful care of people.
—Dr. Jordan Allen
As a senior at Ohio State, Dr. Allen received the Delta Dental Foundation’s Community Commitment Award to practice for one year in a high-needs area.
He and his wife, Britton, had already planned to move to Marietta when he received the award, but they considered it as affirmation that they were making the right decision.
“We love it here,” Dr. Allen says. “The people are wonderful. The other doctors are just fantastic people. We feel very fortunate.”
And providing dental care to low-income patients is a priority for him.
“It’s a service we’re able to provide for the community, and it’s a huge need,” he says. “People drive hours and hours to see us. It’s nice to be able to give back a little bit. At this office in particular, we do a lot of extractions, and we do a lot
of dentures.
“There have been a few cases where people have come in, and they haven’t had teeth or dentures for decades. When you first meet them, their faces are a little sunken in because they don’t have teeth to support things.
“When you deliver their dentures to them, it changes everything. Their faces light up when they get to see they have teeth again. And fairly regularly we get to do that for people. It’s super rewarding.”
As his required year at Family Tree Dental wraps up, Dr. Allen is staying put. His family bought a house in Marietta, and he’s buying into the dental practice.
“I feel really fortunate to be part of this group,” he says. “Our motto is ‘comfortable, convenient and kind,’ and everybody here lives it. We take wonderful care of people.”
In Ohio, the tourism slogan is “Find it here.” For this Idaho kid turned Ohio dentist, practicing in Marietta was the absolute right find for him.
