This Alumna Is Building Confidence – One Smile at a Time – in Newark
Baseemah J. Marshall, who attended the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, returns to her hometown for her education and stays to change lives
Growing up in Newark, N.J., Baseemah J. Marshall often felt self-conscious about her smile, hiding her yellow, misaligned teeth behind her hands.
Everything changed after braces as a child, and later, whitening treatments.
“I knew then how powerful a smile could be,” she said, adding that she felt more comfortable about talking and smiling to people. “That moment of transformation stayed with me.”
At the time, Marshall was a junior in college in Georgia, considering a career in obstetrics, but she soon realized it wasn’t a good fit for her.
With graduation looming and no clear path, her same dentist, who restored her confidence, suggested his own profession. That advice led Marshall to do an online search and find the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine’s Gateway to Dentistry program, a five-day immersive internship for college students, that laid the foundation for her to help change others’ lives by restoring their smiles.
Marshall said she saw the Gateway program as a chance to return to her hometown and reconnect with family.
“Gateway bridged the gap between undergrad and dental school. We got hands-on experience, like drilling and exploring dental anatomy, and it gave me the academic and emotional confidence to say, ‘Yes, this is for me,’” Marshall said.
It also confirmed her decision to attend the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, where she made life-long connections with faculty and served as the president of the school’s Student National Dental Association.
After graduation in 2010, Marshall completed a general practice residency and pivoted into public health to work at a federally qualified health center in Perth Amboy, N.J., and later in Edison, N.J. Although not actively seeking a new role, she learned of an opening at the Mary Eliza Mahoney Health Center and joined it two years ago as its dental director.
“I returned to Newark because I felt called to give back to the community that raised me,” she said. “These neighborhoods made me who I am.”
Under Marshall’s leadership, the center reduced referrals and expanded in-house services.
“We started out with a team of three, and now there are 15 of us, and we used to do only cleanings, fillings, and X-rays, but now we do root canals, dentures … and oral surgery,” she said. “Between 2024 and 2025, the center saw a 57% increase in patient volume.”
I returned to Newark because I felt called to give back to the community that raised me. These neighborhoods made me who I am.
Baseemah J. Marshall
Marshall, in June, launched a dental mobile unit to serve schools, shelters and senior homes throughout Newark.
“We’re reaching people where they are,” she said. “Oral health is essential to overall health – it’s not a luxury.”
Marshall also organized Mahoney’s first Give Kids a Smile Day in partnership with student volunteers from the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine.
"We appreciated the partnership," she said. "The students did an amazing job."
Beyond the day, Marshall tries to set an example to local children.
“Many of our young patients are seeing a provider who looks like them, comes from where they come from, and truly understands their experiences,” said Marshall, adding she engages in community events, speaks at local schools and participates in career days. “I believe representation and early exposure can plant powerful seeds of confidence and possibility.”
A career in public health has become a fulfilling path.
“My mantra is ‘We are changing lives one smile at a time,’” Marshall said. “We influence our patients' mental health when we fix their teeth. We influence their overall health because, without teeth, you can't chew or digest properly; we restore patients’ confidence. And I feel proud that my team and I can offer that to our community.”
