Kingstowne Dental Office Tackles School Lunch Debts

KINGSTOWNE, VA — Kingstowne Dental Specialists isn't just in the business of pediatric dental and orthodontic care. The office, located at Kingstowne Towne Center, joined an effort to help cover school meals for kids in need.

Dr. Courtney Marzban, a pediatric dentist, opened the office in July with her orthodontist brother-in-law, Dr. Bob Marzban. Through a partnership with Settle the Debt, the office will cover two school lunches for every new patient.

"I love what I do and I want to give back," Courtney Marzban told Patch. "I wanted to do more and this was a way we could financially do more."

The cause also hits home for Bob Marzban and his family, who immigrated to the U.S. and lived in Springfield. When they first came to Northern Virginia, their access to services was limited.

Settle the Debt has been at the forefront of ending lunch debt shaming and covering these debts. Led by a Gainsville mother, Settle the Debt started as a fundraiser to cover school lunch debts in Prince William County Schools. With the new partnership with Kingstowne Dental Specialists, it's expanding to help with school lunch debts in Alexandria and the area south in Fairfax County.

How schools handle lunch debts has changed through Virginia legislation. A bill signed in 2018 requires schools to directly contact parents about school lunch debts instead of shaming students for having the debts, Bristow Beat reported.

Kingstowne Dental Specialists is open four days a week. According to Marzban, the office aims to reduce kids' anxiety during visits, from digitized services replacing drilling to longer visits so patients don't feel rushed. Another focus is providing a sensory-friendly environment; Marzban's own son is sensory sensitive and can get overwhelmed by sensory stimuli.

For more information about Kingstowne Dental Specialists, visit www.kingstownedentist.com.