Dr. Ijeoma Tagbo remembers her earliest trips to the dentist as pleasant ones; surrounded by a caring environment where her dental needs were taken care of without pain or fear. Later in life, those memories coupled with a love of working with her hands and a desire to enter the healthcare field spurred her to pursue a career as a dentist.

Ijeoma says her husband and family were always supportive of her goals, and fondly remembers the dental instructors and attendings that helped her develop skill sets. She achieved her degree as a Doctor of Dental Medicine at the prestigious Goldman School of Dentistry at Boston University and then moved to Hartford, Connecticut to complete a General Residency Program at St Francis Hospital.

Dr. Tagbo then went on to complete an advanced fellowship program at Temple University before settling into practice, initially in Maine. When her husband, Austin, received a unique opportunity to join Shore Hospitalist Group in Easton, Maryland, she knew it was time to start her own dental practice.

Dr. Tagbo’s office, Shore Family Dentistry, creates a relaxing environment where she can offer caring attention to each patient with state of the art technologies. Her equipment includes digital radiography for quick, easy to read films; an Intraoral camera so her patients can see and understand their treatment, Diagnodent (a diagnostic tool which can detect tooth decay even before it is visible on X-ray), rotary endodontics for root canals, a soft tissue laser to reshape gums for healthier teeth, and even paperless record keeping.

Dr. Tagbo is the member of several prestigious organizations, including the American Dental Association, the Academy of General Dentistry, the Maryland State Dental Association, the Eastern Shore Dental Society, Omicron Kappa Upsilon (a dental honor society).

Dr. Tagbo was most recently awarded a Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry. Along with only 239 other distinguished colleagues, Dr. Tagbo was awarded her fellowship at the July 2010 Convocation in New Orleans. Fellowship in the AGD represents a commitment to lifelong learning and, most importantly, a commitment to serving her patients with the most up-to-date materials, procedures, and techniques dentistry has to offer.

Ijeoma feels strongly about giving back to the community, sowing seeds that will benefit the lives of children locally as well as those abroad. She supports several organizations that meet the needs of children around the world, and had participated in the ‘Give the Kids a Smile’, Maine chapter and The Outreach Van Project, which provided medical care for the homeless and underprivileged in Massachusetts.

The move to Maryland and the opening of her own dental practice, Shore Family Dentistry, has been exciting for Dr. Tagbo and her family (she and her husband, Austin, have two kids). “We had visited Maryland many times in the past, and love the weather and culture here,” she says, adding that “It’s a terrific place to raise kids!”

Ijeoma says her passions (beside dentistry) revolve around her family and the arts; the four enjoy traveling together, and she loves dancing, music and painting. “I’m an artist at heart,” she laughs. “I’m lucky enough that I get to have that in my personal and professional life - bringing smiles to my patients is the greatest reward.”

Having previously worked in a busy Westminster dental office, Brenda knows the importance of good patient-office communication. She is focused on getting patients appointed in a convenient, timely manner and will gladly assist with insurance matters. Brenda looks forward to helping make each patient's visit a pleasant one.

Sheka, a life-long Eastern Shore resident graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a Bachelor of Science in Physiology and Neurobiology. With an interest in the dental field she decided to explore working in a dental office as a dental assistant. As her desire for helping to improve a patients' oral health grew, she chose to continue her education to become a Registered Dental Hygienist. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Sheka is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society at the University of Maryland, the American Association of Public Health Dentistry, and the American Dental Hygienists' Association. She enjoys the satisfaction her patients feel following dental hygiene treatment and does all that she can to meet the diversifying needs of each individual. Outside of the dental hygiene profession, she loves to spend time with family and friends, travel and do various activities with her daughter.