When you meet the team at Triangle Restoration Dentistry, you will know you are receiving competent, compassionate care. We specialize in prosthodontic and cosmetic dentistry, and our entire team is committed to improving your smile and overall dental health. Whether you need a worn and discolored filling replaced, veneers, full dentures, or total mouth restoration, our team is here to meet your needs.
Call 888.280.2678 to learn more about Triangle Restoration Dentistry today.
Meet the Team
Marlín
Marlín is likely the first person you’ll meet when you walk in our door, and the Patient Care Coordinator for Drs. Presnell and McIlwain. Like Dr. McIlwain, Marlín was born and raised right here in Durham, NC, but each year enjoys a family trip to her parents’ birthplace in El Salvador. She keeps her first language fresh as she loves being able to help her Latin community by translating questions or concerns here in our practice as well as out in the world.
She enjoys reading and spending time with her daughter, Saraí and her cat, Misifu.
Marlín has been with our practice since March, 2024.
Jessie
Patient Care Coordinator Jessie comes to us with over 20 years’ experience in dentistry. She loves her work and is dedicated to helping patients, from making them feel at ease when discussing treatment and scheduling appointments to getting their insurance claims filed properly for maximum benefit reimbursement.
Jessie was born and raised on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico and came to North Carolina after an extended (30+ years) detour through New Jersey. She has three grown children, two dogs, and is happily married to her best friend.
Jessie has been with our practice since January, 2024.
Marla
Marla, a Texas transplant, came to our team as a 30-year career Registered Dental Hygienist with a strong background in comprehensive dentistry. She is well versed in the mouth-body connection – from periodontal health and support to knowledge in bite, sleep, and airway disorders – and is committed to treating and educating with overall wellness in mind. Her primary goal is to deliver a “wow” experience to each person who walks through our door based on their individualized needs.
Marla gives back to her community by volunteering at dental events and local fundraisers designed to serve those who have suffered illness or catastrophic loss in some way. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her husband Joe and her beloved boxer dog Oliver. She also enjoys traveling, overlanding and camping. She loves reading memoirs and autobiographies and listening to audiobooks. She excels in pop culture trivia. She has one son, Matthew, and a daughter, Lindsay, who have motivated her greatly in her decisions in life. She believes family is priceless and is most grateful for her grandchildren whom she says are her greatest accomplishment.
Marla has been with our practice since January, 2024.
Carla
Carla started working with us as one of our substitute hygienists and quickly became our “go-to.” We’re now so glad to have her as a permanent part of our team! Carla grew up near Elizabeth City and attended UNC-CH, where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Dental Hygiene. Over the years, Carla has worked in various settings, from pediatrics to general practice to prosthodontics. Carla is married and has three sons. When she is not working, she likes to go to estate sales and auctions and loves to travel.
Carla has been with our practice since September 2016.
Mari
Bio to come!
Mimi
Mimi is our Lead Dental Assistant, heading up our clinical team and working chairside with patients. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico and is fluent in both English and Spanish. She came to the mainland after graduating from high school and attended the UNC School of Dentistry, where she earned her diploma in Dental Assisting. Mimi worked for five years in the Prosthodontics Department at UNC, then joined our practice. She enjoys spending time with her husband, their sons and their extended family on weekends.
Mimi has been with our practice since April 1999.
Sebastian
We all appreciate Sebastian’s gentle disposition. He was born in Mexico but grew up in the Charlotte area. He graduated from North Carolina State University with a degree in zoology, joined our team as a dental assistant, and his goal for the future is to become a dental hygienist. When not at work, he loves cooking new and exotic foods and working on art such as drawing and photography.
Sebastian has been with our practice since September 2021.
Lauren
Hailing from Detroit, Michigan, Lauren brings her positive energy as well as talent to our practice. She graduated from the Dental Assisting program at Accelerated Academy in Cary in January 2023 – and wowed us with her skills in multiple areas. She works chairside, of course; with her background in catering, has helped organize events; and having worked in finance, she has made ordering our supplies a science and an art.
Lauren also has a delightful personal side. Dentistry is serious business, but she always seems to find a way to make her patients smile. She shares her life with her partner John and her beloved dogs, Dixie and Whiskey, and enjoys cooking and snorkeling.
Lauren has been with our practice since July, 2023.
Jade
Jade also came to us straight from Accelerated Academy – the Raleigh Dental Assisting program gave her her start! She arrived with a can-do attitude and a smile on her face, and we can count on her to pitch in wherever she sees a need.
A North Carolina native, she resides with her “only child” (her cat Cinnamon) in Kenly, where she enjoys riding horses and zooming around on four-wheelers. She loves taking road trips to the mountains as well to the beach – a perfect day is spent hanging out with friends and family.
Jade has been with our practice since February, 2024.
Bernadette
Bernadette joined our practice as an administrative assistant new to dentistry and quickly demonstrated her aptitude for working as a dental assistant. We shouldn’t have been surprised by this hidden talent, as she volunteered with a wild animal rescue site as a teenager and once assisted with oral surgery on a tiger! Bernadette capably assisted chairside for years, then began assisting in our on-site lab, and in January of 2019, became our lead lab technician. Apparently, there’s nothing she can’t do!
Bernadette has been with our practice since December 2007.
Tonya
Tonya hails from Benson, NC, and graduated from UNC in 2023. She was with our practice last summer and has returned as a full-year intern.
She enjoys attending Carolina sporting events in her free time, especially basketball games (Go Heels!). Her favorite memory at Carolina is rushing Franklin Street when UNC beat Duke in the Final Four. She also volunteers at the animal shelter, where she socializes adoptable dogs.
Tonya has been with our practice since May 2022.
Shrutika
Shrutika is from Cary, NC, and recently graduated from NC State (Go Wolfpack!) with a degree in biology. She is working as one of our full-time interns and plans to enter dental school in the fall of 2024. In her free time, she loves reading books, spending time with friends and family, and walking her dog at the park.
Shrutika has been with our practice since May 2023.
Sandy
Sandy is our office manager and often works on projects behind the scenes, but you’ll see her throughout the office as well. Originally from Vermont, she’s another UNC grad – as they say, she wasn’t born in the South, but she got here as quickly as she could! When she’s not coordinating training and events and pulling reports, Sandra enjoys visits with her grown children and grandbabies and time at home with her husband, dog, and three cats.
Sandra has been with our practice since May 2007.
Contact Us Today and Meet Our Team
Once you meet the team at Triangle Restoration Dentistry, you will realize what a tremendous resource and partner you have in improving and maintaining your dental health. Our prosthodontic specialists are supported by experienced professionals who help ensure your dental prosthetics and cosmetic procedures deliver optimal results.
Call 888.280.2678 or contact Triangle Restoration Dentistry online today to meet our team and get started!