Doctor Lee Hershon - Orthodontist

Already a successful orthodontist, Dr. Lee Hershon is intent on expanding his horizons, professionally, spiritually and in his personal life.

Dr. Hershon, who has been in practice for 35 years, shares his time between his offices in Mount Pleasant and North Charleston, South Carolina. He also shares his considerable expertise with those who otherwise might not be able to afford proper dental care. As part of a project launched by Grace Episcopal Church, where Dr. Hershon is a deacon, he is among several dental professionals and students who volunteer their services at a downtown Charleston clinic. Patients pay what they can; in some cases, they pay nothing at all.

Located on East Bay Street, the clinic has been able to cover some of its expenses with a grant from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation. For the most part, however, it remains in operation because Dr. Hershon and his colleagues are willing to give their time and experience to make life a little easier for their less-fortunate fellow human beings.

“We’re giving people a gift from God,” he commented. “I’ve been fortunate, and this is an opportunity for me to give back.”

A New Jersey native who attended Rutgers University and the University of Maryland Dental School, Dr. Hershon first arrived in Charleston wearing the uniform of the U.S. Air Force. When his military commitment was over, it was an easy decision for he and his family – Nina, his wife of 33 years, and their three children, Lawrence, Marissa and Danielle – to stay in the Lowcountry.

“Mount Pleasant is beautiful,” he explained. “It’s near the ocean, and it’s great for outdoor sports such as boating. The quality of life is excellent, and the people are the salt of the earth.”

Based on his education and experience, Dr. Hershon is able to offer his patients options that aren’t available from other Lowcountry dental professionals. For example, Invisalign, the company that developed clear, all but invisible aligners that take the place of traditional braces, ranked him as a Preferred Premier Provider early in 2011. He was well on his way to the company’s highest rating of Preferred Elite Provider, and he also is the only orthodontist in the Charleston area who has met the requirements certified by Invisalign to perform the procedure for teens.

Dr. Hershon explained that using photographs, X-rays and impressions, a computer application creates a series of clear plastic aligners designed specifically for each patient. The patient wears an aligner for two weeks, then moves to the next set in the series. Since Dr. Hershon gives his patients four sets at a time, they visit his office only about every eight weeks. He monitors the patient’s progress during each visit and adjusts the aligners, if necessary. He pointed out that with traditional braces, patients must return to the orthodontist’s office every time something is loose or broken.

He added that patients usually need 20 to 40 sets of aligners, and that he is able to use the Invisalign system with 80 percent of his patients.

Dr. Hershon described himself as a constant learner. After Rutgers and Maryland, he graduated from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and he has served on the faculty at Harvard and The Medical College of Virginia. He is currently is an associate clinical professor at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Both he and his staff keep up with the latest advances in the world of orthodontics by taking continuing education classes.

Dr. Hershon, who is licensed by the states of Maryland, New York, Massachusetts, South Carolina and Virginia and by the Northeast Regional Board and certified by the American Board of Orthodontics, is a member of a wide range of scientific and professional societies. He was recognized for his academic excellence at Rutgers and the University of Maryland and has served as president of the South Carolina Association of Orthodontists and on the board of the Southern Association of Orthodontists and the American Academy of Dental Practice Administration. In addition to his work with his church and the dental clinic, he has served the greater Charleston community on the board of the Charleston Symphony, the Charleston Concert Association and the Charleston Shakespeare Festival and as a member of the Rotary Club.

“I just want to keep growing,” Dr. Hershon said.

by Brian Sherman

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For more information about Invisalign, contact Dr. Lee Hershon at:

www.hershonorthodontics.com

Charleston Office
2679 Lake Park Drive
Lakeshore Office Park
North Charleston, SC 29406
Phone: (843) 553-2255
Fax: (843) 797-1231
map Mt. Pleasant Office
1108 Market Centre Blvd.
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
Phone: (843) 881-9514
Fax: (843) 881-9219
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