Meet the people behind the practice!
Dr. Mark Berkman
Orthodontist
Hi. I’m Dr. Mark Berkman. I have been practicing Orthodontics for nearly 25 years and love coming to the office and creating beautiful smiles every day. I have also been teaching orthodontics for over 20 years, and am currently an Adjunct Associate Professor of Dentistry at the University of Michigan. I am honored and feel lucky that I’m able to teach the nation’s best dental and orthodontic students while also practicing what I teach at my office in Commerce.
A little about me: I graduated as a valedictorian of my high school class in Bexley, Ohio before attending the The Ohio State University Honors Program, and earned my Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree summa cum laude from The Ohio State University. While in dental school, I was named a Research Scholar by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and spent a year engaged in research at the National Institutes of Health. This experience helps me to this day, as I read and incorporate all the latest and best evidence-based advances into the patient care that I deliver.
I attended the University of Michigan for my residency in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. Since I originally attended Ohio State, and now teach at Michigan, you may wonder how that all works? During breaks from teaching, I try very hard to keep my colleagues in the department from finding out I ever attended Ohio State. That’s worked pretty well so far.
I am proud that I am board certified as a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics—a distinction held by under half the orthodontists in the United States. I’m grateful to my colleagues, for electing me to serve in orthodontic leadership roles at the state and national levels. I am a past-President of the Michigan Association of Orthodontists, and currently serve as a Director of the American Association of Orthodontists Foundation.
I love teaching about as much as I love practicing, and over the years have been invited to speak nationally and internationally on a variety of current topics in Orthodontics. You can check out a few of those here. Locally, I routinely speak to smaller groups of doctors, hygienists, and assistants about new advances in evidence-based orthodontic treatment. Teaching is one of the ways I stay at the forefront of the latest orthodontic methods.
Aside from teeth and smiles, I have interests in both SCUBA diving and aviation. I am a PADI-certified SCUBA Instructor and Rescue Diver, and hold a private pilot certificate and instrument rating from the FAA. I love to talk about coral reefs and planes. Maybe too much.
Lastly, but most importantly, I am a husband and father to three amazing children. Every day, my goal is to treat you and your children as I treat my own family. I am looking forward to meeting you and making you smile.
Dr. Lainie Shapiro
Orthodontist
Dr. Lainie Margulis Shapiro is the youngest of 3 children. Born in Washington, DC, she lived in Gaithersburg, Maryland and Buffalo, New York, before her family moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Dr. Shapiro attended City High School in Grand Rapids and graduated in the top of her class. Having braces and working at a dental office during high school convinced Dr. Shapiro that she wanted to become an orthodontist.
Dr. Shapiro attended the University of Michigan for college, dental school, and her orthodontic residency. During college, Dr. Shapiro received the award of Class Honors for all four years and majored in Bio-Psychology, graduating with distinction. During dental school, Dr. Shapiro was inducted into the prestigious Omicron Kappa Upsilon Honor Dental Society and received the Eleanor Bushee Senior Student Dental Award. She received a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree and a Master of Science (MS) degree and specialty training in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics.
Dr. Shapiro is licensed as a specialist in orthodontics in the state of Michigan, and is a former Director of the Michigan Association of Orthodontists. She is also board certified as a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics.
In addition to private practice, Dr. Shapiro taught part-time in the Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Michigan for many years as an Adjunct Clinical Lecturer. Dr. Shapiro taught graduate- level courses to both orthodontic and pediatric dentistry residents.
During dental school, Dr. Shapiro met her husband, Michael, who is a local endodontist (root canal specialist). They were married in Calgary, Alberta in 2000 and currently make their home in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Dr. Shapiro and her husband are the proud parents of two children and an overly friendly cocker spaniel.
