Dr. Abes was born and grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He served as a captain in the U.S. Army Dental Corps in Fort Knox, Kentucky and Fort Ritchie, Maryland. He then taught at Emory University Dental School as an Assistant Professor of Prosthodontics.

He also began his Prosthodontic practice in Sandy Springs in 1974. Together with Dr. Musicer and Dowd, he founded Family Dental Health Centers in 1979. This practice became DENTFIRST in 1982. Dr. Abes now lives in Atlanta with his wife. Their daughter, Lauren, graduated in June 2000 from dental school at the University of Pittsburgh and their son, David, stays very busy with his restaurant, Insignia, in Buckhead. When Dr. Abes is not practicing dentistry he enjoys spending time with his two grandchildren, Amanda and Mitchell. In his spare time, Marshall enjoys traveling, seeing every movie which is released, art and antique appreciation and collecting (especially glass), fishing and boating.

Dr. Abes is a member of the American Academy of Dental Group Practice, the Alpha Omega Dental fraternity, and serves the community through the Ben Massell Dental Clinic.