Choosing dentistry as a profession because of the rewards of being a caregiver and the artistic and technical aspects of smile design, Dr. Petterson completed her undergraduate studies at the State University of New York in Binghampton and received a B.S. in Biology in 1977. During her years in SUNY, she worked as a chairside dental assistant.
Dr. Petterson relocated to Atlanta to attend Emory University School of Dentistry, completing her Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) degree in 1983. She has great memories from dental school as she and her Dad, a maker of fine jewelry in Manhattan, compared technical notes on a wax technique that is used in both making jewelry and dental crowns. Mom was the creative one in the family, with a love for painting in oils and watercolors, and inspiring Dr. Petterson's interest in dental esthetics.
Passionate about advancing her skills and clinical practice through technology and education, Dr. Petterson continually attends professional education in all phases of general dentistry. Areas of focus include CAD/CAM restorative technology, cosmetic dentistry and cone beam diagnostic imaging.
Our Dental Care Center surgical dentists hold licensure in the State of Georgia to provide IV Dental Sedation Services in our practice. Using this approach, patients are sedated with an anti-anxiety medication that places the body in a deep state of relaxation.
Unlike general anesthesia, patients that are under IV sedation are able to breathe on their own. Depending on the level of sedation, most patients are able to respond to verbal instruction. IV dental sedation typically creates an amnesic affect; most patients do not remember the details of treatment.