I grew up in southwestern Washington, attended Washington State University, and graduated from University of Washington School of Dentistry. I established my clinic in 1979. My commitment to state-of -the-art dentistry has led me to seek post-graduate training from the best minds in dentistry.
1979Eight-month course in occlusion, meeting once a month for three days, in which nine of the worlds pre-eminent gnathologists and occlusionists presented current thinking in occlusion and gnathology. These subjects may not be very sexy, but they are a major cornerstone in the understanding of the complexities of modern dentistry.
1988-1991Member, Cast Restoration Study Club, Seattle; President 1991. My mentor in 1991 was Dr. David Baird, who was the first dentist in the Northwest to introduce bonded porcelain veneers and crowns. I learned the art of bonding porcelain from Dr. Baird. He is a member of the board of advisors for the bible of cosmetic technique which publishes ratings for all materials associated with cosmetic dentistry.
1993Four-month course in occlusion and TMJ dysfunction, taught by Dr. Peter Dawson, Portland, OR, Tampa, FL, and St. Petersburg, FL. Dr. Dawson is widely considered to be the worlds preeminent authority on TMJ dysfunction.
1995Four-month (meeting once a month for three days) course in advanced general and cosmetic dental concepts, taught by Dr. Frank Spear and Dr. John Kois. These two local dentists have an international reputation for their innovative thinking and research in developing state-of-the-art approaches to cosmetic and functional dentistry.
1996Three-day, hands-on course in Root Canal Therapy, taught by Dr. Cliff Ruddle in his private teaching facility in Santa Barbara, CA. Dr. Ruddle is a co-developer of the top-down endodontic paradigm that has widely replaced the traditional technique that we learned in dental school.
2002Training in Invisalign technique, by the Invisalign training staff, Seattle. Invisalign technique is an exciting development that allows us to alter the position of teeth without braces. As the name suggests, the computer-generated aligners are nearly invisible. They can be removed in order to eat or brush your teeth, and they are less expensive, more comfortable, and quicker than traditional braces. About 70 percent of the time, they can be used to replace traditional braces.
Am I the perfect dentist? No. But you can see that I have dedicated myself to perfecting the art of comfortable dentistry. Along with the dedication to my profession, I have developed a first-rate team of professionals in my office. They all have exceptional people skills, are kind and gentle, and are dedicated to serving our clientele. Should I find it necessary to refer you to a specialist, you can rest assured that all the specialists with whom I work are at the top of their respective specialties.
Joan is the first person you will contact when calling my office. She has been in my practice over 10 years. She has worked in all aspects of the dental profession nearly as long as I have. She has amassed a comprehensive knowledge of dentistry in both the front office and the clinical office. She spent many years as a clinical assistant and knows all procedures as well as I do. She has an absolutely uncanny ability to anticipate what is needed during any procedure. Many of our patients have observed how well Joan and I work together.. The majority of the credit for that goes to Joan. She has an engaging personality and a grand sense of humor.
Joan has spent equal time working in the front office and her clinical expertise is a great asset when dealing with insurance companies. She has also worked as an insurance claims representative and is a bulldog when it comes to getting claims paid. I cannot count the times when, through her persistence, a patient has received their benefit after the claim was delayed or denied. Joan brings over twenty years of experience and skill to my practice. It took me years to find her and she will be with me until I retire, if I have anything to say about it.
In 1989 I was looking to hire my first hygienist when I interviewed Clare. We hit it off immediately, and agreed that she would go to work for me as the head of preventive dentistry. Of course, she had to pass her state boards first (which she did with flying colors). Ours has been a respectful and simpatico relationship ever since.
Clare graduated first in her class at the most highly-rated dental hygiene school in the country, Shoreline Community College. She brings a warmth and professionalism to our staff that is unsurpassed. Our patients LOVE Clare. She has the rare ability to immediately connect with people at a profound level, be they 3 years old or 93. The normal state of affairs in her workspace is that it is inundated with peals of laughter.
Clare has two daughters, four grandkids, and a wonderful life partner. She is physically fit; she and her partner hiked the 100-mile Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier in the Summer of 2006, and she competed in the Danskin triathlon the same summer. She volunteers at Camp Hope for developmentally disabled adults every summer, and volunteers at her church, serving community meals, playing handbells at Sunday service, and sitting on the board of directors.
After 21 years of full time work Clare has cut back to 1/2 time. She still loves her job and patients but is eager to bring more balance into life. 'Working, playing with grand kids, doing triathlons, life couldn 't be much better', she says!