About Our Staff
Dr. Thomas Carns
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.
Following is a partial list of major educational endeavors
in my career:
1979—Eight-month course
in occlusion, meeting once a month for three days, in which
nine of the world’s
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.
1982—Member, Occlusion Study Club,
North Seattle
1988-1991—Member, 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.
1990—Week-long course in advanced
dental concepts, Pankey Institute, Miami, FL
1991—Second week-long
course in advanced dental concepts,
Pankey Institute.
1993—Four-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 world’s preeminent authority on TMJ dysfunction.
1995—Four-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.
1996—Three-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.
2002—Training 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.
2005—Training in the Cerec CAD-CAM system by Patterson
Dental, Kirkland, WA. Cerec has developed a computerized
system that enables the dentist to design and fabricate crowns,
inlays, and onlays in the office, while the patient is present.
What used to take two appointments two weeks apart can now
be done in a single visit. This is a revolutionary approach
to this type of dentistry. I’ve been making Cerec crowns
for over five years. The patients for whom I’ve fabricated
Cerec crowns are very enthusiastic about them. I have to
say that I am, too!
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.
I look forward to meeting you.
Thomas E. Carns, DDS |