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