Dr. Steve Carstensen, DDS, is the co-founder of Premier Sleep Associates, a dental practice dedicated to treating obstructive sleep apnea and snoring.
After graduating from Baylor College of Dentistry in 1983, he and his wife, Midge, a dental hygienist, started a private practice of general dentistry in Texas before moving to native Seattle in 1990.
In 1996 he achieved Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentists in recognition of over 3000 hours of advanced education in dentistry, with an increasing amount of time in both practice and classwork devoted to sleep medicine.
A lifelong educator himself, Dr. Steve is currently the Sleep Education Director for The Pankey Institute. As a volunteer leader for the American Dental Association, he was a Program Chairman and General Chairman for the Annual Session, the biggest educational event the Association sponsors. For the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine he’s been a Board Member, Secretary Treasurer, and President-Elect. In 2006 he achieved Certification by the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine.
In 2014, he became the founding Editor-in-Chief of Dental Sleep Practice magazine, a publication for medical professionals treating sleep patients. He is a frequent contributor to webinars and other online education in this field.
Breathing and Airway Support in Pediatric Dentistry
By: Steve Carstensen DDSThis Topic Originally Appeared on PankeyGram.Org. Dr. Carstensen granted permission for igniteDDS to share with…
Airway Dentistry: Making a Difference for Patients’ Wellness
By: Steve Carstensen, DDS This Topic Originally Appeared on PankeyGram.Org. Dr. Carstensen granted permission for igniteDDS to share…
Improving the Quality of Life for Patients with Sleep Apnea
By: Steve Carstensen DDSTopic originally appeared on Pankey.org: Dr. Carstensen allowed permission for igniteDDS to share with…
Solving Workforce Challenges by Extending Careers
By: Garrett Wilson The dental industry has been navigating a complex workforce puzzle: how do we retain great people, care for current team members, and plan for the future? Much of the conversation rightly centers around mental and physical exhaustion and how to support team members who are feeling burnt out. We’ve seen innovative strategies…
You Can Have This But You Can’t Have That
By: Dr. Eric Recker Don’t take me back too far! I need that neck pillow. That’s too far. I can’t breathe. Are you going to dump me back off the chair? All said as the patient is reclined to 65 degrees. This is going to be a heck of a procedure. I am going to…
3 Benefits of Collaborating with an In-House Dental Lab
By: Stephen Malone, DMD This Topic Originally Appeared On Pankeygram.Org. Dr. Malone granted permission for igniteDDS to share with our readers. Running a successful dental practice nowadays involves close collaboration with the dental lab. This is easily possible if you have the dental lab in-house because this simplifies the dentist-lab communication. Everybody can give their best…
Unveiling the Hidden Tactics of Dental Insurance Companies: How to Protect Your Practice and Your Patients
By: Angela Holland Dental insurance companies have long been criticized for their complex and sometimes opaque practices, especially when it comes to their Explanation of Benefits (EOB) documents. For both patients and dental practices, these documents can often be a source of confusion, frustration, and financial loss. Insurance companies, in their pursuit of profits, often…
QuickSplint: Predictable Diagnostics and Restorative Success
By: PankeyGramTopic Originally Appeared on PankeyGram.Org, who granted igniteDDS permission to share with our readers. Temporary occlusal splints are a great chairside solution, with a wide range of applications in our practice. An easy and effective splint that can be customized for each patient is QuickSplint, it fits in the anterior teeth only, from canine…
We Can All Wear A Cape!
By: Dr. Eric Recker Monday morning 8 AM. First patient of the week. Maybe our mind is on what happened this past weekend or the crazy schedule we have in front of us. Maybe it is just spinning. Spinning with all the things we do and all the hats we wear as general dentists. What…
Help! My Dental Assistant Keeps Giving My Patients Dirty Glasses
By: Ronda Holman It might seem like a small thing, but when a dental assistant hands a patient safety glasses that are smudged, dusty, or have splatter marks, it sends a loud message: “We don’t pay attention to the details.” In a clinical setting where cleanliness is everything, dirty safety glasses can instantly create doubt…
Rubber Dam Isolation: Maximizing Bond Strength to Enamel
By: Christopher Mazzola, DDSTopic Originally Appeared on PankeyGram.org. Dr. Mazzola granted permission for igniteDDS to share with our readers. Advantages of Utilizing Rubber Dam Rubber dam isolation has a lot of advantages to be used in dentistry, that are supported with many clinical studies. By making our everyday procedures easier, without having to worry about…
Why Updating UCR Fees Annually is Best Practice for Your Dental Practice
By: Angela Holland In any dental practice, one of the most critical components of financial health is the establishment and management of Usual, Customary, and Reasonable (UCR) fees. UCR fees are essentially the fees a dental practice charges for services based on what is typical for the area and within industry standards. These fees play…
Your License, Your Reputation, Your Responsibility: Lessons from Dr. A.R.
Closing the Series & Applying These Insights to Your Practice By: Candy Velez – CRDH, BSDH When you started this series, did you ever imagine you would gain so much insight from a single disciplinary case? The case of Dr. A.R. wasn’t just about one dentist’s mistakes—it was a window into the standards, expectations, and…