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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…
Systems & Simplicity: Two Words that Come to Mind When Working with the Direct Restorative Workflow Kit from Ivoclar
By: Dr. James Wanamaker I have been a fan of Ivoclar products since I was a student at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. I vividly remember touring their American headquarters in Amherst, NY as a third year and how impressed I was with their testing facility. Fast forward almost ten years later,…
How to Stabilize the Joints
By: Dr. Leonard A. Hess, DDSClinical Director, The Dawson AcademyThe Article Originally Appeared on TheDawsonAcademy.comLearn about Occlusion at TheDawsonAcademy.com If we have a symptomatic TMD patient and are trying to figure out, can we make this patient better or comfortable? How can we stabilize the joints? Go Back to the Complete Examination What does the examination…
Are You a “dentist” or a “Dentist”?
By: Todd Doobrow, CFP When patients come to your office, they know who they think you are. They assume you not only have an undergrad degree but continued your education for another four years and graduated from an accredited dental school. You might have even continued further to a GPR or residency program. You have…
Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should
By: Dr. Savannah Craig In today’s fast-paced society, everyone is looking for one-stop shopping and dental patients are no exception. One of the reasons I chose to pursue a residency program after dental school, was to have a wider breadth of treatments that I felt comfortable offering my patients. Patients like being able to receive…
How Do You Know If You Achieved Centric Relation?
By: Dr. Leonard A. Hess, DDSClinical Director, The Dawson AcademyThe Article Originally Appeared on TheDawsonAcademy.comLearn about Occlusion at TheDawsonAcademy.com When we talk about utilizing bimanual manipulation as a way to get centric relation, one of the biggest misunderstandings we see is the tendency for dentists to think CR is achieved by forcing the jaw back…
Help…My Dental Assistant Wants More Money!
By: Ronda Holman Hi dear reader, my name is Ronda Holman and I have been sitting across from a dentist for a living for the last 25 years. I thought it might be time to make some written confessions as to what I have been guilty of over the years and how my dentist was…
Dentists: Why Should You Load Test the TMJs?
By: Dr. Leonard A. Hess, DDSClinical Director, The Dawson AcademyThe Article Originally Appeared on TheDawsonAcademy.com Properly loading the joints tells you several things about the root cause of some patients’ problems. This will also determine how functionally stable the patient is. Let’s start with the first item. 1. Indicate if the Joint is Healthy You’re going to…
The Secrets to Success: Advice from Dental Assistant Ronda Holman
Interviewer: Tanya Sue Maestas, DDSInterviewee: Ronda HolmanEdited By: Candy Velez – CRDH, BSDH In this interview, dental assistant Ronda Holman shares invaluable insights on the often-overlooked power of patience and communication in the dental office. The Importance of Patience In the dynamic realm of dentistry, Ronda Holman underscores the significance of patience for both dental…
Changing Vertical Dimension: When is it Safe?
By: Dr. Leonard A. Hess, DDSClinical Director, The Dawson AcademyThe Article Originally Appeared on TheDawsonAcademy.com If you follow The Dawson Academy protocols, altering the vertical dimension is going to be the exception rather than the rule. We can work with the vast majority of patients vertical dimension and still fulfill the five requirements for occlusal stability and get a…
Buyer Beware: Numbers Can Lie in Dental Practice Acquisitions
By: Dr. David Rice In the world of dental practice acquisitions, potential buyers often find themselves navigating through a sea of financial data and performance metrics. The numbers presented can be a powerful tool in decision-making, but they can also be deceiving. As a new dentist buyer, it’s crucial to understand the web of factors…


