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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…
Life after Graduation: Excel in Your Clinical Setting
By: Savanah Craig I graduated from dental school in March 2022 and I’m currently in a general practitioner residency program. I’m writing to offer some advice for young dentists out there who are about to graduate on how to manage in a clinical setting after graduation. Tips to Excel in Your Clinical Setting After Graduation…
Tonsilloliths: Case Study
By: Dr. Jennifer Bell, DDS, FAGD, FICD Have you ever had a patient with tonsilloliths? Here is a case study of my experience with it.
Spontaneous Bone Spurs: Case Study
By: Dr. Jennifer Bell, DDS, FAGD, FICD Have you ever had a patient with spontaneous bone spurs? Here is a case study of my experience with it.
Developing an Online Presence for Your Dental Practice
By: Dr. Len Tau It’s no secret that we live in a digital world. COVID made the transfer to online work much more apparent, but the internet has been crucial for businesses, including dentistry, since its inception. You don’t need to look at studies to know how important an online presence is, but research shows…
What Is The Average Dentist Salary?
By: Dr. David Rice It’s easy to find the median dentist salaries in the United States. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes this data. BLS data shows a median salary of $163,220 per year, or about $78 an hour. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, here is on average what dentists…
Separation of Medicine and Dentistry
By: Savannah Craig The separation of medicine and dentistry has always confused and fascinated me. As a dentist, we are acutely aware of the impact of oral disease on the rest of the body, but why aren’t medical doctors taught anything about teeth? This question becomes even more apparent when you realize that over a…
Stylohyoid Calcification: Case Study
By: Dr. Jennifer Bell, DDS, FAGD, FICD Have you ever had a patient with stylohyoid calcification? Here is a case study of my experience with it.
Periodontal Infection: Case Study
By: Dr. Jennifer Bell, DDS, FAGD, FICD Have you ever had a patient with a periodontal infection? Here is a case study of my experience with it. Periodontal Infection Patient Information: The patient presented with CC of mobile lower #25 The patient reported mild pain but managing with NSAIDs The patient is concerned that the…
Dental Mobile Outreach Program
By: Chris Casterline My name is Chris Casterline and I’m a general dentist in central Kentucky. I currently direct a mobile dental outreach program at a Federally Qualified Health Center, serving over 20 elementary schools. The schools we target are deemed “Tier 1” schools. To be eligible for this designation, over 50% of their students…
Physical Fitness and Dentistry
By: Savannah Craig When I started dental school we had one lecture on ergonomics and that was it. I was still trying to figure out where to fulcrum to get my bur on the tooth I was working on. I didn’t have time to think about where my knees were positioned or how the focal…


