Hi. I’m Dr. Spain.
You’ll get my credentials in a minute. First, I usually like to break the ice — because I’d rather you feel comfortable than impressed:
What’s the worst part about a nosey pepper? …It gets jalapeño business.
If you groaned, we’re going to get along fine. If you laughed, we’re going to get along even better. I keep a running list of corny jokes on my phone, and invite you to bring your best one to your consult.
That’s not filler. It’s most of what you need to know about how it feels to be in my chair. Orthodontics can be intimidating — for kids especially, but plenty of adults too. A joke is usually the fastest way to get someone’s shoulders down from around their ears so we can have an actual conversation.
How I got here
I grew up in small-town northern Idaho, a Northwest kid through and through. As a teenager I loved science, math, and music, and I had a part-time job with my family dentist. What got me wasn’t the technical side (although that was super interesting) — it was watching people walk out different than they walked in. Standing taller. Smiling without covering their mouth. And I noticed something about my dentist: he really listened. He asked people about their lives and genuinely cared about their answers.
That stuck with me a lot longer than anything I learned about fillings.
Before any of the schooling, I spent close to a year in Quito, Ecuador on a cultural exchange. I went to learn Spanish and see a new country — historic sites, beaches, rainforest, as much of it as I could get to. I came back fluent, and I came back changed by how warm people were with each other. También, hablamos Español — if Spanish is the language your family is most comfortable in, it’s the language we’ll use here.
Then came the long part: studying biology at Seattle University, dental school at the University of the Pacific in San Francisco, and an orthodontic residency at the University of Colorado in Denver, where I earned my Certificate in Orthodontics and a Master of Science in Dental Medicine. My residency research focused on pain relief and making the orthodontic experience better for patients — which tells you something about what I was already worried about back then.
I’ve been practicing orthodontics for 17 years. More than a decade of that has been right here in Shoreline.
Why orthodontics, specifically
I could have gone into cosmetic dentistry. I chose not to.
Orthodontics moves your natural teeth into a healthier position. It works with what you already have instead of grinding down healthy tooth structure to make something look a certain way. That distinction mattered to me then and it still does.
Because to me this isn’t a cosmetic service — it’s a health service. Teeth that line up are easier to keep clean, which means fewer cavities and healthier gums across a lifetime. A bite that fits together properly wears more evenly and puts less strain on your jaw joints. And in some patients, how the jaws and airway develop connects to snoring and sleep quality in ways that reach well beyond the mouth.
I’m a member of the Pankey Institute, which teaches whole-person dentistry. The idea comes from Dr. L.D. Pankey, and I say it this way: I’ve never seen a set of teeth walk into my office. They’re always attached to a person.
So I’m going to ask about your day, your kid’s season, the trip you just got back from. That’s not small talk I’m doing to be polite. It’s how I find out what actually matters to you before I start recommending anything.
What to expect
A consultation here is a conversation, not a presentation.
We take a tour of your mouth together — same pictures, same screen, and I explain what I’m seeing as we go. That’s part of the beauty of our great technology so you can see and understand with me. We co-discover what’s happening and what your options are, including the option of doing nothing right now. You’ll get the honest version every time, including the rare case where a perfect result isn’t on the table. You’ll hear about those trade-offs early and plainly, not at the end.
When I’m recommending treatment for a child, my test is simple. Is this what I’d tell a close friend to do for their own kid? If your child needs something now, I’ll say so — and if they don’t, I’ll say that just as plainly. There is no race to get kids into treatment before they’re ready.
What you won’t get from me is a sales pitch. No promotion expiring Friday, no making you feel bad for putting off the appointment or waiting to come in. The important thing is you’re here now and ready to learn more about your options. My goal is to educate, not to sell a case. If you want to go home and think about it, please do — I would much rather you come back when you’re ready to say yes than commit to a plan on the spot and regret it on the drive home. That just wouldn’t sit well for me.
What I’m after in every case is real improvement and a result you’re happy with, arrived at with you rather than treatment done to you.
Off the clock
You’ll find me biking, traveling, or hiking somewhere senic — I have a weakness for new restaurants, sun drenched beaches, and visiting friends and family across the country. I’ve also enjoyed riding from Seattle to Portland with a group raising money for cancer research in the past, but these days most of my rides are a little more local, like the Burke-Gilman trail or to and from work when the weather permits.
I sing along to everything, especially early-2000s music, and I’m reliably wrong about the lyrics. Many patients find this very funny. They’re not wrong.
My patients are my purpose.
That’s the honest answer to why I do this. Seventeen years in, the part that still gets me is the day the braces come off and someone smiles with more confidence and without covering their mouth.
It’s never too late to care about your smile or your health, and there’s no day like today. Come in, ask me anything, and leave knowing where you stand. The consultation is complimentary and nothing is attached to it.
call/text (206) 693-3123.
Education
- Seattle University, Bachelor of Science in Biology
- University of the Pacific, School of Dentistry, Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS)
- University of Colorado, Orthodontic and Dentofacial Orthopedics Residency, Certificate of Orthodontics and Masters of Science in Dental Medicine (MSD)
Honors and Awards
- Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit Honor Society
- Tau Kappa Omega Honor Society
- President, Class of 2009, University of Colorado Department of Orthodontics
Professional Affiliations
- American Association of Orthodontists
- Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists
- Washington State Society of Orthodontists
- Delta Sigma Delta
- Alpha Sigma Nu
