Since 1993, the Pacific Northwest Gnathologic Study Club has met monthly in Seattle — studying the masticatory system, the running of a great practice, and the long life of the clinician behind the loupes.
United by one conviction: patients deserve our very best, and the path there is relentless, hands-on learning.
A mentor-led, invitation-only club. The tradition began with Dr. Olin Loomis, continued under Dr. Robert Nishikawa — an IAG McCollum Award recipient — and is carried forward today by Dr. Tim Hess.
An evening might move from a full-arch case review to scheduling philosophy, financial planning, raising a family alongside a busy practice, or the long arc of a career well-lived.
Occlusion, restorative craft, full-arch reconstruction, digital workflows, implant planning — the bench work that defines a career.
How a great practice is built and run: team culture, case acceptance, fees, scheduling, technology adoption, succession.
Longevity, ergonomics, family, finance, philanthropy — the human work of staying sharp for a thirty-year arc.
Gnathos, the jaw — ology, the study of. The science of how jaws, teeth, muscles and joints move together, and how that movement governs everything we do as restorative dentists.
For the restorative clinician, gnathology is not theory. It decides whether a crown survives a decade and whether a full-arch reconstruction holds. It is the through-line of every case we touch.
"Dentistry's handclasp around the world."
American Section — active members and past honorees of the McCollum Award.
Standing connections to the academy's clinicians and teachers.
Engaged in the broader community of restorative practice.
The club exists to mentor younger dentists into the discipline. Members commit to monthly meetings, case presentations, and the slow craft of becoming a clinician their patients can count on for a lifetime.
Membership is invitation-only and application-based. We stay intentionally small so mentorship remains personal.
If you are not a member, the door is still open — non-members are warmly encouraged to attend our courses and convenings.