Our Dentists

General Dentists
		Darius Arlauskas, DMD Dental School: OHSU College: OSU High school: Jesuit High School Hometown: Wilsonville Birth date: August 1972 Affiliations and Associations: ADA "My goal is to achieve excellence in professional dental care, rendered in a manner that reflects the utmost respect and consideration for a patient. I am an instructor at Oregon Health Sciences University School of Dentistry. I enjoy all facets of dentistry and am licensed to perform I.V. sedation."

		Tariq A. Barghouti, DDS Dental School: University of the Pacific, San Francisco, Ca College: Portland State University High school: Beaverton High school Hometown: Beaverton Birth date: September 1966 Affiliations and Associations: ADA and ODA Hobbies/Interests: Fishing, Cooking, Traveling "I never forget that teeth are attached to people and for that very reason I treat each patient as I would my family and friends. I love all phases of dentistry, especially cosmetic and veneers so patients can obtain their optimal smile."

		Carl Christiansen, DDS Dental School: University of Washington College: Boise State University, University of Hawaii Hometown: Boise, Id Specialty: General Dentist- Emphasis includes general and cosmetic dentistry including root canals, fixed and removable dentures and implant restoration. Hobbies/Interests: Downhill Skiing, Bike riding, Triathlon Sprints, Movies, Music at clubs and concerts, spending time with my daughter and son Charitable Activities: Northwest Medical Teams "I enjoy dentistry with all of its many challenges and difficulties. Good dentistry is not an act but a habit that must be sustained at all times. I enjoy bringing that level of care to my patients and getting to know them and their family. I encourage a friendly, comfortable environment with open communication at our office for patients and staff."

		Justin Elson, DMD Dental School: OHSU College: CSU Sacramento (BS Mechanical Engineering) Hometown: Elk Grove, CA Affiliations and Associations: Former submarine officer, SSBN 733 USS Nevada, Member Academy of General Dentistry, Member Omicron Kappa Upsilon Dental Honor Society, Member Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society Hobbies/Interests: Mountaineering, Hiking, Home brewing, Photography Charitable Activities: Hike leader and mountaineering instructor for the Mazamas "I know how valuable time is to me and my patients and how frustrating it can be to be kept waiting at the doctors’ office. My staff and I will do our best to keep on schedule and see you on time so you can get on with your day. "

		Justin Goodman, DDS Dental School: University of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA College: Dartmouth College High school: Marshfield High School Hometown: Coos Bay, OR Affiliations and Associations: ADA, AGD, ODA, Omicron Kappa Upsilon Dental Honor Society, Tau Kappa Omega Dental Honor Society Hobbies/Interests: Rock climbing, surfing, fly-fishing, drawing, espresso, and great food "My goal is to deliver state of the art dentistry in a comfortable and relaxed manner. I enjoy working with patients to jointly restore and maintain oral health."

		Karie B. Lee, DMD Dental School: OHSU College: Portland State University High school: Woodrow Wilson High School Hometown: Portland Birthplace: Malaysia Affiliations and Associations: AGD Hobbies/Interests: Travelling, Beading, Outdoor hiking Charitable Activities: Give Kids a Smile Other Languages: Vietnamese and Cantonese "I enjoy working with patients of all ages, with an emphasis on working with children. My philosophy is to never stop growing as a dentist. Keep up with what's new, which allows you to provide the best for your patients!"

		Scott McClure, DDS Dental School: University of Washington School of Dentistry College: Washington State University High school: Fort Vancouver High School Hometown: Vancouver Birth date: February 1952 Birthplace: Vancouver Hobbies/Interests: Skiing, Whitewater rafting, beekeeping, camping Charitable Activities: Advisory Board - Clark College Dental Hygiene program "I enjoy the artistic as well as the oral health management aspects of dentistry. I find it very rewarding when someone tells me how much better their smile looks after treatment."

		Andrew Nardecchia, DDS Dental School: University of Colorado College: Western Colorado State Hometown: Coeur d'Alene, Id Birth date: October 1975 Specialty: General Practice, (Residency at Denver Health Medical Center) Hobbies/Interests: Just being outside; Biking, climbing, skiing, surfing Other Languages: A little Spanish. "I became a dentist because of my hospitality background. I worked as a waiter and ski instructor prior to dental school and enjoyed meeting people and making sure they had a great experience. I felt that Dentistry would be a good match for me because we are also providing a service in dentistry - it may be a good experience or a bad experience depending how you treat the patient. The procedures might be the same but the people are always new and different, so I like to tailor my treatment to people's individual needs to provide the most pleasant experience for my patients. It is also an exciting time to be a dentist due to all of the new technology that is being developed to make dental treatment easier for our patients. I think this is why Gentech is such a great fit for me."

		Alvin Watanabe, DMD Dental School: OHSU College: Oregon State University High school: David Douglas High School Hometown: Portland Specialty: General dentistry, with additional training in most phases of dentistry including oral surgery, root canals, tooth colored fillings, partial dentures, children's dentistry, implant restorations, both chairside and lab processed cosmetic dentistry procedures Affiliations and Associations: Clark County Skills Center Dental Advisory Board member, Clark College Dental Hygiene Advisory Board member Hobbies/Interests: Movies, Tinkering with cards, Photography, Hiking, Spending time with my wife and children "I enjoy doing all phases of dentistry for patients of all ages from 1 ½ years on up. When I started practicing, I said that dentistry was like a hobby to me, and it still is. I really enjoy improving and maintaining my patients’ dental health, improving smiles, and bringing 'health and beauty to life.' My philosophy is to always listen to patient wants and needs and then to provide them with great customer service, top quality dentistry, with a gentle approach for a 'wow' experience."

Dental Specialists
		Laurissa Champion, DMD - Periodontist Dental School: OHSU, Residency College: Portland State University High school: Tualatin High School Hometown: Portland Birth date: December 1977 Specialty: Periodontist, implant dentistry Affiliations and Associations: Washington Dental Society, Oregon Dental Association, ADA, Academy of Osseo Integration, American Academy of Periodontology, Delta Sigma Delta Hobbies/Interests: skiing, dogs

		Michelle Stafford, DDS - Pedodontist Specialty Program: Pediatric Dental Residency at Children's Hospital of Michigan Dental School: Arthur A. Dugoni UOP School of Dentistry College: University of the Pacific Membership in Professional Organizations: American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Oregon Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Dental Association/Oregon Dental Association, Washington County Dental Society Licensure: : Diplomate, American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, Oregon Class I Permit: Nitrous Oxide and Class II Permit: Conscious Sedation, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Hospital Medical Staff at The Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel Community Involvement: : Volunteer on the Tooth Taxi, Give Kids A Smile Volunteer, Elementary School Presentations, Chairperson, Access to Care Committee, Speaker for Portland Area Parenting Groups Hobbies/Interests: Photography, travel, exploring Portland, hiking and painting "Education and prevention lead to healthy smiles and happy kids."

		Cynthia Pelley, DMD - Pedodontist

		Benjamin Reese, DDS, MSD - Orthodontist Dental School: Indiana University Hometown: Indianapolis, In Birthplace: San Antonio, Tx Specialty: Orthodontics Affiliations and Associations: Diplomat - American Board of Orthodontics, Member - American Association of Orthodontics, American Dental Association Hobbies/Interests: I enjoy mountain biking, golfing, photography, and playing with my new son Other Languages: some Spanish "I just love helping kids and adults feel proud of their smile when they get their braces off. I find that if I treat each child as if he or she was my own, I can feel proud of my work."

		Leila Tarsa, DDS - Endodontist