South Sound Oral Medicine has been serving patients in the South Puget Sound area since 1987. Over the years, our doctors have helped thousands of patients and managed a wide variety of oral and dental conditions.
The Doctors: Dr. Nusayr and Dr. Nakhjiri are graduates of the Oral Medicine residency program at the University of Washington. Dr. Zankar completed the Oral Medicine & Orofacial Pain program at the University of Southern California. These are accredited programs that qualify dentists to become certified specialists in Oral Medicine after completing a minimum of two additional years of training that include clinical, didactic, and research components which encompass all aspects of Oral Medicine. Dr. Peter Van der Ven is no longer with South Sound Oral Medicine, as he retired after a long and fruitful career. Again, our providers are:
Peter van der Ven, DMD, PhD (retired as of January 2024)
Simin Nakhjiri, DDS, MSD, MS
Eyad Nusayr BDS, PhD, MSD
Nada Zankar, DDS, MS
Many of the patients we treat have a condition that falls between medicine and dentistry. Many conditions are fairly common, while some are not. At South Sound Oral Medicine, we begin by taking a detailed history and performing a thorough oral exam. Additional imaging, lab tests, and/or a biopsy may be recommended. First appointments typically take anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes, and you can expect to leave with a working diagnosis and treatment plan.
Some conditions, though manageable, don’t have a definitive cure, and the most appropriate therapy is reversible and non-surgical. Doctor and patient work together to fine tune an effective management strategy, rather than trying to “fix” something that can’t be fixed. We spend time on patient education, as understanding improves treatment success and reduces worry. With the right approach, patients often experience considerable improvement.
When a problem extends beyond the scope of our field, we work with providers in other disciplines, such as oral surgery, endodontics, oral pathology, neurology, ENT, physical therapy, acupuncture, psychology, and pain management. We communicate our findings to referring doctors with written reports. Most of our services can be billed to one’s medical insurance.