Elizabeth Smith is a Washington native. Her father, who was a dentist, introduced her to dentistry at a young age. During high school, she worked in his office cleaning and performing reception and sterilization duties. Later, when her older sister graduated from dental school, she became a chairside assistant. She also went on mission trips to Jamaica, Uganda, and Kenya. These experiences opened her eyes to the impact a dentist can have on people’s lives.
After completing her undergraduate studies at the University of Washington, she moved to South Carolina to attend dental school. She earned her Doctorate in Dental Medicine from the Medical University of South Carolina in 2014. Although she loved the sunshine and southern hospitality in Charleston, she was excited to move home to Bellevue, WA. She and her husband were blessed with two children within two years of her graduating from dental school.
Dr. Smith has always enjoyed practicing general dentistry. However, while her two children were young and after many sleep-deprived nights, she became interested in continuing her education in sleep medicine. The more she learned about it, the more she saw signs that her children’s sleep issues might be airway related. Both of Dr. Smith’s children have since been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. Through their experiences, she understands that, although CPAP is an excellent treatment for many, it certainly doesn’t work for everyone. She finds providing oral appliance therapy to patients as an alternative to CPAP extremely gratifying.
Dr. Smith is a member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, where she became qualified to provide oral appliance therapy for the treatment of sleep apnea. She is also a member of the Spencer Study Club, which focuses on TMJ and dental sleep medicine. She is passionate about treating patients with obstructive sleep apnea to help them live healthier, more dynamic lives.
OUTSIDE THE OFFICE
Dr. Smith enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, gardening, baking, drawing, and fishing/shellfishing.