Dr. Daniel W Rasmussen, DDS

Dr. Daniel Rasmussen
I've had a job for most of my life, starting with paper routes, lawn care service, wood chopping and deck building. When my best friend left for college, he also left his job for me. It was working after hours in a dental office, and was my first exposure to dentistry. I've held all the positions possible in a dental office and appreciate the work that goes into each job. I find I enjoy dentistry because of the creative functional thinking needed to produce a great product and healing experience for my patients as well as continued growth for myself. Through knowledge and innovation I am able to achieve my goal of treating the whole person and helping individuals change their lives.
I grew up in Seattle, WA after being born in Eugene, OR. I graduated from Blanchet High School in Seattle. I went on to complete a B.S. in Biology at the University of Washington, Seattle. From there, I moved to Portland, OR and in 1993 graduated with honors from the Oregon Health …Sciences School of Dentistry.
Dental school gave me a license to continue my learning. I am a strong advocate of continuing education and put that into practice opting to complete a general practice residency. The general practice residency at the University of Washington was excellent exposure to medicine and surgical dentistry and felt like I crammed 5 years of dental experience into one. It was the beginning of my exploration of the interconnectivity of body systems. I believe our health starts with our belief systems and that dentistry and medicine are interrelated in ways we are just beginning to fully understand.
In 1993, I married my love and source of grounding reality, Shawna. Shawna went on to graduate from medical school in 1994. We began our journey together by moving to Spokane and then Vancouver, WA while she completed her training. We ended up in Anacortes when I bought my current practice. Now, over a decade later, we have 2 beautiful daughters, Lauren and Teja. I can't remember life without children and completely enjoy my family. Family is so important, that when my parents were considering moving from Seattle, we helped them find a house just around the corner. We now have a short path to Grandma's house for the kids and the benefits of my father opening his physical therapy practice on the second floor of my office. My father is my biggest inspiration; he can do anything and having him in Anacortes has provided me the opportunity to work collaboratively with him. Having a physical therapist that specializes in integrated therapies including tempromandibular joint dysfunction and head and neck pain has been beneficial for patients and helped me better understand the relationship between teeth, jaw, joints, muscles, pain and overall health.
My interests in dentistry are focused on the needs of my patients. I enjoy the complex and difficult cases and embrace a holistic approach that integrates the sum of the parts; teeth, muscles, joints and overall health. I am currently a Fellow of the American Academy of General Dentistry and plan to achieve my Mastership within the next 5 years. Additionally, I am a member of the American Academy of Craniofacial Pain, Academy of Laser Dentistry, American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, International Academy of Oral Materials and Toxicity and Doctors of Conscious Sedation. My interest in holistic medicine has lead to interest and additional training in many dysfunctions of the head and neck. In addition to excellent reconstructive and cosmetic dentistry I have expertise in TMD, sleep apnea and its health ramifications, lasers for treatment and healing, and materials and their toxicity when used in our bodies.
Outside the office I also have many interests. I have been a SCUBA diver for years and in October, 2009 took the opportunity to fulfill a long time dream of diving in the Red Sea, Egypt. I like spending time outdoors and enjoy biking, kayaking, camping and hiking some of our local trails. This summer I even ventured into Whistle Lake for some long swims as my wife dragged me along to r