John A. Sorensen, D.M.D., Ph.D., FACP
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After a 19-year academic career, Dr. Sorensen founded Pacific Dental Institute with the aim of providing continuing dental education programs that offer scientifically based treatment rationale and practical hands-on experience that are directly useable in the clinician's private practice. At PDI Sorensen directs The Applied Materials Testing Laboratory where his team evaluates new ceramic systems, studies wear of tooth structure and restorative materials, and performed extensive evaluation of the Optiva Sonicare System and the new Ultreo Power Toothbrush. Currently, six clinical trials are underway at PDI evaluating all-ceramic fixed prosthodontic systems, ceramic abutment systems for implants and soon the Brontes optical impressioning system. In short, Dr. Sorensen indulges in his love of all of the academic pursuits of a university but now without the political nonsense associated with academics at a university. Now Dr. Sorensen understands why all of you private practioners are so happy. Of course, Dr. Sorensen's practice limited to prosthodontics is the engine that drives PDI. His teachings are aimed at making CE course participants' practice predictable, profitable and phun. Through out his career Dr. Sorensen has always operated a private practice in prosthodontics attempting to supplement the poor academician's salary and engage in treating patients which is his first love.
From 1994 to 2003 Sorensen was the Oregon Dental Association Centennial Professor of Restorative Dentistry as well as Founder and Director of the Dental Clinical Research Center at Oregon Health & Sciences University. For three years Sorensen was acting Chair of the Fixed Prosthodontics Department where he revamped the entire department curriculum and recruited four faculty members and the permanent chair of the department. Dr. Sorensen enjoyed teaching at the undergraduate dental student level and imparting the same credo that you should have a good scientifically based reason for what you are doing in the clinic. His dental materials research interests included studying environmental effects on ceramic strength, adapting the OHSU Oral Wear Simulator from testing composites to studying the wear of enamel against various ceramic systems, assessment of new cements, dentine bonding agent-cement bond strength and microleakage, and improving bond strength of non-etchable ceramics to cements. He callaborated with his visiting researchers such as: 1) Dr. Daniel Edelhoff where they published a number of articles on tooth structure removal with various types of tooth preparations and optical properties of ceramics; 2) Dr. S.G. Ahn evaluating properties of materials for restoration of endodontically treated teeth such as buildup materials and post systems; 3) Dr. Andre Piwowarczyk studying cement-substrate bond strengths culminating in a publication in the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry which received the 2004 Judson C. Hickey Scientific Writing Award.
From 1985 to 1994 Sorensen was the Director of the Advanced Prosthodontics Specialty Program at University of California, Los Angeles. The overlying theme that Dr. Sorensen told the residents on the first day of the program was that "You are here to change the way that you think. To have a scientifically based reason for everything that you do in the clinic." He applies this same principle to everything he does in his practice as well as instruction in all of his continuing education, hands-on and patient treatment courses. While at UCLA, besides engaging in extensive dental materials testing he expanded his research to performing clinical studies. At UCLA he was the principal investigator of clinical trials on Vita's In-Ceram Alumina System 3-unit fixed partial dentures (FPD), Ivoclar's Empress Crown System, Straumann's new OctaAbutment System in partially edentulous patients, and use of Proctor & Gamble's Peridex for preconditioning of gingival tissues prior to fixed prosthodontic procedures. In 1991, Sorensen was promoted from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor with Tenure at UCLA. Having earned tenure, in 1992 Sorensen went on sabbatical at the University of Copenhagen with Professor Eric Christian Munksgaard in Denmark, land of his heritage. After the year's research activities with Professor Munksgaard, Sorensen enrolled in the PhD program. In 1997 he successfully defended his thesis on "Factors Effecting Contraction Gap Formation During Cementation of Ceramic Inlays In Dentin Cavities" and was awarded a PhD in dental materials. Sorensen has given over 100 invited lectures in 29 countries, presented numerous one-day CE courses, hands-on courses and patient treatment study clubs both nationally and internationally. Sorensen is an Oregon native from Eugene. He graduated from the Uuniversity of Oregon with a B.A. in Biology. In 1980 he completed his dental degree from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston and then a general practice residency at St. Francis Hospital in Honolulu, HI. In 1984 Sorensen completed a Fixed Prosthodontics Residency program at Wadsworth V.A. Hospital in West Los Angeles, CA.
John enjoys many activities with his family such as boating and waters sports on the Willamette River, snow skiing, scuba diving, and traveling. |