• Diplomate of American Board of Periodontology

• LANAP Certified Clinician

Dr. Gretchen Stern is a California native. She was born and raised in Berkeley, California by two loving and supporting parents who, as physicians, inspired Dr. Stern to pursue a career in healthcare.

In high-school, Dr. Stern was given the choice to take French, Italian, Latin or Spanish as a foreign language.  With the knowledge that California had one of the highest concentrations of Spanish speakers in the United States, it was only natural that she chose Spanish. At UCLA she majored in Spanish and became interested in how language barriers and cultural experiences shape personal choices, particularly with regards to health-related decisions. After college, she chose the road less traveled and moved to Madrid, Spain where she lived for several years and where she received her D.D.S at the European University of Madrid, graduating valedictorian of her class.

She ultimately chose to return to the United States to pursue her post-graduate education and to be closer to family. Dr. Stern received 5 years of post-graduate training at NYU: She completed a year long Advanced Program in Comprehensive Dentistry, and spent the following year completing a fellowship for the same program.  Subsequently, she completed her post-graduate training in Periodontics at NYU, receiving the Arthur Ashman Award for Academic and Clinical Excellence. 

She has presented posters both nationally and internationally and has published papers on implant dentistry and soft tissue grafting. She is also certified by the Institute for Advanced Laser Dentistry to provide minimally invasive laser treatments, such as LANAP. She is a member of several national organizations, including the American Academy of Periodontology, and is committed to continuing education and evidenced based dentistry in order to provide her patients with the best quality of care.

She is a strong believer in individualized care and believes that the key to successful treatment derives from building a foundation of trust between her and her patients. It is her mission to make sure that her patients have a positive experience and that they feel comfortable and feel they have a voice and an advocate. “I treat my patients as if they were my family”.

The reason Dr. Stern chose to join Puget Sound Periodontics is stemmed from it being a state of the art periodontal group in which every member of the team is committed to offering the highest level of individualized care and an optimal patient experience. Each patient is treated as if they are family, treated with the warmth and respect they deserve. The fact that it has mostly long term employees is emblematic of the high quality and ethics of PSP. She is excited and proud to be joining this wonderful group. 

Dr. Stern has been working as a Periodontist in Dallas, Texas and is excited to return to the beautiful West Coast. When she is not caring for her patients, she can be found on her yoga mat or outside exploring. She is an avid reader, loves to travel and enjoys spending quality time with her friends and family. Her passion for working with her hands has transcended beyond dentistry into the kitchen, where she enjoys baking (ask her about her sourdough starter and bread art).