Dr. Posthuma’s Story
Empathy. Compassion. Integrity.
Dr. Posthuma’s Story
While growing up, Dr. Posthuma idolized her father’s profession as a surgeon, and realized her own love of the sciences at an early age. In college, she discovered dentistry was the perfect pursuit into which to channel her passion for surgery, science and the arts. As a true kid-at-heart, further specialization in pediatrics was a natural fit, and she derives an enormous amount of fulfillment from interacting with families, teaching children, and telling plenty of kid jokes.
Dr. Posthuma brings a personal perspective to her interaction with her patients; she underwent many dental treatment visits as a child and was not left with positive memories of these experiences. It is with this perspective in mind that she approaches her patients with empathy, care and respect, in order to design treatment plans that will be as gentle and kind as possible.
When she's not running her small business or practicing pediatric dentistry, Dr. Posthuma enjoys spending time outdoors, cooking and gardening. Above all, her greatest joy comes from time spent with her family; she and Josh feel fortunate to be raising 3 boys in their beloved Northwest Seattle neighborhood.
Minimally Invasive Kids Dentistry
Dr. Posthuma loves what she does, and it shows! Her ultimate goal is for her patients to enjoy coming to the dentist and for parents to leave feeling they have unsurpassed trust in her as a care provider. She aims to incorporate the latest, non-surgical treatment options whenever possible when developing a child’s dental treatment plan. This can delay, or (sometimes) negate entirely, the need for use of local anesthetic (shots) or general anesthesia when treating your child’s cavities. By delaying treatment, she hopes to reduce fear in the dental environment. While minimally invasive options are not appropriate for every case, Dr. Posthuma is always eager to use these options when the situation allows.
Education and Training
After completing an undergraduate degree in Biology, Dr. Posthuma earned her DDS degree from the University of Southern California. She went on to complete a one-year Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residency while working in a federally qualified community health center in Walla Walla, WA. During the course of this residency, Dr. Posthuma began her training in behavior management and sedation dentistry for children. She returned to Southern California to complete a 25-month, hospital-based residency in pediatrics at Rady Children’s Hospital, overseen by UCLA School of Dentistry. During her time at Rady’s, she served a patient population that was over 90% special needs, worked within the hospital’s multi-disciplinary teams to coordinate dental care for critically ill children and children affected by syndromes with craniofacial components, and was fortunate enough to receive advanced education from members of the Autism Discovery Institute to promote better ways of treating patients with Autism in the dental environment.
She practiced in Southern California for three years before returning to Seattle to live near her family in the city in which she was raised. Dr. Posthuma has maintained board certification in pediatric dentistry since 2016. Her passion for pediatric dentistry and her love of life-long learning have led her to uphold active participation and membership in both the Northwest Pediatric Dental Study Club and the Seattle Pediatric Dental Study Club. Each of these clubs meets once per month to discuss emerging topics in pediatric dentistry and help their members stay up-to-date with the latest research in their field.