Meet Dr. Pearson
Dr. Pearson is a Walnut Creek native. He has also lived in Illinois, Germany, Fremont and Los Gatos, California. For his undergraduate education, he attended UC Santa Barbara and UC Berkeley, where he graduated with honors (3.8 GPA) and a degree in Zoology. His lifelong dream was to become an orthodontist. Dr. Pearson received acceptance to 9 of the 10 dental schools he applied to and chose to attend the UCLA School of Dentistry. At UCLA, he received one of three undergraduate dental school awards for orthodontics and received the highest grade ever recorded for oral pathology. He completed his orthodontic studies at the UC San Francisco School of Dentistry (ranked #4 orthodontic residency in the USA at the time of Dr. Pearson's residency). Dr. Pearson's professors at UCSF included the world famous orthodontists Dr. Ronald Roth, Dr. Donald Poulton, Dr. Eugene West, Dr. Stratty Righellis, Dr. Robert Isaacson and Dr. Michael Meyer.
Upon completion of his orthodontic residency, Dr. Pearson worked as an associate orthodontist in Southern and Northern California, gaining valuable clinical experience and knowledge in practice management. He opened our Walnut Creek practice in 1984. In 1992, Dr. Pearson became the youngest fully board certified orthodontist in the East Bay. He completed a residency in TMD studies under Dr. Charles McNeil at the UCSF School of Dentistry. Dr. Pearson has served as an expert witness for the California Dental Board and currently serves the California Dental Association and California Association of Orthodontists on their peer review committees. He is past president of the California Society of Dentistry for Children and a member in good standing with the California Dental Association, the American Dental Association, the American Association of Orthodontists and the College of Diplomates of the American Board of Orthodontics. Dr. Pearson has treated over 6,500 patients from start to finish at our Walnut Creek office. He has had the honor of treating the families of over 40 local dentists who entrusted him with their children's orthodontic care. He sincerely LOVES all of his current and former patients.
Dr. Pearson has two adult daughters and resides in Danville with his partner Marissa and rescue dog Maisie. His hobbies include fly fishing, cooking and restoring classic automobiles. He is an avid cyclist.
ABO CERTIFICATION AMERICAN BOARD OF ORTHODONTICS DOCTOR CERTIFICATION
Why does it matter?
The American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) was founded in 1929. It is the oldest and most prestigious specialty board in dentistry. The ABO's aim is to elevate the standards of the practice of orthodontia, to familiarize the public with its aim and ideals, and to protect the public against irresponsible and unqualified practitioners.
The Board upholds four main objectives supported by its mission:
- To evaluate the knowledge and clinical skills of graduates of accredited
orthodontic programs by conducting exams and conferring time-limited
certificates
- To re-evaluate clinical knowledge and skills through administration of
recertification exams throughout a Diplomate's career
- To support the development of quality graduate, postgraduate, and continuing
education programs in orthodontics
- To promote and encourage certification expertise throughout the world
BECOMING BOARD CERTIFIED
To become board certified, an orthodontist has to pass a rigorous set of written and clinical examinations, as well as a comprehensive review of his or her credentials. The initial process of becoming board certified can take anywhere from five to ten years. Once certified, the orthodontist must become recertified every ten years to maintain board-certified status.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE BOARD CERTIFIED?
A board-certified orthodontist, also known as a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics, has been voluntarily examined by his or her peers on the basis of knowledge and clinical skills. Becoming board certified signifies the orthodontist's pursuit of continued proficiency and excellence in orthodontics. Only one in three orthodontists is board certified.