With healthcare and dental care these days often becoming less and less personal with the growth of group practices and corporations, Dr. Daniel Seetin is going against the current. “More and more, kids are returning for check-ups and finding a different provider than they may have seen before,” he says.  “While perhaps some of that can’t be controlled simply due to how the healthcare system is set up these days, as a Pediatric Dentist I want to provide consistency for kids and families so they always know they’re going to see me every time.”  Dr. Seetin is a strong believer that children seeing the same doctor every visit as they age can be invaluable.  “Being able to build a relationship is key to establishing trust over time and gives us a good chance to have happy visits and build good dietary and oral hygiene habits that will last a lifetime,” he says. It’s important to him that kids grow into adults who actually enjoy going to the dentist.

Daniel knew early on he wanted to go into healthcare as he had always loved helping people, has an uncle who is a family physician, and looked forward to going to the dentist as a kid. “My dentist loved explaining everything he was doing, and I realized there was a lot more to it than just getting a cleaning or filling a cavity. I really enjoyed the relationship part,” he recalls. So when it came time to decide on a healthcare career, Daniel felt dentistry would give him the best chance at building those long-term relationships with his patients.

As for his focus on Pediatric dentistry, working with kids has always been a passion of his. “My first job was as a Ski Instructor at Snoqualmie when I was in seventh grade,” he says. “Then in high school, I started coaching a summer club swim team that had 250 kids ranging from 5 to 18 years old. That job got me comfortable with all ages of kids and taught me how to connect with them and build on their motivations.”

After completing his undergrad study at Pacific Lutheran University, he spent a year volunteering full-time as a Dental Assistant at Seattle Children’s Hospital Dental Clinic. He explains, “That clinic sees mostly children with special needs, craniofacial anomalies, and other complex disorders, so it was amazing training. Ultimately, it’s what inspired me to specialize in Pediatrics, so I can help to serve all kids, including those with special healthcare needs.”

The following year he started his 4 years of dental school at the University of Washington and graduated in 2011. He then went on to pursue his passion for treating children by attending a two-year Pediatric residency in Rochester, NY. He returned to Western Washington in 2013 and practiced as an associate in Renton until 2017 when he took over at Children’s Dental Center in Everett. 

“My favorite part of my job is working with kids,” he says. “Building relationships with my patients and their families is what I most enjoy because when you know the parents and the kids, you have insight into what might work best for them and make them most comfortable,” says Dr. Seetin. And, drawing on his experience at Seattle Children’s, Dr. Seetin specializes in providing dental care to children with special needs and works hard to make all families feel welcome and at ease.

In fact, helping children overcome their fear of the dentist is a challenge Dr. Seetin embraces. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends kids see a dentist within six months of their first teeth erupting, or by 12 months old. This is to establish a “dental home” so that when questions arise parents will have someone to call, and “by the time kids reach the age of 3 or 4, they will already know us and be happy coming in,” he explains. “There are so many changes happening in growth and development in infancy, and things can arise – or heaven forbid a fall or accident occurs – where it’s good to already have someone you know you can call.”

To establish rapport with his patients, Dr. Seetin has many tricks. For infants, he plays games like "peek-a-boo," making funny faces and just being silly to get them comfortable. As children get older, he explains the steps, shows them what he’s going to do, and then follows through, so they know exactly what to expect. And for teens, Dr. Seetin is well-versed in the latest video games, movies, and TV shows to keep the conversation entertaining.

While Dr. Seetin and his staff invest a lot of time working with kids on prevention, cavities can and do happen. “Current statistics have shown that over half of children by age 8 have had at least one cavity in their baby teeth,” he says. He feels the pandemic over the last few years has increased that number as well. “As a result of being stuck at home with changing routines, disrupted sleep patterns, and often different family dynamics than normal, I’ve been seeing a lot more cavities developing much faster in kids—and it’s understandable. Now that things are returning to normal, I’ve been stressing the importance of getting back into good oral hygiene routines, including brushing morning and night and flossing nightly to avoid cavities sneaking up. If your kids are resistant to you brushing for them, brush and floss alongside them so they realize its importance, allow them to brush first, and then just help them finish spots they may have missed,” he advises. 

To help further educate families on dental health, Dr. Seetin donates time each year helping to organize Toothapalooza in conjunction with Everett’s Imagine Children’s Museum. “Anyone in the community can bring their kids in for a free dental exam. We have dentists and dental chairs there as well as educational materials for the kids to play with, all in the wonderful and fun environment of the Museum,” he explains. “It’s all about improving access to dental care for kids in this community who may not have a dentist or the ability to get to one as easily.” Again, it is all about the kids for Dr. Seetin…always. To learn more, go to www.imaginecm.org.