Dr. Todd Erickson began his journey in the field of dentistry as a teenager when his father, a general dentist, arranged for him to accompany an oral & maxillofacial surgeon to the operating room to observe a corrective jaw surgery. Dr. Erickson was so excited about what he had seen, he made the decision to pursue the education and training necessary to become an oral & maxillofacial surgeon.
After graduating from Pacific Lutheran University in Washington State, Dr. Erickson attended dental school at Creighton University, in Omaha, Nebraska. During a summer trip home, Dr. Erickson was fortunate to be able to observe the first oral surgeon in the United States surgically place dental implants. Later at Creighton, he became one of the first students in the United States to place dental implants. It was at this early state in Dr. Erickson’s dental career that his love for implant dentistry blossomed.
Following dental school, Dr. Erickson completed a one year, hospital-based, General Practice Residency at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, before returning home to Washington State. Back home in the Pacific Northwest, Dr. Erickson joined his father in the practice of general dentistry and in the spring, was selected for an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery residency. The next four years of Dr. Erickson’s training was completed in Michigan at a program now a part of Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Michigan.
After completing his training, Dr. Erickson spent twelve years in private practice. As a full scope oral & maxillofacial surgeon, he performed thousands of dental implant surgeries as well as complex bone, soft tissue grafting and sinus augmentation procedures. He was progressive in his approach to implant dentistry and was an early adopter of the use of autologous concentrated growth factors.
As implant dentistry continued to evolve, the introduction and explosion of digital CBCT imaging and surgical treatment planning merged with the delivery of surgical care. It was at this point that Dr. Erickson decided to obtain a second specialty certification in Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology. While at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Dr. Erickson was recognized with the Elsie and Baxter Sapp Post-Doctoral Fellowship Award for Outstanding Graduate Student and earned a Master of Science in Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology. With the second specialty under his belt, Dr. Erickson is now the only dually-certified Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon – Oral & Maxillofacial Radiologist in the United States. This gives Dr. Erickson a unique and experienced perspective for educating and training dental colleagues.
Today, Dr. Erickson is Associate Professor and Director of Radiology at A.T. Still University, Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health (ATSU-ASDOH), Mesa, Arizona. Additionally, Dr. Erickson teaches implant dentistry to the residents of the AEGD Residency program through NYU Langone at ASDOH. In keeping with his passion for implant dentistry, Dr. Erickson has been a regular Instructor for the Live Implant Surgery courses conducted by Dr. Joe Mehranfar over the past several years. Dr. Erickson provides consultation on diagnosis and implant treatment planning through his private service, 3D Implant ED, PLLC. And finally, Dr. Erickson lectures to the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery residents at the University of Arizona School of Medicine, Department of Surgery in Phoenix, Arizona.
In his spare time, Dr. Erickson enjoys spending time with his family, playing the occasional round of golf, hiking, and traveling when he can get away. He loves chocolate and enjoys anything to do with classic cars. Dr. Erickson and his wife of 28 years have one son and live in the Phoenix area year-round.