Meet the Dental Lab Team

Dr. Michael Brooks — Owner

"I chose the specialty of prosthodontics because I wanted to make a real difference in people’s lives. As naive as I was at the start of my career more than ten years ago, what I have learned is it's not always just about fixing someone’s teeth, but that when we restore a person’s ability to smile, we can change their lives. We all take our teeth for granted, but when you can’t be confident about your smile, it impacts how you present yourself, how you feel about yourself, and how others perceive you. As prosthodontists, we have the ability to really change how people feel about themselves, especially for patients who have an emotional drive to change their smiles and function. To me, that is the most gratifying part of my job." — Dr. Brooks

Dr. Brooks received his Doctorate of Dental Medicine from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston. Driven to make a tangible impact on people’s lives, he became interested in maxillofacial prosthodontics while in dental school. This involves working with head and neck cancer and trauma patients. Dr. Brooks completed a four-year residency in prosthodontics and maxillofacial prosthetics at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He also earned a Master’s degree in prosthodontics from the Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education.

Dr. Brooks served in the United States Air Force and practiced the specialties of prosthodontics and maxillofacial prosthetics prior to joining Pacific Northwest Prosthodontics.

Extensive experience with full-mouth rehabilitation using All-on-4® implant-supported dentures makes Dr. Brooks one of the most sought-after prosthodontists in all of Washington. He lectures to general dentists on the local, national, and international level on the subjects of dental implants, All-on-4®, and other prosthodontic treatments.

Among several local, state, and national professional affiliations, Dr. Brooks is a member of the American College of Prosthodontists and a fellow of the American Academy of Maxillofacial Prosthetics. He received the John J. Sharry Award and the Joseph B. Barron Award from these organizations. Dr. Brooks served as the prosthodontist at ClearChoice Dental Implant Center in Bellevue and is currently a partner in Washington State Prosthodontics and Dental Implant Center.

Dr. Brooks resides in Bainbridge Island with his wife Gretchen, five children, and one large English mastiff. He enjoys the outdoors, especially boating, wakeboarding, and surfing. Dr. Brooks is also heavily involved in the community. He devotes many hours to volunteer work at his church and with local youth football and baseball teams.

Dr. Michael Johnson — Owner

"I became a prosthodontist to make positive changes in people’s lives by improving their smiles. My job allows me to be on the leading edge of innovation, but more importantly, it allows me to create relationships with people. Patients are excited to see us because we can make such a difference in their health and their smile; I'm excited to see them because of the friendships we've built." — Dr. Johnson

The specialty of prosthodontics has afforded Dr. Johnson with the ability to positively impact his patients’ lives both emotionally and physically, which has given him great joy and satisfaction throughout his career.

Dr. Johnson grew up in Bellevue, WA, and went to Bellevue High School. His specialty skills were honed during his four years of dental school, three additional years at the Mayo Clinic, and more than 35 years of private practice. His knowledge base from his formal specialty education and practical experience means you will get the individualized, specialized treatment you deserve.

Dr. Johnson lives in Bellevue where he and his wife are enjoying life as empty-nesters. They have two children who are all grown up and on their own. As a family, they scuba-dived, snow-boarded, and traveled. Now, Dr. Johnson and his wife golf, travel, and spoil their four grand-daughters.

Allister M. Gibbons — Lab General Manager and Surgical Design Team Manager

Allister studied Dental Technology at KwaZulu Natal Technikon in South Africa and qualified with a National Higher Diploma (4-year bachelor’s degree equivalent). He and his family moved to the United States in 2000 and worked with a Boutique Laboratory for 3 years.

Prior to assisting in the founding of Pacific Northwest Prosthodontics Laboratory in 2017, Allister was head of the implant restorative design team at one of the largest dental labs in Washington State for 14 years. In total he has over 31 years’ experience in designing and fabricating full arch implant restorations and is highly skilled in all phases of implant dentistry.

His Kois accreditations include Interdisciplinary Treatment Planning. He was also the 2022 recipient of the prestigious National Nobel BioCare All-on-4 Award of Excellence.

In his spare time, Allister enjoys mountain biking, snowboarding, and spending time with his family.

Gary Smothermon, CDT – Crown and Bridge Manager

Gary is the lab’s ceramics manager, and is the current President of the Washington State Dental Lab Association. With industry experience since 1994, Gary manages the lab’s craftsmanship, technologies, and customer relations for crowns and implants.

Gary takes pride in assisting dental doctors on how insurance-driven practices can be very profitable with quality and authenticity. Custom shades and anterior cases are his specialties in ceramics. Gary’s schooling includes Kois Occlusion I & II, Emax custom color, and internal staining.

He and his wife are busy with their elementary-age son, gymnastics, and golf, but Gary’s true passion is creating smiles on the faces of doctors and their patients.

Earl Woods – Technology and CAD/CAM Manager

Earl has been in the lab business for more than 30 years, and has been our main digital designer of restorations and implant abutments for the past four years. Earl is your guru for all things digital, and a vital member of our team.

Nick Flemetakis – Removable Department Manager

Nick has been in the lab business for 25 years. He has been solely a removable technician for his entire lab career, and has worked for some of the biggest labs in Washington state. We are proud to have his expertise.

Molly Johnston — Lab Administrator

Molly is the voice you are most likely to hear when you call us. Molly’s background as a registered Dental Assistant, along with her epic organizational skills and can-do mindset, are key to managing the arrival and delivery of your cases.

We are proud of our team of dental laboratory professionals with expertise in surgical planning and guides, single to full-arch crowns, night guards, dentures, and implant-retained full-arch restorations.