About

Dr. Donald Sunde

A native of the Pacific Northwest, I was born and raised here in Olympia and graduated from Olympia High School. I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from Concordia University in Portland, Oregon, and over the next five years, I worked as a research scientist studying molecular lung biology for the University of Washington. I then attended Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona, where I earned a Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) and went on to complete an Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residency through the Northwest Dental Residency Program. As a resident, I worked at the Yakima Union Gospel Mission dental clinic, providing comprehensive reconstructive dental care for low-income families and new beginnings for those rising above substance abuse. After working at and owning an award-winning practice focused on general, cosmetic and implant dentistry in Bellevue, Washington, for the past nine years, my family and I are excited to return to my hometown and be closer to our family.

My wife, Anne-Marie, and I have been married for over fifteen years and have two wonderful children, Ethan and Emily. In our free time, we enjoy spending time with family and friends and introducing our kids to the great outdoors, whether it be fishing, camping or playing sports like soccer and baseball, even in the rain. We are active in our local church and strive to live life with integrity, openness and honesty, with a commitment to helping others and a hope that our personal interactions may positively impact our greater community.

I am dedicated to providing high-quality, personalized dental care that is tailored to each person’s unique needs through empathy, integrity and open communication. I support an evidence-based and minimally invasive approach to dentistry, utilizing proven technologies, partial dentures, complete dentures, dental implants, digital impressions and photography. I am focused on the prevention and preservation of tooth structure whenever possible. I love having the crown and bridge lab across the street, and I go there daily to discuss cases. When cosmetics are important, this enables us to deliver the best possible aesthetics.

To keep up with the changes and innovations in dentistry, I take annual continuing education courses. In addition, I am active with both the local dental society and the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, and I remain current with advances in dental research and technology in order to provide the highest level of care. I have been honored to have been voted by area specialists as one of Seattle Met’s “Top Docs” in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. I believe that success is not only measured with clinical excellence but through the quality of the lasting relationships we build with our patients, their families and our community.

I am truly honored to come home and carry on Dr. Kern’s legacy, and I am very excited to meet all of you and become part of your practice family.

Meet the Team

While the team at Sunde Family Dentistry is here to help our dentist maximize the potential for your smile, they are also here to make sure that you have a great visit! When you walk through the doors of our office, you will find a team of dental professionals with more than 20 years of experience who will make you feel at home right away. They are easy to talk to, they can answer all of your questions and they are great story tellers! You can get to know our team members below, and you can meet them in person when you call 360-491-5700 for your dental appointment in Olympia, Washington.

Karen

Office Administrator

I love our patients and the dental field. I chose dentistry over nursing when I started college. It combines my care of people and love of business. I oversee practice operations, HIPAA compliance, marketing, referrals, patient and staff liaisons, scheduling, treatment and benefits coordination, and payroll. I enjoy being able to help people and love getting to know our patients.

I graduated in 1988 from South Puget Sound with my ATA in dental assisting. I am a certified dental assistant and have kept my registration every year. I started work in a pediatric dental office in 1988 and left there to work for Dr. McKay as an assistant until 1994, when I moved to the front office and began working for Dr. Kern. I love our office and Sunde Family Dentistry, and I am delighted to have been part of all three doctors’ practices.

I have been married to my husband Chris for over 25 years and have two wonderful boys, Jakob and Michael. Our boys have kept us busy for years with wrestling, a dash of running, powerlifting, soccer and 4H, but now we are enjoying the adult phase of parenting and are finding more time to do things! We have two corgis, a lab, three cats, six chickens and a huge pond of koi to round out our family. When I have spare time, I enjoy gardening and working with my pond, and I am active with our HOA board and wrestling boosters.

Tammy

Office Administrator

I am one of the first smiling faces you will hear or see! I assist in all facets of patient communications: scheduling, treatment planning and coordinating, referrals, and all-around patient care. I specialize in insurance. I help patients understand and utilize their benefits, manage claim submissions, pre-determinations and insurance payment posting, as well as numerous behind-the-scenes tasks.

I joined the office in 1998 and value the teamwork and family feel of a smaller dental practice. The longevity of our office says it all!

My husband, Shawn, and I have been married for more than 21 years and have two incredible sons, and boy, do they keep us busy! We attend year-round sports — football, basketball, baseball and track, not to mention the numerous academic events. We have three dogs that make busy more like crazy. My family loves traveling, fun in the sun, boating, skiing, camping and hiking. I enjoy photography, reading and running with friends.