Anesthesia As a Bridge to Improve Oral Health

Dr. Glade Cox feels very fortunate to be part of Arizona Dental Anesthesia and to be able to call Arizona home. He was raised with four brothers who, along with his parents, have been amazing examples, teachers, and mentors to him. He loves spending time with them and his nieces and nephews. Dr. Cox loves anesthesia because it gives him the opportunity to help those who may otherwise not be able to receive dental and medical treatment. Dr. Cox received his dental training at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine and his anesthesia training at New York University Langone Hospital - Brooklyn which is a level 1 trauma center, designated Stroke Center, Bariatric Center of Excellence, and one of the busiest emergency departments in Brooklyn. When he is not doing anesthesia, Dr. Cox enjoys live music, biking, fitness, traveling, photography, and creating.

Dr. Goetz grew up in a small rural town near Pittsburgh, PA. He fell in love with Arizona during his time at Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine. He moved away from the Valley to pursue his dream of attending the University of Pittsburgh’s Dental Anesthesiology residency, but has always looked forward to returning to Phoenix to work alongside some of his earliest mentors in anesthesia (Drs. Brownstein, Wall, and Phan). Of the three years he spent in Pittsburgh, he is most thankful for his time training at the world-renowned Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and the opportunity to treat medically complex special needs patients at the University’s Center for Patients with Special Needs. In his spare time he enjoys volunteering at his alma mater to spread his love of anesthesia, continuing his lifelong love of fitness and the outdoors, and spending time with his new roommate / rescue dog, Maverick.

Dr. Lisa Gortari grew up in Winnemucca, Nevada. Her grandparents immigrated there from France and Spain, and she was raised closely with them, creating a love for her Basque heritage. She grew up loving all things northern Nevada, spending a lot of time outdoors, hiking, fishing, and camping. She attended the University of Nevada, Reno on a full academic scholarship and was awarded the Nevada Silver Scholar Award upon graduation.

Dr. Nicholson grew up in a small steel-mill town in Steubenville, Ohio, where he spent the first 18 years of his life. Dr. Nicholson then went on to Washington and Jefferson College where he majored in Cellular and Molecular Biology. He graduated Magna Cum Laude and was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Biologic Honor Society. During his undergraduate years, Dr. Nicholson pursued several areas of research, including cancer cell research at UCLA and pain research in spinal cord stimulation at Ohio Valley Hospital, which lead to a publication in Pain Medicine journal. After graduation, Dr. Nicholson matriculated to the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine where he obtained his Doctorate of Dental Medicine. Ultimately, his passion and interests for the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive pain and anxiety led him to pursue training in dental anesthesia. He completed his three-year dental anesthesia residency at NYU Langone Hospital, which provided him with off-site rotations serving the people of Arizona. Dr. Nicholson also is passionate about serving the special needs population, in part because of experiences shared with his mother who served this population as an educator. Outside his anesthesia career, Dr. Nicholson enjoys playing basketball and relaxing with friends and family.

Dr. Phan is proud to call Arizona his home; he is originally from Southern California. His mission is to increase access to oral health care for those patients’ who would otherwise forego dental treatment due to being pre-cooperative, dental phobic, or physically/mentally handicap. He enjoys spending time with his wife and their favorite hobbies include traveling, attending athletic events, listening to live music, and spending time outdoors.

Dr. Michael Wall was raised in North Dakota with his identical twin brother Matthew, and 3 other siblings. He grew up in a family full of physicians (grandparents, parents, siblings). All 5 children followed in their parents footsteps, two children having gone to Medical school and three to Dental school.
Dr. Wall graduated college with a B.S. in Biology, and soon after, attended Loma Linda University in Southern California earning his Doctorate in Dental Surgery degree. He practiced Pediatric dentistry for almost 9 years, while managing an office in Phoenix Arizona for almost 5 years.
After 9 years of Pediatric dentistry, Dr. Wall changed gears, and decided to pursue training in Anesthesiology. He was accepted into NYU’s Dental Anesthesia residency where he would spend 3 years living and training at NYU - Langone hospital in Brooklyn New York.
Dr. Wall and his wife Yatziri have 1 daughter. When not practicing Anesthesia, Dr. Wall enjoys hiking Arizona’s many trails, traveling with his family, mountain biking, playing tennis, golfing, or just reading a great book!