Meet Dr. Theodore Tanabe

About Dr. Theodore Tanabe

Dr. Ted Tanabe has been practicing oral surgery in Whittier, California since 1998. He became board-certified shortly after his graduation and proudly passed his re-certification examination for the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (ABOMS) in October 2010, a prestigious milestone in his career. Dr. Tanabe is a native of California and earned his BA in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley in 1988. He then went on to the University of the Pacific, where he received his DDS in 1991. After completing a General Practice Residency at the University of Alabama-Birmingham in 1992, he completed an internship in oral and maxillofacial surgery at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center in 1993. He then returned to California to complete a graduate residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery at the University of Southern California/Los Angeles County Medical Center (USC), graduating in 1997.

Following graduation, Dr. Tanabe joined the teaching staff at USC, where he taught post-graduate residents for over 20 years. In his role as a clinical instructor, he mentored future oral surgeons, focusing on surgical procedures such as wisdom tooth extractions while ensuring safe and effective anesthesia administration.

Outside of his professional life, Dr. Tanabe enjoys a variety of hobbies, including golf, aikido, and tennis. However, his greatest joy comes from spending quality time with his family, whether at home or on exciting adventures. He is married and has two wonderful sons.