Meet Dr. Bruce Johnson

BEYOND THE CURRICULUM VITAE

Performance

As a patient, you will always receive my best performance. I have a strong desire to meet my expectations and exceed yours. Key elements to performing my best are the extra time I take to carry out procedures and the routine I maintain to be physically and mentally capable. It is not in my nature to rush through my work, nor is it in my nature to fall short of the demands of long surgeries.

I have a history of high performance in all activities that are of priority, particularly academic, professional, and hobbies. I only enjoy an activity if I push myself to acquire mastery and be at my best in that endeavor. This is particularly true of my professional work as a dental implant and periodontal surgeon.

Experience

In 1986, four years after the start of my private practice, I began training at the Branemark Clinic in Gothenburg, Sweden — the home of titanium dental implant treatment. Since then, dental implant surgery has grown to 70% of my practice and I have skill and experience in all levels of implant treatment, from straightforward to advanced and complex case types. I have particular expertise in cosmetic implant surgery (when the teeth being replaced are in the area of the smile).

I was trained in, and am a proponent of, the team approach, in which treatment steps are performed by specialists who act as a well-coordinated team. These specialists are surgeons, restorative doctors, and lab technicians acting together as a team for the benefit of the patient. No one individual performs the entire treatment in the team approach.

Dental implant surgery is the primary area of my work, but I also have superior experience in gingival (gum) grafting and treatment of periodontitis (gum disease). The same level of care, skill, and judgement goes into any type of treatment I am proposing, regardless of its relative size or whether the need is due to disease or aesthetics.

Affiliations

  • American Academy of Periodontology
  • California Dental Association
  • San Diego County Dental Society
  • Fellow of the International Team of Implantology
  • Academy of Osseointegration
  • Founding Member of the Institute for Dental Implant Awareness
  • American Dental Association
  • California Society of Periodontists
  • Institute for Advanced Laser Dentistry
  • Pierre Fauchard Academy

Preparation

The majority of our members have been with us on a long-term basis — many over 15 to 20 years. This continuity of experienced, skilled, and dedicated team members is invaluable for efficient planning, preparing, and scheduling treatment. This is a testament to their desire to provide quality patient care and the high ethical standards here. We have been very fortunate to attract and retain superior people.

I train in order to be at my physical best every day for my work. My routine involves a combination of running for cardio, weights, impact for strength, and yoga for flexibility. I find my workouts to be an excellent stress management tool, as is getting a consistent eight hours of sleep each night. In these ways, I am able to start each workday with a clear mind and a physically capable body, which allows me to perform at my best.

Skills

I have skills in all phases of dental implant surgery, particularly in the area of bone grafting, aesthetics, and accurate three-dimensional implant positioning. Frankly, I obsess over the precision and details of my work, and this requires that I take extra time with procedures. My motivation is the anticipated outcome of my work, not how speedily I can complete it.

The combination of physical health, years of experience, and attention to detail yields a level of excellence and quality control in my practice that is satisfying and gratifying to me. I enjoy doing my work well!

Outside the Office

My interests are varied. My number-one passion is being active with my wife Karri, who shares my enthusiasm for big-mountain skiing. When the snow has thawed, I love hiking in the mountains; running, yoga, and golf round out my other physical interests.

Cultural interests are live theater and classical music. I have subscribed to the Old Globe Theater since 1983 and I prefer listening to classical music during my workday. I have begun playing guitar recently and find it to be a challenge and very fulfilling.

My son is a source of pride and I have enjoyed watching his life choices. He is a graduate of SDSU and currently an officer in the San Diego Police Department.