DR. DAN BRUCE, D.D.S.

My Philosophy

Many people equate dentists to "tooth doctors." Teeth are certainly a big part of the equation, but teeth are only important if they are connected to people. I therefore see dentistry as far more than "fixing teeth." It is really about achieving optimum health, esthetics and function for our patients. When I see a problem in the mouth, I not only want to fix the problem but also figure out why it happened in the first place so we can find ways to stop the problem from happening again.

The mouth is the gateway to the body. Many medical conditions that affect us have signs that can be seen through examination of the mouth, head and neck. For example, patients with diabetes are at a higher risk for periodontal disease and patients with narrow jaws and a long palate are at higher risk for sleep apnea. Through an understanding of these conditions, the available treatment options and a large referral network I believe I have the ability to enhance the overall quality of life for my patients.

I am most passionate about airway development in children and airway maintenance and improvement in adults. I have trained in extensively in Advanced Lightwire Functional (ALF) therapy through the AEI (Taught by Dr. James Bronson), the Healthy Start system and Orthotropics with Dr. Bill Hang. In addition, I have taken numerous courses in treatment of obstructive sleep apnea through mandibular advancement devices.

The following pages can help you learn more about how our office can help improve your overall health:

• Integrative Dentistry
• Functional Orthodontics
• Sleep Disordered Breathing

My Background

I am a third generation native of Boise. My grandfather was born in a house on Warm Springs avenue. After attending Bishop Kelly High School I received a B.S. in Biology, with a minor in chemistry, from the College of Idaho. During college I enjoyed being a member of the basketball and soccer teams, as well as participatingin campus ministries and being a founding member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity on campus. I graduated from the University Of Washington School Of Dentistry in 2005. While in school, I received awards and achievement-based scholarships in fixed prosthodontics (crowns and bridges), operative dentistry, gold work (inlays, onlays, crowns), and for state and national essay competitions on ethics in dentistry and geriatric dentistry. One of the most interesting awards was for having the top marks in fixed prosthodontics (crowns, bridges, onlays, etc.). For a year I was the proud owner of a 2-foot tall wooden tooth carved by a chainsaw. Sadly, it was a traveling award and I had to return it for the next year's class.

Dental school laid an excellent foundation for my dental career, but it was just a springboard for me to start my lifelong learning path. I have learned so much in my short time as a dentist and have been able to help patients in ways I never thought possible. Please visit our patient cases page to learn more about how our practice has transformed the lives of our patients.