I have always said that I only want to work at a practice that I would refer my own family members to and I believe that I have found just that. Im feeling very much at home and loving every minute getting to work with Dr. Bourcy and the staff here in Escondido. I feel very fortunate to live in such a family friendly and welcoming community. Id like to take this time now to tell you a little bit about my journey that has led me here.

One of the best things about our practice is that we have the privilege of meeting and getting to know our patients, some of whom we have been treating for almost thirty years. When you come in to see us for the first time, we want to focus on you and your needs - so talking about ourselves is something we rarely do. To give you more of a personal look at why I chose this practice and Escondido, please feel free to click below.

There are four parts to our office staff: the periodontists, the hygienists, the assistants, and the front office staff. You can meet the doctors individually above - and to meet the rest of our staff, please click below. We look forward to seeing you!

I was born in a suburb of Salt Lake City, Utah called Holiday where I spent as much time as I could playing basketball in our driveway or swimming in the backyard with my 2 sisters and 2 brothers. In high school, I was an avid runner and when I wasnt running, I was either on a snowboard or a wakeboard, depending on the season of course. Now that I live in San Diego, there is one more board I would like to learn how to ride and that is a surf board. Luckily my wife, Angela, grew up here and loves to be at the beach so there should be plenty of opportunities for me to learn. Another hobby I picked up some time ago is golf. With all the responsibilities that come with my young family and starting my career, I dont get out nearly as often as I would like, but Im grateful to live in a city now where I at least have the possibility to all year long!

As I said before, my wife, Angela, is a San Diego native. In fact, she was born just down the street here in Escondido at Palomar Hospital. Several of Angelas family members worked for dentists right here on Grand Avenue. We met in college up at the University of Utah where I got my Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish. Shortly after her graduation, we got married here in San Diego and then I whisked her off to lovely Omaha, Nebraska, so I could attend Dental School at Creighton University. Even though we were a bit hesitant to move away from family and friends, we both look back on those years in Omaha with the fondest of memories. I feel so fortunate for the education and experiences I gained at Creighton as well as the lifelong friends we made there. Another reason Omaha will always hold a special place in my heart is because it is the place I became a dad for the first time. My oldest daughter, Ella, was born a few months before I graduated and her presence in our family has been a blessing in every way possible.

After dental school, I accepted a position as an Oral Surgery Intern at the VA Hospital in Long Beach. While I was there, I had the opportunity to work with a periodontist who really taught me what this profession is all about. There is not a day that goes by that I dont feel grateful for my decision to pursue periodontics as I feel it is the perfect fit for me. Soit was back out to the Midwest for us again! This time we headed to Oklahoma City so I could get a Masters degree in Periodontics at the residency program at the University of Oklahoma. Again, my wife and I were a little nervous about moving to a new city, but again we were pleasantly surprised at how quickly we grew to love Oklahoma City. During our 3 years there, we were blessed with another daughter, Sadie, who could not be more opposite from her older sister but the love her mother and I have for her grows every day.

While we were in Oklahoma, we realized that it was time to decide on a place for me to find a practice and for us to raise our growing family. We quickly decided that with all of the family we have San Diego, we should begin our search here. Each time we came to San Diego to visit, I took each opportunity I had to learn all I could about the dental community here. When I would ask around about periodontal practices, time and time again, I was told to go talk to Dr.s Tagge and Bourcy in Escondido. It seemed as though there was endless compliments about this practice so I felt very humbled and left with the feeling of trying to fill some pretty big shoes when I was told that I had been given the opportunity to work here.

The timing of my graduation and Dr. Tagges retiring was a little off so I worked for a periodontist in Phoenix, Arizona. We spent just a short year there but like Omaha and Oklahoma City, it will always be a special place to me as it was the birthplace of my son, Aiden.

The commitment to patients dental health that is shared, not only with the doctors but among the hygienists and assistants and throughout the rest of the staff here, is the best I have seen in any practice. I look forward to meeting you and upholding the highest standard of periodontal care that this practice is known for.

I grew up in a small town, although the weather wasn't quite as temperate as San Diego. North Dakota has a reputation for severe winters, and while we could play basketball indoors then, outdoor time was spent on cross-country skis, something I still very much enjoy. Yes, once the Navy sent me here, I decided this was where I wanted to hang my dental mask. You just can't beat San Diego County for its bike trails, soccer fields, golf courses, tennis courts - a perfect place for my wife and I to raise our active daughter.

I went to a small liberal arts college: Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, followed by dental school at the University of Minnesota, and then into the U. S. Navy. I met my wife, a Southern Belle transplant from Atlanta, here in San Diego, and we decided early on to return here at the first opportunity. After the Navy, we moved back to Minneapolis to take my graduate training in Periodontics at the University of Minnesota. Then it was time to choose where our daughter would be born, and where we were going to set up specialty practice.

Since we definitely wanted to return to the San Diego area, my wife and I spent long hours looking at opportunities here. The first thing that impressed me about this practice was that it was organized - and everyone tried very hard to keep communication going between and among the referring dentists, the patients and staff members. The second thing I noticed was that the people wanted to work here - and stay working here. (Just as a side note, we recently celebrated our second twenty-year employee.) The third thing I noticed was that everyone - and I mean everyone - was committed to making sure our patients get the best possible care. That was over eighteen years ago, and each day, we have a morning meeting in which we try very hard to make sure those three commitments are renewed.

Being involved in this practice has given me the opportunity to give back to the community through dentistry. As a volunteer member of the UCSD Medical School Faculty, I donate time in the Free Clinic, whereI can help by using my skills to treat low-income families. The best part of volunteer work for this and other charitable organizations? Helping the kids, hands down.

Another huge plus is the emphasis on Continuing Education in our practice. Not only are we Continuing Education providers, licensed to both bring in experts to give educational courses, but to also work with other dentists in the communityand train them and their office staffs in our areas of expertise, such as periodontal plastic surgery and topics involving dental implants.

My wife and I both enjoy sports, both watching and participating. And the youth sports teams here are the best - which we know from our daughter's involvement over the past years. We have never questioned our decision to come here, nor to stay here. And I look forward to meeting you and introducing you to the team of people that make my commitment to you and your dental health possible.

All of us are Registered Dental Hygienists, with expanded functions - a technical term that meanswe have special training in performing therapy such as scalings and root plaining - that 'deep cleaning' you sometimes hear about. Andwe can also administer local anesthetic, again a function that requires additional training and certification. Moreover, all three of us have worked here for quite some time - one of us has been here for over twenty years continuously, and one of us has been here with a break of service for well over twenty years. Why is that important? One big reason is thatwe have the opportunity to evaluateour hard work over many years, to see how wellwe are able to maintain the oral health of some of our patients with difficult areas to manage.

Registered Dental Hygienists are required to renew their licenses every two years, and in order to renewour licenses,we must take continuing education courses to update and increaseour skills.It's this emphasis on continuing to learn that makesthe difference between having a job, and having a profession.One of the areas in which we can take continuing education courses is in Oral Medicine - recognizing and identifying conditions in the mouth that can indicate problems in your overall physical health. That oral cancer screen we do? It's very important - but it's not the only thing we are looking for.

We might meet you in the first part of your treatment with us to perform root planing and scaling; but when we really get to know you is when we see you for 'Maintenance Therapy.' Periodontal disease can and does recur - which is why the doctor will recommend a specific interval for you to return for scaling so that your disease keeps under good control. We might see you once a year, or several times a year; but each time, we have the opportunity to see how well each area of your mouth is maintaining. That 's why we have those 'pocket chartings' and older radiographs. Comparing older readings with what we are seeing now gives us important clues on how well your dental health is maintaining.

We take great pride in helping you keep your teeth in health and comfort - but we couldn 't do it without the help of the Maintenance Scaling Coordinator. She helps us with charting, and when we are finished, she helps keep you 'on schedule' for your maintenance visits, whether in our office or in that of your referring dentist. If you ever have any questions about how well you are doing, please ask us - we will always be happy to help in any way we can.

All of our assistants are Registered Dental Assistants, trained in many functions in the dental office, including taking radiographs, taking impressions, and giving instruction in maintaining oral health and monitoring healing after surgical treatment.

Being a dental assistant in a specialty office is a bit different than being a dental assistant in a general practice. We get to workwith you one-on-one, and because of that, we have the privilege of getting to know you. If, during the course of your treatment with us, you have ANY questions, we are always happy to help.

You may see the same assistant throughout your treatment, or you may see more of us. Be sure that the 'new' assistant has your chart notes to quickly get her up to speed - and, at our morning meeting, the doctors go over each and every patient to make sure we are prepared to see you.While we assistants will see you primarily through your active therapy with us, you may see us around the officeif you continue to come in for periodontal maintenance therapy. If so, please say 'hi,' and let us know how you are getting along.