Colorado Springs Periodontist and Dental Implant Dentist: Justin L. Tullis, DDS, MS. Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology: Dr. Tullis specializes in periodontics and dental implants in Colorado Springs, CO. He found his passion for Periodontics as a second career after working as a process engineer for a multi-national manufacturing company. He grew up in an Army family, stationed in North Carolina, Texas, and South Korea, and is grateful to all who have served. He attended school for the first time to earn his degree in chemical engineering from Brigham Young University.
Dr. Tullis is regularly recognized as a “Top Doc” in Colorado Springs. His peers have voted him as one of “Colorado Springs Top Dentists” every year since SoCO Perio was established in 2020.
After 5 years as an engineer, Dr. Tullis discovered that problems afflicting the human body were some of the most fascinating and became interested in healthcare. He left the manufacturing sector and was accepted to the University of Texas School of Dentistry at the Texas Medical Center in Houston. During dental school, he was the only student to complete honors clerkships in both oral surgery and periodontics. He realized that he wanted to specialize in the surgical aspects of dentistry. He was elected president of the Houston chapter of the National Student Research Group, and his research on CT imaging was published in the Journal of Oral Implantology. After dental school, he completed four additional years of training, including a one-year residency in Advanced General Dentistry at NYU Langone and a three-year residency in Periodontics and Implant Dentistry at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. One highlight of residency (besides good BBQ and Chiefs football) was designing and completing a human clinical trial on bone grafting techniques after tooth extraction.
Dr. Tullis believes that we appreciate all we have been given by serving others. He was taught this principle early, having served in his church and earned the rank of Eagle Scout. He has volunteered in several capacities, both inside and outside of dentistry, including a 2-year missionary service in Brazil, a facial reconstruction mission trip to Peru, and several local Missions of Mercy in the U.S. He believes that if we prioritize patients’ best interests, happiness and success will naturally follow. His training and philosophy include saving natural teeth whenever possible, but periodontists are also trained in all aspects of dental implants.
Outside the clinic, he enjoys music, sports, and exploring the great outdoors with his wife and son. The Tullis family is thrilled to put down roots in Colorado Springs!
About our practice
So, what does a periodontist or a dental implant dentist do? Generally, as a periodontist practice, we focus on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of periodontal diseases, which affect the gums and the supporting structures of the teeth. This dental specialty is concerned with the delicate tissue and bone that support the teeth. Periodontists perform many specialized services, including the following:
- Scaling and root planing (deep cleaning)
- Placement of dental implants
- Gum grafting
Periodontists manage complex cases of gum disease. They are trained to provide intricate, personalized treatments that restore the patient’s oral health. They often work hand in hand with the general dentist to provide both parts of the team sufficient knowledge to treat the patient comprehensively, especially when the patient has advanced gum disease or requires surgical intervention.
A periodontist office is not just concerned with treating existing problems of the periodontium. It is mainly concerned with preventing the development of gum disease in the first place. The periodontist, along with the dental hygienist and other staff members, provides a tremendous amount of personalized guidance. This is not simple boilerplate educational material that everyone in the office has to memorize. This is a dialogue, almost in the style of oral tradition, where the periodontist explains to the patient what is happening with their gums. Then the periodontist explains what the patient can do to reverse this condition, should it be reversible, or, if not, to at least keep the gums from progressing into a more serious condition.
Colorado Mission of Mercy
We acknowledge the high cost of healthcare, and we do some pro bono dentistry. Dr. Tullis volunteers at COMOM every year.