Nevada Oral & Facial Surgery is the team of oral and facial surgeons at the Vegas Golden Knights. Founder Dr. Brendan Johnson and his partner, Dr Gregory Hunter, are thrilled to be part of this team.
“I am honored to be selected as one of a few of the team doctors,” said Dr. Johnson. “The elite medical team consists of orthopedic, emergency, dental, sports medicine doctors and myself. It’s a collaboration of essentially five of us who are at each and every home game and, depending on an injury, will be treated by the appropriate person. We are just one aspect of this amazing organization, starting from ownership, the players, staff and trainers.”
Drs. Johnson and Hunter handle head and neck injuries and perform surgeries from facial lacerations to facial fractures and dental implants.
There’s a treatment room by the locker room where the team doctors care for the players if needed. The doctor will either suture or treat players to get them back out for the next shift and keep them playing. They will be pulled from the game if the injury is too severe.
“Unfortunately, hockey is an extremely fast and aggressive game, and these guys get hurt. It’s our job to be there and protect them and treat them if needed.”
Dr. Hunter and Dr. Johnson have become leading surgeons in dental implant placements, specializing in the “All on 4” implant-supported bridge technique.
The “All on 4″/full arch dental implant procedure was first developed in Portugal, where Dr. Johnson learned this procedure. He was among the first worldwide to perform these procedures and place zygomatic implants.
“I knew this would be a game changer, where we could help someone who has bad or missing teeth. We can take out teeth, place implants, and put teeth on those implants all on the same day. All without having to do grafting, without all these heroic things that typically I would have to do before learning the procedure almost 20 years ago,” explained Dr. Johnson.
The “All on 4” saves patients money and allows them to have new teeth in a day. It does not just rely on surgical ability but also incorporates technology. Before performing surgery, the doctors can “perform” the surgery on the computer. They can see exactly where they will place implants. On the day of surgery, they have a guide allowing them to place those implants exactly as planned.
Patients can walk out of the office smiling, able to chew and bite, and able to do all the things they couldn’t do before they walked in that day.
The practice also gives back to the community working with the Golden Knights Foundation. “We offer a selected person serving in the military or a first responder any needed procedures free of charge,” said Dr. Johnson. He is also an honorary squadron commander at Nellis and Creech Air Force bases. His father served in the military for 28 years, and most of his family also served in the military.
His partner, Dr. Hunter, is integral to the practice and this community. Dr. Hunter has served in many leadership positions, such as President of the Southern Nevada Dental Society and the Nevada Dental Association. He also lectures at the UNLV School of Dental Medicine and Roseman University.
Dr. Johnson and Dr. Hunter continue to be part of the community and remain at the forefront of their fields of oral and facial surgery.