Mastering Extreme Focus and the Mechanics of Success | Dr. Young Jun's Pathway to Peak Performance

I believe in myself, and I strive to be the best. There’s a reason why I travel and learn from different doctors all around the world. You have to stay humble. The moment you say, "I am the best," or become cocky and think you can do everything, that’s when you run into trouble. It takes a commitment to being truly dialed in. In my family, the standard was high: "A" is for average, "B" is below average, and then "C, D, E, and F." And "F" stands for "Find another family."

Moving here was a total culture shock. You don't know what you're doing. I was ten years old and my sister was seven. I still remember landing at LAX and that walk up the international terminal ramp. I felt like people were just watching us. It was a crazy experience.

JP: Dr. Young Jun, welcome to the Pathway to Peak Performance. It’s so great to have you here, my friend. How are you? How was the trip up?

Dr. Jun: It was good, thank you. I'm just excited to be here.

JP: It’s great to have you. First things first, you picked a charity for us to support: Our Rescue. It’s a phenomenal organization that fights human trafficking. That is obviously a huge issue these days. Tell us more about why that’s important to you.

Dr. Jun: I have two daughters—one is two and a half and the other is six months old. I thought this was very appropriate. I’ve always been against human trafficking and sex trafficking; that’s just how I grew up and what I believe in. Having two girls, it’s the last thing I would ever want for anyone. I’d die for them, so that’s the organization I picked.

JP: I think about my daughter who is almost 20 all the time. It’s a scary proposition. You have to think about other people’s daughters as well. It’s something we all have to rally around. JP: This is the sponsor of our show, KetoneAid. This one is the "real deal." The other versions might taste like maple syrup, but this one doesn’t. We’ll do about three or four capfuls, and you’ll really feel it. We’ll put a little water in to make it easier to drink. Cheers!

Dr. Jun: Cheers. Yeah, that one definitely doesn’t taste like maple syrup! My mom always says, "If it doesn't taste good, it's good for you."

JP: We’ll see midway through how those hit you. It’s a ketone ester, which is like the "Ferrari of ketones" compared to the salts that are out there. I use it every day.

JP: This is our season one finale, and we saved it just for you. Let's talk about your roots—what it was like growing up and how you got to where you are today.

Dr. Jun: I was born in Korea and came here when I was ten. It’s a typical immigrant story. We were very poor. My parents didn’t speak English. It was just the four of us: my parents, myself, and my sister. We lived in a very poor part of LA, then right before the LA riots, we moved to a suburb called Azusa.

Being in an Asian family, education was very important. I went to UCSD and finished in five years. I was initially clueless about what I wanted to do. My roommate was an optometry major, and while I considered teaching, he opened the door to healthcare. I had LASIK surgery and thought optometry looked easy, but my other roommate told me, "Young, if you’re going to do optometry, just go into dentistry."

Once I got into dental school at Loma Linda, I saw a presentation on Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. The chairman showed cases of facial fractures, trauma, and reconstruction. I was amazed that a dentist could do all that. He was also an MD and a total "hot shot." I decided right then I wanted to be an oral surgeon. I wasn’t the smartest, but I believed in working hard and getting my hands dirty.

JP: That’s a lot of work. To do the DDS, the MD, and become a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons is impressive. Going back to age ten, how did you adjust to the school system?

Dr. Jun: It was difficult. When we landed at LAX, I didn't know the language or anyone. We were stuck in the house a lot because my parents were worried about it being dangerous or people getting kidnapped. My sister and I just hung out together all the time. You learn to adjust because you're a kid, but it gives you a real appreciation for hard work.

Dr. Jun: I got here through grinding. Nothing was handed to me on a silver plate. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished, but I still have a long way to go, especially with two young kids at home.

JP: Let's talk about the day-to-day. We are in the season where you see a lot of consults for wisdom teeth. People don't realize how complicated extraction can be. How often do general dentists call you because they’ve had a kid in the chair for two hours and can’t get the tooth out?

Dr. Jun: It happens from time to time. They think it looks easy on the X-ray, but then they can’t get the patient numb or the kid starts crying. By the time they get to my office, the patient is swollen and has trismus—spasms of the facial muscles—because they’ve been held open for so long.

JP: There is a major nerve that runs through the mandible. If you mess that up, someone could be numb forever.

Dr. Jun: The nerve is one part of the body that does not like to be touched. If you mess with it, there are serious consequences. The face is much more sensitive than the hand. When I had my own wisdom teeth out at age 26, I was numb for six months. I know exactly how patients feel when they worry the feeling won't come back.

JP: You use a CBCT—a full 3D scan—to see exactly how the teeth are situated against the nerve.

Dr. Jun: A lot of times, dentists get into trouble because they don't have good exposure. They try to "yank" it out, and sometimes the tooth goes right into the sinus or the infratemporal fossa. Then you’re in real trouble.

JP: And there’s the potential for osteomyelitis—an infection in the bone—which is serious business.

Dr. Jun: Precisely. As surgeons, we can make incisions that allow us to get to the tooth in a way that is far less traumatic. Tearing the tissue palatally can be incredibly painful for the patient during recovery.

JP: You also provide anesthesia. Oral surgeons are one of the only specialties besides anesthesiologists who can do this.

Dr. Jun: I take every case seriously. The moment you think a case is a "piece of cake" is when it bites you. You have to constantly monitor the patient and have trained assistants watching the vitals.

Interestingly, we used to see 17 or 18-year-olds for wisdom teeth. Now, it’s 14, 15, or 16-year-olds. I think it’s because of the food supply; kids seem to be developing faster. We also have to manage anesthesia differently now because so many kids are on ADHD medications or use THC, which affects how they respond to sedation. There is scrutiny on oral surgeons doing sedation, but the public needs it. I believe in strict regulations, but we are highly trained for this during our residency.

JP: If a parent goes to a specialist, they get a better result faster with fewer complications.

Dr. Jun: I am very strict with my protocols. I need my team to be high-performing. I believe in high standards and doing things right the first time. JP: One thing I love about working with you is your team. You invest in doing everything the right way. That brings us to dental implants. There are a lot of people doing implants now, and frankly, it’s a little scary. JP: There are a million implant companies trying to sell to general dentists, and we are hearing about high failure rates.

Dr. Jun: There are over 200 FDA-approved implant companies now. I don't have a problem with general dentists doing implants, but they shouldn't be doing the complex cases. You need to invest in a CBCT and an intraoral scanner, and you need to understand both the surgery and the restoration.

Some general dentists have failure rates of 10% to 30%. In a specialist practice like mine, the failure rate is about 1.5%.

JP: How much of that is patient compliance—like smoking?

Dr. Jun: If an implant fails in the first six months, it’s often smoking or medication issues. I tell my patients, "If you’re going to invest this money, do it right. Quit smoking." On our end, we ensure success by using new drills every 20-25 uses and using cold water irrigation so the bone doesn't overheat. JP: So, the 3D imaging (CBCT) and the intraoral scanner allow you to figure everything out before you even touch the patient's mouth.

Dr. Jun: Exactly. It’s about taking care of the patient long-term. It’s not about making money; it’s about patient care. JP: Are there any new advancements in the field?

Dr. Jun: Everything is going digital. My new CT machine uses AI to map the nerve and suggest the best implant size. There are also robots like Yomi and GPS systems like X-Guide. Eventually, I’ll probably get a robot. I want the best for my patients, though my manual skills are already very honed. JP: How do you stay in the zone?

Dr. Jun: I get my strength from God, and I also believe in myself. You have to know when to rest. For the first seven years of my practice, I was "go, go, go." Now, with young kids, I’ve learned to enjoy my time off.

I still travel to learn from doctors all over the world. I don't just learn from oral surgeons; I learn from periodontists and endodontists. You have to stay humble. The moment you get cocky is the moment you run into trouble.

JP: Korean culture has a very strong commitment to excellence. Did that carry over for you?

Dr. Jun: Definitely. All Asian cultures are heavily dependent on education. I saw a meme once where a mom says, "A is for average, B is below average, and F is find another family." My family is full of doctors and lawyers from Harvard; we are very driven.

I’ve lived the American Dream, and I’m very grateful to be here. I actually got married at 29, and my wife—who is an Occupational Therapist—supported me through the end of my schooling. She even used to help me in the middle of the night at the hospital, suctioning and cutting sutures.

JP: What do you do in your spare time?

Dr. Jun: I exercise every day. I’m a big health advocate—I listen to Huberman and Gary Brecka. I run, lift weights, and do ice baths at night.

JP: You’re also a big soccer fan?

Dr. Jun: I’m a Manchester United fan. I miss the days of Sir Alex Ferguson and Wayne Rooney.

JP: What's next for you?

Dr. Jun: I’ve found my groove and I want to keep helping my patients. I live only three miles from my office, so I’m very involved in the community. I run into patients at Costco and restaurants all the time. I like being the local dad who is also the oral surgeon. I’m here to help, and I love what I’m doing.

JP: Well, the ketones seem to have you focused! It’s been great having you on the show, and I appreciate you taking the time away from your patients to be here.

Dr. Jun: Thank you.