Dr. Darren Chugg

Dr. Darren Chugg brings a distinctive background and broad clinical experience to patient care at Paseo Family Dental and Dentures. Before becoming a dentist, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in international studies and Spanish, then graduated with high honors from the Idaho State University College of Pharmacy in 2006. After working as a pharmacist for several years, he went on to attend the Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine in Glendale, Arizona, where he graduated in May 2016 as Salutatorian. Dr. Chugg began practicing dentistry in 2014 and joined the practice in 2018. Over the course of his career, he has completed approximately 2,000 to 3,000 dental crowns, 600 to 800 dental bridges, thousands of fillings and restorative cases, about 1,500 root canal cases, at least 6,000 tooth extractions, and about 1,000 wisdom tooth extractions. He has also completed at least 800 denture cases, at least 800 partial denture cases, about 500 implant restorations, and has placed approximately 300 dental implants. In addition, he has completed around 20 to 50 implant-supported denture or snap-in denture cases and approximately 600 TMJ, night guard, or occlusal appliance cases. Patients here at Paseo Family Dental and Dentures appreciate that Dr. Chugg is able to provide many services in-house that are often referred to another office, including dental implants, root canals, and wisdom teeth removal. He has provided crowns, bridges, restorative dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, implant treatment, implant restoration, root canal therapy, oral surgery, extractions, dentures, and removable prosthetic care for 12 years, and has been placing dental implants for nine years. Approximately 25% of his patient pool comes from referrals from patients or other doctors, and many patients are surprised to learn how many services they can receive in one office. Dr. Chugg stays committed to continuing education and has completed approximately 500 hours of post-graduate training. His continuing education includes restorative dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, dental implants, root canal therapy, dentures and prosthodontics, oral surgery, periodontal therapy, and sedation dentistry. His advanced training includes Zest Master training for implant-supported dentures, a Zest Master certificate, the Implant Direct two-year implant course series, and a multi-year implant training program through Implant Direct. He is also planning to take the AGD Fellowship exam in the near future. Technology is an important part of Dr. Chugg’s approach to diagnosis, treatment planning, and patient comfort. He has used CBCT and 3D imaging for 12 years, and has used digital impressions, same-day crown technology, and dental lasers for five years. He also uses intraoral scanners, intraoral cameras, guided implant technology, digital smile design, and other advanced tools in the office to support efficiency, education, and treatment precision. Dr. Chugg is a member of the Academy of General Dentistry. He is dedicated to making the dental experience as comfortable, efficient, and straightforward as possible for every patient. Whether someone is visiting for a cleaning, a root canal, dental implants, dentures, or oral surgery, his goal is to provide friendly, affordable, quality dentistry in a welcoming environment. Outside the office, Dr. Chugg enjoys spending time with his wife of 25 years and their three sons. He likes running, biking, hiking, snowboarding, traveling, and doing yoga with his wife. He has a goal of visiting all 50 states and has visited 29 so far. He also started playing bass guitar during the COVID-19 pandemic. During his undergraduate years, he completed a study abroad in Costa Rica and studied Spanish in Guatemala, making him proficient in Spanish. He also served a two-year LDS mission in New Zealand, where he became proficient in the Tongan language.