[Attention! Moving] Dr. Jin Hye-min Isalee Lee, President of Seolleung Branch of Isalee Dental Clinic
After graduating from dental school in 2010, she practiced endodontics, extractions, and periodontics in local dental clinics. She trained in integrative dentistry at St. Vincent’s Hospital, Catholic University, where she learned implants, wisdom tooth extractions, dentures, and orthodontics. She recently joined Isaly Dental.
-Isali, tell us about your dental practice.
“Isalee Dental is a dental clinic that focuses on keeping patients’ teeth as healthy as possible with the motto of no pain, no overtreatment, and no harm. There is a strong perception that dentists are places you go to when you are sick, but our dental clinic was created with the idea of ‘I want to take care of my teeth before they get sick so that I can keep them healthy for a long time.’ We have plenty of consultations with our patients to educate them not only on treatment, but also on how to take proper oral care.”
-Dentists aren’t easy to visit until you’re sick.
“I’ve been a dentist for over 10 years and I think patients are letting things get too far. Cavities can be treated with simple treatments if caught early, but if left untreated, it can lead to root canals and crowns. I’ve also worked in a checkup clinic, and I see a lot of people skipping dental checkups. I think they avoid preventive care because of the painful and uncomfortable experience of just getting a cleaning.”
– Is Isali Dental a patient-friendly clinic?
“I like that Isali Dental pays more attention to the initial treatment and is able to spend more time with you. It’s a private practice with just the owner and one staff member, so I feel more comfortable visiting than a large, busy clinic.”
-How would you define the meaning of ‘save a tooth‘?
“It means to treat and take care of a tooth before it becomes more painful. It can be very traumatic for a patient to have a tooth extracted. In fact, the moment you have a bad cavity and end up having a root canal can be just as big of a deal as a tooth extraction. It’s best to come in and have it checked out often before it becomes irreversible. The same goes for your gums. Just like your skin, your gums need to be taken care of, and our dental clinic is Isaly Dental, which means to take care of them before it’s too late.”
-How do patients react to the fact that you do all the consultation, treatment, and payment?
“I’m proud of the fact that patients seem to be very satisfied with the fact that they can talk to the doctor directly and have the doctor take care of them from one to ten. They also like that it’s a one-on-one appointment, so the waiting room is quiet and doesn’t feel like a hospital. I think they are satisfied with the fact that they can get their questions answered and bond with the doctor if they take the time to talk to him or her.”
The slide below shows the entire process of Isaly Dental.
A patient is checking in at a kiosk. 
A patient is filling out a questionnaire prior to an appointment. 
Dr. Hye Min Jin fluorescence scans a patient’s teeth using the Curay equipment. 
Showing the completed health report to the patient for examination. 
Director Jin is conducting a consultation. 
You’re starting a one-day clinic. 
A pre-treatment curated shot is being taken. 
Crown prep is in progress. 
A patient relaxes in the waiting room while a crown is fabricated. 
The clinic manager designs a crown in the laboratory. 
A crown is being machined on a milling machine. 
The clinic manager is setting the crown. 
At the end of the treatment, the patient is satisfied and chatting with Dr. Jin. 
Dr. Jin personally assists a patient with check-in.
-What are the benefits to you as a physician?
“I love being able to have a more personal relationship with my patients, because when you have to see a lot of patients at the same time, it’s hard to spend enough time with one patient, but because I talk to them a lot before treatment, I get to know their challenges, their situation, and I can tailor my treatment to their needs.”
-Is there a patient that stands out in your mind?
“I remember one patient who said she didn’t trust the dentist, and she was very worried about being over-treated, but after we showed her the 3D screen scan data and spent a long, careful time diagnosing her condition, she was satisfied and trusted us. I think that’s the beauty of a one-person practice: you can build a close relationship with your patients.”
-I think there’s a lot of high-tech equipment in the park.
“I use Curay to diagnose early cavities that are hard to see on x-rays. It’s very easy to manage tartar and plaque, and I like to show patients where they can’t brush with their own eyes.
We do three basic check-ups: AI diagnosis, scan, and health report. It’s easy to understand because we consult while looking at the teeth on a 3D screen, and all the data is also available on the patient’s app, so it’s great for reminding them of areas that need treatment, oral care tips we’ve given them, and so on.”
-I also do minish practices, what’s the patient response like?
“Minish resonates because it is a conservative treatment with no unnecessary removal. Even for extensive cavities, we often choose minisheaths over crowns because they require significantly less removal than crowns, which is easier on the doctor.”
When Dr. Jin told his colleagues that he was joining Isali Dental, he says they had a typical reaction. “They were wondering if patients would like it because it was different from what they were used to,” Dr. Jin says, “so they asked me to try it and tell them about it.”
After joining the practice, Dr. Jin is convinced that it’s beneficial for both doctors and patients. “Unmanned is the basis and advanced equipment has made the practice more efficient. I think the system of Isalee Dental, where the director serves patients one-on-one, will become commonplace. It’s a win-win situation for both patients and doctors. Patients benefit from the unmanned receptionist, vending machines, and robotic vacuum cleaner, which saves on labor costs and provides quality care at a reasonable price. Doctors benefit from more face-to-face time with patients, which allows them to provide quality care.”
– What is your end goal as a principal?
“The kind of dentist I want to be is someone who ‘saves’ their patients’ teeth. In the past, my goal was to be good at implants or endodontics, but now I feel that my calling is to provide care that keeps natural teeth as healthy as possible. I want to be able to give my patients one-on-one treatment and care while their teeth are still intact, and teach them how to take care of them.”
