“The joy of bringing confidence back into a person’s life was greater than the reward of fixing a sore spot.”
After completing her residency at Columbia University in New York City, Dr. Ianna became immersed in Minish after returning home. Her focus is not just on making teeth look pretty, but on restoring function to patients who have lost it due to tooth loss or esophagitis.
He also approaches patients in his office who are worried about “if it really hurts, if they can eat something solid,” as a “minish senior” who was treated himself before he was a doctor.
A recommendation from a doctor who has received the same treatment himself or herself is more reassuring to patients than a hundred-word explanation. Here’s a one-liner. Here’s the one-sentence answer.
Q. Please introduce yourself.
I’m the owner of Minish Dental Clinic Gangnam. I’ve been with Minish for almost 5 years and have been practicing dentistry for 11 years.
He completed his residency at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine in New York City and is a licensed dentist in the United States.
Q. How did you become a dentist?
I had orthodontic treatment myself as a student, and watching my teeth gradually straighten out made me realize that dentistry is a fascinating and rewarding profession.
Solving someone’s complexes and giving them confidence was something I admired, so it was a natural path for me.
Q. Out of all the different fields, why did you choose to focus on minish?
There are so many different areas of dentistry – cavities, surgery, orthodontics, etc. – but I felt that the one I was best at and had a natural aptitude for was changing patients’ lives through functional restoration.
Simply “keeping sick people from getting sick” was not rewarding enough for me, and I felt that Minish was a treatment that restored the function of teeth damaged by toothache or esophagitis, while simultaneously transforming the lives and confidence of patients.
I focused on Minish because the changes are immediate and noticeable, and it’s a fun practice that I’m very proud of as a doctor.
Q. I heard you have a lot of experience with celebrity patients.
I’ve met so many celebrities through my Minish treatments, especially the members of All Day Project, which is the most talked about topic right now, and I’ve been following their debut since they were idol trainees.
It makes me feel like it’s my job to see them so popular and active these days.
Q. You’ve had a Minish treatment yourself, what was it like for you?
First, I feel so pretty and satisfied every time I look in the mirror to see my teeth brightened, but my mindset as a doctor has changed even more.
I think to really understand Minish, you have to be a practitioner, because it’s so different to be a patient.
That’s why I think it’s essential for any physician who wants to truly understand minish to have the experience of performing the procedure themselves.
Q. When I consult with patients, I often show them your teeth.
When patients ask about the color of their Minish after the actual treatment, it’s nice to be able to say, “My teeth are Minish,” and show them, because it’s much more intuitive and comfortable for them to see it than to read a hundred words.
And now that I’ve received the Minish, used it, and seen firsthand that it works, I can recommend it with more confidence than anyone else. I’ve explained the principles well enough in the past, but now my real-life experience helps me connect with patients on a deeper level.
The fact that the procedure was done by their own doctor seems to give patients more confidence and reassurance than any explanation.
Q. I have a question that I think patients ask a lot.
Two of the most common questions I get are, “Aren’t you sick?” and “Can I eat something hard?”
Those were the two things I was most curious about, and I found myself eating a hard peach the day of treatment without realizing it. I have a good bite, so it was a pretty quick adjustment right after the procedure, which is still kind of amazing to me.
The other question is about discoloration and transparency, and I’ve come to realize more after receiving treatment myself that the thickness of the minisheets can affect how much of your natural tooth color shows through.
My minis are very thin, so the natural tooth color behind them shows through a little more than others, but I find it more natural and like it that way.
Q. What is the most common thing patients say to you after seeing you?
I often hear the phrase, “I try to make them feel comfortable.” I recognize that what patients want most when they are about to undergo treatment is to be painless and have it over with quickly.
So I take great care to reduce pain as much as possible and make the process as comfortable as possible.
Especially now that I’ve been through the Minish treatment myself, I’m able to offer more of a “Minish senior” perspective.
I find that patients are much more open and trusting when I share my own experiences and feelings.
Q.Besides being a dentist, you have other roles at Minish.
As a licensed dentist in the United States, I’m particularly interested in Minish’s international expansion, so I’ve traveled a lot and attended Minish courses in the U.S. to teach and introduce Minish to local dentists.
As I was treating patients with Minish myself, I thought, “This technology shouldn’t stay in Korea,” because I was convinced that it could spread around the world.
We’re already in Japan, Vietnam, the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., and I think there’s a lot of potential for us to expand beyond those countries.
