Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Jin.
Hi Mike, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I have always loved dentistry because it combined elements of both art and healthcare to improve people’s lives. Unfortunately so many people associate dental visits with negative feelings because of past traumatic experiences or lack of financial resources to seek good quality dental care. That is why I have devoted my career to creating a safe, comfortable, and luxurious space for my patients to get the best possible care they deserve. After graduating from UCLA Dental School, my singular goal was to work in as many dental offices as I could, to learn as much as I could about different business, clinical, and management styles. My experiences took me from community clinics to elite cosmetic offices in Beverly Hills. I was able to incorporate the best of each type of dental office into my own and I am so lucky to be able to bring my vision of modern dentistry to the heart of Pasadena, the community that I grew up in.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Design and building a brand new business is never smooth, I will need a lot more space to list all of the challenges that came up during the startup process. But the biggest challenge I’ve faced has to be the COVID shut down back in March 2020, just five months after Dentex Dental Studio opened its doors. Opening a startup dental office in one of the most saturated cities in the country, in the midst of a pandemic, is probably the most difficult challenges I’ve ever faced. The uncertainty was the most challenging. In the beginning of the shutdown, I shut down the entire office and only saw occasional emergency patients because I didn’t know if dental offices were considered essential service. Neither the CDC or my national dental association gave out any specific guidelines on how dental offices should deal with the situation. And then later studies were showing that dentists and staff were amongst the riskiest professions for exposure since we work inside people’s mouths. About 50-60% of our patients rescheduled or canceled their appointments indefinitely. During those challenging times, I focused my energy on educating myself and my staff on the latest safety guidelines. We implemented the latest and safest sterilization techniques usually reserved for surgical rooms. I posted our latest safety protocols to all of my patients regularly and also posted studies and protocols on our social media page. Reassuring our patients that we are doing everything we can to keep them safe. And today we are still here and we have been steadily growing since opening back up again in May 2020.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Dentex Dental Studio is the modern cosmetic dental office. I designed Dentex Dental Studio from the ground up in order to provide the best dental care to my patients in a safe, comfortable, and modern setting. So many aspects of the traditional dental office experience are outdated and stressful to the patient. Most dental appointment reservations can be made online, anytime during the day, just like how you make reservations to your favorite restaurant. All records, forms, and documents are digital and can be sent and signed on your mobile device. Payment plans can be made online or over the phone or even automated so you won’t have to stress out about expensive dental payments. In the office, we utilize the latest state-of-the-art digital imaging system to take X-rays, high-resolution photos, and 3D scans of your teeth, you can even see a digital rendering of the final result before we start treatment. We also utilize some of the best dental lab technicians in the country to help our patients meet their cosmetic goals. The very same lab technicians that make veneers for Hollywood elites.
What were you like growing up?
I was actually born in a small town in the Inner Mongolian region of China called Hohhot. Since I am an only child, because of the one child policy in China at the time, my parents wanted me to have an American education and have more opportunities. So they left everything behind and moved to Los Angeles when I was nine years old. After we moved to LA, my parents would spend most of their time working, so I learned to become independent at a very young age. I also learned to be more outgoing and sociable because I didn’t have anyone else to hang out with. I truly believe all of my experiences have taught me invaluable skills that helped shaped me to who I am today.
One of my biggest passions in life is art. I taught myself how to paint and sculpt mainly because it gave me something to do when I was home alone. Over the years, it has become almost my own form of therapy, it has helped me through some of the most difficult times of my life. All of the art pieces in my dental office are all created by me. I’ve also participated in multiple art shows for fun and hope to get back into it once the pandemic passes!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: Dentexdentalstudio.com
- Instagram: Drjin_dentexdental
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dentexdentalstudio/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/dentex-dental-studio-pasadena?osq=dentex+dental
