[Choosing a Dental Clinic] Don't Look for a Specialist, Look for an Expert #ToothPreservation #DrChoiYonghoon

This isn't a post telling you to come see me just because of the title and thumbnail!

I want to offer help, as an expert, to those who are struggling with their dental problems right now.

As a dentist who sees patients every day, I often feel for them.

First of all, Korea does not have a dental specialist system.

Well, it does exist, but it exists in name only.

For example, there is a conservative dentistry specialist designation (a national certification is also issued for it).

We aren't even allowed to put "conservative dentistry specialist" on a sign and advertise it.

And by law, a specialist cannot charge more for treatment just because they are a specialist (this applies to insurance-covered care).

So the certification exists, but the system has been set up so that it is almost never actually used.

It's a specialist in name only, and the system has been designed so there is no real reason to invest in and run a practice as a true specialist in that field.

If I talk about Korea's national health insurance system, some of you may say it's political or whatever.

But set aside your hot heart for a moment and think about it with a cool head.

Korea's health insurance is a structure in which the government forcibly collects money from citizens

and pays it out to doctors as treatment fees.

For this structure to be maintained, the money collected from citizens has to keep going up,

and the money paid to doctors has to go down.

This isn't about the government being bad or anything like that. By economic principle, this is simply how it works.

Isn't it the same in your own life?

You maximize the salary and allowances you can get at work,

and cut unnecessary spending so you can save money, travel, buy a home, and buy a car. Isn't that how it works?

The problem is that Korea's health insurance system is designed to cut "unnecessary spending = medical costs" by making even the specialist system nominal.

If the health insurance system collapses, the country will go under, so regardless of whether it's right or wrong, this problem will never change... (Although there are voices here and there telling people to prepare for a collapse.)

Today's topic is:

If you want a certain treatment, don't look for a specialist in that field. Go find an expert.

A typical example is a periodontist who focuses more on implants than on gum surgery or gum treatment.

There are also conservative dentistry specialists who focus on implants,

and oral surgery specialists who have gone all in on root canal treatment and devote themselves solely to it.

Or there are dentists without a specialist license who are very good at prosthodontics or dentures.

This happens because Korea doesn't have a specialist-based treatment system in the first place.

And this is perfectly fine, both legally and medically!

I simply choose not to do implants myself, but if I decided to learn and start doing them,

it would be fine even if I did jaw surgery (orthognathic surgery) instead of implants!

Because the law prohibits advertising yourself as a specialist and practicing a specialty,

what I'm saying is: treat the specialist title as just a reference, and carefully check what treatments the clinic actually specializes in.

Sometimes people go to a wisdom tooth extraction clinic to ask about wisdom tooth transplantation,

but that's a place optimized for extracting every wisdom tooth you can see.

Would a conversation even make sense if you went there and started talking about wisdom tooth transplantation or tooth preservation?

Because they have never once done a wisdom tooth transplant and have no plans to.

(I'm not saying they're doing anything wrong. I'm just saying it's an extraction-focused clinic.)

It's like going to a traditional Korean set-menu restaurant and asking about jajangmyeon and jjamppong.

On the flip side, when people come to me for implant consultations...

I'd like to take this opportunity to make a humble request.

I have never performed an implant procedure and have no intention of doing so, so if you come to me and start talking about bone grafts or how many implants you need...

I have nothing to say. Since I have no knowledge in that area, I'll refer you right away to a partner clinic.

Conversely,

if you go to a dental clinic with a name that makes anyone think of implants,

there's no point in trying to talk about saving your teeth there.

That's because that clinic is optimized for implant treatment.

If you want gum treatment, go to a gum specialist clinic,

and if you need implants, go to an implant specialist clinic.

I can confidently handle the areas I'm good at,

but for areas I don't know, I'll tell you that I don't know.

Lately, I've heard that some clinics are playing games with specialist certifications.

A dentist who is a "specialist in name only" (they do hold the actual license) says, "I'm a tooth-preservation specialist, but I can't save this tooth. Go get an implant," and is said to be acting as a rubber stamp. It's truly heartbreaking.

I hope those who read my posts won't fall victim to this kind of harm.

Just as you'd go to a Japanese restaurant when you want Japanese food,

if you want a certain treatment, you should seek out an expert.

What do you think would happen if you went to Hyundai E&C and asked them to build a plastic greenhouse?

Insisting that a plastic greenhouse is still a house and throwing a fit won't solve anything.

In this regard,

my scope of practice is clearly defined.

Even though I keep stressing that I can't treat cases with multiple missing teeth or many loose teeth, some people still insist on coming to the clinic.

When I explain that it's not something I treat, some people post hateful comments online, saying they came all this way and are upset and offended.

I'm okay with it, but my staff gets seriously hurt.

If you have questions you really can't figure out or are confused about, join my YouTube membership and ask, and I'll answer.

The reason I charge for membership Q&A is

that if I just answered in the comments, someone would report it as a violation of medical advertising law and the patient-inducement ban.

That's all.

In Korea, implants are considered routine treatment.

Saving a tooth without root canal treatment is not a simple or easy procedure.

Also, once a tooth passes a certain point, it can no longer be saved.

Cases with multiple missing teeth or multiple loose teeth are difficult for the tooth-saving treatment I perform.

I'd recommend that you thoroughly watch my blog and YouTube channel and check whether your situation falls into these categories.

Clinic introduction video for Dr. Choi Yong-hoon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCiCJLrG1J8

#CrackedTooth #Replantation #ToothReplantation #FracturedToothReplantation #PeriodontalDiseaseReplantation #DrChoiYonghoon #ToothPreservation

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Korea have a dental specialist system?

The author's view is that the system exists, but in practice it is largely nominal. The author explains that even conservative dentistry specialists cannot advertise their title on a sign, and that the specialist certification is set up so it is almost never actually used.

What should I check when receiving treatment?

Rather than relying on a specialist title, the author recommends carefully checking what treatments the clinic actually specializes in. The author suggests looking for a clinic that specializes in a specific treatment, such as implants, gum treatment, or root canal treatment.

If a clinic's name includes "implant," can I consult about saving my teeth?

The author says this is difficult. Because such a clinic is optimized for implant treatment, talking about saving teeth there is pointless. The author recommends going to a gum treatment clinic for gum care and an implant clinic for implants.

Can teeth be saved if several are missing or loose?

The author states that cases with multiple missing teeth or several loose teeth are difficult with the author's own tooth-saving approach. The post also explains that saving a tooth without root canal treatment is not easy, and that a tooth beyond a certain point cannot be saved.

Is treatment more expensive when a specialist provides it?

No. According to the post, the law prevents charging more for insurance-covered treatment just because a specialist provides it. The author advises treating the specialist title as a reference only and carefully checking what treatments the clinic actually specializes in.