Exploring Life & Business with Chung Lee of Praus Dentistry

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chung Lee. 

Hi Chung, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Opening a dental practice has been my dream ever since I entered dental school back in 2012. Dentistry is my passion, and I always wanted to be in the business of saving teeth. Teeth are extremely important parts of human body. They dictate the type of diet that a person can have. If left unattended, teeth will decay and may cause extreme pain. Untreated gum infection has negative impact on systemic health problems, such as heart disease. The shape, color, and position of teeth directly impact a person’s smile. As dentist, I get to help my patients regain their smiles and oral health in all of these areas. 

When I was coming up with a name for my dental office, I came across this word in the Bible: praus. Praus means to be humble and disciplined, using one’s strength and talent for the betterment of others. Furthermore, it is the “positive moral quality of dealing with people in a kind manner with humility and consideration.” I wanted to apply this core philosophy to my dental practice and hence, I named it Praus Dentistry. Our company’s core values, such as integrity, passion, humility, and reciprocity, rest on the concept of praus. We make sure that our patients are greeted with warm welcome and their needs are heard and addressed. Dental visits are already stressful for many people, and my team members do their best to make our patient’s dental experience go as smoothly as possible. 

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?
The biggest challenge for me was finding the right staff members to build the right team that aligned with my company’s goals and vision. In the beginning, I did not hire the right individuals, which costed me a lot of time and energy. Also, I never received any business training before, and I quickly realized my shortcomings as leader in running the dental practice and the business. I felt like I was broken into pieces with so many wheels turning at the same time. I loved doing dentistry. But I was slow and inefficient at anything with business administration. Over time I have gotten better at managing my time and being more organized. I can feel that I grew tremendously as a person in the last year of being in the business of dentistry. I am still a work in progress as a practice owner, but I am grateful for my team and support group that I can fall back on if I need help. 

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My dental office focuses on providing minimally invasive dentistry. Minimally invasive means to preserve as much tooth structure as possible when repairing or restoring the tooth while maintaining the shape and function of natural tooth. We do so by practicing biomimetic dentistry, which means “to mimic nature.” For instance, if a large portion of tooth is broken, conventional way will require a crown. Problem with doing a crown is that it removes anywhere from 50% to 75% of tooth structure in order to create enough space for a full coverage cap to be placed on the tooth. This is way too invasive. Instead, minimally invasive biomimetic approach will be to perform an on-lay or an overlay to conserve the bottom half of the tooth structure to maintain the structural integrity of natural teeth. This approach reduces the preparation of tooth structure down to 25% to 50%. 

Materials in dentistry have evolved tremendously in the last couple decades. We now have restorative materials that can mimic the hardness and flexural strength of the tooth structure. Enamel and dentin make up the hard tissue portion of the tooth. Enamel is hard but brittle; it provides protection for the tooth by forming a shell around the tooth. Dentin consists of less minerals but is more flexible due to the presence of collagen fibers. Dentin absorbs the impact by allowing the tooth to flex when force is applied and helps enamel from not cracking. Lastly, enamel and dentin are naturally bonded together. Based on biomimetic principles, we use ceramic material that mimics the hardness of natural enamel. We use composite resin material that mimics the flexural strength of natural dentin. We use a specific bonding system and technique to recreate the natural bond strength of enamel to dentin. Practicing dentistry using these principles allow us to provide conservative and long-lasting dental restoration for our patient’s teeth. 

Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
The E Myth by Michael Gerber. This book will help any struggling small business owners to elevate their businesses. I never had a formal training in business management or any sort of entrepreneurial courses. I fell into the trap of being the “technician” of the business. I quickly found out that I cannot run dental practice by just focusing on practicing good dentistry. Being a skilled technician alone does not guarantee success of the business. There are three personalities that we have to embody as small business owners: The Entrepreneur, The Manager, The Technician. Without the right balance among the three and the right system in place, the business will struggle. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.prausdentistry.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/prausdentistry
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/prausdentistry