Dental Asia September/October 2021

Under the Spotlight
Dr Seojung Park, the executive director of
the Orthodontic Branch at Korea Association
of Digital Dentistry (KADD), graduated from
the Dental College of Chonnam National
University, South Korea, in 1989. She initially
specialised in paediatric dentistry and
performed a wide range of treatments from
tongue tie surgery to orthodontics for five
years, which sharpened her clinical skills and
developed her holistic view on patients.
While she was completing her PhD thesis on
orthodontic wires, she became fascinated
with orthodontics, inspiring her to pursue
expertise of the field. On top of that, the
subject excited her as orthodontic treatment
engages more closely with the patient’s life
and requires a bilateral relationship with
them.
She explained: “An orthodontic treatment
cannot be done without the patient’s
cooperation. When we work as a team, a
successful treatment brings tremendous
fulfilment and joy to both the patient and the
doctor. I tend to think of it as a marathon and
I truly enjoy finishing the race together with
my patient.”
Dr Park completed a two-year course in Korea
Orthodontic Research Institute and became
a regular member of Korean Association of
Orthodontics (KAO). In 2010, she worked as a
visiting fellow in the Orthodontic Department
of Baylor Dental College of Texas A&M,
United States, as well as a researcher and
a trainee at Orametrix, the parent company
of SureSmile in Richardson, Texas, for three
years.
This remarkable experience served as
a turning point of her career in digital
orthodontics.
EMBRACING DIGITAL ORTHODONTICS
Adopting digital technology has widely
known advantages such as efficiency and
more precise treatments. However, when Dr
Park started to adapt the digital practice, she
noticed how it drastically improved the way
she communicated with her patients too.
“First of all, I get more face-to-face time with
my patients, but before it was more like next
to the face!” she joked. “Kidding aside, the
biggest change is that I can literally have
the patient’s case at the palm of my hand by
using a digital model.”
As influenced by the late Dr William Proffit,
the author of “Contemporary Orthodontics”,
Dr Park emphasised that it is crucial to listen
thoughtfully to the patient and/or their
parents’ concern before even starting the
diagnosis and treatment plan.
“This allows me to approach each patient with
an unbiased mindset, free of any prejudice or
misconception. There is no perfect solution in
orthodontic treatment. Every case is different
and each patient requires a treatment that is
specifically designed for them,” she shared.
To communicate her treatment plan with the
patients, she reinforces the discussion with
digital tools.
“As strangely as it might sound, the most
challenging case for me is not necessarily
a difficult case. Even with the perfect
treatment of malocclusion, patients often are
not satisfied with the result. In most cases,
the issues are minute but from a patient’s
perspective it is not so trivial,” she said.
For instance, she had a patient with a
slightly asymmetric torque, black triangles,
minimally different vertical positions of
anteriors and tiny premature contacts
after debonding. With the help of digital
technology such as IOS, SureSmile, and 3D
printing, she resolved the issue efficiently
and effectively.
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