The Friendly Neighborhood Dentist

Dr. Michael Yung
For many, a visit to the dentist is one of those necessary evils in life – like taxes or Sunday dinner with the family. But Pasadena’s Michael S. Yung, DDS has brightened the experience by turning his office into a home away from home.

“Our office is designed for patient care and patient comfort,” explains Dr. Yung.
If the tooth-fairy had a secret lair, Dr. Yung’s office would be it. You are greeted by a sun-kissed room with plush burgundy chairs. Portraits of orchids warm the walls. Any drill vibration is quickly drowned out by the sing-song greetings from his team.

Entering the treatment room you sink into leather-upholstered chairs. One of his chairs even has a back massager built in! Charismatic and confident, Dr. Yung has a glowing smile that could just as well melt metal. (It’s a wonder that patients don’t equate the Dr. Yung Dental Experience to a day at the spa.)

This friendly neighborhood dentist originally got into the tooth-trade after a mentor encouraged him to think with his hands and his smile, two things that came naturally for him. He attended Northwestern University’s School of Dentistry, one of the top ten in the country.

Aside from the aesthetic appeal, the doctor employs all of the latest technology like digital x-rays and has a fully computerized office. That means patients are getting exposed to half of the radiation, “which is very significant,” affirms Dr. Yung.
The x-rays are also offer far superior detail because of the digital viewing functions of the software program. If you’re nice, Dr. Yung may even give you a digital copy of your “choppers” so you can post it on your Facebook profile (although he doesn’t recommend it).

He says that metal mouths will soon be a thing of the past. Dr. Yung promotes Invisalign in his office, explaining that it is a novel way to “move teeth without having unsightly braces.” This is quite popular with adults who opt for orthodontic work later in life.

Most of us are berated by our dentist for not flossing enough. And I’d be lying if I said Dr. Yung gave you a free pass. Like any professional, he insists on preventive care.

“If the gums are healthy, the teeth are gonna be happy, okay?” he says with a tender look of tough-love.

The dentist warns that periodontal disease affects nearly half of all Americans over 40 years old. Unbeknownst to them, many are even walking around with the disease in their mouth.

Dr. Yung loosens up a bit, explaining he doesn’t have to belabor these dental facts with those “gung-ho” Pasadenans. As he says, they love to ask questions “about treatment procedures sometimes that I don’t even do.” This keeps him on his toes. Dr. Yung adds, “It helps me educate them more, and avoid them getting misinformation.”

Perhaps Dr. Yung has a soft-spot for Pasadena because he moved out here in 2003 to marry his high school sweetheart Cindy. They’ve since had a daughter named Selene, now almost 3-years-old. The bubbly toddler can sometimes be spotted at the office making the team members chuckle.

This dentist turned family man knows the local clientele.

“We live in Southern California. Everyone wants to look good,” he says. That’s why he keeps very up to date on the trends in cosmetic dentistry. With an aesthetic treatment, he adds, “people are willing to go to the right person.”

“I’m one of those people who will do that for them and listen to their needs,” he says. To set up an appointment with the dentist or to just admire his pearly whites visit www.michaelyungdds.com or call (626) 449-5420. His office is located at 696 E. Colorado Blvd., Suite 224, Pasadena.