When it comes to my patients, I strive to make the most out of each visit to ensure I maximize our time together. Early on in my career, I realized the best way to do this was to dedicate time to get to know them beforehand. From familiarizing myself with their dental history to learning what makes them feel most comfortable, before they’re physically in the chair I have already established a baseline that promotes a positive outcome. I may not be able to control what happened to their oral health before they became my patient, but once they’re with me, I do everything in my power to ensure they receive the highest level of care.
In her dentistry career, Dr. Ha has encountered several older patients who were turned off seeing the dentist as a result of a bad experience in childhood.
“It’s made me hypersensitive to my patients and extra cautious when dealing with someone who is in pain—particularly my younger patients.
“At the end of the day, I do my absolute best to create the most positive experience I can, and to ensure that my patients are comfortable. Whatever I can do to facilitate that—whether it’s giving them a blanket, walking them through a procedure step-by-step, or providing numbing—I am very mindful of what each patient’s needs are and how I can meet them.”
Dr. Ha completed her residency in a public health clinic in one of the most diverse zip codes in the world—an experience she credits with helping her understand the importance of a customized patient approach.
“In terms of hands-on education, nothing could beat the time I spent attending cases in residency. Not only did I have the chance to work with patients from many different cultures and backgrounds, but I also saw many patients who hadn’t been to the dentist in 25 years or more.
“For these patients, it’s all about treatment options and solving problems with creative solutions. The experience taught me how to tailor my approach in creating and presenting a treatment plan to achieve a positive patient experience."
Dr. Rosalyn Ha, DDS, is a general dentist with a focus on cosmetic and restorative dentistry. As far back as she can remember, she knew she wanted a career in medicine. But her love of being in a “hands-on” working environment and her ability to make people comfortable made dentistry a perfect fit. After earning a B.S. in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology from Emory University, she obtained her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, before completing a residency in Advanced Education in General Dentistry through NYU Langone in Seattle, WA.
Dr. Ha sees a broad scope of patients, with a particular focus on young families and professionals. With prevention as one of her key values, she enjoys how dealing with families allows her to develop longstanding trust while growing with them as they mature and continue with their care.
“I’ve always loved the idea of having multi-generational patients in my care. Building that level of trust over time and seeing the impact you have on the entire family is incredibly satisfying and something I truly enjoy.”
Continually striving to offer her patients the best care possible, Dr. Ha fully embraces new technologies. Among her favorite tools, intraoral scanners top the list, as they save patient time while also helping her get to know the patient without them losing time in the chair.
“There are so many things you can’t see with a traditional 2D X-ray. Knowing what each tooth and nerve looks like helps contribute to the overall success and comfort of the treatment as well as better success in diagnosing. My colleagues and I have also begun using an AI program to help collect data and then compare it against our treatment plan.”
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