three dentists, one standard

dr jiwon has owned snohomish family dentistry since 2019. he trained at the university of michigan school of dentistry, where he excelled in clinical skills, after studying at ucla.

dentistry was not his first plan. he grew up in brussels and cape town, went to law school at korea university, and somewhere in there realized that what he actually wanted was to fix things with his hands and watch someone leave better than they came in. he has never looked back.

outside the office you’ll find him snuggling with his kids, off on an adventure with his family, or working with local youth to help them build their future. there is also a maltese. the maltese does not do much.

his promise is simple: he will tell you the truth about your teeth, show you every option, and never do work he wouldn’t do on his own family. gentle, honest dentistry that lasts — ask any of his patients.

dr justin trained at new york university college of dentistry, where he excelled in crown and bridge work and received the eugene rothschild memorial award from the new york academy of oral rehabilitation for clinical excellence and attention to detail. before that he studied human biology at uc san diego.

he was born in seoul, grew up between california and new york, and has a knack for putting people at ease — a useful thing in a dentist. he keeps learning, too: when he isn’t in the office he’s often in a course somewhere, picking up a better way to do something he already does well.

outside the office you’ll find him with his wife, his daughter, and rosie, a miniature golden retriever who is the most photographed member of the family. travel, a camera, and a good trail will do for a weekend.

what he cares about is simple: that you feel comfortable, that you understand what’s going on, and that the work is done right.

dr kela is the reason this office exists. a lifelong washingtonian, she trained at the university of washington school of dentistry, then followed a retiring dentist north to snohomish and spent decades caring for this town before handing the practice to dr jiwon. she still sees patients here by appointment, and her longtime patients know exactly where to find her.

she became a dentist because of one: after a rough tooth extraction as a child, her parents found a kind pediatric dentist, and she never forgot how much that gentleness mattered. it is still how she practices.

her days off belong to her grandchildren — hot wheels, hide-and-seek, floor puzzles, and backyard baseball, where she is usually assigned the catcher’s spot. (“grandma, you be the squatter!”) she and her husband joe have four grown children, a church, a garden, a stack of books, and a long record of dental mission trips to guatemala, honduras, jamaica, grenada and the philippines.

everything good about this office was built on what dr kela started. we are grateful for her every day, and lucky that she is still here.

the office

306 maple ave · snohomish

call text