Making New Friends
I am not surprised that I crossed paths with the esteemed Yoshida dental group. The introduction came through my dear friend William Pang, whom I have known for years through 3D printing endeavors. The Yoshida company had arranged a tour for Japanese dentists to visit a line up of dental practices in Los Angeles. Will asked if the group could come to Smiles to learn about our pediatric and orthodontic dental setup and I happily agreed. Interestingly, I was planning a family trip to Japan a few months down the line, so the event was most serendipitous.
The delegation of 14 dentists was led by Yoshida’s CEO, Mr. Kazutake Yamanaka, one of the humblest and kindest people I’ve met in the dental industry. The group fell in love with our yellow building taking photos of the space and learning about our systems. They particularly enjoyed the organized cabinets that I proudly showed off. For those of you who don’t know, I live for organization and tidiness!
As I learned more about Yoshida Dental Group, I found myself drawn to the story behind the company. Yoshida began in Japan in 1906, in a small, rented workshop. In 2026, it celebrates 120 years of developing dental equipment and supporting the people who provide dental care.
What moved me most was its anniversary message:
“Lifelong Well-being, Starting with Oral Health.”
Those words resonate deeply with the way I think about pediatric dentistry. We meet children early in life, when their experiences, understanding, and habits are beginning to take shape. The care we provide today is part of a much longer story.
The Yoshida MielScope Arrives
My friendship with Yoshida continued to blossom like the beautiful sakura flowers I was enchanted with in Japan. The next member of the company to visit Smiles was Mr. Tatsuya Kashima. Mr. Kashima delighted me with the news that the group would like to loan us their state-of-the-art microscope to be delivered and installed in a few months time.
One of the things I love most about dentistry is the opportunity to help a child or teen understand their own smile. The MielScope would not only be a tremendous instrument to educate kids but also to help communicate their dental needs to them and their parents. The arrival of the MielScope has allowed me and my team to truly transform our dental discussions into fun, informative visits.
A closer look, a deeper conversation
Dental language can feel unfamiliar. A photograph or a live image gives our words something concrete to connect to.
Tooth anatomy, like a groove on a chewing surface, becomes a groove we can actually see. A discussion about a protective sealant has a visible starting point. When an area needs attention, I can show the family where it is and explain why I am recommending care.
The same view also lets us appreciate what is healthy. There is beauty in the details of natural teeth, and I want children to have opportunities to notice that beauty and to understand what we are working together to preserve. Kids are super fascinated by the scope’s visuals. It can magnify teeth eighty times larger. Explaining to them where and how to brush and floss, what their teeth look like and what’s evoloving in their mouths is something that I never tire of. To me, this is the most enjoyable part of pediatric dentistry. When we spend the time to practice like this, we give children and teens a way to participate in their own oral health.
My hope is that this kind of education encourages curiosity and confidence. Children and teens deserve explanations they can understand, and parents deserve the time and clarity to make informed decisions. Seeing together helps me create those conversations.
The people and purpose behind the technology
Yoshida’s materials describe a commitment to craftsmanship, close relationships with clinical practice, and responding to the needs of dentists and patients. I appreciate that connection between thoughtful engineering and the human experience of receiving care.
In the MielScope, I see a practical expression of that connection: technology that helps me examine closely while sharing what I am seeing with the family.
In a recent interview, the company’s leadership speaks about encouraging people to become “dental fans”, people whose interest in dentistry helps them become more aware of their mouths and engaged in caring for them.
I love that idea.
Curiosity gives us a place to begin. A child can look at the screen, notice a detail, and ask a question. A teen can take part in a conversation about their own teeth. A parent can connect an explanation with something they can see.
These are opportunities to build understanding, one conversation at a time.
A lifelong view, beginning in childhood
It is amazing to me that so many adults in the world today have lost their teeth. While technology has come a long way offering dental implants, printed dentures and esthetic solutions, every time I take part in a meeting that showcases all the dental issues that adults deal with, I feel so thankful to be a pediatric dentist. I am passionate about children’s oral health and tell the kids I see daily: Take care of those beautiful teeth so they can last one hundred years! On a similar wavelength, the Yoshida group is in full support of Japan’s 80/20 Campaign, which encourages people to retain at least 20 natural teeth at age 80. It is a reminder of how far into the future our work can reach.
At Smiles, that long view begins with the child in front of us today. It begins with listening, explaining, protecting healthy tooth structure, and helping families build habits they can carry forward.
The MielScope has become a beautiful tool for that purpose. It brings the details into view and gives us another way to connect.
My hope is that children leave our office with a little more understanding, a little more curiosity, and a sense that their smile is something precious they know how to care for.
That is the future I want to help them see.
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