Dr. Michael Choi, Prosthodontist Serving Irvine, CA
Dr. Michael Choi is a prosthodontist Irvine CA patients turn to when a dental concern needs more than routine care. As a board-trained specialist in restoring and replacing teeth, he has spent his career focused on dental implants, full-arch reconstruction, and cosmetic smile design. Dr. Choi is currently accepting new patients, and care at Smile By Design is available in English, Korean, and Spanish, so you can discuss your treatment in the language you're most comfortable using. With more than 35,000 implant procedures and restorations to his name, along with ongoing lecturing and teaching in implant and cosmetic dentistry, he brings a depth of hands-on experience that shapes every treatment plan he writes.
Education, Training, and Specialty Credentials
Dr. Choi is a board-trained prosthodontist who continues to lecture and teach implant and cosmetic dentistry, seeing patients in English, Korean, and Spanish in Irvine, CA.
What It Means to Be a Prosthodontist
Recognized Dental Specialty — Restorative & Reconstructive Care
Prosthodontics is a recognized dental specialty focused on diagnosing, planning, and restoring teeth that are missing, damaged, or compromised by disease or injury. It requires additional training beyond dental school, concentrated on crowns, bridges, dentures, implants, and full-mouth rehabilitation. Patients who search out a prosthodontist in Irvine are often facing a case involving more than one tooth, sometimes an entire arch, and want a clinician trained specifically for that scope of planning.
Advanced Implant Training and Continuing Education
Ongoing Coursework & Lecturing in Implant Dentistry
Beyond his formal prosthodontic training, Dr. Choi continues to study and teach implant dentistry and cosmetic techniques through ongoing coursework and lecturing to other dental professionals. This keeps his approach current as implant techniques continue to evolve, and it means treatment planning is informed by both broad clinical experience and continuing education, not training that stopped at dental school graduation.
Dr. Choi’s Clinical Focus and Areas of Expertise
Dental Implants and Full-Arch Restoration
Dental implants are the core of Dr. Choi’s practice. He treats everything from single tooth replacement to full-arch cases using dental implants, including All-on-4 and All-on-X solutions for patients missing most or all of their teeth in an arch. For patients researching dental implants Irvine CA offers, the treatment planning process typically starts with a 3D scan and a written plan that outlines each step, the materials involved, and the expected timeline before any procedure begins.
Cosmetic Dentistry and Smile Transformation
Dr. Choi also treats patients seeking cosmetic improvements, from porcelain veneers and smile makeovers to bonding and whitening. As a cosmetic dentist Irvine CA residents consult for smile makeovers, he approaches aesthetic cases with the same restorative principles he applies to implant work: protecting healthy tooth structure, planning conservatively, and making sure the final result functions as well as it looks.
Why Volume and Specialization Matter for Your Outcome
Complex implant and full-arch cases involve many moving parts: bone quality, bite alignment, gum health, and the long-term fit of the final restoration. A clinician who has managed thousands of these cases has usually already seen the variations that can complicate treatment and plans for them in advance. Choosing a prosthodontist Irvine CA patients trust for advanced implant and prosthetic work does not guarantee a particular result, but it does mean your case is planned by someone whose practice is built around this type of dentistry. That focus is worth asking about, no matter which office you choose.
A Patient-First Philosophy Built on Transparency and Conservative Care
Patients often describe Dr. Choi’s approach as unhurried and thorough. He takes time to explain what he’s seeing, walks through the treatment options available, and puts the plan in writing before any work begins, including the costs involved, so there are no surprises once treatment starts. When a more conservative option, such as an inlay instead of a full crown, can preserve more of your natural tooth, that’s the option he’ll present first. The goal is to protect what can be saved and restore what cannot, not to recommend the most extensive procedure available. Our Insurance & Financing page has more detail on how treatment costs and payment options are reviewed with you.
Have Questions For Dr. Choi?
Call our office directly to speak with our team or schedule your consultation.
Call (949) 786-2820Serving Irvine and Surrounding
Communities in Multiple Languages
Dr. Choi sees patients throughout Irvine and nearby communities, and as an implant dentist in Irvine known for treating Korean and Spanish-speaking patients directly, he’s able to walk through diagnosis and treatment planning without relying on translation. That matters most in implant and prosthodontic cases, where understanding every step of a multi-visit treatment plan is part of feeling confident in the decision. Dr. Choi works alongside Dr. Grace Ahn and the rest of our team to coordinate care for patients at every stage of treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dr. Choi
Is Dr. Choi accepting new patients?
Yes. Dr. Choi is currently welcoming new patients at Smile By Design, including those seeking a second opinion on implant or full-arch treatment plans recommended elsewhere. Call the office to schedule a consultation and discuss your specific case.
What is the difference between a prosthodontist and a general dentist?
A prosthodontist Irvine CA patients see for complex cases completes dental school plus additional, hospital-based training focused entirely on restoring and replacing teeth, including implants, crowns, bridges, and dentures. General dentists provide a broad range of care, including many of these same procedures, while a prosthodontist’s additional training concentrates specifically on the most complex restorative and reconstructive cases.
How many dental implants has Dr. Choi placed?
Dr. Choi has completed more than 35,000 dental implant surgeries and restorations over the course of his career. This includes single-tooth implants as well as complex full-arch cases involving multiple implants and bone grafting.
Does Dr. Choi see patients who speak Korean or Spanish?
Yes. Care at Smile By Design is available in English, Korean, and Spanish, so you can review your diagnosis, options, and treatment plan in the language you’re most comfortable with.
Schedule Time with Dr. Choi
If you’re weighing options for a dental implant, full-arch restoration, or a smile makeover, talking directly with Dr. Choi is a good next step. Call our Irvine office to set up a consultation, or reach out online and our team will help you find a time that works.