Dr. Billy Kim delivers general dental care for his patients and creates beautiful smiles through aesthetic dental treatment. His brand of dentistry centres around the principle that professional techniques and a positive patient experience go hand in hand in ensuring good oral health.
“A relationship between a dentist and a patient is a lifelong journey,” Dr. Billy says. “We work together towards a mutual goal of maintaining good teeth and oral health, and along with it addressing the common fear of going to the dentist.”
His interest in dentistry comes from a personal place. In his younger years, he had to go through various orthodontic treatments that made him well aware of the uneasiness that often comes with the experience. It prompted him to learn more about dentistry and vow to “do things a little bit differently.”
Given this background, combined with his desire to help people and do something hands-on, becoming a dentist was a natural path for Dr. Billy. He attended the University of Western Australia and graduated with a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree.
Today, Dr. Billy handles general dentistry, from maintenance cases to emergencies. He covers a broad range of treatments from restorative, periodontal, endodontics and surgical procedures, as well as prosthodontics. For more complicated cases, he collaborates with Dr. Ian Ho and other surgical specialists to achieve the best results for their patients.
A core aspect of Dr. Billy’s practice is minimally invasive dentistry. This methodology focuses on preserving the original tooth structure and carrying out treatment using only the least invasive techniques.
“I believe that every tooth deserves a second chance,” he says. “Fortunately, today there are a lot more options for saving the tooth, allowing us to opt out of intensive or extreme procedures such as extraction, and helping patients avoid complications in the future.”
Dr. Billy believes in the value of providing dental care that reflects individual needs. Such an approach has helped turn patients into regulars at QVC Baldivis, where he has been working for five years now. A lot of his patients refer their family members to see him. He also has regular patients from regional areas who opt to fly for two to three hours for the appointment, because they choose to be under his care. For Dr. Billy, seeing that high level of trust is one of the most rewarding parts of his job.
It’s impossible to deliver the best care for patients without a professional, highly qualified dental clinic staff, says Dr. Billy.
“Dentistry is not something you can do by yourself, obviously, because you need the whole team around you, including dental assistants, receptionists and the practice manager,” he says. “You might be a great dentist, but if your chairside manner is not good, or the patient has a bad experience at the front, it won’t work. Fortunately, we do have a good team. Everyone is so supportive and looks out for each other.”
With such a strong support system, Dr. Billy is eager to expand his knowledge to make more significant strides in improving the total patient experience. Currently working to further sharpen his skills in restorative dentistry, he is also looking into pursuing the surgical aspects of dentistry in the near future.
Dr. Billy takes professional development courses in person every three months or so, or alternatively, attends online courses. This allows him to continue to be in the know about the latest changes in the field, and as a result, constantly find ways to provide nothing but top-notch care for his patients.
Outside of work, Dr. Billy enjoys landscape photography – a hobby that, similar to his profession, requires an eye for beauty, attention to detail and a respect for the craft. He says being surrounded by nature helps him find restorative balance, allowing him to return to the clinic fully refreshed and recharged.
Dr. Billy likewise loves spending time with his family and his partner. “My parents recently moved from New Zealand to stay with me in Perth. So I'm looking after them, and I like to spend time with them now that they’ve retired,” he says.
For Dr. Billy, dentistry can be likened to golf. “You go to the same place, use the same set of equipment, but every day is a different game, and no two shots are exactly the same,” he says. “Same thing with dentistry: you go into a workday expecting one thing but there will always be variations along the way.
You can never master golf, and it’s the same with dentistry. You can always be a better clinician, but I don’t think anyone can call themselves the best dentist, and nobody can say they know everything about the industry.” For Dr. Billy, that’s not a bad thing. It simply means you’ll have a journey of lifelong learning and improvement.
Good Quality AND Value for Your Money. The cost of your family’s dental care shouldn’t be directly related to the quality of the service that you receive. At QVC Dental Baldivis, we can work within your financial constraints to ensure our services are uniquely tailored to the needs and wants of you and your family.
