Elaine D Kim, DDS

Dr Kim is great! Very thorough and gentle. The office is nice too. TVs at every chair.

I never thought my experience with a dentist could be so positive that I’d write a Unilocal review about it!
I came in for a routine check up and cleaning. It’s been about a year since my visit to a dentist. The cleaning was so quick! And I was surprised to see that the dentist, not a hygienist, did the cleaning herself. In the past, I’ve had a hygienist pick, scrape, and clean teeth for close to 45 minutes before the dentist walked in for all of maybe 5 – 10 minutes. Thank goodness those days of metal scraping my teeth are over. I HATE that sound. It’s my version of nails on a chalkboard. *shivers*
I brought up a few issues with Dr. Kim that I mentioned to my previous dentist who failed to elaborate. Dr. Kim was very professional and thorough in her explanations.
With the new patient paperwork, initial visit x-​rays, cleaning, and evaluation, I was out in an hour with the most pleasant dental experience ever. I never thought I’d say this: I can’t to visit the dentist again!

I’ve been coming to Dr. Kim for almost a decade now.
Dr. Kim is the honest, professional, and hard-​working.
She has a friendly staff as well.
I too have received the ‘hacked email’ other Unilocalers have pointed out (Paul N.) but to be fair, I don’t see how an internet-​hack has a high correlation with whether someone is a reliable dentist.
Moreover, Dr. Kim is the dentist for both my mother and father, as well as my wife.

Dr. Kim is the best dentist I have ever encountered!!! Growing up in a small town I didnt have many choices in dentist and as an adult I feared going back to the dentist. But because of an awful toothache my boyfriend suggested his dentist: Dr. Kim. Now, I drive from San Diego for my appointments because she is worth the drive. Dr. Kim is kind, honest, thorough, and not to mention has cute outfits and accessories. If you are looking for not just a good dentist but a great dentist, look no further.

Agree with all other 5 star reviews. She’s more educated than most other general dentists because of her focus on cosmetics. Her work is very detailed and precise, and pain free. She’s also good about telling you directly about what things will cost, vs. some other dentists who act like they don’t have anything to do with finances.

Dr. Kim is the best! I have had her as my dentist for over a year now, so thankful she is in my network with United Healthcare! Wouldn’t want anyone else.

I am so thankful for Ivy Dental. As Van D. said, Dr. Elaine Kim, Adriana (does appointments n’ the like), and Itzamar (dental assistant) are nothing short of stellar in the service they provide.
Money cannot buy character. And these three women are filled with gracious character. Adriana found a stuffed animal my daughter left there and saved it for us. She’s always willing to help out in any way that she can. Itzamar was not only helpful to me as I was getting my fillings done, I could sense the great teamwork ethic she had with Dr. Kim as well. Dr. Kim is so kind and gracious with her words and actions, it’s like she not only got a doctorate for dentistry, but she has one when it comes to compassion and guidance. She’ll kindly guide you through everything she’s doing, and you could tell she treats her patients as if they were good friends. That’s rare these days.
Some would prefer a good product (updated dental technology) over good people or vice versa. What happens when you have both? Come here to find out! You might have even better things to say! :) Happy teeth to you! haha

I was referred to Dr Elaine Kim at Ivy Dental a while back. My friend Teresa was raving about her wonderful experience at the dentist office. I was like O_​O’ are you serious!!! It wasn’t until recent when one of my childhood fillings fell out that I needed to go in ASAP!
I spoke with Adriana and she told me and I was able to get an appointment in a timely matter. It is very nice that Dr. Kim is able to stay later if you ever need her to. Adriana was very kind and very professional. She was continuously helpful, even down to the last minute when I was a bit lost finding the office.
Dr. Kim has a very warm personality and I felt immediately reassured when I met her. She left me with Iztmara to take 3 xrays from different angles to optimally take care of my tooth-​needs. Iztmara was very nice and accommodating. She even went out of her way to find me the channel list incase I wanted to watch a certain show. This office is definitely high tech!
I love love love Dr. Kim. She does not try to upsell you on procedures. She genuinely just wants to help. Furthermore, Dr. Kim will tell you step by step what she is doing and that really comforts me during the nerve-​racking process. I am more than pleased with her work and I will definitely be coming back here!
Amazing technology and a loving staff! What more can I ask for? I will definitely recommend Dr. Kim to all of my friends and family in the area! :D I already have a cleaning appointment with her in January! Can you believe? I’m actually looking forward to my dentist visit!

Awesome dentist! She is timely, quick, and really well priced. The office is very clean and the staff is friendly. Most dentists try to rip you off. She is pretty legit! I recommend her.

Dr. Kim’s practice does the job. Dr. Kim gets down to business doing her job efficiently and fast. I barely waited to be seen. Staff was communicative.
The best part is that it doesn’t FEEL like a business where they’re trying to sell you up on unnecessary procedures.
I gave 5 stars because of this dental practices meets my needs which are:
–excellent service: friendly enough but not too fluffy or disingenuous; just enough of friendliness
–clear communication on why she does or uses certain things (i.e. I’m putting this in your mouth because…)
–Dr. Kim seems really sharp and does her job well
–Dr. Kim is the one who did the cleaning, not a hygienist
–seems like the tools she used were up to date/​high tech (I got fillings, xrays, and a cleaning done)
–solid credentials (Cornell, Columbia, Yale)
If you’re looking for a lot of hand-​holding or a really fancy place that makes you feel like a superstar and gives you about a million other ways to make your teeth look fabulous, this is not the place. If you want to feel like your needs are met and you’re spoken to in an intelligent way with clear explanations and treated like a grown adult, not a baby or a pay check, then go here. Dr. Kim is great.

I can’t recommend Dr. Kim enough. She is as good as you’ll ever find. I’ve been a patient of hers for about 5 years now (I think?) and she is the best dentist I’ve ever had. She’s fast, efficient, very friendly and extremely knowledgeable. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a good, gentle dentist.
I really like the new office location and how spiffy everything is. There are now flat screen TVs in each room and the XRay machines are state of the art and 100% digital. This might sound odd, but I really do enjoy getting my teeth cleaned nowadays… XD

I highly recommend Dr. Kim!
She is a very genuine person who truly cares for your well-​being. I had a complicated issue with my molars and she thoroughly explained the different possible treatments. She tried to give me stats as to what may have the better outcome in the long run. She wants to make sure that you don’t waste your money, and treat your teeth in a way that provides the best possible outcome for now and the future. Also, she welcomes any kind of question you may have and will sit down with you to answer everything. Dr. Kim is just overall very friendly! Also, everyone that works in her office is extremely friendly as well.
Her office is very clean, and all her equipment looks new. Each room also has a t.v. if you need to wait for some reason.

I went to Dr. Kim’s dental office for three years, eventually introducing her to my parents, who still use her as a dentist.
She is friendly, sincere, and explains things while she does work on your teeth. Her office feels neat and clean, and when my filling chipped a few months after she worked on it, she fixed the next day at no cost. She cares about keeping her clients in good health and will work with you to improve your teeth. Highly recommended.

Went in to see Dr. Kim (no relation) today for a cleaning. Everything was great. The office is clean and the staff friendly. Dr. Kim has great bedside manner and is very attentive and pleasant. She explained what she was doing while she was doing it so I wasn’t just sitting in the chair listening to the sound of the drill and suction. The cleaning went well, and she was careful around my sensitive spots.
She has a digitial x-​ray machine in her office, which, according to her assistant, uses less radiation than traditional x-​ray machines.
She gave good tips on how to protect my gums and teeth and sent me on my way with a goodie bag (sans candy).
Overall, a great visit.

Dr. Kim is great. She came highly recommended and is the best dentist I have ever visited. She does all her cleanings herself and is extremely fast. I have been going to her for about two years now and will definitely continue to do so. No negatives that I can think of except I believe she doesn’t take HMO (only PPO or self-​pay).
Also, her equipment is now brand-​new as she moved and she has tv’s at each chair (the Corporate Park address is wrong… not sure about the phone number).

Awesome dentist! Her office is very clean and her equipment is like new. I came here for cleanings and also got a cavity filling. I was amazed at how painless the cavity filling was. I remember getting fillings from my old dentist being a very painful procedure but with her I barely felt a thing. Also she does the teeth cleaning herself and doesn’t hand it off to a hygienist like some dentists do.
Also important is that service is very prompt. I barely spend time in the waiting room when I show up for my appointment. And once you’re in the chair, you are the only patient she sees. I have been to dentists that go back and forth between patients but I have never seen her do this.
Her location is perfect for UCI students since it is really close to campus. I came here when I was attending UC Irvine and after graduating and moving back home Im still searching for a dentist as good as Dr Kim.