Capitol Hill-Montlake Dentistry: Henry Han Chin D.D.S, P.L.L.C

I haven’t been to a dentist in years, so I was a little nervous! I was so relieved with my first experience; their level of professionalism was amazing, you can tell that everyone in this office is talented and will do a great job. I felt comfortable the entire time (well, as comfortable as you can be at a dentist’s office anyway) and I’m excited to continue going here. I don’t have insurance either, but they helped me find a financing solution that honestly leaves me to believe that dental insurance is nothing but a huge waste of time (here’s one of those times when it pays to have good credit). I would, and will, recommend this practice to anyone looking for a dentist.

It’s hard to know if my experience was a comedy of errors… or complete incompetence.
First, my husband went for a cleaning. They made him pay $ 400+ on the spot for the cleaning that was 100% covered by our insurance and they wouldn’t give his diagnosis– he was to come back for a «consult» at a $ 50 fee. They also pushed him HARD to get the «deep cleaning.» I called my insurance company which sorted it all out. On the «treatment plan» they were calling cavities two procedures –double billing! — that my insurance company said they’d only pay as one. Thank goodness for insurance.
Then, after I was also pushed to a «deep cleaning» (we both said no), they said I needed a crown. I made the appointment for what was usually a 90 min procedure and it took 3 ½ hours! They have this scanner machine that’s supposed to replace impressions, but it didn’t work. They’d drill a little, try to scan, it didn’t work, then drill more– as if shaping my tooth to accommodate the machine. I finally insisted on an old-​fashioned impression.
I came back to get my crown, an appt that should take 30 – 60 min, and whaddya know, it didn’t fit. They did more drill-​scan-​drill-​scan. 90 min. I had to come back after the holidays. (Naturally during the holidays the temporary fell out, which was another 30 min appt.)
Finally at the 3^rd appointment… another 45 min… which they tried to schedule at the end of January but I insisted on sooner since the temporary I was supposed to wear just 2 weeks had been in 5 weeks at that point… they STILL didn’t have a crown that fit. At this point I had spent 6+ hours and 4 appts on something that should have taken a total of 2 appts and 3 hours. I asked if I could go elsewhere, and I did… to a dentist that made a fitting crown in 1 try using normal impressions.
In all fairness, he didn’t charge me for the crown… which was good because I had to pay all over again to the new dentist. And there’s no way to repay me for those hours I wasted. The rest of my fillings I’ll have done at the new dentist.

I have been going to Dr. Chin for over a year now. I read some of the past reviews and was somewhat alarmed by the negative ones, especially given my experiences with he and his staff have been entirely different. Since I started going there I have had a tooth implant and crown as well as several cleanings. Perhaps the issues mentioned have been worked out on his part or perhaps they were not true from the beginning. Its not like we are able to verify the details. Dr. Chin is very knowledgeable, his staff is also professional and my experiences with them have been very favorable. If I had a complaint, I would say he is a perfectionist in his work and I personally cannot think of better area within my life where I would want that level of perfection. Growing up my mother was a dental assistant so we were subject to exams and services quite often. I often tell my friends, if a dentist hurts, its because they earned Bs or Cs while in dental school. Dr. Chin has never hurt me. NancyP

I have been a patient of Dr. Chin’s for close to 30 years. I have had exemplary care throughout that time. Both of my children have loved going to the dentist since they were little girls. They know my needs and my idiosyncrasies and do everything to accommodate them. I have recommended this office to others and will continue to do so.
I feel comfortable discussing finances with the team and coming up with less expensive solutions. Henry wants the best for my mouth and my family. The technology continues to improve to make my visits shorter and more efficient. I have almost never been kept waiting (since the 80’s!)
Anngen is an excellent hygienist. The staff is warm and caring. The office is immaculate and up to date. When I was considering changing dental plans, I visited a few other offices and decided that our family would stay with Dr, Chin. Dental Care is like surgery and cleanliness is super important.
When I have asked for support in sponsoring a non-​profit I am involved in, Henry just says sure. This office is right across the street from St. Joseph’s school and Tully’s. The location and parking are very convenient.

Great location, clean, modern office, professional team, quality work.
One major problem: unnecessary procedures are the norm. Was told I needed 4 cavities filled and deep cleaning for my gums. Given my dental history, I was suspicious and got a second opinion. With my new dentist, I needed one cavity filled and my gums are rated 1 – 2. My partner experienced the same issue.
Buyer beware, watch out for the upsell!

I have been going here for over 3 years now, and have had a positive experience.
I switched when I started developing not one but two cavities that my previous dentist/​hygienists didn’t catch. My first visit I was able to get in quickly and have it covered by my insurance. During that visit, he poked the areas of my teeth and yep, pain due to a cavity forming. After getting those cavities filled, I have been visiting DR Chin’s office for a regular cleaning every few months because even despite my best cleaning measures there’s still some plaque left over.
I’ve been treated by several hygienists during my time due there, with most being great and just one being good. I don’t watch tv during the procedures (call me hardcore I guess) so I focus on what they’re doing during the procedures.
Unlike some of the other patients with negative reviews, I don’t recall having procedures offered that I didn’t need. They did encourage me (along with my wife) to get a Sonicare toothbrush though, but almost every dentist I’ve been to has also recommended it. I get early morning appointments so I never have to wait long for my appointment. Unless something negative happens, I’ll probably keep going here regularly.

Great Dr and team. They all work very well with each other. Communication is great within their team and with their patients. I left knowing exactly what treatment needed to be done and why. I understood what my copay would be for every procedure that was presented to me. High tech office with TV screens in all rooms. The warm towel after dental treatment is the best!!!

Very friendly caring staff, accomodating and always on time when I show up. I have a pretty complicated case and they seem to take it one step at a time and expain the process clearly. I’m on my way to finally having nice teeth!

I’ve been with Dr. Chin and his staff for almost 2 decades. They are very kind, patient and helpful in taking care of all my dental needs. Oh, and the office is amazing. Thank you Henry & staff!

I went to see Dr. Chin last week. The staff are all very nice and helpful. I hate going to the dentist I hadn’t been to the dentist in a very long time. The assistant, the hygienist, and the doctor were all really awesome about making me feel comfortable.
It was great being able to sit down with Dr. Chin to discuss which interventions he recommended and then sitting down with the treatment planner to discuss insurance coverage and scheduling of the the procedures. So far this has been a really great experience at the dentist. And the flat screen TVs are a great way to relax during the cleaning.

I just went to se Dr. Chin for the first time yesterday. The clinic is gorgeous (they have flat screens over the chairs so you can watch tv too!) and Dr. Chin and his staff are wonderful and very friendly.

I have had a wonderful experience each time that I have visited his office. The first time was an emergency as I had an absessed tooth. My partner’s dentist did not respond in a timely fashion (I even went into the emergency room and had shots to numb the area which only lasted 4 hours). Wendy was most gracious and scheduled my appointment to see him right away. As I was in agony, he was calm and reassured me that everything was going to get better. I have now seen Dr. Chin for a little over a year, and everyone on his staff is gracious and friendly. I have been referred to other dentists that specialize in root canals and extrations and they have the highest regards for Dr. Chin. I have not experienced nor seen any of the things that E.J. has mentioned in their review of the professionalism and question their intent of slander for Dr. Chin. I would highly recommend Dr. Chin to anyone who asked for referrals as he has made someone who is scared of going to the dentist into someone who trusts him. They lay out the short-​term and long-​term recommendations and discuss the levels of priority so that I can work with my insurance company to best suit my needs as an individual. Thank you for making going to the dentist more enjoyable for someone who has a phobia against the sights and sounds of the inside of a dentist office.

I have had the worst experience at Dr. Chins. DO NOT GO HERE!!!
First, I went in for a cleaning cleared that everything with my teeth was fine, then went back to school out of state and two weeks later have an extremely painful toothache that had me in tears. I went to a dentist close-​by because it hurt so much and I needed a root canal. I had a tooth that was clearly decaying and Dr. Chin did not catch it. I then went to him over xmas break to have my crown put in and had a lot of cavities to fill (I take good care of my teeth, its a little bit genetics and him not catching it that led to this). I was in his office 5 times in one week for hours at a time, and he told me he wanted to eventually re-​do my crown b/​c he didnt think he did his best job because he rushed to keep me comfortable (I wasn’t kicking and screaming or ANYTHING so there was no need for him to rush). The crown hurt so bad that I still havent done it.
Also, while chewing a small piece of gum, a filling came out. Poorly done. And tonight, while FLOSSING, another filling came out. He does so many unneccary procedures and makes them worse. My family has spent so much money there and I have worse teeth now. after having a cavity filled 2 weeks ago, i had a huge toothache for a week straight. When i went back in, he said there was nothing wrong and made me feel like a liar even though it was very painful. Now i’m pretty sure i’ll need a root canal.
Worst dentist ever and I’m switching this week. DO NOT GO HERE!!!
Also, they always make you wait. So frustrating.

I have been seeing Dr. Chin since I was pregnant with my first child, about 6 years ago. I was very neglectful of my teeth, and he and his team have really helped me get back on track to healthier teeth and gums. My husband now sees him, as well as both my little boys. In fact, we were just there this afternoon for a follow-​up appointment for my 5 year old’s teeth that were knocked loose by his brother a few weeks ago. Their hygienist, Anngen, is pretty amazing. She made my son feel so at ease, he was actually giggling, which you don’t hear too much at the dentist! Dr. Chin is very knowledgeable, and didn’t automatically push to have my son’s teeth pulled. He’s really good about keeping track of any issues, being thorough with checking, reassuring, and quite friendly. I would definitely recommend his office.

I have been going to Dr. Chin for several years and have enjoyed top-​notch dental care delivered by a diligent and experienced staff. I appreciate how they take time to answer my many questions and to walk me through the steps I need to take to address particular issues. Their concern and encouragement goes a long way towards keeping me on the right track between visits, and, as a result, I have benefited from healthier teeth and gums.

Do not go here!!! This guy is such a crook! As other Unilocalers had said, he constantly suggests treatments that are not needed. Also mentioned, he can be a jerk. I tried to tell him that I was feeling pain but he just shrugged it off. I had tears in my eyes!
He left a huge gap in my teeth when he «fixed» a cavity. He was relentless in asking if I wanted extra procedures, even going as far as trying to tell me that a healthy tooth was a cavity to try to fix the gap that he left in my teeth. I was to the point I was going to sue, but I just don’t have the time to do something so lengthy.
Please do not be fooled with the technology in his practice. Granted it’s nice but its not worth risking your teeth. This guy is really low and he will try to rob you, then do crappy work to top it off.
I created an account just to warn people about him. Please do not go to him, you will most likely regret it!

Excellent hygienists and a clean, modern office with good equipment. The front desk staff can be moody, sometimes very friendly, sometimes abrupt and unpleasant. As for Henry Chin himself, he is clearly knowledgeable, but he kept pushing expensive procedures of questionable value on me despite the fact that I have quite good teeth, and he pushed a different one every time I went in with no particular consistency, to the point that I began to wonder if the business is having financial trouble and he is trying to increase revenues. That issue combined with severe tardiness (40 minutes or more of waiting) on a few appointments are why I, after two years with Henry Chin, decided to switch back to my old dentist.
It is unfortunate. Henry Chin’s office is conveniently located, he is clearly skilled, and the hygienists are among the best I have seen. But I want a dentist who is focuses on cost-​effective and high benefit procedures. I want a dentist who is concerned about my costs and my time. During my visits, I felt like I was constantly standing up to pressure for what I judged to be premature and probably unnecessary interventions.
Update: A month later, I went to another dentist, who said I had a lot of build up (probably meaning the cleanings were not thorough enough at Henry Chin’s office) and that I definitely do not need any of the expensive procedures Henry Chin kept suggesting. The latter confirms what I thought, but the former seems to indicate that the hygienists were not as good as I thought, or, at least, were not sufficiently thorough.

Similar to Barbara T.‘s story, Dr. Chin recommended replacement of old fillings that weren’t causing me any discomfort. Both were done incorrectly. When a competent dentist cleaned up the mess that Dr. Chin created, I ended up needing two crowns. Stay away!

I switched dentists to Dr Chin when he moved his office to my neighborhood. At first I was impressed with his practice. After going for two routine cleanings, he suggested that I replace some old fillings I had in two teeth that had been there since I was a child. The suggestion seemed reasonable to me, so I went ahead with the procedure.
What should have been a routine procedure turned into a disaster. He killed both of my teeth. Teeth that I wasn’t having any problems with. If that isn’t bad enough, he maxed out my dental insurance plan by charging me for each visit I went back to him to try to correct the problem. So when I went to another dentist to fix what Dr Chin had messed up (TWO root canals and a crown) I had to pay out of pocket for the services. Expensive!
I conveyed this story to one of my neighbors. Sadly, he had a very similar experience.
If I could give no stars, I would. If you are precious about your teeth, I would suggest looking at a different dentist.

I wish Dr. Chin was a preferred care provider with my insurance so that I could stay with his office. The staff is warm, professional, and always extremely friendly. Even when I asked to have my x-​rays so that I could move to another dentist they were absolutely sweet to me. I had not been to the dentist in several years and had some tiny cavities to fill when I first saw him. All of his staff was wonderful, even when I fainted from a sensitivity to epinephrine during the first fillings. They figured out that’s what it was and were able to do the next fillings without it. They didn’t make me suffer just to make it easier for them. Their technology is very current. If my insurance changes or if they ever get to be with my company, I will try to go back to them.