Dr. Jin Hwang never set out to establish a professional empire. Yet now he runs Maine Dental Group, with 26 locations and counting. Such growth is not for the faint of heart. “If you’re not a risk taker,” he says, “you can’t do what I do.”

BY GIA MAZUR MERWINE.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN BRUSIE: KEVINBRUSIE.COM

DR. JIN HWANG wasn’t supposed to become a dentist. At least that’s what his high school tutor told him. “Do me a favor,” she whispered to him after he told her he planned to become a doctor. “Save your parents’ money and do something else.” Not exactly the kind of rousing encouragement most future entrepreneurs (or clinicians) receive. Born in South Korea and raised in the United States after immigrating when he was 9, Dr. Hwang grew up in a traditional Asian household where becoming a doctor wasn’t so much a career aspiration as an expectation.

By his own admission, he struggled academically in high school before channeling that criticism into motivation. He shaved his head in college in pursuit of a monkish asceticism, buried himself in his studies and eventually earned his acceptance into dental school at age 29.

Today, the founder of Maine Dental Group, now 52, oversees 26 dental offices, a construction company, a dental assisting school . . . and a sushi restaurant. He mentors young dentists across the country and continues to practice clinically. Retirement isn’t on his radar.

Inquire about his success, though, and he won’t talk about production numbers or acquisitions. Instead, he’ll discuss solving problems. “I never really had a plan,” he says. “I just kept trying to do the next right thing. . . . But you have to take risks. You can’t be afraid to fail.”

The Maine Event
Starting his career in the Pine Tree State wasn’t what Dr. Hwang specifically sought, but it checked every box: less competition, better reimbursement rates and easy access to saltwater fishing. For a young dentist looking to build both a career and a life, Maine made a compelling case.

After graduating from Boston University’s Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine at 33, he sought an underserved community where he could build something meaningful. His plan—open one great practice and build a good life for his family—was simple. But it didn’t last long.

The growth of Maine Dental Group, headquartered in the town of Westbrook, happened almost entirely organically. His associates began posting to social media about their quality of life in Maine, which attracted others. Dr. Hwang didn’t have any available spots in his practice, so he’d place them in others. Then he bought one. And ano­ther. Soon, graduates from prominent dental schools—Tufts, Temple, Loma Linda—were calling him directly.

Today, many of the dentists who join his organization come by referral. “It’s just lineage at this point,” he says. Now, what began as a single office has grown into one of Maine’s largest dental organizations, serving communities throughout the state.

Playing the Dozens
If there’s one thing Dr. Hwang wishes young dentists understood, it’s that they need to think further ahead.

When he bought his second practice, it had three operatories. He quickly outgrew it. Then he moved into a seven-op practice. He outgrew that, too. Now, he builds practices with a dozen or more operatories in mind.

“Young dentists building their first practice don’t have to build all ten to 12 chairs right away,” he says. “But build the space. Plumb everything. Leave room to grow.”

His advice extends beyond design, how­ever. He isn’t afraid of debt if the numbers make sense. He buys buildings outright because he doesn’t want landlords dictating his future. When construction costs skyrocketed during the pandemic, he started his own construction company to build and renovate his offices at a fraction of the outlay.

“If you’re not a risk taker,” he says, “you can’t do what I do.” Entrepreneurship, he admits, isn’t for everyone. Work-life balance doesn’t always exist in the early years. For the first decade of his career, Dr. Hwang worked late nights and weekends building the life he desired. “You have to sacrifice,” he says. “But eventually, you can build something that gives you freedom.”

The Mother of Invention
During the pandemic, as many dentists worried about staffing shortages, Dr. Hwang saw opportunity. He predicted a shortage of dental assistants and decided to do something about it. He founded a state-approved dental assisting school and recruited waitstaff from local restaurants, recognizing that their multitasking abilities and people skills would translate naturally to dentistry.

He taught the program himself, free of charge, and hired many of the graduates into his practices. “We had a three-month [pandemic] shutdown,” he says. “I thought, ‘Who’s the ideal dental assistant?’ Waitresses.”

That mindset has guided his business decisions throughout his career. If there’s a problem, he builds the solution. Dental assistants? Build a school. Construction costs? Build a construction company. Need associates? Create opportunities for them. That philosophy has served him well both within dentistry and without: Dr. Hwang, you see, also owns a sushi restaurant: Jin Sushi in Saco, Maine.

All in the Family
Despite all the locations he owns, Dr. Hwang insists Maine Dental Group is something very different from a traditional DSO. “I always joke, ‘I’m not Aspen or Heartland—I’m just me,’ ” he says.

His dentists join him and his family for barbecues at his home. He celebrates birthdays together at his restaurant and has taken doctors on cruises and international trips. Some associates have stayed with him for seven or eight years. Many retiring dentists who sell their practices to him remain close friends. “I treat them like family,” he says.

That tightly bound culture of mentorship runs well past Maine’s borders. Young dentists regularly call Dr. Hwang seeking advice on buying practices, expanding their businesses or navigating entrepreneurship. He continues to mentor many doctors long after they’ve moved away. “I wish I had someone to guide me when I was starting out,” he says.

He’s also quick to point out that his path won’t be right for everyone. Success in dentistry looks different for doctors depending on their goals, their families and the kind of life they hope to build.

Still, there are a few principles he believes are universal: Stay humble, remain open to constructive criticism and don’t let stress dictate your decisions. “People don’t listen enough,” he says. “They’re afraid to take risks.”

The risks he’s taken have led him to today, enjoying the result of all that hard work. He and his wife, Joy, travel frequently, and he’s able to spend significant time with his children despite his many business obligations.

From a struggling high school student who was told to spare his parents their encounter with his costly tuition to one of Maine’s most successful dental entrepreneurs, Dr. Hwang has a secret. It isn’t that he had a master plan. It’s that he never stopped building.