Dr. Su-Min Lee, DDS, MSD, DScD

Su-Min Lee, DDS, MSD, DScD, is a board-certified endodontist at Penn Dental Family Practice in Philadelphia. Her work focuses on dental pulp, tooth nerves, and the tissues that surround a tooth root. Patients may see her when decay, infection, injury, or another problem affects the inner part of a tooth. Her clinical services include root canal therapy, dental trauma care, internal tooth bleaching, and surgical root canal procedures. She may also assess persistent tooth pain or infection after an earlier root canal. Treatment aims to control infection, relieve symptoms, and preserve a natural tooth when possible.

Dental Training in South Korea and Philadelphia

Dr. Lee began her dental education at Chosun University College of Dentistry in Gwangju, South Korea. She earned a Doctor of Dental Surgery in 2003. She later completed a postgraduate certificate in conservative dentistry and a Master of Science in Dentistry at the same university in 2006. Her early career included four years in private dental practice in South Korea. She also served as a clinical instructor in conservative dentistry at Chosun University and held a lecturer role at Mokpo Science University.

Dr. Lee moved to the University of Pennsylvania for advanced specialist education. She received a certificate in endodontics in 2012 and completed a Doctor of Science in Dentistry in 2015. She later earned a Doctor of Dental Medicine from Penn Dental Medicine in 2020. The American Board of Endodontics recognized her as a Diplomate in 2021.

Clinical and Academic Leadership

Dr. Lee has practiced at Penn Dental Family Practice since 2016. She also holds several current roles at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. Penn lists her as an Associate Professor of Endodontics. She became Interim Director of the Predoctoral Endodontics Program in 2026 and has served as Director of the Endodontic Clinic since 2023. These positions combine patient care with dental education and clinic oversight. Her academic work includes instruction for dental students and advanced trainees. She has also reviewed research for the Journal of Endodontics, Journal of Dental Research, Journal of the California Dental Association, and Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics.

Research in Dental Pulp Repair

Dr. Lee studies dental stem cells, pulp regeneration, dental tissue engineering, and biomaterials used in endodontics. Her research examines how the body may support repair inside an injured or inflamed tooth.

She has explored the delivery of mesenchymal stem cells into root canal systems and the relationship between these cells and clinical outcomes. Her laboratory work also examines inflammation within dental pulp and methods that may guide tissue repair after pulpitis. Her research received support from the American Association of Endodontists Foundation in 2014. She also received a Young Investigator Award from the Pulp Biology and Regeneration Group in 2016 and a Best Oral Presentation Award in 2014.

What Patients Can Visit Her For

A patient may receive a referral to Dr. Lee after a general dentist detects infection, inflammation, trauma, or damage near a tooth nerve. Common concerns can include severe tooth pain, sensitivity, swelling, an abscess, or symptoms that return after previous treatment. The exact procedure depends on the condition of the tooth and nearby tissues. A patient may need standard root canal therapy, repeat treatment, internal bleaching, trauma care, or endodontic surgery. Penn Dental Family Practice asks patients to call ahead to confirm the office location, appointment time, cost, and insurance process.