Korean Job Discussion Forums

schmoove · Joined: 31 Oct 2008 Location: Seoul

Recently I decided to get a check up and clean at Kim's Dental Hospital (킴스치과병원), Suseong-gu, Daegu. http://www.kimsdental.com/main/ Ph:053-753-2875
My last dental check up was 18 months ago by my dentist back in my home country.

Went there, got check and scaling for W50,000.
Dentist (speaks excellent English) told me her opinion was I need 3 small fillings on the front teeth.
She said she will look again next week after the clean, in case any other issues show up.
Booked appointment for the next week.

Went back next week and she examined my teeth again.
She asked how long I would be staying in Korea and I replied that it may well be for a long time.
She told me her opinion was I should get 16 fillings at various points in my mouth at a total of roughly W3,700,000.
Told me gold or Tescera were the only options (for the inlays) and that none of that work is covered on NHIC insurance.
I asked her if I should get an x-ray, and she said that she didn't feel one was required, as she can see the issues already, but that she was happy to give me an x-ray if I wanted one.
Told her I would go away and think about it.
Asked her for a copy of the quote with dental diagram showing the proposed work and she was happy to provide it.

Here is a picture of the quote I was given.
http://www.imagebam.com/image/43f79b198921739
http://www.freeimagehosting.net/wnye2

Emailed my dentist in my hometown who I have been seeing for the past 10 years.
He replied with this:

Troglodyte · Joined: 06 Dec 2009

Most Korean dentists love to give fillings.

orosee · Joined: 07 Mar 2008 Location: Hannam-dong, Seoul

Not just fillings, I had a dental exam during a regular health check-up and the dentist wanted to remove a wisdom tooth because "they cause problems".

That tooth has been there for the last 25 years and has never caused any trouble, also it's the only one without a filling.

Decided to see a dentist in Bangkok on my next holiday instead. What's the rush to extract a perfectly healthy tooth that has not caused a day of grief for a quarter of a century? Confused

soomin · Joined: 18 Jun 2009 Location: Daegu

I had a dentist like the first one you described in the States... I think some dentists just get off on filling cavities... Rolling Eyes

Thanks for the tip, though! Maybe you should post this on the foreigner's in Daegu facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/25235250140/

Troglodyte · Joined: 06 Dec 2009

bluelake · Joined: 01 Dec 2005

I had a similar experience to the OP's. Mine was in Gyeongsan (just outside of Daegu). I first went to a clinic that looked like a wedding hall inside. Red flags started going up when there hardly any patients in there at all and dental staff were everywhere.

In any case, I needed to see a dentist due to a crowned tooth that became very painful. I had an x-ray done to my entire head (not just the tooth in question). The lady dentist said I needed a root canal and then I was told prices that caused severe sticker shock. I guess they wanted me to pay for their building.

I got a copy of the x-ray (like with the OP, it was digital, so I received the file by e-mail) and took it to a dentist in my neighborhood. He did the root canal in five treatments and the total, after health insurance, was about 50,000 won total. I have to have the crown replaced after the summer when I return to Korea (I think it will be about 300,000-400,000 won); no more pain and the filling is doing fine for now.

My recommendation is, get a second opinion if you are given a quote that seems excessive.

Cartman · Joined: 30 Jun 2009

I always found that going to a dentist in Korea was equivalent to bringing your perfectly working car to a mechanic and asking them to see if it needs any work Shocked

seala70 · Joined: 13 Mar 2011 Location: Incheon

Back in 2000, I went to a dentist in Seattle recommended by a guy at my job. This dentist estimated I needed about $3700 worth of work done. He said all my teeth had cracks and major "crushing damage". He made it sound so urgent and used words like "clenching and grinding trauma."

At the time, there was no way I could afford to spend that much money on my teeth. I went to a second dentist for a second opinion (recommended by a close friend). The second dentist said that only one tooth really needed to be fixed and that everything else could be monitored over time and didn't need to be fixed right away. 12 years later, I've only had to fix 2 other teeth.

So yeah, whether you are in Korea, US, England etc....always get a second opinion if in doubt.

liveinkorea316 · Joined: 20 Aug 2010 Location: South Korea

rooster_2006 · Joined: 14 Oct 2007

I'll just add my two cents. Back in late November or maybe December of '08, I went to a dentist in Incheon and like the OP, got told that I had an outrageous number of cavities which would require an outrageous number of fillings (they recommended gold), for (yup, you guessed it) over 2,000,000 won, not covered by any sort of insurance.

So I said I needed a second opinion. I went to my US dentist, who told me "We have a term for that in the dental profession -- bull !@#$%^&*!" I think he filled at most one or two cavities, and that was it.

BTW, at the same dental clinic, they asked the girl I had gone together with whether she wanted an injection into her jaw to make it "protrude" less. So yeah...wonderful operation they were running there... I wish I still had the name of the clinic so I could name and shame them right now, but unfortunately, I think I threw it out.