Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Eglayzer]

Hey all,

I will be visiting South Korea for three months in June but just found out I need a crown/root canal done. With my so-so student insurance here in the US I can get it done for around $700-800. I am wondering if I can get it done in Korea for less? I doubt my student insurance would work in Korea though so it would be all on me.

My questions:

1) How much do these procedures cost, about?

2) Would you trust Korean dentists to do this the right way?

I have previously lived in Korea for 2 years and was always happy with my dentists but he will be in a far off city from where I will be staying so I cant go see him again. I would be happy to hear any recommendations!

Thanks in advance!

[guavashake]

Theres an abundance of good dentists in Korea all over.
You can get that job done including the best zirconium crown material for less money. With no insurance.

[atwood]

[Lucas]

There is a poster here on Dave's called 'Steelrails.'

He used to be a dentist in the states before he came here. PM him for dentist info here in Korea.

[Speck7]

Be careful. They shoot up with anesthetic the first time, but you have to go back 3 more times and they dont shoot up you. My stupid dentist kept hitting my nerve that sent shock waves of pain through my body. I asked him why he didn't numb me again but he said it is "standard procedure".

[AfroBurrito]

I had a root canal done here and it was painless and much less expensive than it would have been in the States. AND! My dentist was not in the least bit hesitant to give me lidocaine on EVERY visit when I expressed anxiety about the procedure. He was calm, polite, and attentive. He even gave me an additional shot of anesthetic into the roof of my mouth to make sure I was that much more numb.

Good luck!

[wishfullthinkng]

i've had two root canals done here but they weren't cheap. unfortunately korea doesn't provide basic dental insurance.

if you search around and go to reputable places outside of gangnam i'm sure you could get a good job at a reasonable price though.

[Eglayzer]

Can anyone tell me about what the cost was for these procedures in Korea were? Without insurance?

[Troglodyte]

This topic come up from time to time on the various expat forums.

Generally speaking, it's cheaper to get a root canal and crown done here than in the USA, Canada or the UK. You can check the details by searching for old threads but If I recall, in total it might cost you 600,000 Won (check the exchange rates for how much that is in dollars). That would be for a regular chrome crown. Gold or porcelain will go up quite a bit.

Here there seems to be two categories of dentist. Great and horrible. Once you walk into a clinic you'll know right away which one you're in. If you know some well-off Koreans then just ask them where they go for dental work. They'll know which places are good.

If you want to be sure that you'll get anesthetic, just ask the dentist in advance. Most don't seem to have a problem giving it to you. DO NOT try to get them to do the whole procedure in 1 or 2 visits. Three visits is normal in any country. In some cases it might be possible to do a good job in 2 visits if the first visit goes really well but don't push the dentist to rush it.

As far as insurance goes, it doesn't cover much. It covers part of the actual root canal but I don't think it covers any of the cost of the crown.

[atwood]

[wishfullthinkng]

[cabeza]

[atwood]

[wishfullthinkng]

ah yes my apologies. it covers only scaling and xrays but nothing important like fillings, root canals, etc.

[AfroBurrito]

I did not (and still don't) have national health insurance, which has presented me with other difficulties of late. In any event, my one root canal cost me about 400,000 Won for the procedure itself with another 400,000 for the crown. It was on a molar. The only surprise of the procedure was that my molar ended up having an extra canal, requiring an additional visit. I don't live in Seoul. Otherwise, it all went swimmingly.

I didn't see very many Korean dentists who represent themselves as root canal therapy specialists, it seems to be something any general dentist will claim to have the capacity to perform.Also, one-visit root canals are actually becoming much more common in other countries. It depends largely on the tooth, how much decay there is, and the equipment your dentist/endodontist has at their disposal. I was surprised to learn as much, but it's very much the case. Google it a bit.