Korean Job Discussion Forums

[uofagirl]

I went to a dentist today(in Canada) and had a cleaning, checkup, and a panoramic shot of my mouth done for $250. I'm not in shock over the price as I've never been to a dentist in my two years in Seoul so I really have nothing to compare it to(I know how everyone raves about the cheap dental costs in Korea).

Anyhow, the dentist really insisted on sending me to a specialist to get my wisdom teeth taken out(two are impacted already) and when I inquired about the price, he said it'd probably be around $400 each. Yikes! Then he said that I had a severe cavity and recommended getting a root canal as a preventative measure(it's not hurting or irritating yet). All for the low, low price of $900!

I couldn't commit immediately because the costs are quite high so I asked if it would be okay if I waited and got the root canal done back in Seoul(at least I have insurance here!) He then proceeded to say many negative things about Korean dentistry which to be honest, scared me somewhat. Since I'm home for a month, I've decided to get the wisdom teeth removed(need the recovery time). I still can't decide on the root canal though. It seems like a lot of people have been satisfied with the work they've had in Korea. Then I find a few old posts where people who went back to Canada to see their dentists were shocked by the low quality of work done in Korea.

I need advice. Should I get the root canal done here or wait until I get back to Seoul?

[The King of Kwangju]

Personally, I would do it the other way around: do the wisdom teeth in Korea, and the root canal in Canada.

Wisdom teeth is just yanking teeth out, pretty simple, and I had it done in Korea myself.

Root canal takes a bit more skill, and you have to live with it for a while. I'd trust the Canadian dentist for that one.

I had 21 cavities filled in Korea, from various dentists, all of them highly recommended. Since I've come back to Canada I've had them all redone.

[uofagirl]

So the opportunities for a screw up on getting my wisdom teeth pulled is low whereas the chances for more problems with the root canal is higher? What you're saying makes sense and I'm seriously considering getting all of it done here just for the peace of mind. At the same time, if I can even save a bit, I'd like to(especially since we're talking about hundreds of dollars here). I guess there's always the Chuseok vacation to recover if I chose to get my wisdom teeth pulled in Seoul.

Were your dentists particulary appalled by any of the work you had done?

[The King of Kwangju]

[jinju]

[crazylemongirl]

I had my wisdom teeth pulled here and it cost 20k. I don't know how much that is in Canadian dollars, but I'm betting you probably spend more going to dinner and a movie. It hurt a bit the first day, but after that it was ok.

A friend of mine has had a root canal done by a dentist and doesn't have any complaints.

The guy in question used to do dentistry with the American Army, so his english is good and while he isn't in the flashest of offices, he seems to do a good job and not rip you off.

Remember that dentists are also business people and they are not going to recommend you go anywhere else for treatment.

[antoniothegreat]

i was in a similar situation, i needed a rout canal and my wisdom teeth to be removed. i thought about your dilemma, money for piece of mind, this is what i figured, back home in the USA, it would cost a ton, like you know, here, almost free, so i figured at worse, they mess up here, i pay a little, and if needed, i get it redone in the States for the same amount of money i would have spent.

i viewed it as doing it here means i might cause some more damage, but the opportunity to save a ton of money.

just my thoughts...

[AliNZ]

I have had a filling a\fall out and it needs some major work - I just hope they can fix it and not have to pull it out.

I was dreading the cost of work I had done here about 4 years ago - it was a fraction of the cost it would have been back home ...in New Zealand

[uofagirl]

Your rationale definately makes a lot of sense, especially from a monetary point of view. I never thought about it like that before. I'm definately leaning towards getting the wisdom teeth pulled in Seoul but think I'd still feel more comfortable about getting the root canal done here(for reasons mentioned by one of the posters above).

So for people that have had their wisdom teeth pulled in Korea, were they all impacted already or were they still hiding? I guess I could always go to the the Yonsei Severance Hospital if I want top notch work done(unless someone can highly recommend someone else ).

[red dog]

I was happy with my Korean dentist (who was trained in the U.S. and spoke near-native English). I had two wisdom teeth out in the ROK and can't remember the cost, but it was certainly nowhere near $1600!!! That's unbelievable.

Fortunately I've never needed root canal, and I hope I never will. But personally I would be extremely suspicious of a dentist who used those kinds of tactics to extort money from people.