Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mscoop1085]

Does anyone have any advice on where to get a root canal done? Please list the price including a crown if you have had this procedure done. I was quoted today for around 2 million won at Reema Dental Clinic in Gangnam. I wanted to get some feedback as this seems a bit high. Honestly, I'm pretty sure the type of dental coverage I have does not cover this procedure. Should I be content with 2 mil?

[Skippy]

Two points.

First always get a second opinion. Here in Korea many of the dentists like to push un-needed or expensive options. You will find with a visit to another dentist that a root canal will be needed for another tooth. Or more cavities have been found.

Second. Your getting it done in Gangnam. In general any doctor, dentist, or heck even hairstylist are twice the price. Have you looked a bit outside the area. Also likely you are bing sold GOLD.

[No_hite_pls]

i have had three root canals in Korea. I got two of them done a very fancy place. They usually run about 50,000 won with NHIC. Plus 50,000 for the filling and 250,000 to 400,000 for the cap if you want one. 400,000 to 500,000 total. I got a cap twice but I didn't on the third one. My first gold cap was 300,000 in 2009 and the second was 400,000 in 2011. The cap free tooth hasn't not been a problem at all.


I had a dentist quote me a higher price in the past too. I told him no, and he dropped the price.

[Troglodyte]

You can also get chrome crowns for about half the price of a gold one.

[mscoop1085]

Could you give the name of the place you had your work done for the root canal(400-500 total price)? Also, i need 9 resin fillings. They said it would cost around 540,000 won or 60 a tooth.

[Modernist]

[Dodge7]

Root canals hurt like hell in Korea. They give you anesthetics the first day, but you have come back maybe 3-4 times to get it completed and they don't give you any novacaine during those subsequent times.
*This happened at my dentist--yours may vary. But I've heard similar stories like mine*

They are not very liberal with the anesthetics and I don't know why--it's almost as if they'd prefer you be in pain. Pretty sadistic if you ask me.

My stupid dentist was working on my top, left back molar and kept hitting the nerve that sent pain shock waves down and across my body into my right foot. I was literally shaking in my chair and I swear if he had hit the nerve one more time I would have started to cry or scream (and I'm a guy who never cries).

Just be warned. If I were you, I'd have a discussion and confirmation with whichever dentist you plan on using and make sure he gives you proper anesthetics each and EVERY TIME you go until completion.

GOOD LUCK.

I'd never have another root canal in Korea. I'll wait it out until I can go back home to the States where I have a guy that completes the root canal in an hour and half/2 hours and is absolutely, 100% PAIN-FREE.

[drdst122]

I don't have any experience in Korea, but my sister is a Dentist and so is her husband.

She told me after I went for a cleaning and they told me some things about possible fillings or crowns, that I should get a bite-wing x-ray. I asked for this and they said they don't have that kind of x-ray.

My sister practiced in Japan for 2 years and she said, it was very similar in Japan where they would just go ahead and do all these root canals and crowns without knowing for sure.

She says the only way to know for sure is to see a bite-wing X-ray.

In all, make sure they are taking a bite-wing X-ray. And get a copy of them and then get a second opinion if you can. I can ask my sister to take a look possible if you get them in E-mail. She's pregnant and not working right now so she might want something to do.

[Plume D'ella Plumeria]

[Integra]

I can verify what Dodge7 said about the root canals here. I had it done over two sessions at a clinic in Shinchon. The first day was easy and painless. The second day he only numbed the specific tooth rather than the entire jaw and it was awful! It was like lightning bolts of pain surging through my jaw! Definitely the worst pain I've ever felt at a dentist. I asked someone who had a root canal done in the States and they said it wasn't bad at all. So I guess, for whatever reason, dentists here believe the minimum amount of anesthetics are to be used.

So I'd say have it done elsewhere or like Dodge7 said, make sure they jack you up with anesthesia!

[fishy]

I've had 5 root canals done at Dr. Choi (Volvo Building above the old Hannam Supermarket) and they were completely painless. Not even the needle hurt because he numbs the spot first with some topical painkiller.

For various reasons, I have major teeth issues, but he's the guy I go to for all my work. The average price from root canal (35 000 Won with health insurance) to crown is about 1.5 million won per tooth. Before you think that he's root canal crazy, he has refused to do root canals on certain teeth on the basis that there was enough tooth to save.

Downside: the root canal specialist, Dr. Moon, only comes in Friday mornings to his office, so you have to get it done then.

[orosee]

It pays to be wary of Korean dentists or maybe dentists in general. I had a good impression of the dentist during my last health checkup (that was the all-in-one clinic in the Intercontinental Hotel at COEX) and he made some reasonable suggestions supported by high definition digital images, and then ruined everything by suggesting to remove my one wisdom tooth because "those always cause trouble".

I've had this tooth for over 30 years and apart from being my most friendly and happy tooth, it's also pretty much the only one that never had to have any work done. In fact it's so well preserved, it may one day land in the Museum of Good Oral Hygiene.

I'm pretty much set to have all my dental work done in Bangkok again.

[bluelake]

[gava01]

I'm halfway done with the whole process. Two porcilene crowns and an implant. I had 3 roots in one tooth cleaned out and the other had one. I needed bone reduction surgery next to both teeth that need the crown.

NO PAIN WHAT SO EVER!!!!!!!!

I got a discount but the original cost was only 3.7 million.

The quote for a crown was 140,000 for the post and 450,000 for the crown.

Post me for info. The dentist is 47 and knows what he is doing.

Location Jung Dong, near Bucheon

[rainman3277]