Registry data from HIRA. Doctor counts, board certification, addresses and opening years come from Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service public data.
Home/Specialties/Dentistry
Dentistry clinic interior in Korea
Specialty

Dentistry in Korea

Dental implants and orthodontics are the two treatments that bring most international patients to Korean dental clinics, and both cost substantially less than in North America while using the same implant systems.

65 listed clinics · 4 procedure guides

Korea manufactures its own implant fixtures through Osstem, Dentium and MegaGen, which supply a large share of the Asian market. Domestic manufacturing is the main reason implant pricing is low, and these systems have long-term clinical data behind them.

The practical constraint for a visitor is time. An implant needs a healing interval of two to six months between fixture placement and final crown, so it requires either two trips or a same-day protocol that not all cases qualify for.

Procedures in Dentistry

Dental Implants

A dental implant replaces a missing tooth root with a titanium fixture placed in the jawbone, then restored with an abutment and crown after the bone integrates.

65 clinics · 800,000 - 2,500,000 per tooth KRW

Invisible Braces & Orthodontics

Clear aligner treatment is possible for international patients because aligner trays can be shipped, but it requires an in-person scan in Korea at the start and periodic monitoring.

65 clinics · 3,000,000 - 7,000,000 full course KRW

Veneers & Cosmetic Dentistry

Porcelain veneers are thin ceramic shells bonded to the front of the teeth to change shape, alignment and shade, and a full upper set can be completed in a single one-week trip.

65 clinics · 600,000 - 1,500,000 per tooth KRW

Teeth Whitening

In-clinic whitening in Korea uses hydrogen peroxide activated by light or laser and lifts tooth shade by several steps in one or two sessions of about an hour.

65 clinics · 150,000 - 500,000 KRW

Clinics

Showing 65 clinics

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a dental implant in one trip to Korea?

Only if you qualify for immediate loading, which requires sufficient bone density and no infection. Standard protocol needs two visits separated by two to six months. Clinics can place the fixture on the first trip and coordinate the crown with your home dentist.

Is dental work covered by travel insurance?

Elective dental treatment is almost never covered. Emergency dental pain sometimes is. Clinics registered for foreign patients can issue itemized English receipts with treatment codes for your own claim.

Further reading

Recovery Time and When You Can Fly

The length of your trip is set by the mandatory follow-up interval, not by how quickly you feel well, and flying too early raises the risk of swelling, bleeding and thrombosis.

Medical Costs and Payment in Korea

Foreign patients without Korean national health insurance pay the full private rate, which is still typically 30 to 70 percent below US pricing for the same procedure, and card payment is accepted almost everywhere.

Source: Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Republic of Korea https://www.mfds.go.kr/eng/index.do