Going to the dentist can be an intimidating experience, particularly in a new environment. Equipping yourself with some information about dental care in South Korea can make the process less intimidating. Recently, I visited Elisha International Dental Clinic in Songdo, Incheon, for an oral checkup and deep cleaning procedure covered by the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS). This dental clinic was recommended by the University of Utah Asia Campus. This blog post details my experience visiting Elisha International Dental Clinic as a female international student from the United States who wears a hijab.
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Importance of Dental Check-ups
Brushing and flossing at home generally do not provide enough protection on their own to maintain oral health. As stated in the NHIS Health Screening pamphlet, it is important to have a dental professional perform a checkup for the “early detection of oral diseases, such as dental caries, periodontal diseases, and so on.”
What Is A Dental Cleaning?
Dental deep cleaning, often called scaling in Korea, is a procedure to remove dental calculus (also known as tartar) and plaque that builds up on the teeth over time and cannot be removed by brushing alone. According to Elisha International Dental Clinic, professional dental cleaning is recommended every six months, but more frequent cleanings may be necessary depending on how quickly tartar accumulates on a person’s teeth.
NHIS Dental Coverage
National Health Insurance Services (NHIS) subscribers can receive oral checkups as part of the general health checkup provided every two years for no additional cost.
The NHIS partially covers a scaling appointment once per year. The final price of dental scaling will depend on dental clinic pricing. The NHIS does not cover X-rays as part of scaling appointments.
Elisha International Dental Clinic
Elisha International Dental Clinic is located near Incheon National University Station in Songdo, across the street from Lotte Mart and Songdo Convensia Center. Recommended by the University of Utah Asia Campus, this dental clinic provides dental health services in English and Korean from a team of licensed professionals.
Dr. Sun Kim received her D.D.S. from Columbia University in New York. Dr. Kim has extensive experience practicing dentistry in the United States and South Korea.
Elisha Dental Clinic
0328310027
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Elisha International Dental Clinic is an English-speaking, LGBTQ+ friendly dental clinic located in Songdo. Appointments with this dental clinic can be made via Kakao Talk. Visit their website to learn more on how to schedule an appointment.
Hangul Address
인천 연수구 인천타워대로132번길 34
Making a Dentist Appointment
Elisha International Dental Clinic provides two modes of contact: messaging through KakaoTalk or calling the clinic at 032-831-0027 or 032-831-0053. Learn more about KakaoTalk and other useful apps for living in South Korea.
I utilized the clinic’s KakaoTalk messaging service because, like many people my age, I don’t like making phone calls. I scheduled an appointment for an annual dental checkup and scaling. In less busy areas around Korea, you may be able to schedule an appointment in person or receive treatment as a walk-in patient.
Required Information When Making a Dentist Appointment
Elisha International Dental Clinic requested the following information when I scheduled an appointment through KakaoTalk.
Note: These requirements will not be true for all dental clinics in South Korea. Contact your dental clinic to find out what documents they require from their patients.
- Full name (as it appears on your identification)
- Identification number on photo ID (e.g., ARC number, driver’s license number, passport number, etc.)
- Insurance information (provider and subscriber number)
- Elisha International Dental Clinic accepts various insurance plans: National Health Insurance Services (NHIS), supplemental, private, and foreign insurance.
- You can contact the clinic by phone or KakaoTalk to check if they accept your insurance plan.
- Purpose of appointment (e.g., oral checkup, dental scaling, tooth or jaw pain, or other oral health-related issues)
Appointment Day
The day of my appointment finally arrived! I was initially nervous because I went to the same dentist in the United States for most of my life. So visiting a new dentist in a different country was a big change for me.
Required Items for Arrival at Dentist Appointment
When I arrived at the dental clinic for my appointment, a receptionist asked for the following information. The required documents may differ at other dental clinics. Contact your dental clinic to confirm what documents patients need to bring.
Identification
- Alien Registration Card (ARC/FRC) or equivalent (e.g. Korean driver’s license)
- Other forms of photo ID that the clinic may accept (e.g., passport, driver’s license, etc.)
Health Insurance
- National Health Insurance Services (NHIS) subscriber number
- Elisha International Dental Clinic accepts various insurance plans, including private and foreign insurance
- To find out if your dental clinic accepts your insurance, you can call to ask
Payment
- Money to pay for the procedures and treatments
- Cash or debit/credit cards were accepted
- Costs will vary by the elected treatment plan and dental clinic
- You may be able to call your dentist to request estimates on the cost of the procedures you are interested in.
Intake Procedures
I filled out an electronic intake form on a tablet. The instructions on the form were in Korean and English, which may not be available at other dental clinics. Reading the information in English helped ease some of my initial anxiety about experiencing a language barrier when visiting a clinic in Korea.
The requested information on the intake form included name, birthdate, phone number, address, insurance information, brief dental history, and any medical conditions of note. There was even an option to select how much pressure I would like the dental hygienist to use for the scaling procedure. However, this question might not be asked at other dental clinics.
The front desk confirmed my appointment details: an oral checkup, X-rays, and an annual scaling treatment. I read and signed a consent form detailing the scaling procedure in Korean and English.
Oral Exam/Checkup
After the intake procedure, I was asked to remove any metal around my head, including my earrings and hijab pins. A dental hygienist then performed X-ray imaging of my whole mouth. The X-ray machine appeared similar to the ones used in the United States. The dental hygienist then seated me in a dental chair and took bitewing X-rays with a portable unit.
The dentist, Dr. Sun Kim, joined us and reviewed the X-rays before she performed a visual oral exam. The visual oral exam included checking the state of my teeth, gums, and tongue for any signs of oral cancer. Dr. Kim dictated notes to the dental hygienist about issues that needed to be addressed (dental caries, wisdom teeth, sugar intake, etc.). We decided to complete the scheduled scaling treatment and discuss treatment options for the dentists’ concerns after.
Scaling
The dental hygienist began the scaling treatment by adjusting my chair and covering my face with a piece of fabric that only left the mouth exposed. The fabric functions as a shield for the eyes against bright light. It was a new experience for me since I wear goggles at dental clinics in the United States. The clinic does offer glasses/goggles if preferred. The dental hygienist used an ultrasonic scaler and other dental hand instruments during the scaling. These instruments help remove tartar and plaque builds up on the teeth. The next part of the dental cleaning was brushing, and it ended with a thorough flossing.
Consultation
Following the scaling treatment, the dental hygienist discussed treatment plans for the concerns noted during the doctor’s initial exam. The hygienist provided an overview of the issues, the corresponding treatment options, and their costs.
Due to NHIS coverage limitations, some treatments were out of my budget. I consulted the dentist about delaying treatment for those concerns until I returned to the United States since my US insurance would cover dental fillings. For the treatments that NHIS partially covers, such as wisdom teeth extractions, I scheduled follow-up appointments.
After the consultation, I paid for the completed treatments with my Korean debit card at the information desk. I paid 25,400 KRW after NHIS insurance for an oral checkup, dental scaling, X-rays, and consultation at the end of my visit. This cost may vary depending on the dental clinic you visit. Call your dentist to confirm how much your insurance will cover before your visit.
Schedule Your Appointment
To schedule an appointment at Elisha International Dental Clinic (엘리샤인터내셔널치과의원), call 032-831-0027 (or 032-831-0053) or send a message on KakaoTalk messenger at Kakao ID elishadental.
To find a dental clinic near you, copy and paste 치과 의사 (dentist) or 치과 (dental clinic) into Naver Map or KakaoMap. Click here for information on how to use Naver Maps.
Helpful Korean Dental Terms & Phrases
Knowing some common dental terms before your visit to the dental clinic could come in handy. Additionally, Korean dental terms can often be used to search for specific services on Naver or Kakao maps as well. Some terms may or may not show intended results when copied and pasted into Naver Maps. However, the following list of dental terms and treatments could be useful when asking for services at a dental clinic or contacting BBB Korea for assistance.
- Dental clinic/office = 치과 (cheek-gwa)
- Dentist = 치과 의사 (cheek-gwa eui-sa)
- Pediatric dentist = 소아치과 (so-ah cheek-gwa)
- Tooth/teeth (various words may be used) = 치아/이/이빨 (chi-ah/ee/ee-ppal)
- Wisdom teeth = 사랑니 (sa-rang-ni)
- Toothache = 치통이 (cha-tong-ee)
- Cavities (also known as dental caries) = 충치 (choong-chi)
- Gum disease = 잇몸 질환 (eat-mome jil hwan)
- Scaling (also known as a dental cleaning) = 스케일링 (seu-kale-ing)
- Filling (in reference to a dental cavity) = 충치재 (choong-chi-jae)
- Gum treatment = 잇몸 치료 (eat-mome chi-ryo)
- Tooth extraction = 치아를 뽑다 (chi-ah-reul ppob-da)
- Braces = 교정기 (gyo-jeong-gi)
- Denture = 틀니 (teul-ni)
- Teeth whitening = 치아 미백 (chi-ah mi-baek)
- I would like to request the annual dental scaling that is covered by NHIS = NHIS에서 지원하는 연간 치과 스케일링을 요청합니다
- I would like to request the biennial (every 2 years) oral checkup that is covered by NHIS. = NHIS에서 보장하는 격년제(매 2년) 구강검진을 요청합니다.
NHIS Dental Care Coverage
Several dental services may be covered by Korean National Health Insurance. You can check which oral health services and procedures may be covered by National Health Insurance Services (NHIS) by calling their foreign languages hotline at 033-811-2000.
NHIS Hotline
0338112000
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
This phone number takes you to an NHIS agent who can answer any and all questions you have about the Korean national health insurance including cost and coverage. English, Russian, Chinese and other language services are available. Note: It may be difficult for a call to go through during the lunch hour (12pm-1pm)
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Research Design & Implementation Team
UX/UI Supervisor & Editor
Lanae Rivers-Woods moved to Korea in 2011 where she lives in the countryside with her family, friends, and puppies. She holds a BSSW (Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work), a MAIT (Master’s of Arts in International Teaching), and registered by the Pyeongtaek Korean Times with the Korean government as a Cultural Expert.
Ms. Rivers-Woods used her 15 years experience as a social architect, UX/UI designer, and technology consultant to found South of Seoul in 2015. South of Seoul is a volunteer organization that leverages technological tools to mitigate cultural dissonance in multi-cultural communities.
Through South of Seoul, Ms. Rivers-Woods works with independent volunteers, non-profit organizations, businesses, local & federal government, universities, and US military organizations to develop solutions to support English speaking international residents in rural South Korea.
Additionally, Ms. Rivers-Woods founded the South of Seoul smart phone app available for Google Play and iPhone. The app provides information a resources for those living and traveling in South Korea.
When she isn’t in South of Seoul development meetings or working her day job, Ms. Rivers-Woods loves to be outside at skate parks, the beach, or playing in the mountains.
Research Compliance Supervisor & Editor
Ms. Peck graduated from the University of Utah Asia Campus (UAC) in Incheon with a Master’s in Public Health and her Certification in Public Health (CPH). Ms. Peck also holds a Bachelor’s Degrees in Linguistics and one in International Studies with a Global Health emphasis.
Ms. Peck is Korean American and speaks both English and Korean. She has moved between the US and Korea since childhood, finally settling in Korea after graduating from UAC.
In 2021 Ms. Peck founded the South of Seoul Public Health Program which focuses on research and initiatives regarding the health and wellness of multinational residents in South Korea.
Additionally, Ms. Peck oversees the SOS Public Health Graduate Student Practicum Program which provides mentorship and training for Master’s in Public Health students. The program works with two students a semester with a focus on ethical UX research design, survey development, and initiative implementation.
Primary Researcher & Author
Zahra Alsafi is pursuing a Master of Public Health degree at the University of Utah Asia Campus (UAC) in Incheon, South Korea. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Microbiology with a minor in Women and Gender Studies from the University of Michigan.
Ms. Alsafi was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, USA to Iraqi refugee parents. Inspired by her community and international experiences, she hopes to pursue public health dentistry with a focus on preventative care for immigrant and refugee populations. She is particularly interested in disseminating educational information through accessible formats.
Ms. Alsafi’s public health practicum with South of Seoul Public Health will focus on dental health education for school-aged children and adults in South Korea.
