What dental insurance covers
Dental work splits into covered and not covered. Always ask before treatment.
Generally covered
- Fillings (amalgam and some resin)
- Extractions
- Root canal treatment
- Gum (periodontal) treatment
- Scaling — once a year
- Dentures and implants — partly, subject to age and other conditions
- Wisdom tooth extraction
- Dental X-rays
Generally not covered
- Cosmetic orthodontics
- Whitening
- Veneers
- Cosmetic prosthetics
- Certain materials such as gold
Coverage and conditions change. Always confirm with 1577-1000 or the clinic.
Steps
- Ask before treatment. "Is this covered? What is my share?"
- If there are several options, ask the cost of each. Materials change the price a lot.
- Get the receipt.
- For major work, get a second opinion at another clinic.
What you need
- Alien Registration Card
- Health insurance eligibility
- Previous treatment records, if any
Where to go
- The clinic's reception (cost questions)
- 1577-1000 National Health Insurance Service
- 1644-2000 Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (fee review requests)
- 1345 · 1577-1366 interpretation
Questions people ask
Are implants covered? Partly, if you meet age and other conditions. Conditions change — check with 1577-1000.
Quotes differ between clinics. Covered items are similar, but non-covered items are set by the clinic. Compare two or three.
The bill seems excessive. You can request a fee review from HIRA (1644-2000). Overcharges are refunded.
I have no insurance. You pay the full cost, which is expensive. Look into public health centre dentistry and free clinic programmes.
Take care
Be wary of clinics pushing major work with "decide today for a discount". For expensive treatment such as implants or orthodontics, get at least two opinions before deciding.
Related
dental-care · nhis-foreigners-overview · medical-cost-without-insurance
Source
National Health Insurance Service www.nhis.or.kr / As of 2026-08