This was a great experience and it is a dental clinic that I would visit even if I lived locally in Seoul/Goyang areas. I happened to be visiting Seoul for work and had some things I needed to see a dentist for. I have decent coverage for dental insurance back home, but it was going to still be expensive. I'm quite familiar with Korea and was very confident in the quality of care that was going to be available so when I learned more about how affordable dentistry could be in Seoul for procedures that cost 6-10x more in the US, I didn't need to be convinced further.
I reached out via WhatsApp the week before I was arriving Korea and was able to get an appointment that worked for my schedule. All that was needed was my name, contact information, and a description of what I was looking to have done (or what the issue was). With that said, they are a busy clinic so make sure you make an appointment as early as you can. The clinic sent a reminder the day before via WhatsApp and asked to make sure I arrive on time.
Clinic is really easy to get to. I took the metro to Samsong Station (NOT "SAMSEONG"!), crossed the street and went into the entrance to access upper floors. Take the elevator. It is clearly labeled. Elevator empties you directly into their lobby. Check-in was very easy and, though the waiting room was full, everyone (like 7 people) was called within 5 minutes of my arrival, including myself. Pricing was clearly explained to me based on what was expected to be done as well as some possible costs depending on what was identified/decided on.
The hygienist was able to explain what she was doing via translate app. Verbal commands were easy to follow (universal sounds for what she wanted me to do with my mouth and basic English commands for certain things, like "bite"). Had x-rays taken pretty quickly and the doctor (I think it was Dr. Lee if I recall) was quite direct in consulting with me. Dr. Lee (along with their other doctors and some other staff) is a fluent/native-level English speaker and there's absolutely no communication issue.
The initial plan was to do one filling and two inlays. The inlays had to be created in their lab so there was an initial expectation that I would come back to have that done. Unfortunately I was not going to be around for that period of time. When they learned this and when Dr. Lee heard that I was also supposed to be meeting with former colleagues, they really went above and beyond to accommodate me and my schedule. I'm really thankful for that. They managed to have the inlays ready in 2 hours (a big thank you to the lab team that made that happen!) and I was back in the chair 2 hours after the initial cleaning and prep work for inlays. There's a nice, sunny, private outdoor area next to their reception if the weather is nice. There's a local cafe and a Starbucks across the street as well, but I was still numb in the face during my wait time so I didn't do that.
The inlay finishing work went quite quickly and they had me out the door sooner than we had expected.
In the end, something that would have cost between $4000-6000 in the US ($1k if I had the "high" insurance option back home ... which I don't - I have the standard option meaning probably $3-5k) was only $650... and it was in a fantastic clinic with modern equipment, clean spaces, and a top-notch team.
I'll definitely come back for any major work needed. The savings offset the cost of getting to Korea (and why not use it as an excuse to take some days off in Seoul?)
Thanks to everyone at the clinic that made it a great experience!
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