Can You Choose a Dentist From Ads? A Patient's Guide in Korea

• Not every price-cut ad for a dentist is allowed in Korea. Drawing in patients for profit through referral, brokering or inducement breaks Article 27(3) of the Medical Service Act.
• Prices for treatments with the same name really do differ. In a national survey, the gap for one gum procedure reached six times.
• There are reasons for the gaps: the size of the decayed area, the tooth's location and condition, and difficulty. For implants, bone grafting is not covered by insurance.
• Experts advise looking beyond price to the quality of care, communication and the risks right after surgery.

Choosing a dentist is harder than it looks, especially for people new to Korea. At Reset Dental Clinic in Seomyeon, Busan, we explain treatment to international patients with 1:1 English interpretation. This column is not about which clinic is better; it covers what you can look at to judge for yourself.

What appears in apps and search results is usually advertising. A price is often shown, but what that price includes is often not.

We draw on Dailydental, the Korean Dental Association's newspaper, which reported on illegal app ads, published treatment fee data and dental tourism. We also use the national health portal's pages on dental implants and all-ceramic crowns.

Why is the information you see about a dentist so one-sided?

Most of what patients see when choosing a dentist is published by the clinics themselves. That makes fair comparison difficult.

In 2021, Dailydental reported on ads that some dentists posted on a second-hand trading app with more than 10 million users. The ads included claims like these:

• ceramic inlay fillings at a cut price
• professional whitening at a cut price
• CBCT scans, orthodontic diagnosis and one jaw joint treatment offered at no charge
• price cuts on implants for patients who refer themselves, family or friends

The Ministry of Health and Welfare issued an official ruling on such practices. The article explained that the Medical Service Act bans drawing patients to a clinic for profit through referral, brokering or inducement.

Breaking that rule can bring up to three years in prison or a fine. The association's advertising review committee also said some of the ads could raise problems of patient inducement.

The concerns in the article matter even more. One dentist said such ads draw patients in with low prices alone, without considering each patient's oral condition.

Another dentist worried that comparing prices across clinics through apps would become the norm. The article added that clinics outside the association are hard to sanction, leaving a blind spot.

It also warned that public fee disclosure could be misused for exaggerated ads that claim to be cheaper than other clinics.

What do price-cut ads tend to leave out?

An ad that shows a single price for a dentist's work leaves out the factors that actually shape treatment. The national health portal shows how much needs checking before treatment, even for treatments with the same name.

Take the all-ceramic crown, a crown made of ceramic with no metal. The portal lists these checks before treatment:

The nerve test decides whether root canal treatment is needed. So even the same "crown" can come with or without root canal treatment.

The portal also says a crown may not be possible if the tooth is too short to leave enough space. High-strength ceramic bonds less well to cement, so under poor conditions the crown may come off.

None of these conditions appear on a price tag. A dentist can check them during an examination.

Implants are no different. Before surgery, the portal lists medications to check, because some can affect treatment:

• heart and circulation drugs, because of the chance of bleeding
• diabetes, because of wound healing
• osteoporosis drugs, because they can interfere with the implant fusing to bone

The portal states that smoking is directly linked to implant failure. Its summary also says plainly that an implant does not last forever.

Why does the same treatment cost different amounts?

This is a documented fact. The Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service surveyed fees for 42 treatments not covered by insurance at dental clinics, and Dailydental summarized the results.

The gaps were large. We show them as ratios, since the aim is to understand why they differ, not to compare prices.

Fees also varied by region for implants and gold crowns. The article noted that dental clinics showed wider gaps than dental hospitals.

Here is the part that is easy to miss. The article also gave the reasons for the gaps. Even under the same name, the amount of work involved can differ.

For implants, the insurance system itself shapes what your dentist can charge. The portal says people aged 65 and over can be covered for up to two implants per person, but bone grafting is not covered.

Among crowns placed on implants, non-precious porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns are covered, while zirconia and gold crowns are not. So "one implant" means different things for someone who needs a bone graft and someone who does not.

Expected lifespan also depends on the material. The portal says all-ceramic crowns vary widely by material but generally last less long than metal-ceramic crowns.

It describes a lifespan of around 10 years in the literature. It adds that this varies greatly with the tooth's condition, oral hygiene, eating habits and maintenance.

There are trade-offs within materials too. High-strength ceramic is less translucent, while highly translucent ceramic is less strong. All-ceramic crowns also need slightly more tooth reduction than metal crowns.

What comes with a low price abroad, and what should people in Korea weigh?

One report shows how far choosing on price alone can go. Dailydental covered the global dental tourism market, where people travel abroad because treatment at home is expensive.

The article listed much lower prices in countries such as Turkey, the Philippines and Thailand than in the United States. It then shared experts' advice on what to keep in mind:

• countries with low prices may offer lower quality of care
• translation and communication problems need attention
• there is a risk of blood clots when flying right after surgery

In other words, some things come attached to a price.

That advice is about choosing between countries, but it can be read the same way within one city. Check whether the price covers which dentist looks after you when something happens after treatment, and how.

Why do explanation and consent before treatment matter?

The reason is simple: what can happen is already written in the sources. Heard in advance, it is part of the expected course. Heard afterwards, it feels like an accident.

The portal lists these possible complications and side effects.

The portal also notes that ceramic used for a long time loses strength and develops cracks, making it more prone to breaking.

Its note on peri-implantitis, inflammation around an implant, deserves special attention. An implant does not wobble even when the bone around it is badly destroyed, so the time to treat it is often missed.

That is why the portal advises regular check-ups every 3–6 months, even after treatment is finished. Hearing this in advance, or not, can make a big difference years later.

One more rule is worth knowing. Implant insurance pays in three stages: diagnosis and planning, surgery, and the crown.

Because of this, the portal says you can even change clinics during treatment. If care stops before the crown stage, costs are counted up to the stage reached.

What should you ask a dentist at the consultation?

These questions come straight from the sources above. You can ask them of any dentist, at any clinic.

1. What does this fee include? For implants, ask whether bone grafting is included and which crown material is used, since coverage depends on both.
2. Is anything in my case making it more difficult? The survey named the size of the decayed area, tooth location and condition, and difficulty as reasons for gaps.
3. Might I need root canal treatment? The nerve test decides this, and nerve irritation after a crown can also lead to it.
4. What does this material give up? Strength and translucency are hard to raise together, and all-ceramic crowns remove a little more tooth.
5. How often should I come back afterwards? For implants, the portal advises check-ups every 3–6 months, with gum care, bite checks and cleaning of the parts.
6. Do any of my medications or habits matter? The portal lists circulation drugs, diabetes, osteoporosis drugs, smoking, grinding and chewing on one side.

If different dentists explain things differently, it is fair to ask why.

The all-ceramic crown page lists the first step of treatment as discussing the need, plan and process with the dentist. Talking it through is part of the treatment itself.

So if an explanation does not make sense, saying so is the right move.

Frequently asked questions

Does every dentist who runs price-cut ads have a problem?

That cannot be said. The sources note that drawing patients for profit breaks Article 27(3), and that the ministry issued a ruling to that effect. Rather than the ad itself, look at whether it reflects any judgment about your own condition.

Does a lower fee mean a less skilled dentist?

The sources do not support that. The survey gave reasons for the gaps, such as the decayed area, tooth condition, difficulty and number of teeth. What to check is what the fee includes.

Is it a good idea to get treatment abroad?

The dental tourism article lists three expert concerns: possibly lower quality, translation and communication problems, and blood clot risk when flying after surgery. Aftercare, and what happens if a problem appears, belong in the calculation too.

Can I have a dental consultation in English in Busan?

Yes. We provide 1:1 English interpretation from your first consultation through the end of treatment. The clinic is near Seomyeon Station Exit 2 (5-min walk), opposite Lotte Hotel Busan, and you can call 010-8555-2854 (+82-10-8555-2854 from abroad).

References

• KDA newspaper Dailydental (Chiui Sinbo), "Illegal Dental Ads Flood an App With 10 Million Users" — examples of price-cut dental ads, the ban on patient inducement under Article 27(3) of the Medical Service Act, the ministry's interpretation and concerns about misuse of fee disclosure
• KDA newspaper Dailydental (Chiui Sinbo), "HIRA Discloses Crown and Implant Fees" — national survey of 42 uninsured dental treatments, the size of fee gaps and the reasons given for them
• KDCA National Health Information Portal, "All-Ceramic Crowns" — checks before treatment, strength and translucency trade-offs, expected lifespan and possible complications
• KDCA National Health Information Portal, "Dental Implants" — smoking and implant failure, checks before surgery, complications, peri-implantitis, check-ups every 3–6 months and staged insurance coverage
• KDA newspaper Dailydental (Chiui Sinbo), "Global Dental Tourism Market Nears 6 Trillion Won" — price-driven dental tourism and experts' warnings on quality, communication and blood clots when flying after surgery