Dental implants in Korea: process, insurance cover and how clinics price them

What is a dental implant

In Korean the treatment is called 임플란트 (implanteu), and the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) uses 치과임플란트. Mayo Clinic says an implant is a metal post that replaces the root portion of a missing tooth. The titanium fuses with the jawbone (osseointegration), so the implant does not slip. A crown, the artificial tooth, sits on an extension of the post called the abutment. The Korean words are 고정체 (gojeongche, the fixture or main body) and 지대주 (jidaeju, the abutment).

The NHIS lists three stages: diagnosis and treatment plan, fixture placement (식립술, siglipsul), and prosthetic restoration (보철 수복, bocheol suboksasu). Mayo Clinic says implant surgery is usually an outpatient operation done in stages, with healing time between them.

Makers. Osstem Implant and Dentium are Korean makers based in Seoul. MegaGen is a Korean maker with its head office and factory in Dalseong-gun, Daegu. Straumann is a Swiss maker based in Basel, and Nobel Biocare has its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. Price lists in this directory name Osstem, MegaGen and Straumann implants. The table also shows other implant lines under their own names. We found no neutral source that compares brands or lines, and this page does not rank them.

Anaesthesia

Mayo Clinic lists three options: local anaesthesia, which numbs the area; sedation, which helps you feel calm; and general anaesthesia, a sleeplike state. With sedation or general anaesthesia, plan for someone to take you home.

Our sources do not say who gives the anaesthesia or sedation in Korean dental clinics. The American Society of Anesthesiologists advises that anaesthesia care be led by an anaesthesiologist. Ask who will give it and what that person's role is.

How clinics in Korea price dental implants

• Per tooth, whole or in parts. Many lists give one price per tooth that covers the fixture and the crown. Others price the fixture, the abutment and the crown separately. The lowest price in the key-facts box can therefore be a single part, such as an abutment, not a complete implant. Ask what the price includes.
• By implant system. The same clinic often lists several systems at different prices.
• By crown material. Crown materials include zirconia, all-ceramic, PFM, metal, gold and PFG (porcelain fused to gold). Some clinics list a lower-priced line with a metal abutment and a PFM crown beside a higher-priced line with a custom abutment and a zirconia crown.
• Full arch. A whole arch of teeth is priced per arch, usually as a range, because the number of implants and the type of prosthesis change the total.
• Temporary teeth. A same-day temporary tooth on an implant is listed as a separate item at some clinics.
• VAT. Most dental prices in the table show "VAT not stated". "부가세 별도" (bugase byeoldo) means VAT is added on top. Our sources do not say how VAT applies to implants, so ask whether it is included.
• Published fee data. Since 2026, prices for 753 non-insured items can be looked up on the website of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (hira.or.kr) and in the 건강e음 app. Use them to check a clinic's quote where the item is listed.

Insurance cover (as of October 2026)

The NHIS page on implant cover says:

• National health insurance covers implants for insured people, subscribers or their dependants, aged 65 or over.
• The limit is 2 implants per person for life, and currently only for people with partial tooth loss (partially edentulous). Fully toothless jaws are excluded.
• Ordinary subscribers pay 30% of the covered cost.
• The covered crown material on that page is PFM (porcelain fused to metal, 비귀금속도재관). The page says one-piece implants or crown materials other than PFM make the whole treatment non-covered, but the December 2024 decision below may have changed this.

Two changes are on record. On 27 December 2024, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced a decision to add zirconia to the covered crown materials. The release gives no start date, so we cannot confirm when it applies, and the NHIS page still lists PFM only. On 8 September 2026 the Ministry announced that from January 2027, people aged 65 and over with no teeth in the upper or lower jaw can also get 2 covered implants. People who already received an insured complete denture qualify only 7 years after the denture.

Who this applies to. Cover depends on being enrolled in the National Health Insurance. Under the National Health Insurance Act (article 109), foreign nationals enrol through alien registration plus residence conditions set in ministry rules, which we did not check. Visitors who are not enrolled pay the clinic's non-covered price, which is what the table below shows. Most implants are paid privately even by residents: in the Ministry's March 2024 data, zirconia implants were the largest non-covered dental item. Confirm the current rules on the NHIS implant page.

Check-ups and re-treatment

The Fair Trade Commission's dispute standard for implants says regular check-ups are free of charge for 1 year after treatment. If the fixture comes out within 1 year, re-treatment is at the clinic's cost, and after 2 repeats the fee is refunded in full. This is a standard for agreements and mediation, not a warranty written into your contract. Ask for the clinic's own terms in writing.

Published prices

The table shows each clinic's published prices by item, unit and VAT basis. Items differ in what they include (whole implant, fixture only, crown only, full arch), so compare like with like.

Downtime and aftercare

• After each stage. Mayo Clinic lists swelling of the gums and face, bruising of the skin and gums, pain at the implant site and minor bleeding.
• Healing time. The bone has to heal around the implant, which takes several months. If a bone graft is needed first, it can take several months before the implant can be placed. After the abutment is placed, the gums need at least two weeks to heal before the crown is attached. Some steps can sometimes be combined, depending on your case and the materials.
• If an implant does not fuse. Mayo Clinic says it is removed and you can try again after about three months.
• Planning your stay. Because the process can take many months, ask which steps must be done in Korea and which can be done by your own dentist. We found no source on flying after dental implant surgery.

Questions to ask the clinic

• Is the price per tooth for the whole implant (fixture, abutment and crown), or only for a part? What is extra?
• Which implant system and which crown material will be used, and where are they made? Ask to see the packaging.
• How many stages and how many months does my case need? Which steps can be combined, and how many visits to Korea does that mean?
• Do I need a bone graft or other preparation first? Is it included in the price?
• What anaesthesia or sedation will be used, and who gives it? If you have sedation or general anaesthesia, plan for someone to take you home.
• What check-ups and re-treatment come with the price? What happens if the implant does not fuse, and who treats problems after I go home?
• Is VAT included? Is this a regular or an event price?

Compare and read more

Related pages from this directory:

• Dental crowns in Korea
• Scaling in Korea
• Event price vs list price
• Receipts and medical records

Clinics that list dental implants

These clinics in this directory publish dental implant prices. Each card links to the clinic's listing.

Dental clinic

A Plus Dental Clinic

에이플러스치과의원

• Cheongdam, Seoul
• Cheongdam Station (Line 7), Exit 14, 1 min walk

2 HIRA doctorsEnglish

• Dental implants
• Dental crowns
• Orthodontics
• Teeth whitening
• +2

29 October 2026View listing

Dental clinicDesign rendering

Lucid Dental Clinic

루시드치과의원

• Nonhyeon, Seoul
• Eonju Station (Line 9), Exit 3, 1 min walk

1 HIRA doctorsEnglish, Japanese, Chinese

• Veneers (laminates)
• Dental implants
• Orthodontics
• Teeth whitening
• +2

29 October 2026View listing

Dental clinic

Standard Dental Clinic Jamsil

스탠다드치과의원 잠실본점

• Jamsil, Seoul
• Jamsil Station (Line 2, Line 8), Exit 7, 2 min walk

3 HIRA doctorsEnglish, Japanese

• Dental implants
• Veneers (laminates)
• Dental crowns
• Teeth whitening
• +1

29 October 2026View listing

Dental clinic

Yonsei Heal Dental Hospital

연세힐치과병원

• Gangseo, Seoul
• Ujangsan Station (Line 5), Exit 3, 4 min walk

11 HIRA doctorsEnglish

• Dental implants
• Veneers (laminates)
• Dental crowns
• Teeth whitening
• +1

29 October 2026View listing

FAQ

How much does a dental implant cost in Korea?

Korean clinics usually quote a price per tooth. Some quote the whole implant, others list the fixture, abutment and crown separately, and the price changes with the implant system and crown material. Full-arch work is priced per arch. The table on this page shows each clinic's published prices with the VAT basis and check date, and the lowest figure may be a single part.

Does Korean insurance cover dental implants for visitors?

Korea's national health insurance covers implants only for enrolled people aged 65 or over, with a limit of 2 per person (as of October 2026). Foreign nationals enrol through alien registration and residence conditions. Visitors who are not enrolled pay the clinic's non-covered price. Confirm the current rules on the NHIS website.

How long does a dental implant take?

Mayo Clinic says implant surgery is usually done in stages with healing time between them, and the process can take many months because the bone has to heal around the implant. If a bone graft is needed first, it can take several months before the implant is placed. Some steps can sometimes be combined. Ask the clinic for a schedule.

Which implant brands do Korean clinics use?

Price lists in this directory name Osstem, MegaGen and Straumann implants. Osstem, Dentium and MegaGen are Korean makers, and Straumann and Nobel Biocare are Swiss. We found no neutral source that compares brands, so this page does not rank them. Ask the clinic which system it will use for you.

What happens if an implant fails?

Mayo Clinic says that if an implant does not fuse with the jawbone, it is removed and you can try again after about three months. Korea's consumer dispute standard says that if the fixture comes out within 1 year, re-treatment is at the clinic's cost, and after 2 repeats the fee is refunded in full. Ask for the clinic's own terms in writing.

Sources

• Mayo Clinic: Dental implant surgery
• National Health Insurance Service (NHIS), 국민건강보험공단: Dental implant cover guide, 치과임플란트 급여안내
• Ministry of Health and Welfare (보건복지부): Press release on implant prosthetic materials and decay tests, 27 December 2024
• Ministry of Health and Welfare (보건복지부): Press release on higher health insurance cover, 8 September 2026
• Ministry of Health and Welfare and NHIS: Analysis of non-covered charge reports, March 2024 (press release, 6 January 2025)
• National Law Information Center (Ministry of Government Legislation): National Health Insurance Act, article 109 (special provisions for foreigners)
• Fair Trade Commission via National Law Information Center: Consumer Dispute Resolution Standards, Notice 2025-14
• Diagnostics (MDPI): Lee, Kim, Lee and Jeong, performance comparison of deep learning and dental professionals in classifying implant systems (2020)
• MegaGen Implant Co., Ltd.: Philosophy and vision
• Nobel Biocare Services AG: Contacts
• American Society of Anesthesiologists: Preparing for surgery, adult checklist
• Korea.kr (Policy Briefing), 대한민국 정책브리핑: Non-covered fee disclosure, 753 items on HIRA and the 건강e음 app

Prices in the table are the regular prices that clinics in this directory publish on their own price lists, checked at each update.