Travel tips
Travel insurance and dental treatment in Korea: getting your claim right
What travel insurance usually covers for dental problems, which documents to ask for in Seoul, and how to avoid a rejected claim.
By Dr. Kang Jun-guMedically reviewed by Dr. Kang Jun-guPublished Updated 4 min read
Quick answer
Travel insurance usually covers emergency dental treatment to relieve sudden pain, up to a set limit, but not routine check-ups, cleaning or whitening. Ask the clinic for an English receipt listing each procedure, a short treatment note with the diagnosis, and keep your card payment record. Check your policy's dental limit before you book.
Usually covered
- Emergency pain relief
- Treatment of sudden infection or abscess
- Temporary repair of a broken tooth or lost filling
- Dental injury from an accident
Usually not covered
- Check-ups and scaling
- Whitening and cosmetic work
- Planned crowns, veneers or implants
- Problems that existed before the trip
Documents to ask for
- English receipt with date, tooth number, procedure and amount
- Treatment note with diagnosis
- Card payment slip
- Clinic name, address and registration details
Questions people also ask
Will the clinic bill my insurer directly?
Most clinics ask you to pay and claim afterwards. Ask your insurer whether they can arrange direct payment.
Can I get documents in Japanese or Korean too?
Ask the clinic. English documents are the most widely accepted by insurers.
Need this looked at in Seoul?
Check-ups, scaling and whitening, with fees shown before we start.
Dr. Kang is a board-certified Integrated Dentistry specialist trained at Yonsei, Harvard and Columbia. He treats every patient at the Gongdeok clinic himself.
About Dr. KangHow we write these guides: each guide is written from questions our patients ask, reviewed by Dr. Kang, and updated when guidance changes. It is general information, not a diagnosis. For advice about your own teeth, please book a check-up.
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