Looking for an English-speaking dentist in or near Pyeongtaek? We have a few options to try
About Visiting the Dentist in Korea
There is rarely a point where going to the dentist is fun, however, it can be downright terrifying in a country where you can’t speak the language. We are extremely lucky in Pyeongtaek because we have a variety of excellent choices. This isn’t even a comprehensive list, it’s simply a list of dentists that our different volunteers have known and liked over the last few years. They are dentists who are consistent and experienced. Read below to learn about 3 English-speaking dentists in Pyeongtaek.
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3 Dentists in Pyeongtaek
We’ve chosen one reliable, long-standing dentist from 3 different neighborhoods for this article. One focuses on supporting US military and two other support international residents living across the wider community who have Korean health insurance.
Columbia Dental
Neighborhood: Paengseong, Pyeongtaek (Near Camp Humphreys)
Columbia Dental Clinic
031-692-3768
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Hangul Address
경기도 평택시 팽성읍 안정리 369-1번지
A US educated and certified orthodontist has moved her clinic from Seoul to Anjeongri. The clinic is filled with the best equipment, their billing is based on Tricare requirements, and they have over a decade of experience direct billing tricare. They are located above Sams Attractive Coffee near Brown Stone Apartments. Parking: If you drive, park across the street at the local park (WAZE PIN/ID: NongSeong Park) and walk across the street.
Columbia Dental is where most of our South of Seoul volunteers have gone. We appreciate their professionalism, new facilities, location, and their support of the community. They are also some of the most highly qualified English speaking dentists in the area. Our volunteers have used them for everything from cleaning to braces for their kids. They are also setup to accept to directly bill Tri-Care. Oh, and they have the easiest parking situation.
Columbia Dental Clinic offers services for various oral health needs and concerns. Some treatment options, as listed on the Columbia Dental Clinic website include:
Orthodontics
- Pre-ortho, Myofunctional
- Adolescent Growth-Modification
- Adult Orthodontics
- Surgical Orthodontics
- 3D Clear Aligner
- 3D Indirect Bonding System
- Sports Mouthguards
General Clinic
- LOKKI YAP Laser Root Canal
- Implant
- Ceramic
Office Hours (Note: These hours are subject to change at any time by the clinic.
- Mon – Fri: 10 AM – 6 PM
- Lunch Hours: 1 PM – 2 PM
- Sat & Sun: Closed
- Holidays: Closed
Y Dental
Neighborhood: Jisan-dong, Pyeongtaek (Near Osan Air Force Base)
Y Dental
031-663-2828
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Hangul Address
경기 평택시 탄현로 326-1
Note For Military/Tri-Care Users: Tri-care allows you to use any dentist when you are living outside the US. Some dentists are used to dealing with them and will bill them directly. However, that does NOT make them the only game in town. You have options. Songtan now has a dentist fluent in English right near the base. The clinic is new in 2018. Its not big but its beautiful and easy to get to from Osan AFB without a car. Its right where the traditional market is across the subway tracks. The dentist, Daniel Yoon, grew up in the United States, and English is his first language. He has since lived in Korea for the last 20 years and built a successful dental business that he has recently relocated near Osan AF Base. He serves both Korean and Foreign clients and is super nice. His office is currently working on completing the process to accept Tricare. Until that is completed he will work with you to make sure you have everything you need to file your Tricare claim independently.
The dentist, Dr. Yoon, at Y Dental grew up and studied in the United States. He is extremely friendly and easy to talk to. The front desk doesn’t speak a lot of English, but you can easily stop in to make an appointment. This is a perfect spot for teachers without cars who live in Osan or Songtan. They are not setup to accept Tri-care, but they will work with you to make sure you can submit your forms on your own easily.
Y Dental offers services for various oral health needs and concerns. Their treatment options, as listed on the Y Dental Naver blog include:
- Dental Prosthesis
- Tooth Decay Treatment, Resin
- Preventative Treatment
Office Hours (Note: These hours are subject to change at any time by the clinic)
- Mon, Tue, Wed: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
- Thu: 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
- Fri: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- Lunch Hours: 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM
Happy Dental
Neighborhood: Pyeongtaek-dong, Pyeongtaek (Near AK Plaza/Pyeongtaek Station)
Happy Dental Clinic
010-5171-7722
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Hangul Address
경기도 평택시 평택2로 17
Dentist near AK Plaza often used by English speakers and has strong reviews from Hangul speakers. Note For Military/Tri-Care Users: Tri-care allows you to use any dentist when you are living outside the US. Some dentists are used to dealing with them and will bill them directly. However, that does NOT make them the only game in town. You have options.
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Happy Dental Clinic used to be the primary, foreigner friendly English speaking dentist in Pyeongtaek. Our volunteers who live near AK Plaza use them and like them. Their staff is every friendly and super helpful.They also are setup to directly bill Tri-care and are easy to access with public transportation.
Happy Dental doesn’t have a website that lists their treatment options. However, you can call ahead to learn more about their services.
Office Hours (Note: These hours are subject to change at any time by the clinic.)
- Mon-Fri: 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM
- Sat: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- Sun: Closed
- Lunch Hours: 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
All three locations are family friendly and ready to help you with dental needs. Don’t put it off another day. Pyeongtaek has excellent dental care.
How to Find A Dentist Near You
If you don’t mind visiting a non-English speaking dentist, here are a few resources that may help you find a dentist near you. When visiting a dentist who may or may not have English-speaking services, make sure to go prepared. Having Papago or the 1330 Travel Helpline on hand while at your appointment may help ease any language challenges you may face.
Naver Maps or Kakao Maps Search
You can search for dental health resources through Naver Maps and KakaoMap. To find a dental clinic in your area, copy and paste 치과 의사 (dentist) or 치과 (dental clinic) into Naver Map or KakaoMap. Click here for information on how to use Naver Maps. Papago or other translation services may be needed to search and translate Korean terms.
1330 Hotline
To overcome the potential language barrier, you can utilize services like the Papago translation app and the 1330 Korean Tourism phone number and app.
The 1330 helpline is a great resource for free language support in various languages, including Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, Thai, and Malay. 1330 can help answer questions on various topics, assist with translation, and possibly help you find an English-speaking dentist in your area. You can access the 1330 helpline through live chat or phone calls. You can learn more about 1330’s services in this blog.
Helpful Korean Dental Terms
Knowing some common dental terms before your visit to the dental clinic could come in handy. Additionally, Korean dental terms can often be used to search for specific services on Naver or Kakao maps as well. Some terms may or may not show intended results when copied and pasted into Naver Maps. However, the following list of dental terms and treatments could be useful when asking for services at a dental clinic or contacting 1330 for assistance.
- Dental clinic/office = 치과 (cheek-gwa)
- Dentist = 치과 의사 (cheek-gwa eui-sa)
- Pediatric dentist = 소아치과 (so-ah cheek-gwa)
- Tooth/teeth (various words may be used) = 치아/이/이빨 (chi-ah/ee/ee-ppal)
- Wisdom teeth = 사랑니 (sa-rang-ni)
- Toothache = 치통이 (cha-tong-ee)
- Cavities (also known as dental caries) = 충치 (choong-chi)
- Gum disease = 잇몸 질환 (eat-mome jil hwan)
- Scaling (also known as a dental cleaning) = 스케일링 (seu-kale-ing)
- Filling (in reference to a dental cavity) = 충치재 (choong-chi-jae)
- Gum treatment = 잇몸 치료 (eat-mome chi-ryo)
- Tooth extraction = 치아를 뽑다 (chi-ah-reul ppob-da)
- Braces = 교정기 (gyo-jeong-gi)
- Denture = 틀니 (teul-ni)
- Teeth whitening = 치아 미백 (chi-ah mi-baek)
NHIS Dental Care Coverage
Several dental services may be covered by Korean National Health Insurance. You can check which oral health services and procedures may be covered by National Health Insurance Services (NHIS) by calling their foreign languages hotline at +82-33-811-2000.
NHIS Hotline
0338112000
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
This phone number takes you to an NHIS agent who can answer any and all questions you have about the Korean national health insurance including cost and coverage. English, Russian, Chinese and other language services are available. Note: It may be difficult for a call to go through during the lunch hour (12pm-1pm)
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Founded in 2015, the South of Seoul team consists of volunteers on three continents working together to support English-speaking people traveling or living in South Korea. South of Seoul volunteers work with organizations and individuals across South Korea to improve equitable access to information across South Korea. Much of South of Seoul’s information focuses on Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
Blogs published under the authorship of “South of Seoul” include blogs compiled by multiple volunteers to improve access to standardized information unrelated to individualized personal experiences.
