Finding an English speaking dentist in Korea can be a daunting if you don't understand the language. You may experience challenges with cultural dissonance when navigating the Korean healthcare system in regard to dental health. SOS Public Health is working to compile a list of English-accessible dental clinics in and around the Songdo area. This list will continue to grow as SOS Public Health volunteers discover new locations.

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Going to the dentist can be an intimidating experience, particularly in a new environment. Equipping yourself with some information about dental care in South Korea can make the process less intimidating. Recently, I visited Elisha International Dental Clinic in Songdo, Incheon, for an oral checkup and deep cleaning procedure covered by the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS). This dental clinic was recommended by the University of Utah Asia Campus. This blog post details my experience visiting Elisha International Dental Clinic as a female international student from the United States who wears a hijab. Listen to the BlogCast Don’t want to read? Listen to the South of Seoul BlogCast which provides accessible content through the use of AI technology. We don’t have time to read each article but we do our best to make more of our content accessible. If you would like to join our Accessibility Team apply to volunteer with South of Seoul. Please note that the pronunciation of some Korean words may be inaccurate due to AI technology’s limitations. Disclaimer The information in this blog post is not sponsored content. The organizations listed below are provided based on community recommendations and direct research. South of Seoul does not receive monetary compensation for posting this blog post. Importance of Dental Check-ups Brushing and flossing at home generally do not provide enough protection on their own to maintain oral health. As stated in the NHIS Health Screening pamphlet, it is important to have a dental professional perform a checkup for the “early detection of oral diseases, such as dental caries, periodontal diseases, and so on.” What Is A Dental Cleaning? Dental deep cleaning, often called scaling in Korea, is a procedure to remove dental calculus (also known as tartar) and plaque that builds up on the teeth over time and cannot be removed by brushing alone. According to Elisha International Dental Clinic, professional dental cleaning is recommended every six months, but more frequent cleanings may be necessary depending on how quickly tartar accumulates on a person’s teeth. NHIS Dental Coverage National Health Insurance Services (NHIS) subscribers can receive oral checkups as part of the general health checkup provided every two years for no additional cost. The NHIS partially covers a scaling appointment once per year. The final price of dental scaling will depend on dental clinic pricing. The NHIS does not cover X-rays as part of scaling appointments. Elisha International Dental Clinic Elisha International Dental Clinic is located near Incheon National University Station in Songdo, across the street from Lotte Mart and Songdo Convensia Center.  Recommended by the University of Utah Asia Campus, this dental clinic provides dental health services in English and Korean from a team of licensed professionals. Dr. Sun Kim received her D.D.S. from Columbia University in New York. Dr. Kim has extensive experience practicing dentistry in the United States and South Korea. Making a Dentist Appointment Elisha International Dental Clinic provides two modes of contact: messaging through KakaoTalk or calling the clinic at 032-831-0027 or 032-831-0053. Learn more about KakaoTalk and other useful apps for living in South Korea. I utilized the clinic’s KakaoTalk messaging service because, like many people my age, I don’t like making phone calls. I scheduled an appointment for an annual dental checkup and scaling. In less busy areas around Korea, you may be able to schedule an appointment in person or receive treatment as a walk-in patient. Required Information When Making a Dentist Appointment Elisha International Dental Clinic requested the following information when I scheduled an appointment through KakaoTalk. Note: These requirements will not be true for all dental clinics in South Korea. Contact your dental clinic to find out what documents they require from their patients. Appointment Day The day of my appointment finally arrived! I was initially nervous because I went to the same dentist in the United States for most of my life. So visiting a new dentist in a different country was a big change for me. Required Items for Arrival at Dentist Appointment When I arrived at the dental clinic for my appointment, a receptionist asked for the following information. The required documents may differ at other dental clinics. Contact your dental clinic to confirm what documents patients need to bring. Identification Health Insurance Payment Intake Procedures I filled out an electronic intake form on a tablet. The instructions on the form were in Korean and English, which may not be available at other dental clinics. Reading the information in English helped ease some of my initial anxiety about experiencing a language barrier when visiting a clinic in Korea. The requested information on the intake form included name, birthdate, phone number, address, insurance information, brief dental history, and any medical conditions of note. There was even an option to select how much pressure I would like the dental hygienist to use for the scaling procedure. However, this question might not be asked at other dental clinics. The front desk confirmed my appointment details: an oral checkup, X-rays, and an annual scaling treatment. I read and signed a consent form detailing the scaling procedure in Korean and English. Oral Exam/Checkup After the intake procedure, I was asked to remove any metal around my head, including my earrings and hijab pins. A dental hygienist then performed X-ray imaging of my whole mouth. The X-ray machine appeared similar to the ones used in the United States. The dental hygienist then seated me in a dental chair and took bitewing X-rays with a portable unit. The dentist, Dr. Sun Kim, joined us and reviewed the X-rays before she performed a visual oral exam. The visual oral exam included checking the state of my teeth, gums, and tongue for any signs of oral cancer. Dr. Kim dictated notes to the dental hygienist about issues that needed to be addressed (dental caries, wisdom teeth, sugar intake, etc.). We decided to complete the scheduled scaling treatment and discuss treatment options for the dentists’ concerns after. Scaling The dental hygienist began the scaling treatment by adjusting my chair and covering my face with a piece of fabric that only left the mouth exposed. The fabric functions as a shield for the eyes against bright light. It was a new experience for me since I wear goggles at dental clinics in the United States. The clinic does offer glasses/goggles if preferred. The dental hygienist used an ultrasonic scaler and other dental hand instruments during the scaling. These instruments help remove tartar and plaque builds up on the teeth. The next part of the dental cleaning was brushing, and it ended with a thorough flossing. Consultation Following the scaling treatment, the dental hygienist discussed treatment plans for the concerns noted during the doctor’s initial exam. The hygienist provided an overview of the issues, the corresponding treatment options, and their costs. Due to NHIS coverage limitations, some treatments were out of my budget. I consulted the dentist about delaying treatment for those concerns until I returned to the United States since my US insurance would cover dental fillings. For the treatments that NHIS partially covers, such as wisdom teeth extractions, I scheduled follow-up appointments. After the consultation, I paid for the completed treatments with my Korean debit card at the information desk. I paid 25,400 KRW after NHIS insurance for an oral checkup, dental scaling, X-rays, and consultation at the end of my visit. This cost may vary depending on the dental clinic you visit. Call your dentist to confirm how much your insurance will cover before your visit. Schedule Your Appointment To schedule an appointment at Elisha International Dental Clinic (엘리샤인터내셔널치과의원), call 032-831-0027 (or 032-831-0053) or send a message on KakaoTalk messenger at Kakao ID elishadental. To find a dental clinic near you, 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. Helpful Korean Dental Terms & Phrases 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 BBB Korea for assistance. Visit this blog post for more information about finding an English speaking dentist in Songdo or how to search for one in your area. 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 033-811-2000. Follow SOS Public Health for More Resources Follow us on Instagram or Facebook to stay updated on SOS Public Health Initiatives. If you have questions about healthcare in Korea, visit the Health and Wellness in Korea Facebook Group, or feel free to message SOS Public Health with any questions or concerns. Apply for an SOS Public Health Practicum Opportunity Are you a graduate student looking for practical experience in public health? Apply for an SOS Public Health Practicum! Click below to learn more about the SOS Public Health Practicum Program. Research Design & Implementation Team UX/UI Supervisor & Editor Research Compliance Supervisor & Editor Primary Researcher & Author Zahra AlsafiZahra Alsafi is pursuing a Master of Public Health degree at the University of Utah Asia Campus (UAC) in Incheon, South Korea. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Microbiology with a minor in Women and Gender Studies from the University of Michigan. Ms. Alsafi was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, USA to Iraqi refugee parents. Inspired by her community and international experiences, she hopes to pursue public health dentistry with a focus on preventative care for immigrant and refugee populations. She is particularly interested in disseminating educational information through accessible formats. Ms. Alsafi’s public health practicum with South of Seoul Public Health will focus on dental health education for school-aged children and adults in South Korea.

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Want to support improvements in access to mental health resources for students, faculty, and staff on Incheon Global Campus (IGC)? Take the South of Seoul Public Health (SOS Public Health) Mental Health Access Survey. This blog will tell you how.

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About Mental Health on International Campuses Studying or working on an international university campus may be rewarding and also stressful. For example, many challenges may exist when adjusting to campus life: a new culture, and language differences while discovering how to access campus resources. Experiences such as these may stir positive and negative emotions such as excitement, joy, nervousness, and fear. Such conflicting emotional experiences may impact the mental health of some students, faculty, and staff at international universities. When such experiences impact mental health in a negative direction, some students, faculty, and staff may find it unsustainable to study or work on international campuses over time. In short, the mental health of students, faculty, and staff needs to be well supported in order to foster a healthy learning environment. Listen to the BlogCast Don’t want to read? Listen to the South of Seoul BlogCast which provides accessible content through the use of AI technology. We don’t have time to read each article but we do our best to make more of our content accessible. If you would like to join our Accessibility Team apply to volunteer with South of Seoul. Please note that the pronunciation of some Korean words may be inaccurate due to AI technology’s limitations. What is Mental Health? Mental health includes a person’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Mental health challenges affect how we think, act, and feel. For example, mental health stress can affect sleep habits, affecting how one does in school, social life, and physical health. Why is Mental Health Access Important on Campus? Access to mental health resources may significantly affect academic performance. Additionally, among university populations, delayed access to mental health resources has an association with substance use, academic achievement, employment, and other social factors. Why is Access to Mental Health Resources Important? Mental health resources are tools that individuals and communities can use to manage mental health challenges. Resources for mental health may have great significance in improving lives in individuals and communities. Why Research How Mental Health Resources are Accessed? It is vital to understand what may prevent individuals from accessing mental health resources. For instance, a Social Solutions blog on Mental Healthcare Access shares the following reasons: Understanding what prevents access to mental health resources can open doors to improving access to those resources. Similarly, as access to mental healthcare increases, communities and individuals can learn about the importance of those resources and how to access them. The Mental Healthcare Access Social Solutions blog discusses that access to mental health resources can reduce: SOS Public Health’s Research on Mental Health Access at Incheon Global Campus Understanding the difficulty of navigating mental health in an international setting, South of Seoul Public Health (SOS Public Health) created an initiative through their practicum program to research access to mental health resources at Incheon Global Campus (IGC). University of Utah Public Health Practicum student, Colton Johnson will lead this initiative. SOS Public Health Mental Health Access Survey for Incheon Global Campus Mr. Johnson has developed a survey to assess access to mental health resources both on and off-campus among students, staff, and faculty at IGC. Students, faculty, and staff at all IGC universities will be asked to participate in this survey which will be implemented via email, social media, and group chats. The survey will be open from Monday, April 11, 2022, to Friday, April 15, 2022. How will Mental Health Access Research Help the Incheon Global Campus Community? Data from this research will provide information on: Understanding gaps in knowledge among the IGC community on mental health resources will allow SOS Public Health to compile a list of possible resources available on and off campus to university students, faculty, and staff. These resources will be shared on the South of Seoul Blog, Facebook, and Instagram accounts. Additionally, the research may inform how South of Seoul compiles information for international students across South Korea. Where Can the Community go to Stay Updated on the Research? Follow the research by checking out SOS Public Health on Facebook and Instagram. The SOS Public Health team posts information regarding research initiatives and other important public health topics on our blog and social media accounts. Follow SOS Public Health for More Resources Follow us on Instagram or Facebook to stay updated on SOS Public Health Initiatives. If you have questions about healthcare in Korea, visit the Health and Wellness in Korea Facebook Group, or feel free to message SOS Public Health with any questions or concerns. Apply for an SOS Public Health Practicum Opportunity Are you a graduate student looking for practical experience in public health? Apply for a an SOS Public Health Practicum! Click below to learn more about the SOS Public Health Practicum Program. Research Design & Implementation Team UX/UI Supervisor & Editor Research Compliance Supervisor & Editor Primary Researcher & Author Colton Johnson Colton Johnson is a current student at the University of Utah, completing his Master’s in Public Health. He holds a Bachelor’s in Public Health as well, from Brigham Young University – Idaho. Earlier in his graduate program, Mr. Johnson participated in a semester study abroad at the University of Utah Asia Campus (UAC) located in Incheon, South Korea. While studying in South Korea, he became interested in research focused on the mental health of international university communities. Because Mr. Johnson developed a passion for supporting his fellow international university community, in January 2022, he applied for a Public Health Practicum with South of Seoul Public Health (SOS Public Health). Through his practicum with SOS Public Health, he has begun developing an initiative to increase access to mental health resources on Incheon Global Campus (IGC), a campus that houses five separate universities, including UAC. Mr. Johnson hopes to apply what he has learned from his practicum to his future career in Public Health.

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