National Dental Scaling Benefit: Who Qualifies and What You Get
Learn how to access your yearly subsidized dental cleaning and the specific step needed to ensure your insurance covers the cost.
This scheme provides a heavily subsidized dental cleaning once every year to help maintain your oral health and prevent more expensive dental issues.
Who it's for
This benefit is available to all adults living in South Korea. As long as you meet the age requirement for adulthood, you are eligible to use this service to keep your teeth clean.
What you get
You are eligible for one heavily subsidized dental cleaning per year. This procedure, often referred to locally as 스케일링, is designed to remove plaque and tartar that regular brushing might miss. By using this benefit, you can access professional cleaning services at a much lower cost than a standard private dental procedure.
What it costs you
While the cleaning is heavily subsidized, it is not entirely free. You will be responsible for a small co-pay at the time of your appointment. Based on current rates, this cost is approximately ₩15,000 KRW. This small fee covers your portion of the procedure under the National Health Insurance Service guidelines.
The catch to know
The most important thing to remember is that the subsidy is not always applied automatically by the clinic. To ensure you receive the lower, subsidized rate, you must explicitly ask the dental staff for the "insurance-covered" scaling. If you do not specifically request the insurance-covered version, you may be charged the full private price for the cleaning.
How to apply
- Find a local dental clinic that accepts national insurance.
- Schedule an appointment for a dental cleaning.
- When you arrive or during the consultation, explicitly ask the staff to perform the "insurance-covered" scaling.
- Complete your cleaning and pay your small co-pay at the clinic.