Scaling (teeth cleaning) cost in Korea
In Korean: 스케일링 (치석제거) (seukeilling)
For scaling, Full mouth has a median price of ₩60,000 at Korean hospitals (about US$45). That is the middle of the prices reported by 422 hospitals, 80 of them in Seoul, to HIRA, the government’s Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, as of 23 October 2026.
Median
₩60,000
US$45
Average
₩63,409
US$48
Lowest
₩20,000
US$15
Highest
₩246,460
US$186
Median: half of hospitals charge less, half more. Lowest and highest are single hospitals and can include unusual cases.
Scaling (teeth cleaning) prices by type
| Type | Median | Average | Range | Hospitals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full mouth전악 | ₩60,000 | ₩63,409 | ₩20,000 – ₩246,460 | 422 |
| Upper jaw상악 | ₩30,000 | ₩37,657 | ₩10,000 – ₩88,000 | 43 |
| Lower jaw하악 | ₩30,000 | ₩35,968 | ₩10,000 – ₩88,000 | 39 |
| One third of a jaw1/3악 | ₩15,000 | ₩21,880 | ₩8,589 – ₩71,800 | 78 |
Hospitals: how many hospitals reported a price for that type. Prices as reported.
Full mouth by kind of hospital
| Kind of hospital | Median | Average | Range | Hospitals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tertiary (university) hospitals상급종합 | ₩80,000 | ₩90,815 | ₩40,000 – ₩225,000 | 34 |
| General hospitals종합병원 | ₩60,000 | ₩60,799 | ₩20,000 – ₩105,000 | 150 |
| Hospitals병원 | ₩50,000 | ₩51,317 | ₩20,000 – ₩80,000 | 32 |
| Dental hospitals치과병원 | ₩60,000 | ₩62,054 | ₩20,000 – ₩246,460 | 196 |
| Korean medicine hospitals한방병원 | ₩60,000 | ₩60,000 | ₩60,000 – ₩60,000 | 1 |
| Long-term care hospitals요양병원 | ₩50,000 | ₩54,000 | ₩50,000 – ₩60,000 | 5 |
University (tertiary) hospitals are the large teaching hospitals such as those of Seoul National, Yonsei and Korea universities. Small clinics (의원) are not in this data — see how to check a clinic’s price.
Full mouth by region
| Region | Median | Average | Range | Hospitals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul서울 | ₩60,000 | ₩71,975 | ₩20,000 – ₩246,460 | 80 |
| Gyeonggi경기 | ₩60,000 | ₩61,083 | ₩20,000 – ₩164,000 | 78 |
| Incheon인천 | ₩60,000 | ₩63,142 | ₩30,000 – ₩160,000 | 23 |
| Busan부산 | ₩60,000 | ₩58,048 | ₩30,000 – ₩100,000 | 41 |
| Daegu대구 | ₩60,000 | ₩68,158 | ₩50,000 – ₩126,362 | 21 |
| Daejeon대전 | ₩60,000 | ₩56,381 | ₩20,000 – ₩80,000 | 15 |
| Ulsan울산 | ₩70,000 | ₩75,380 | ₩60,000 – ₩97,800 | 10 |
| Sejong세종시 | ₩92,105 | ₩90,053 | ₩50,000 – ₩126,000 | 3 |
| Gangwon강원 | ₩50,000 | ₩51,427 | ₩38,252 – ₩64,990 | 18 |
| Chungbuk충북 | ₩60,000 | ₩63,164 | ₩50,000 – ₩113,100 | 13 |
| Chungnam충남 | ₩60,000 | ₩59,476 | ₩20,000 – ₩135,000 | 19 |
| Jeonbuk전북 | ₩50,000 | ₩50,375 | ₩33,000 – ₩60,000 | 8 |
| Jeonnam-Gwangju전남광주 | ₩60,000 | ₩60,778 | ₩30,000 – ₩103,000 | 27 |
| Gyeongbuk경북 | ₩60,000 | ₩61,263 | ₩38,252 – ₩80,000 | 26 |
| Gyeongnam경남 | ₩60,000 | ₩62,673 | ₩50,000 – ₩102,000 | 36 |
| Jeju제주 | ₩60,000 | ₩52,500 | ₩30,000 – ₩60,000 | 4 |
Regions with no reporting hospital are left out. Jeonnam-Gwangju is the merged Gwangju–South Jeolla region (since 1 July 2026).
What it is
Scaling removes tartar from above and just below the gum line. Korean dentists recommend it once or twice a year.
What the price includes
These are prices hospitals charge when scaling is not covered — for example a second cleaning in the same year, or for people without Korean health insurance.
Health insurance
National Health Insurance covers one scaling a year for insured people aged 19 and over. The allowance runs from January to December and does not carry over, so many dentists are busy in December.
Ask at the hospital
스케일링 가격이 얼마예요?
How much does it cost? — seukeilling gagyeogi eolmayeyo?
Questions
I have Korean health insurance — what do I pay?
For your one insured scaling of the year you pay only a small co-payment, well below the prices on this page. Show your Alien Registration Card and the clinic checks your eligibility.
About these numbers
- Source: HIRA non-covered medical fees open data (건강보험심사평가원 비급여진료비정보), items UW3021047, UW3021027, UW3021037, UW3021017, updated 23 October 2026.
- Covers hospitals (병원급: university, general, dental, Korean medicine and other hospitals). Small clinics (의원) report to HIRA too but are not in the open data; their prices can be lower or higher.
- Median, average, lowest and highest are HIRA’s own figures. Hospital counts are the number of hospitals listed for each item.
- US$ amounts are rough conversions at ₩1,326 = US$1 (22 Oct 2026). Your card or exchange rate will differ.
- Prices are what hospitals report, not quotes. Always ask the hospital for a written estimate.