Orthodontic FAQ for international patients
fees · pain · extractions · retainers · living abroad

Often, yes. Clear aligner stages can be made in advance from a digital plan, so treatment does not require monthly visits, and check-ups are scheduled around your trips to Korea. The clinic was previously registered with Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare as a medical institution for international patients. That registration is not currently active. Suitability is confirmed after a diagnosis.

Consultations are conducted in Korean. If you do not speak Korean, message the KakaoTalk channel "강남워싱턴치과" before your visit so the clinic can prepare, and consider bringing a Korean-speaking companion or using a translation app. The diagnosis is explained with your X-ray and scan images.

Switching clinics midway is often difficult in practice because appliances and treatment plans do not transfer easily. That makes the first choice of clinic important, so mention any chance of moving, studying abroad or long business trips at the consultation. With clear aligners, stages can be made in advance and visit intervals widened, so treatment can be designed to continue while you live abroad.

Orthodontics is not covered by insurance, so clinics set their own fees, and a quote is the sum of several items rather than one appliance fee. Whether diagnosis, the appliance (metal, ceramic, self-ligating, clear or lingual), monthly adjustment fees, mini-screws, extractions and retainers are included or extra can make the real total very different. Washington Dental states the included items after a detailed diagnosis, and the itemized non-covered fee schedule is posted in the clinic.

An advertised price usually covers only the appliance. Diagnosis, the adjustment fee at each visit, mini-screws or extractions if needed, and retainers after treatment are added on top. When you look at a quote, ask for the complete total including removal of the appliance and retainers. Washington Dental explains every item that could be added before treatment starts.

No. Price does not guarantee skill. More reliable criteria are whether a board-certified orthodontic specialist treats you personally from start to finish, whether the plan is explained with X-rays and measurements, and whether the clinic takes responsibility for retention. An association "member" and a "board-certified orthodontic specialist" are different qualifications. At Washington Dental, a board-certified orthodontic specialist treats you personally.

Routine orthodontic treatment is not covered by Korean national health insurance. Orthodontic and orthopedic treatment for patients with congenital cleft lip and palate is covered once registered with the National Health Insurance Service. Eligibility and the procedure are explained at your appointment.

Ask each clinic to write down three things on the same basis. First, the complete total including removal and retainers. Second, whether monthly adjustments, mini-screws, extractions and retainer remakes are included or extra. Third, the conditions for extra charges if treatment runs longer or an appliance has to be remade. Comparing two or three clinics this way shows the structure rather than just the number. Keep in mind that diagnosis may be charged separately at each clinic.

It depends on the payment method and the terms. With a monthly fee, a longer treatment costs more. With a single payment, items classed as extra, such as additional mini-screws, aligner refinements or remaking a lost or broken retainer, can be added later. Washington Dental explains which items may be added and when before treatment starts.

Pain is not constant. The sore days are predictable. Days 1 to 3 after bonding are the most uncomfortable, and after a wire change or adjustment the teeth feel pressure for 1 to 2 days before you adapt. Pain varies a lot between people. An anesthetic is needed only for extractions and mini-screw placement, not for bonding or adjustments.

No. How much it hurts and how far the teeth move are not linked. Teeth can move as planned with almost no discomfort. Brief sensitivity to cold water after an adjustment is also a common temporary reaction and is different from decay. If sensitivity persists, come in for a check.

A partial correction takes a few months, and comprehensive treatment usually takes 1 to 2.5 years. Extraction cases and skeletal malocclusion (underbite, facial asymmetry and so on) can take longer. Because types differ greatly, we give an individual estimate after a detailed diagnosis. Treatment is not over when the appliance comes off, and the retainer period is part of the plan.

Adjustment visits are usually every 4 to 8 weeks. The visit interval is the tooth-movement schedule, so postponing appointments lengthens treatment. Working adults often keep to the schedule with weekday evening (until 20:00) or Saturday (until 15:00) appointments. If business trips or study abroad mean you need longer intervals, say so at the consultation so it can be reflected from the choice of appliance onward.

Soft food is recommended for a few days after bonding and adjustments. With braces, take care with hard food (ice, nuts), sticky food (caramel, toffee) and tough food to avoid brackets coming off. Cut food into small pieces and chew with your back teeth. Food catches easily around braces, so brushing after meals and interdental brushes matter. Removable clear aligners have almost no food restrictions.

No. Extraction is considered only when there is not enough space to align the teeth. If the shortfall is small, non-extraction treatment can create space by slightly trimming the sides of the teeth (IPR) or expanding the arch. If the shortfall is large, premolar extraction is needed. Washington Dental shows you the reasons with cephalometric measurements and a tooth-movement simulation, then decides together with you.

The face is shaped not by the extraction itself but by how far the front teeth are moved back. Moving them back too far can make the mouth look sunken and the area under the nose look longer, so planning the right position is the key. On the other hand, aligning teeth without space in a non-extraction case can push the front teeth forward or worsen protrusion. Both have trade-offs, so the decision should be based on the measurements of your own case.

Clinicians judge protrusion, space shortage and the skeleton by different criteria, so it is not unusual for one clinic to say extraction and another to say non-extraction. Comparing only the conclusions is confusing. Comparing the evidence each clinic gives (lateral cephalometric measurements, space analysis) makes the decision easier. Second-opinion consultations are available.

Teeth tend to move back toward their original positions, so long-term wear is often recommended. Right after the appliance comes off, the retainer is worn for long hours, and once the teeth are stable, wear is reduced mostly to sleep. Clinics differ between "a few years" and "indefinitely" because arch stability and relapse risk differ between patients. Washington Dental explains this before treatment starts and adjusts the wear schedule at regular check-ups.

If it feels tight after skipping only a few days, the teeth have started to move. Small changes may reverse as you wear it again, but if the retainer will not go in at all, do not force it. Come in to have it checked. If the teeth have shifted a lot, partial retreatment may be needed.

A fixed retainer is a thin wire bonded behind the front teeth. A removable retainer is a clear or wire appliance you put in and take out. A fixed retainer cannot be forgotten but collects tartar, so flossing and regular cleaning are needed. A removable one is easy to clean but does nothing when you skip it. Many people use both, and the combination is chosen according to how stable the teeth are.

It comes down to the difficulty of the case and how well you manage self-care. Clear aligners are less visible and have no food restrictions, but you must wear them 20 to 22 hours a day yourself, and cases with difficult tooth movements may do better with fixed braces. The range of aligner treatment now extends to some extraction cases, but suitability is decided by diagnosis, not by the appliance.

Each new aligner can bring 2 to 3 days of pressure, and you should take them out for anything other than water. Drinking coffee or other drinks with aligners in increases the risk of staining and decay. Dry mouth or attachments coming off can also happen, so aligners are less "easy orthodontics" and more "self-managed orthodontics".

They suit people for whom visible appliances would be a problem at work. Teeth move on the same principle as with outer braces, but there is an adjustment period while the tongue rubs and speech changes, cleaning is harder on the inner side, and custom fabrication puts them in a higher price range. If you have important presentations or interviews coming up, plan the start date around them. If the goal is simply not to be noticed, compare clear aligners as well.

No. It means everything from diagnosis and analysis to bonding the appliance happens in one day. The time the teeth take to move is the same. It combines the consultation, records, treatment planning and bonding, which usually take 2 to 3 visits, so busy people can get started more easily.

No. When the cause is the jaw-joint position and the bite rather than the jawbone itself, non-surgical orthodontic correction can be attempted. Whether the cause is skeletal is determined by a detailed diagnosis including cephalometric X-rays.

It depends on whether the cause is the teeth or the bone. Dental protrusion, where the teeth tilt forward, often improves with orthodontics alone using extractions and mini-screws to move the front teeth back. Skeletal protrusion, where the alveolar bone itself projects, has limits with orthodontics, and combined surgery is reviewed. Starting extraction treatment on a skeletal case can be ineffective and narrow later surgical options, so the type should be identified first.

Orthodontics and jaw-joint treatment are separate, and rushing into orthodontics while the joint hurts is not recommended. The joint and the bite are evaluated before orthodontics and stabilized first if needed. The expectation that orthodontics will also cure the jaw joint is not well supported. Washington Dental includes a jaw-joint evaluation in the treatment plan before orthodontics begins.

Skeletal problems that can only be guided during growth, such as crossbite, mouth breathing and imbalanced jaw growth, need early intervention, but problems limited to tooth alignment can wait until the permanent teeth come in. If an underbite or bite problem is suspected, a check-up from age 6 to 7 is recommended. Washington Dental recommends monitoring for children who do not need early treatment.

Yes. Tooth movement has no age limit, and gum (periodontal) health matters more than age. If there is gum disease, periodontal treatment comes first, and tooth movement is paced accordingly.

If the problem is the alignment or the bite, orthodontics is the standard choice. If it is the color or shape of the teeth, veneers or whitening are suitable. Veneers can involve trimming natural teeth and may need redoing as the restoration ages, so when orthodontics or whitening can solve the problem, Washington Dental does not recommend veneers.

Whitening is not permanent. Depending on diet it lasts months to years, and coffee, black tea, curry and smoking are the main causes of restaining. Avoiding strongly colored food for a week after treatment is the key to keeping the result. Artificial restorations such as crowns and veneers do not whiten, so we check for them first.

Yes. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 11:00 to 20:00 (lunch break 14:00 to 15:00), and Saturday from 10:00 to 15:00 without a lunch break. Closed on Thursday, Sunday and public holidays.

Call +82-2-552-3000 or message the KakaoTalk channel "강남워싱턴치과". A first visit includes detailed diagnostic records (photographs, X-rays, an intraoral scan), so please book before you come. Parking is available at the mechanical car park of the Opus 407 Building, 407 Gangnam-daero, with 30 minutes free, but spaces are few and some vehicles are restricted. The clinic is a 3-minute walk from Gangnam Station Exit 9, so public transport is recommended.