Sillim Dental Clinic: Insurance Implant Prices, Costs, Duration, Bone Grafting, and Crown Types for People Aged 65 and Older

I’m Director Park Jeong-gi of Seoul Remember, Sillim Dental Clinic.

Health insurance implants for people aged 65 and older

You may have heard about this before.

If you are a National Health Insurance subscriber or dependent aged 65 or older, you can receive benefits when undergoing implant treatment.

In general, one implant costs around 1 million won per tooth.

However, for the person themselves after their 65th birthday, coverage can be applied for up to two implants for life,

and the out-of-pocket cost is 30%, so treatment is available at a 부담 없는 amount of about 400,000 won.

That said, it only applies in cases of partial edentulism, where at least one tooth remains in the mouth, and if there are no teeth at all, it is not eligible, in which case you would need to proceed with insurance dentures.

Also, additional procedures such as bone grafting and sinus lift surgery may incur separate costs, so it is a good idea to check in advance.

Today at Sillim Dental Clinic, I will explain several related topics.

What is causing the pain in the lower left molar?

In the left mandibular posterior region, discomfort occurs every time the patient eats.

During the clinical examination, Mobility (MOB) was observed in the second premolar (tooth 35) and the second molar (tooth 37).

As a result, pain likely accompanied chewing, and the gums are also swollen.

In particular, a crack was found in tooth 37.

When lightly biting down with a cotton roll and a bite slooth, sharp, tingling pain appeared, which suggests a typical crack syndrome.

How should it be treated?

If a crack is left untreated, bone can resorb and inflammation may develop at the root tip, so prompt treatment is necessary.

If left alone, it will not heal on its own, and the cracked tooth will not reattach.

Normally, it can sometimes be preserved by performing root canal treatment and placing a crown,

but in Sillim Dental Clinic’s case, there was already thickening of the periodontal ligament, and bone loss had also begun gradually, so it was diagnosed as a condition requiring extraction followed by implant placement.

Quick confirmation of insurance coverage

If the patient is over 65, Sillim Dental Clinic checks whether health insurance implant coverage can be applied on the day of the visit.

This is done by comprehensively reviewing the patient’s age, National Health Insurance enrollment status, and previous treatment history to determine eligibility.

Through this process, after establishing a treatment plan, the expected cost can be estimated, so patients can proceed with treatment with peace of mind.

Extraction and immediate placement process

If insurance coverage is confirmed, Sillim Dental Clinic first checks the schedules of both sides, makes an appointment for the earliest possible day, and proceeds with the surgery.

In this case, tooth 37 with the crack was extracted, and bone grafting and fixture placement were performed at the same time.

If performed immediately after extraction, the treatment period can be shortened, and the absorption of the jawbone can be minimized, which is an advantage.

In addition, placing artificial bone graft material in the extraction site promotes bone regeneration around the fixture and helps secure long-term stability.

Osseointegration and prosthetic restoration

After placement, we wait for more than 2 months so that osseointegration can occur.

This is a very important period for the fixture and surrounding bone to bond firmly.

During this time, it is important for the patient to check the healing status through regular examinations and avoid excessive stimulation or pressure.

Smoking or excessive alcohol consumption can negatively affect osseointegration, so caution is needed.

At Sillim Dental Clinic, after confirming that osseointegration has been sufficiently achieved, a custom prosthesis is fabricated through a precise scan using an intraoral scanner.

By utilizing digital scan technology, more accurate and comfortable prosthesis fabrication is possible, and since it is not a rubber material like alginate, errors can also be reduced.

Looking at the final prosthesis after placement, all original chewing function has been restored,

and because one of the advantages of implants is that an independent prosthesis can be made, interdental cleaning tools such as dental floss can also be used.

Starting this year, the upper prosthesis has been upgraded from PFM to zirconia, so it can be made from a material that offers both aesthetics and strength.

The insurance implant explained today at Sillim Dental Clinic applies to only two teeth for life, so please carefully decide the priority order of the teeth that need treatment.

And it would be good to identify the best implant position based on your current oral condition and make good use of it.

Thank you for reading.

This was Director Park Jeong-gi of Seoul Remember, Sillim Dental Clinic.

Treatment period: 2025.05.22 ~ 2025.08.30