Why Implant Prices Differ in Suwon: 5 Items and NHI Coverage at Age 65 (2026)

[Key Answer]

Implant prices differ from clinic to clinic because the quote changes with the number of implants, whether a bone graft or sinus lift is needed, the abutment configuration, and the scope of post-surgical care. Yeonhap Dental Clinic includes only the items that are needed, based on 3D CT measurements and clinical findings.

[4-Line Summary]

· A quote is divided into items whose necessity varies (number of implants, bone graft, sinus lift) and items Yeonhap Dental Clinic includes as standard (custom abutment, post-surgical care).

· We do not do a bone graft if 2 mm remains on the cheek side and 1.5 mm on the tongue and palate side at a position and angle where a prosthesis is possible.

· At Yeonhap Dental Clinic, we consider a sinus lift when the remaining bone height in an upper molar is less than 7 mm.

· For partially edentulous patients aged 65 or older who meet the coverage conditions, NHI applies to up to 2 implants per lifetime at the standard 30% patient copayment rate, but bone grafts and sinus lifts are not covered.

Written by: Dr. Ahn Seong-jin, Chief Director, Yeonhap Dental Clinic

Prices differ from clinic to clinic, but the reason is not explained. You may hear that the materials are different, but that alone does not explain the difference.

[Table of Contents]

· How is the number of implants decided?

· In what cases is a bone graft added to an implant?

· Why is a sinus lift added as a separate item?

· How do the abutment and post-surgical care change the quote?

· What are the conditions for NHI-covered implants?

· What should I prepare before an implant consultation?

The price of one implant at Yeonhap Dental Clinic includes a custom abutment and crown (the same price for zirconia and PFM), while bone grafts, sinus lifts, and bridge pontics are separate. The price by fixture is summarized in the Non-covered Treatment Fees, and this article explains why quotes differ even for the same implant.

What splits quotes is the composition of the items. Yeonhap Dental Clinic does not plan by the approach of "let's do a bone graft first" or "let's just place as many as possible"; we measure on 3D CT while changing the placement position and angle, and exclude from the plan any item for which the reference value is secured. If the reference value is not met, we explain why and include only the treatment that is needed.

We do not necessarily place as many as the number of missing teeth; we choose the sites to use as abutments according to bone conditions, prosthesis design, and bite, and place implants there. It is the item that changes the quote the most.

If three molars in a row are missing, there are two ways: placing all three, or placing only the front and back sites and connecting them with a three-unit prosthesis, and Yeonhap Dental Clinic considers the latter first when the bone conditions, prosthesis design, and bite are suitable. Where to place is determined by the bone height and width confirmed on 3D CT and the distance to the nerve canal and sinus; placing fewer is not itself the goal.

That is why two people missing the same number of teeth may receive different numbers of implants. The criteria for deciding the diameter, length, and number at each site are summarized in Front-Tooth vs. Molar Implants: Why Diameter, Length, and Number Differ.

It is added when the thickness of bone surrounding the implant does not reach the reference value.

Yeonhap Dental Clinic's criterion is 2 mm on the cheek side (buccal) and 1.5 mm on the tongue and palate side (lingual and palatal), and if there is a site where this thickness remains when the implant is placed at a position and angle where a prosthesis is possible, we do not graft. However, the gap on the cheek side that forms when an implant is placed on the day a front tooth is extracted is filled with bone graft material regardless of this thickness criterion. This is because even in the same jawbone, the surrounding thickness changes when the position and angle of placement are changed.

In a systematic review on buccal bone thickness, marginal bone loss was reported as 0.36 mm in the group with buccal bone under 2 mm at placement and 0.03 mm in the group with 2 mm or more (Monje 2023). The definition of the reference thickness differs from study to study, and Yeonhap Dental Clinic uses 2 mm as our clinic's standard. The judgment sequence and procedure are covered in Bone Graft Implants: 3 Key Points.

Because bone height in upper molars is calculated separately because of the maxillary sinus.

Above the upper molars there is an empty space called the maxillary sinus, so over time after a tooth is extracted the remaining bone height shrinks considerably, and raising the floor to create space at that point is a sinus lift. Yeonhap Dental Clinic considers a sinus lift when remaining bone height is under 7 mm, and decides the approach by the condition of the sinus membrane and the extent of the graft by the height to be secured.

That is why even for the same upper molar implant, the items and scope differ. The criteria for choosing the approach are covered in Sinus Lift Implants: 3 Key Points.

It depends on whether the abutment is shaped to fit and whether post-surgical care includes a follow-up schedule.

The abutment is the part that connects the implant and the crown; a stock abutment uses a fixed shape, while a custom abutment is made so that the angle and shape of the section passing through the gum fit that site. Yeonhap Dental Clinic includes a custom abutment and crown in the price of one implant. In a systematic review pooling three studies, in the bone-level implant groups (the type placed according to bone height) of two studies, more peri-implantitis was observed when the prosthesis emergence angle exceeded 30 degrees (Soulami 2022). The placement depth calculation that makes the angle gentler is covered in 5 Criteria We Check Before Surgery and Our Core Design.

A plan that ends with surgery differs from a plan that includes a follow-up schedule in post-surgical care. Yeonhap Dental Clinic sets the prosthesis 3–6 months after surgery, depending on whether a bone graft or sinus surgery was done and on healing. We check residual cement and bite changes 3 months after setting, then every 6 months we check for screw loosening, bite changes, and peri-implantitis, and if there is pain, swelling, or pus before then, we check right away.

For partially edentulous patients aged 65 or older who meet the coverage conditions, NHI applies to up to 2 implants per lifetime at the standard 30% patient copayment rate.

Completely edentulous patients are not eligible, and the expected out-of-pocket amount is summarized in the National Health Insurance items of the Non-covered Treatment Fees.

Here is a part that is directly connected to the quote. Bone grafts and sinus lifts are not covered by NHI. Even if the implant itself is done under NHI, these items are charged separately if they are needed, and when a quote differs from expectations even though you are eligible for coverage, it is usually this part.

If you have already received NHI coverage for a partial denture in the same area, the conditions may differ, so we check this with you at the consultation stage. The coverage conditions and registration sequence are summarized in NHI Implants: 3 Key Things to Check Before Registration.

From February 2025, zirconia was added as a crown material for NHI-covered implants, so even for covered patients you can choose between PFM and zirconia (Ministry of Health and Welfare notice, effective February 1, 2025).

If you bring a summary of your dental history and the medications you take, we can make a more specific plan at the first consultation. It is fine if you don't know; much can be confirmed on 3D CT, and we sort out the rest together during the consultation.

For your teeth, please note when they were lost, whether there is pain, swelling, or looseness, and whether you use existing dentures, bridges, or implants, and if you have a quote or imaging from another clinic, we will look at it together. For medications and general health, what matters are antiplatelet drugs such as aspirin and Plavix, anticoagulants such as warfarin, osteoporosis medications and the duration of use, recent test values for diabetes, and any liver disease.

Please do not stop antithrombotic medications on your own; just let us know you take them. Yeonhap Dental Clinic decides whether to continue them in consultation with the prescribing physician.

It is better to compare the composition of items before comparing amounts. The non-covered items that can be reduced in a quote are summarized in Planning to Reduce Non-covered Items Comes First.

Yeonhap Dental Clinic, located across from Suwon NongHyup Guun Branch (231 Geumho-ro), on the 5th floor at 230 Geumho-ro, Gwonseon-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do (Tap-dong, Cham Clinic Building), has stayed in the same place since 2002. Today, Dr. Ahn Seong-jin, Chief Director and Integrated Dentistry specialist, oversees treatment, and you can check the amounts by item first in the Non-covered Treatment Fees.

· How many implants are planned, and whether they explain why that number

· If a bone graft is included, which measurement is insufficient

· Whether it is stated that the abutment is stock or custom-made

· Whether the follow-up schedule ends right after surgery or includes regular care after the prosthesis

· If NHI coverage applies, whether the covered and non-covered areas are distinguished

What we are trying to reduce is not the price but unnecessary treatment. We find sites where implants can be placed to reduce the number, we do not graft when the reference value is secured, and conversely we custom-make the abutment and build the follow-up schedule into the plan from the start. What to take out and what to put in is decided by what state that tooth will be in ten years from now.

[Key Takeaways]

✓ Yeonhap Dental Clinic does not include items that are not needed, based on 3D CT measurements, and custom-makes the abutment and includes it in the price of one implant.

✓ The follow-up schedule, including the check 3 months after the prosthesis is set and care every 6 months, is built into the plan from the start.

✓ If you have received a quote, it is better to first check why each item was included rather than the total.

When I explain an implant quote, before the amount I look at whether there is a position on 3D CT where 2 mm of bone remains on the cheek side and 1.5 mm on the tongue side, and, for an upper molar, whether remaining bone height is under 7 mm. If there is a site where the reference values are met, I leave out the bone graft, and if not, I show you why and include only as much as is needed. In my practice there has not yet been a case where I tried to reduce bone grafting and ended up widening the graft. However, for sinus lifts in upper molars, I have often planned the crestal approach (raising the membrane through the hole where the implant goes), found the signs of whether the membrane had a hole unclear, and switched on the same day to the lateral approach (making a window in the side wall of the sinus). The lateral approach applies when direct checking and treatment are needed because of membrane condition, a lesion in the sinus, or perforation during surgery, and I explain which of these cases might apply while looking at the CT screen with you on the first day, and I can provide it in writing if you wish. That is why my principle is to explain the quote item by item rather than by its total.

Monje A, Roccuzzo A, Buser D, Wang HL. Influence of buccal bone wall thickness on the peri-implant hard and soft tissue dimensional changes: A systematic review. Clin Oral Implants Res. 2023;34(3):157-176.

Soulami S, Slot DE, van der Weijden F. Implant-abutment emergence angle and profile in relation to peri-implantitis: A systematic review. Clin Exp Dent Res. 2022;8(4):795-806.

This post was written in compliance with the Korean Medical Service Act and the Ministry of Health and Welfare's medical advertising guidelines, and is intended to provide medical information. It does not guarantee or assert the effect or cost of any specific treatment. The plan that can be applied and the course of treatment differ from person to person depending on oral condition and general health, so please be sure to consult fully with your dental team before deciding on diagnosis and treatment direction.

🦷 Implant information: Yeonhap Dental Clinic Implant Information

📍 5th Floor, 230 Geumho-ro, Gwonseon-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do (Tap-dong, Cham Clinic Building)

🚕 Across from Suwon NongHyup Guun Branch (231 Geumho-ro) / about 15 minutes by taxi from Suwon Station

🚗 Free parking available in the building

📞 031-293-2207

🌐 yeonhapdental.com

🟡 Opened in 2002 / Treatment overseen by Dr. Ahn Seong-jin, Chief Director and Integrated Dentistry specialist

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