A dental clinic that hurts less and keeps more —
painless staged anesthesia, minimal-prep and no-prep care to save your natural teeth
“Does this tooth really have to be extracted?” “Why is every dental estimate so different?” Seongmo Dental Clinic has answered these two questions in the same location in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul for 28 years, since 1998.
28 years in one location
treatment equipment in house
milled and sintered in house
equipped with Plazen RCT®
full system
Seongmo Dental Clinic, Seongbuk-gu
Seongmo Dental Clinic is a specialist dental clinic that opened in 1998, a 30-second walk from Exit 2 of Sungshin Women’s University Station in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. We have treated patients in the same place ever since we opened, and we keep 15 categories of advanced equipment on site — including the Plazen RCT® plasma root canal device, the complete EMS Airflow system, the QuickSleeper 5 intraosseous anesthesia unit, and the CEREC Primemill and SpeedFire units that let us design and finish restorations in house. Our diagnosis is grounded in Qray fluorescence data, so we recommend only the treatment that is genuinely necessary, and preserving natural teeth is the first principle behind every procedure we perform.
This page is written for English-speaking patients. Every clinical system, fee and piece of equipment described here is identical to the one presented on our Korean pages — nothing has been simplified or left out.
How have we been able to practise in one place in Seongbuk-gu for 28 years?
It is not the patient’s fault that dental care is hard to trust — until now there has simply been no way to verify it. So instead of slogans, we start by showing you four systems that have actually been running in the same Seongbuk-gu location for 28 years.
The same location for 28 years — a structure that stays responsible to the end
We have practised at Sungshin Women’s University Station in Seongbuk-gu since 1998. Our director, a board-certified specialist in Advanced General Dentistry, treats patients personally, and that continuity — no risk of your treatment being abandoned halfway — is the strongest basis for trust we can offer.
Painless from the injection onward — three-stage anesthesia
We apply topical anesthesia, then i-ject 31G computer-controlled painless injection, then QuickSleeper 5 intraosseous anesthesia in sequence. The structure is designed so that patients whose anesthesia never seemed to work, and patients with severe dental fear, can be treated comfortably.
Instead of “let’s crown it”, we show you the fluorescence data first
The Qray quantitative light-induced fluorescence analyser displays decay, cracks and inflammation as fluorescence data. We recommend only necessary treatment based on that data rather than on assumption.
Two weeks in a temporary crown? Zero days in suitable cases
From the Primescan digital impression through Primemill milling to SpeedFire sintering, everything is completed in house. The director designs the restoration personally, so in suitable cases the final restoration is fitted on the same visit with no temporary crown at all.
In short, these four systems are not advertising copy — they are the way we have actually been practising in one location in Seongbuk-gu for 28 years.
Choosing a dentist near Sungshin Women’s University — what are the five things to check?
The criteria for a good dental clinic are five: verified clinicians, freedom from over-treatment, pain management, sufficient explanation, and diagnostic equipment. Seongmo Dental Clinic has a system-level answer to all five.
| Are the clinicians verified? | Treatment is performed personally by a board-certified specialist in Advanced General Dentistry — endodontic training at the University of Pennsylvania (USA), clinical instructor at Dankook University College of Dentistry. |
|---|---|
| Is the practice free of over-treatment? | Qray fluorescence data is reviewed on screen together with the patient — only genuinely necessary treatment, based on data instead of guesswork. |
| Is pain managed during treatment? | Three-stage painless anesthesia — topical, then i-ject computer-controlled injection, then QuickSleeper 5 intraosseous anesthesia, applied in sequence. |
| Is there enough explanation and dialogue? | We explain with visual material instead of difficult medical terminology, and guarantee enough conversation time for every question. |
| Is the diagnostic equipment adequate? | Plazen RCT®, the complete EMS Airflow system, Primescan, 3D CT and more — 15 categories of equipment that form the evidence base for our diagnoses. |
You are welcome to ask the clinic you currently attend exactly these five questions. Seongmo Dental Clinic answers “yes” to all five with systems rather than words.
Every treatment we provide begins with one question: “What would I do if this were my own family?” Because the same symptom can require a different solution, every treatment plan here is designed around the individual patient.
Painless treatment — can it really not hurt?
Seongmo Dental Clinic applies a three-stage painless anesthesia system — topical anesthesia, i-ject computer-controlled painless injection, and QuickSleeper 5 intraosseous anesthesia — across all of our treatment.
If you have been postponing treatment because you are afraid of the injection itself, this is a system that was redesigned starting from that injection. We go one step beyond the usual single infiltration injection by combining computer-controlled delivery with intraosseous anesthesia, so we can also treat patients in whom anesthesia has never worked well. If you have been looking for anesthesia that does not hurt in Seongbuk-gu, the three stages below are our answer.
Surface — several forms of topical anesthesia
Gel, spray and rinse anesthesia are applied first, so that even the momentary sting as the needle enters is blocked in advance. We move to the next stage only after the topical agent has been fully absorbed by the mucosa.
i-ject — computer-controlled painless injection
An ampoule warmer brings the anesthetic to body temperature to reduce the foreign sensation, and a 31G ultra-fine needle combined with a computer-controlled delivery system regulates speed and pressure automatically. Precise anesthesia centred on the treatment site keeps unnecessary numbing of the face to a minimum wherever possible.
QuickSleeper — QuickSleeper 5 intraosseous anesthesia
Even when inflammation is severe and anesthesia does not take hold, we will not ask you to endure it. Intraosseous anesthesia delivers the solution directly into the alveolar bone for immediate effect, and because it is centred on the tooth being treated it preserves sensation in the lip and tongue, so you can return to your day immediately after treatment.
At Seongmo Dental Clinic, pain is not something to be endured. Protecting your comfort is our plain duty and the starting point of every procedure.
Seongmo Dental Clinic — which doctor will treat you?
Director · Board-certified specialist in Advanced General Dentistry
With so many dental clinics opening and competition growing fierce, a mistaken idea has spread — that a clinic cannot survive on conscientious care alone — and with it a way of seeing patients as nothing more than a means to revenue.
Whatever the circumstances, I will never abandon my conscience and duty as a doctor, because I believe my real worth is proven only when patients trust me and need me.
Pride in being a doctor who treats people is the greatest force that moves me. Seeing patients leave smiling brightly after treatment, and hearing a heartfelt “thank you”, reminds me again and again why I do this work. I will remain a doctor who thinks of people before money, and whom patients genuinely trust.
Holding on to that original commitment, I will keep studying and researching for better care, and I will always work to be the kind of clinic you are proud to recommend to someone you care about after being satisfied with your own treatment. I promise to be a dependable partner for your lifelong oral health.
Education
- Board-certified specialist, Advanced General Dentistry
- School of Dentistry, Dankook University
- Graduate School of Dentistry, Seoul National University
- Endodontic training course, University of Pennsylvania (USA)
- Clinical instructor, Dankook University College of Dentistry
Career
- Former Chief of Dentistry, Philip Medical Center, Bundang
- Former Director, Areumdaun Dental Clinic, Pyeongtaek
- Former Director, Moduga Wonhaneun Dental Clinic, Pyeongtaek
- Former Director, Wooga Ju Dental Clinic, Changwon
- Former Director, New York Plant Dental Clinic, Ulsan
- Former Chief of Dentistry, Yangpyeong-gun Public Health Center
Academic societies
- Full member, Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
- Full member, Korean Academy of Conservative Dentistry
- Full member, Korean Academy of Oral & Maxillofacial Implantology
- Full member, Korean Academy of Stomatognathic Function and Occlusion
- Full member, Korean Dental Society of Anesthesiology
- Full member, Korean Academy of Esthetic Dentistry
Advisory appointments
- Advisory dentist, Osstem Implant
- Advisory dentist, MegaGen Implant
- Advisory dentist, Neo Implant
- Advisory dentist, IBS Implant
- Advisory dentist, Hiness prosthetics
- Officially certified Minish provider
Sufficient explanation is where trust begins — and part of the treatment itself
The vague fear of dental treatment starts with an absence of information: not knowing what is being done. Instead of difficult medical terms, we show you your current condition directly through visual material such as the Qray fluorescence screen and 3D scan data, and we guarantee enough conversation time for every question.
Even if it takes a little longer, we explain at your level and treat the anxiety along with the tooth. That is how we practise.
What advanced equipment does Seongmo Dental Clinic hold?
Equipment is not a boast; it is evidence. The seven systems below are not catalogue plans — they are the actual treatment systems that apply exactly as described if you book tomorrow.
Same-visit restorations
CEREC Primemill · SpeedFire — digital design, milling and sintering completed in house.
Plasma root canal device
Plazen RCT® — plasma-generated reactive oxygen species sterilise the canal system.
Powder scaler
EMS Airflow full system — 37°C warm water and the GBT protocol.
Painless injection unit
i-ject — 31G ultra-fine needle with computer-controlled delivery.
Intraosseous anesthesia unit
QuickSleeper 5 — anesthetic delivered directly into the alveolar bone.
High-intensity whitening unit
In-office whitening with controlled light intensity and short sessions.
Decay and crack detector
Qray — early decay, cracks and inflammation visualised as fluorescence data.
The time spent enduring a temporary crown shrinks to a single day in suitable cases
The main reason prosthetic treatment drags on is the wait while the restoration travels to and from an outside laboratory. At Seongmo Dental Clinic the whole process — Primescan digital impression, design by the director, CEREC Primemill precision milling and SpeedFire high-speed sintering — is completed on site. This is not “same-day” work that requires you to book and come back: it starts in the chair you are already sitting in and finishes there, and in suitable cases it is completed in one visit with no temporary crown. Because one person takes responsibility from design to fabrication using the same digital data, fit control is easier as well.
A typical treatment environment and Seongmo Dental Clinic — what is different?
The real reason estimates differ from clinic to clinic is not the price list but the diagnostic standard and the equipment. The tables below are not advertising copy: they compare only systems that Seongmo Dental Clinic actually owns and operates, against objective criteria.
| Comparison item | Typical case | Seongmo Dental Clinic |
|---|---|---|
| Anesthesia | Single infiltration injection | Three stages: topical → i-ject computer-controlled → intraosseous |
| Root canal treatment | Mechanical file technique | Plazen plasma sterilisation combined with files (same national insurance fee) |
| Scaling | Ultrasonic only | EMS Airflow full system — 37°C warm water, GBT protocol |
| Decay diagnosis | Visual inspection plus X-ray | Early decay and cracks visualised with Qray fluorescence data |
| Prosthetic impression | Rubber impression material | Primescan 3D scanner, 20μm digital impression |
※ National health insurance coverage criteria can be checked at the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (hira.or.kr).
Crown and prosthetic treatment in Seongbuk-gu — how does the timeline differ?
Because the director designs the restoration personally and milling and sintering are finished in house, suitable cases are completed in a single visit with no temporary crown.
| Comparison item | Typical case | Seongmo Dental Clinic |
|---|---|---|
| Impression | Rubber impression material | Primescan 3D digital scan |
| Restoration design | Outsourced to an external laboratory | Designed personally by the director |
| Fabrication | Round-trip shipping to an external laboratory | In-house Primemill milling and SpeedFire sintering |
| Time in a temporary crown | Usually about 1–2 weeks | None in suitable cases — fitted the same day |
| Number of visits | 2–3 | One in suitable cases (same-visit restoration) |
In short, our in-house same-visit system structurally reduces both the time spent in a temporary crown and the number of visits compared with a conventional process that goes through an outside laboratory.
Plazen root canal treatment — how does it differ from conventional endodontics?
We provide Plazen RCT® plasma root canal treatment at exactly the national health insurance endodontic fee, and because it sterilises the fine accessory canals that files cannot reach, single-visit root canal treatment is possible in suitable cases.
| Comparison item | Conventional root canal | Seongmo Dental Clinic (Plazen) |
|---|---|---|
| Canal sterilisation | File and irrigant cleaning | Sterilisation by plasma-generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) |
| Fine accessory canals | Limited access | Reaches deep into the dentinal tubules |
| Number of visits | Usually several | Single visit possible in suitable cases |
| Refractory cases and retreatment | Limited | Broad range of application |
| Cost | National insurance fee | Exactly the national insurance fee (no additional charge) |
In short, Plazen root canal treatment covers a wider range of fine accessory canal sterilisation than conventional endodontics, and it is provided at the national insurance fee with no additional cost.
Patients who came here first — what did they write?
This is where what the clinic says ends. From here on, these are records left on Naver by people who experienced Seongmo Dental Clinic before you — shown exactly as they appear, with no editing.
※ Screen captures of Naver receipt reviews — posts left voluntarily by visitors on an external platform.
The questions our patients ask most often
Is there a clinic near Sungshin Women’s University where I can be treated without worrying about over-treatment?
At Seongmo Dental Clinic the Qray quantitative light-induced fluorescence analyser visualises decay, cracks and inflammation as fluorescence data, and we build the treatment plan while looking at that screen together with you. Data-based diagnosis rather than assumption is the core of what blocks over-treatment at the source.
Can I have EMS Airflow scaling under national health insurance in Seongbuk-gu?
Under Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service criteria, national insurance covers scaling once a year for people aged 19 and over. Seongmo Dental Clinic provides the complete EMS Airflow system care at exactly the insured scaling fee, with no additional charge.
Anesthesia never works well on me. Is painless treatment still possible?
Seongmo Dental Clinic holds the QuickSleeper 5 intraosseous anesthesia system. Even in cases where severe inflammation makes ordinary anesthesia difficult, the solution is delivered directly into the alveolar bone for immediate effect.
I stopped treatment partway through at another clinic. Will you still see me?
Yes. We first establish your current condition precisely with Qray fluorescence analysis and Primescan 3D intraoral scan data, then continue treatment according to natural-tooth-preservation guidelines, without unnecessary reduction of tooth structure.
Who is eligible for national insurance coverage of implants in Seongbuk-gu?
Under Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service criteria, partially edentulous patients aged 65 and over are covered for up to two implants per person for life. Eligibility depends on your oral condition, so we advise you after an in-clinic examination. Further detail is available on our implant treatment page.
What are the opening hours and parking arrangements?
Monday, Wednesday and Friday 09:30–18:30; Tuesday evening care until 20:00; Saturday until 14:30 with no lunch break. Lunch is 13:00–14:30, and we are closed on Thursdays, Sundays and public holidays. We are a 30-second walk from Exit 2 of Sungshin Women’s University Station; park at Utah Mall and tell the front desk, and up to two hours are registered free of charge.
Do same-visit restorations really finish in one day?
In suitable cases, yes. Our system runs from the Primescan scan through design by the director to in-house Primemill milling and SpeedFire sintering, so the restoration can be fabricated and fitted in the chair on the day of treatment without going through an outside laboratory. Whether it applies depends on the condition of the tooth, so we advise you after an examination. The process is described in detail on our same-visit restoration page.
Does Plazen root canal treatment cost more?
No. Plazen RCT® is a device worth around 38 million KRW, introduced in about 400 clinics nationwide, but we apply exactly the national health insurance endodontic fee with no additional charge. The same applies to retreatment and refractory cases.
Can I get treatment without a Korean Alien Registration Card (ARC)?
Yes. Foreign patients can receive treatment at Seongmo Dental Clinic without an Alien Registration Card. A passport is sufficient for identification at your first visit.
Is National Health Insurance coverage available for foreign patients?
Foreign patients enrolled in Korea’s National Health Insurance (through employment or long-term residency) receive the same coverage as Korean nationals for eligible treatments such as scaling and certain implant procedures. Patients without NHI enrollment are treated on a non-covered (self-pay) basis. Please ask our staff to confirm your specific coverage before treatment.
Is English consultation available?
Yes, English-speaking consultation is available at Seongmo Dental Clinic. We recommend contacting us in advance so we can prepare accordingly for your visit.
How much does treatment cost for foreign patients?
Costs vary by treatment and individual condition, and are identical to the fees listed for Korean patients — there is no separate pricing for foreign patients. An exact quote is provided after an in-person consultation and examination. Please see our non-covered fee guide for reference pricing.
Related treatment guides
| Clinic | Seongmo Dental Clinic Open since 1998, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul |
|---|---|
| Address | 3rd floor, 2 Dongsomun-ro 20ga-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul |
| Phone | +82-2-922-3966 |
| Subway | Sungshin Women’s University Station (Line 4), Exit 2 — 30-second walk |
| Hours | Mon · Wed · Fri 09:30–18:30 Lunch 13:00–14:30 |
| Evening care | Tuesday until 20:00 Saturday until 14:30, no lunch break |
| Closed | Thursday, Sunday and public holidays |
| Parking | Utah Mall parking — up to 2 hours free on request at the front desk |
| Languages | Korean, English (Chinese and Japanese pages available) |
It is perfectly all right if you have been treated at another clinic. We will consider your worries before you have to explain them. Come and see us with an easy mind.
All dental treatment can involve side effects such as pain, bleeding or infection depending on the individual’s oral and general health condition. The equipment and figures on this page reflect what Seongmo Dental Clinic holds and the manufacturers’ published specifications; please decide your specific treatment plan after a full consultation with your clinician.
This page was updated with the latest information as of June 2026.