Molar Implant Korea: What Happens to the Gap Between Your Two Trips
Molar implant Korea searches usually come from someone who has lost a back tooth, or has been told one must go. The fees and the two-trip plan make sense.
Then a quieter question appears. “Will I walk around with a gap, chewing on one side, for months between trips?”
Here is the straight answer. For back teeth, we do not place a temporary tooth after surgery. Below is why, and what we do when a wide area is missing.
A note from Dr. Kim
I know that months of careful chewing can feel like a long time, especially when your dentist is a flight away.
“A smile that still works twenty years from now.”
Molar implant Korea: why back teeth are different
Your molars do most of the grinding when you eat. In general, they take much heavier chewing forces than your front teeth.
That matters while an implant heals, because the bone slowly bonds to its surface over the first months (osseointegration).
Think of fresh concrete around a new fence post. You would not hang a heavy gate on it the same afternoon. Instead, you let it set, and only then do you load it.
So a molar implant is left to heal quietly. The crown comes later, after the digital scan.
The gap between trips: what to expect
One missing molar
For back teeth, no temporary tooth is placed after surgery. So yes, there will be a space where the molar was while the implant heals.
With a single missing molar, you can usually chew on the other side and choose softer food for a while.
A wide area missing
If a wide area of back teeth is missing, we provide a temporary removable denture to wear while the implants heal. It is billed separately.
The temporary denture is billed separately. It is not part of the implant fee and appears as its own line in your plan.
Front teeth are handled differently
For front teeth, a same-day temporary tooth is possible, so you do not fly home with a gap in your smile. Our guide to front tooth implants covers that side.
| Situation | Right after surgery | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Front tooth | Same-day temporary tooth possible | Included in the implant price |
| Single back tooth (molar) | No temporary tooth; the implant heals undisturbed | Nothing extra |
| Wide back area missing | Temporary removable denture while the implants heal | Billed separately, itemized |
Molar implant Korea: bone and the upper sinus
Is there enough bone, and how close is the sinus? Our 3D CT, included in the implant price, answers both.
Lower molars
In the lower jaw, the CT shows bone height and width, and the nerve running through it. Digital guided surgery helps us follow that plan.
Upper molars
In the upper back jaw, the sinus sits just above the tooth roots. After a tooth is lost, the bone below it can become thin. A sinus lift may then be needed to make room for the implant.
Thin bone elsewhere may call for a bone graft, but we recommend one only when the CT shows it is really needed. Our article on avoiding unnecessary bone grafts explains how we decide.
What a molar implant costs, line by line
Each implant fee includes the abutment, the zirconia crown made in our in-house lab, and the 3D CT. Anything else is listed separately.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Megagen AnyOne (Korean), per implant | KRW 1,000,000 |
| Megagen BlueDiamond (Korean), per implant | KRW 1,500,000 |
| Straumann BLX (Swiss), per implant | KRW 2,300,000 |
| Bone graft, per site | KRW 300,000 (simple) / KRW 500,000 (complex) |
| Sinus lift, crestal approach | KRW 500,000 per tooth |
| Sinus lift, lateral approach | KRW 2,000,000 per site |
| Sedation (optional) | KRW 400,000 per session |
| Temporary removable denture (wide areas) | Billed separately, itemized after your exam |
If your molar still needs to come out first, our guide to tooth extraction and implants explains how that step is planned.
Molar implant Korea trips: four visits, two stays
For international patients, there are usually four visits:
- Implant surgery
- Stitches out about one week later
- A digital scan 4–6 months later, after healing
- The crown fitted about one week after the scan
If you can stay about a week each time, that means only two trips to Korea. Between trips, the implant heals at home. Meanwhile, you chew on the other side, or wear the temporary denture if we made one for you.
We are a 30-second walk from Nonhyeon Station Exit 4 in Gangnam, about an hour from Incheon Airport. Dr. Kim Tae-hyung and Dr. Kim Ha-young perform implant surgery, and both speak English.
We are usually closed on Korean holidays such as Seollal and Chuseok, so please ask before booking flights.
“Will I need a denture, or just one implant?”
Send us a recent X-ray if you have one, or just two photos: one of your face straight on, and one smiling. We will tell you what your back-teeth plan is likely to involve and which extras might apply.
Looking after a back-tooth implant at home
Molars are harder to reach, so food collects around them. Small interdental brushes or a water flosser can help.
Smoking, diabetes and gum disease can affect healing. Please tell us about them early, so we can plan around them.
Your implant carries a 2-year warranty, the same for all three brands, and it covers the crown. If a problem comes up after you fly home, we help you get follow-up care in your own country.
An actual case treated at Blanche Dental Clinic. Results vary with each patient’s dental condition.
Frequently asked questions
Does a molar implant Korea plan include a temporary tooth?
No temporary tooth is placed on back teeth after surgery. If a wide area is missing, we provide a temporary removable denture to wear while the implants heal, billed separately.
Can I chew while my molar implant heals?
Yes, with care. Chew on the other side and choose softer food while the implant heals, and we go through what to avoid before you fly home.
Will I need a sinus lift for an upper molar?
Only if your 3D CT shows the bone under the sinus is too thin. A crestal sinus lift is KRW 500,000 per tooth, and a lateral approach is KRW 2,000,000 per site.
Side effects and individual differences
Swelling, bruising, mild pain, or temporary numbness can occur after implant surgery, and healing time varies. Results and longevity depend on each person’s bone, gums, health, and habits.
When I teach other dentists, I remind them that a molar is not just a space on a chart. It carries every meal you will eat for decades. We keep your own teeth whenever we can, and when a molar must be replaced, we plan for a bite that still works twenty years from now.
How your first consultation works
1. We listen to your concerns and what you want to be able to eat and smile with again.
2. Based on your 3D CT and exam, we explain every available option, including whether a bone graft is really needed.
3. We give itemized costs and a visit schedule. You are welcome to decide later, at home.
We repeat every explanation at least four times, and no decision depends on one person’s judgment alone.
Consultation — Message us on WhatsApp with a recent X-ray or two photos, or check our fee schedule. Same pricing for Korean and international patients.