Online Dental Consultation in Korea: Sending Photos and X-rays
Yes, you can start an online dental consultation with a Korean clinic by sending smile photos and any recent X-rays. Lucid Dental Clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, reviews what you send on WhatsApp and replies with a suggested schedule and reference fee range. A diagnosis and final plan still require an in-person exam in Seoul.
Key facts
- Lucid Dental reviews photos and X-rays sent by WhatsApp to +82-10-8354-2975 before patients travel.
- A remote review gives a suggested visit schedule and reference fee range, not a diagnosis or final quote.
- Useful records include a panoramic X-ray from the last 12 months and, for implant cases, CT scan files in DICOM format.
- Korea's telemedicine rules have generally limited remote care to patients already seen face to face, with narrow exceptions.
- Seven phone photos in daylight, without flash, usually give a dentist enough to suggest next steps.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Park Hyun-min, Prosthodontist · Last reviewed 27 September 2026
Before you commit to flights, it makes sense to know roughly what treatment you may need and how long it could take. An online consultation gives you that early picture. Here is how Lucid Dental Clinic handles remote reviews, how to take photos a dentist can actually use, and the honest limits of assessing teeth through a screen.
Can a Korean dentist assess my teeth online?
A dentist can give a useful preliminary opinion from good photos and X-rays, but cannot make a diagnosis until you are examined in person. In Korea, telemedicine rules have generally limited remote care to patients who have already been seen face to face, so an online review is treated as information and planning support.
That still helps a lot. From clear images, a dentist can often see whether your goal suits veneers, crowns or implants, whether more imaging is likely, and roughly how many visits to plan.
What can a remote review tell me, and what can't it?
| A photo and X-ray review can usually | It cannot |
|---|---|
| Suggest which treatment types may fit your goal | Confirm a diagnosis |
| Estimate the number of visits and days to allow | Detect hidden decay, cracks or gum disease reliably |
| Give a reference fee range from the clinic's fee table | Give a final, fixed price |
| Flag whether you may need a bone graft or extra imaging | Measure bone volume without a CT scan |
| Help you decide whether to book a trip | Replace the in-person exam and tests |
How do I take dental photos for an online consultation?
You do not need special equipment. A recent phone camera, daylight and a helper are enough. Follow these seven steps:
- Find good light. Face a window in daylight and switch off the flash, which washes out tooth color.
- Natural smile. Full face, smiling as you normally would, camera level with your mouth.
- Close-up smile. Lips and teeth only, with a relaxed, wide smile.
- Teeth together. Pull your lips back with clean fingers or a spoon handle, bite on your back teeth, and photograph the front, left and right.
- Biting surfaces. Using a mirror, capture the upper teeth from below and the lower teeth from above.
- Problem area. One sharp close-up of any chipped, dark, missing or painful tooth.
- Send the originals. Attach them to WhatsApp as files rather than screenshots so detail is not lost.
If you are interested in veneers, add one photo of your smile next to a reference shade, such as a sheet of white paper, so the team can judge tooth color more easily. Our veneers page explains the options.
Which X-rays or scans should I send?
Recent imaging makes a remote review far more useful. Ask your home dentist for copies before you leave; many will provide them on request.
- Panoramic X-ray (OPG): one image of all teeth and jaws, ideally taken in the last 12 months.
- Bitewing or periapical X-rays: close-ups of specific teeth, useful for crowns, root canals and fillings.
- CT scan (CBCT) files: for implant cases. Ask for the DICOM files, not just printed images or screenshots.
- Existing treatment plans: anything a dentist at home has already proposed.
Large CT folders may be too big for a chat app. Ask the team how to send them before you try. If you have no X-rays, that is fine: imaging can be done at your in-person dental exam.
What happens after I send my photos?
The team reviews your images and questions and replies with a suggested plan of visits, the days you may need in Seoul and a reference fee range drawn from the clinic's official fee table. For example, LUCINATE veneers start from ₩1,190,000 per tooth and a single implant with abutment and zirconia crown is about ₩1,190,000–1,490,000 before any grafting. These figures are confirmed only after the exam.
From there you can decide whether to plan a trip. Our guides on how many days to allow and booking from abroad cover the next steps.
What should I write alongside my photos?
A few sentences of context make the images easier to interpret. Useful details include:
- What bothers you most, in your own words, for example "my front teeth look short" or "I have a gap where a molar was removed"
- How long any problem has been present and whether it hurts
- Past dental work in the area, such as old crowns, root canals or veneers
- Whether you grind or clench your teeth at night
- The dates you can be in Seoul and whether a second trip is possible
How should I share medical information safely?
Only send what is needed: dental images, your medicine list and relevant medical conditions. Avoid sending passport scans or card details in the same chat. Tell the team about conditions that affect dental care, such as diabetes, heart conditions, pregnancy, osteoporosis medicines or blood thinners, because these can change what is recommended.
Why might the plan change after the in-person exam?
Photos show the surface. In the chair, the dentist can test each tooth, probe the gums, check your bite and take fresh imaging. Decay under an old filling, a cracked root or thin bone may only appear at this stage. That is why the online estimate is a range, and why the final written plan is agreed in person. Individual results vary, and a consultation and exam are required before any treatment.
For location, hours and everything else about visiting, see the international patients hub.
Book a consultation
Send your photos and questions today. Open WhatsApp or text +82-10-8354-2975, and include your travel dates.
Frequently asked questions
Is the online consultation a video call?
The standard route is by message, sending photos and X-rays over WhatsApp. If you would like to talk something through, ask the team what is possible for your case.
How recent do my X-rays need to be?
Images from the last 12 months are most useful. Older images still help, but the dentist will usually take new ones at your exam.
Can I get a fixed price from photos alone?
No. Photos support a reference fee range only. The final fee depends on the in-person exam, imaging and the materials you choose.
My home dentist will not release my X-rays. What now?
In many countries patients can request copies of their records, sometimes for a small fee. If that is not possible, new imaging can be taken at your first visit in Seoul.
Do I need to send photos if I just want a check-up?
No. For a routine check-up or cleaning you can simply book a time. Photos are most useful when planning veneers, crowns or implants.