I kept seeing people say dental work in Korea is cheaper, but I rarely found posts with actual numbers, so here's what I paid.

I'm 34 and had worn edges on my upper front teeth from years of grinding, along with some discoloration that whitening alone wasn't going to fix.

I'd been quoted a little over $13k in the US for six veneers, not including whitening. Since I already had a two-week trip to Seoul planned, I decided to get a consultation while I was there.

What I paid was:

Panoramic X-ray: 30,000 won  
Scaling: 60,000 won  
Whitening, 3 sessions: 825,000 won including VAT  
Six upper veneers: 935,000 won each including VAT

Total came to 6,525,000 won, which was roughly $4,770 for me at the time.

So yes, it was much cheaper than my US quote, but not nearly as cheap as some of the numbers I've seen online.

The whole process took four visits over 11 days. Whitening and prep came first, then temporaries, followed by the final fitting and adjustments.

The biggest thing I almost got wrong was the order. **Do the whitening first.**

Veneers don't change color afterward, so the final shade needs to match the color of your natural teeth. I originally assumed I could whiten after getting the veneers, but that would've been backwards.

I'd also check whether VAT is included before comparing prices. The headline price isn't always the final amount you'll pay.

The temporaries were probably the most annoying part. I ignored the warning and managed to pop one off while eating a pear.  It was fixed quickly, but definitely wasn't worth the half-day of hassle.

For me, the whitening sensitivity was actually worse than the veneer work. Cold water was uncomfortable for about two days and then it settled down.

I went with a fairly natural shade instead of super-white veneers, and I'm happy with the result.

Anyone else had veneers done abroad? Curious how your experience and total cost compared.

Itemized cost breakdown: 6 veneers + whitening in Seoul, and the one thing I nearly got wrong