Korean Dentist Vocabulary: 25 Words with Romanization and Audio

Korean Dentist Vocabulary at a Glance

A dental visit has a clear order, and the list follows it. You book, you arrive, you name the tooth, the dentist names the treatment, and you ask about cost. That is why the groups run from the clinic and its people, to the teeth, to treatments, to pain and problems, and last to appointments and cost. This page belongs to Health and Medicine. Pair it with body parts for the rest of the face, and with Korean Pharmacy Vocabulary for the medicine you may be given afterwards.

Almost every word is a noun, and most are Sino-Korean, built from syllables such as 치 (tooth) and 과 (department). Two are verbs of sensation, 시리다 and 흔들리다, which you need because a tooth problem is described by how it feels. The next section ranks the words by how soon you will need them.

Which Dentist Words Should You Learn First?

Learn 치과 (dental clinic), 예약 (appointment), 충치 (cavity), 치통 (toothache) and 사랑니 (wisdom tooth) first. With those five you can book a visit, say why you are coming and name the most common problem. Add 스케일링 (scaling) if you want a check-up and cleaning.

• Words to say. 치과, 예약, 충치, 치통, 사랑니, 스케일링. You use these to book and to explain.
• Words to recognise. 접수, 진료, 마취, 비용, 보험. You read these on forms and hear them at the desk.
• Words to understand when spoken. 입을 벌려 주세요 and the other instructions in the section about what the dentist says.

At five new words a day, the whole list of 25 takes five days plus review. Learn the first and fifth groups on the first day, because they cover booking and paying.

This page teaches vocabulary and is not dental or medical advice. If you have swelling, bleeding that will not stop or severe pain after hours, go to an emergency room and use the words on the Korean Medical Emergencies Vocabulary page. Korea's emergency number for an ambulance is 119.

The scene below puts eight of the 25 words on one picture of a dental clinic.

Word · 8

1. 1

   치과

   Play

   chigwa

   dental clinic; dentistry

2. 2

   치과위생사

   Play

   chigwawisaengsa

   dental hygienist

3. 3

   접수

   Play

   jeopsu

   reception; registration

4. 4

   사랑니

   Play

   sarangni

   wisdom tooth

5. 5

   스케일링

   Play

   seukeilling

   scaling (professional cleaning)

6. 6

   임플란트

   Play

   impeullanteu

   dental implant

7. 7

   충치

   Play

   chungchi

   cavity; tooth decay

8. 8

   예약

   Play

   yeyak

   appointment; reservation

What Is the Difference between 치과 and 치과의사?

Korean separates the place from the person, and the difference matters when you book. 치과 (chigwa) is the dental clinic or the dental department of a hospital. 치과의사 (chigwauisa) is the dentist, the person. The word 과 means department or branch, and it appears in every medical specialty: 내과 is internal medicine, 안과 is eye medicine and 피부과 is dermatology.

So you go to a 치과, and you meet a 치과의사. A sentence like 치과에 가요 (I go to the dental clinic) is the one you use in everyday speech. When you speak to the dentist in the room, call them 선생님 (seonsaengnim), a respectful title that means teacher and is also used for doctors. Avoid using 의사 alone as a form of address, since it names the job rather than greeting the person.

The clinic also has a 치과위생사 (chigwawisaengsa), a dental hygienist, who often cleans teeth and explains home care, and a front desk where you do the 접수 (registration). Knowing the four roles helps you follow who is speaking.

The Clinic and Its People

The first group names the clinic and the people in it. 치과 is the place. 치과의사, 치과위생사 and 환자 are the three roles you hear described, and 접수 is the front desk step that comes before you sit in the chair.

You can use these five words to describe a visit before you learn anything else: 치과에 가요. 접수해요. 치과의사를 만나요. (I go to the clinic. I register. I meet the dentist.) The verb 만나다 (to meet) is a regular verb.

Now that you know who is in the room, you can name what they look at.

The Teeth

Korean has two words for tooth. 치아 is the formal and written word, used by dentists and on forms. 이 is the everyday word, as in 이가 아파요 (my tooth hurts). The names of individual teeth are mostly compounds with 니, a form of 이 that appears at the end of the word.

The verb 뽑다 means to pull out, and it is used for teeth and weeds alike. The sentence 사랑니를 뽑아요 is said by someone who has a wisdom tooth removed, and it is natural to use a plain present tense for a planned event. The sentence 피가 나요 uses 나다 (to come out), the same verb as in 열이 나요 (I have a fever), and it describes bleeding.

Note the sound of 앞니 and 잇몸. The ㅍ of 앞 and the ㅅ of 잇 are said as nasal sounds because the next syllable starts with ㄴ or ㅁ. The page on nasalization explains this change.

When something is wrong with a tooth, the next group tells the dentist what to do.

Treatments

The treatment words mix two loanwords and three Sino-Korean words. 스케일링 and 임플란트 come from English, while 치료, 마취 and 교정 are built from Chinese-based syllables. A dentist usually names the procedure first and then explains the steps, so recognising the noun is enough to follow the plan.

Two sentence frames carry most of these words. The first is noun + 을/를 받다, to receive, as in 치료를 받아요 and 스케일링을 받고 싶어요. The second is noun + 을/를 하다, to do, as in 임플란트를 해요. The frame -고 싶어요 means I want to, and it is formed from the verb stem, so 받다 gives 받고 싶어요.

Because 교정 has two meanings, add 치아 when you want to be clear: 치아 교정. A dentist will understand 교정 alone, but a form or a message may need the extra word.

Treatment is only the end of the story. Most visits begin with a problem.

Pain and Problems

This group is the one you will use to explain why you came. 충치 is a cavity, 치통 is toothache, and 치석 is the hard deposit that builds up on teeth. 시리다 and 흔들리다 are two verbs that describe how a tooth feels, and they are the most natural way to describe sensitive or loose teeth.

The pattern for describing a problem is subject + 이/가 + verb. The subject is the tooth, and the particle 이/가 marks it: 이가 시려요, 이가 흔들려요. For a general ache, 아프다 (to hurt) is the verb, as in 치아가 아파요. Add 너무 (very, too) for emphasis: 너무 아파요.

The word 충치 sounds scary, but it is common vocabulary and it is the main word on any dentist's list. The word 이 for tooth is the same spelling as the number two, so read the verb that follows to be sure.

The last group is about arranging the visit and paying for it.

Appointments and Cost

The final group covers the paperwork. 예약 is the appointment you book, and 진료 is the consultation or treatment that follows. 검진 is a check-up. 비용 and 보험 are the money words: the cost, and whether insurance pays.

The question 보험이 돼요? literally asks whether insurance becomes possible. It is the natural way to ask whether something is covered. Korea has a national health insurance scheme, run by the National Health Insurance Service (국민건강보험공단), and what it covers for dental work depends on the treatment and on rules that change. Scaling, implants and braces are the items learners most often ask about. Check the current rules at nhis.or.kr or ask the clinic directly.

The verb 돼요 is the polite present of 되다 (to become, to be possible). It is also the verb in 안 돼요 (that is not allowed), and you will meet it again in many grammar patterns.

What Does the Dentist Say to You?

Dentists use short, polite instructions, and you can recognise them even before you can produce them. Most end in 주세요, the same ending you use to ask for things. The difference is that the dentist is asking you.

Each line is made from a verb you know plus 주세요 or 세요. 벌리다 becomes 벌려, 들다 becomes 들어, and 헹구다 becomes 헹궈. The pattern verb + -아/어 주세요 asks someone to do something for your sake. The ending -(으)세요 gives a polite instruction directly, as in 오세요.

You can answer with short sentences from this page: 아파요 (it hurts), 괜찮아요 (it is fine) or 이가 시려요 (my teeth are sensitive). Practise the three answers aloud with the audio, since they are the replies you will actually give.

How Do You Pronounce These Words?

Dentist words contain several sound changes, because many end in a consonant that changes before the next sound. Standard pronunciation follows the National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원) rules. The romanization follows the Revised Romanization of Korean, which writes tense letters such as kk and tt but does not show tensing caused by a neighbouring sound.

Place the tense sounds in 치과 and 접수 with a tight throat and no puff of breath. The page on tensification explains why a stop sound makes the next consonant tense. Say the vowels ㅓ and ㅡ in 어금니, 스케일링 and 임플란트 with unrounded lips.

Audio and Slow Playback

Every word and every example sentence has its own clip. The five clips below replay the trickiest words slowly. Play one, repeat it aloud, then play it again and compare.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with Dentist Words?

These five mistakes cause most of the confusion at a dental clinic.

1. Saying 치과 for the dentist. 치과 is the clinic. The person is 치과의사. Say 치과에 가요 for I go to the clinic.
2. Using 이 in an unclear sentence. 이 means tooth, two and this. Add the verb: 이가 아파요 is clearly a tooth. In writing and on forms, use 치아.
3. Mixing 충치 and 치통. 충치 is the cavity, and 치통 is the ache. You can have either one without the other.
4. Reading 교정 as only braces. The word also means correction. Say 치아 교정 when the meaning matters.
5. Assuming every treatment is covered. Ask 보험이 돼요? before you agree to a procedure. The answer depends on the treatment.

Learning the first group and the question 보험이 돼요? removes most of the risk.

Practice: Flashcards and Worksheet

Study in three steps. First, run the flashcard deck in recognition mode until you recognise each of the 25 words. Second, switch to listening mode. Third, take the quiz. The deck covers all 25 words with audio, and your progress stays in your browser. The vocabulary flashcard decks page lists the other decks.

A printable worksheet for these words (word list, matching, writing practice, fill-in-the-blank exercises and answer key) is available in A4 and US Letter from the download card on this page. For practice, copy the 25 words by hand and write the meaning beside each one. Then write two sentences of your own, such as 치과 예약을 하고 싶어요 (I want to book a dental appointment).

Where to Go Next

After this page, continue with Korean Mental Health Vocabulary, or review the medicine words on Korean Pharmacy Vocabulary. For the single word, see dentist in Korean, and for a tooth, see tooth in Korean. To move up a level, return to Health and Medicine.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Say Dental Clinic in Korean?

A dental clinic is 치과 (chigwa), pronounced [치꽈]. Say 치과에 가요 for I go to the dental clinic. The dentist, the person, is 치과의사 (chigwauisa). When you speak to a dentist, call them 선생님 (seonsaengnim).

How Do You Say Cavity in Korean?

A cavity is 충치 (chungchi). Say 충치가 있어요 for I have a cavity. The word combines 충 (insect) and 치 (tooth), and it is the standard word for tooth decay. A toothache is 치통 (chitong), which is a different thing.

How Do You Say Wisdom Tooth in Korean?

A wisdom tooth is 사랑니 (sarangni), literally a love tooth. The name is usually explained as the tooth that appears around the age of first love. Say 사랑니를 뽑아요 for I have a wisdom tooth pulled out.

How Do You Pronounce 치과 (chigwa)?

Say chi-gwa, but make the second sound tense, as in [치꽈]. The ㄱ of 과 is said tight and unaspirated, with no puff of breath, the same as in other department names such as 내과. Press the audio button on this page for the normal and slow versions.

Is the Romanization on This Page Official?

It follows the Revised Romanization of Korean, which South Korea adopted on 7 July 2000 and whose rules the National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원) publishes. It is a learning aid and does not show every sound change, so rely on the Hangul and the audio.

Is There a Printable Worksheet for Dentist Words?

A printable worksheet for these words (word list, matching, writing practice, fill-in-the-blank exercises and answer key) is available in A4 and US Letter from the download card on this page. For practice, copy the tables on this page by hand or use the flashcard deck, which carries the same 25 words.

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