Recommended Taipei English Speaking Dentists – Review

The Coaching Implant Center located right out of the Sun Yat Sen MRT station on Zhongxiao East Rd., is a certified and professional center offering dental and orthodontic services for people both with and without Taiwan national health insurance. The facilities located at this location are modern and new, and the health professionals are competent, with several obtaining degrees from universities from abroad and at Taiwan’s top national universities.

For those with health insurance, a visit that includes a checkup, x-rays and cleaning is NT$200 (US$7) while those who do not have insurance will pay double. To get a cavity filled will require you to schedule another visit and will be covered for the same price. All other dental related operations cost the same. The dental facilities are located on the first floor where the check-in desk is located, and the staff there can speak English if need be. Cash is the only form of payment.

On the orthodontist side, the facilities are located on the second floor and are spacious and clean, resembling much like a Western orthodontist setup. The downside about seeing an orthodontist in Taiwan is that regardless of where you go the national health insurance does not cover related surgery and checkups, as they are considered cosmetic. Many locals complain about this and it has been an ongoing debate in Taiwan’s medical system. Nevertheless, you need to know a visit will therefore cost NT$1000 (US$30) while surgery costs will vary. One popular surgery done there is root canal surgery, which costs between NT$7,000-15,000 depending on the severity. Most people will only pay the minimum if they have to go through with it, and the $1000 fee will be included in that price tag.

When seeing a dentist in Taipei it is important to emphasize you want a checkup and a cleaning, otherwise the dentist will most likely only check your teeth and not clean them aside from giving you a light brushing as opposed to a thorough scraping and flossing. This is because many locals prefer to request this type of service rather than expecting it, despite it not costing anything extra. Many foreigners in Taiwan will request the dentist to do a checkup, assuming that it implies cleaning as well but are disappointed to find the dentist does not perform anything. This is simply a miscommunication and cultural issue, and should be cleared upon arrival to the facilities.

The staff members at Coaching are prompt and friendly. Several of them like to practice English and are more than willing to help you go the extra mile for helping you fit in an appointment or figuring out a way to create a surgery package within your budget. The assistants were meticulous and professional, and most of the staff could speak English as mentioned. You could easily request to have an English-speaking dentist if necessary.

On a side note, we particularly like that there is no small talk or seeing another medical assistant to prep you by asking the same questions the dentist will ask before he or she arrives. In Taipei, things are straight to the point and there is no reason to make unnecessary boring and small chitchat. In the west me might think this is a bit cold, but here it is the standard and locals don’t understand why you would try to make conversation at a dentist to begin.

If you happen to be traveling through Taipei and want to get some cheaper dental care then we recommend this place. Otherwise, if you are living in Taipei make sure to get a checkup, as it is easy to forget about these things abroad. You may find that a cavity sneaks up on you quicker than anticipated due to all those sugary milk teas, so make use of the health care card before it’s too late.