Dentistry in japan

[daveh]

My son is working in Okinawa for a year and has a problem with a painful wisdom tooth thus he will need to see a dentist. He has medical insurance but it doesn't cover dentistry apparently. As he is living and working out there on a strict budget, has anyone here any suggestions as to what he can do to get his tooth seen to.

Thanks

 

[Mike Cash]

Is he using private insurance such as traveler's insurance? Or is he enrolled in one of the insurance schemes operated by the Japanese government? If the latter, dental is covered.

If he is not already enrolled in the government plan, he may wish to pop down to his local city office and get signed up. Caveats: This will involve monthly premiums based on his income level and treatment will entail a 30% co-pay from him. Dental treatment under the government plan tends not to be prohibitively expensive. I've always been able to walk out the door without paying more than the equivalent of US$10 - $30.

 

[daveh]

I will have to email him to find out. Thanks for the quick response.

 

[Mike Cash]

That's quite alright. I know from personal experience that 1 minute of a toothache can feel like a month.

 

[mr.sumo.snr]

If he is not already enrolled in the government plan, he may wish to pop down to his local city office and get signed up. Caveats: This will involve monthly premiums based on his income level and treatment will entail a 30% co-pay from him.

I think he may also have to 'buy back' the monthly premiums from the time he first entered the country.

This proved to be quite an expensive deal for me back in 1997 having been living and working in the country for the previous two years. In hindsight I should have left for two weeks, re-entered on a fresh spouse visa and then claimed I was a newbie. But WTH, my wife and I were D.I.N.Kis back then so an extra 25 man in payments was not such a big deal.

 

[jhough37]

off topic

Off topic, Mr. Sumo , but I sent you a PM a little while ago and never got a response, figured I would try and catch ya here and see if you ever got it or not.

 

[Mike Cash]

I think he may also have to 'buy back' the monthly premiums from the time he first entered the country.

True. I once had the same problem.

But he may have only been here a short while. And the rates for the first year are incredibly low.

 

[budd]

医療法人社団京和会KU歯科クリニック(東京 渋谷・世田谷・青山・銀座・品川・成城・大阪)

 

[Mike Cash]

医療法人社団京和会KU歯科クリニック(東京 渋谷・世田谷・青山・銀座・品川・成城・大阪)

The guy needs a wisdom tooth extracted in Okinawa. What good are two dental implant clinics in Tokyo supposed to do him?