Dental Tourism:

The Benefits and how to make sure you get the best Treatment

Dental tourism is flourishing in Portugal and in other European countries it has taken off in a big way too. An increasing number of people seeking dental treatment are becoming aware of dental tourism options, including packages from tour operators and also do-it-yourself dental holidays whereby the patient books low-cost travel or a holiday to another European country offering low-cost dental treatment and incorporates the treatment into their vacation at the destination.

British embrace dental tourism

Many of the people interested in dentist tourism options include UK citizens. This is because there are fewer and fewer NHS dentists in Britain and the costs of dental treatment in the country can be eye-wateringly high- often prohibitively so for less well-off people. The difference in the cost of particular treatments is often in the hundreds and can run into the thousands. For example, a dental implant in the UK can cost around £2000 (2400 euros). Elsewhere in Europe you can get the same treatment for the equivalent of less than £600. Root canal treatment can cost £800 in the UK, whereas in other European countries it can cost £250.

Saving money through dental tourism

When it comes to more pricey treatment the difference can be even more huge, depending on how much of the costs can or cannot be covered by the NHS. As the NHS website says, “dental charges depend on the treatment you need to keep your mouth, teeth and gums healthy”. Even if you factor in extra costs that have to be factored in with a holiday, such as flights and accommodation costs, the potential savings for patients are massive. Take into consideration that many operators offer highly competitive packages, including all transport and hotel costs, and the savings can look even more appealing. What is more, some of the countries where you can have dental surgery for a fraction of the cost back home are extremely alluring travel destinations in themselves. Portugal is arguably one of the more appealing locations, with its azure blue sea, fantastic beaches, sunny weather and delicious fish and seafood. As one website puts it, “Portugal manages to be both astonishingly beautiful and endlessly surprising”. You could even incorporate dental treatment with a cruise in the Mediterranean, described by Planet Cruise as  “one of our most popular cruising destinations and the World's largest sea, enclosed by three continents.”

How to avoid cowboy dentists abroad
Nonetheless, patients can feel some uncertainty over having dental treatment abroad. They may feel that because the cost of treatment is cheaper they will get a lower-quality service and may even fear that there is a higher likelihood of them receiving botched treatment. There are precautions that you can take to protect yourself against such a scenario.

1. Firstly do your research on the qualifications of possible dentists that you many be interested in receiving treatment from on a dental tour. Ask yourself whether they meet your own criteria and whether this person’s qualifications are comparable with the dentists in your own country. If not, you might want to do more research to identify dentists that do make the grade in the country you are interested in receiving dental treatment.
2. Once you have found a dentist who you feel is sufficiently well qualified make some inquiries into what processes are in place in the event that something goes wrong. Make sure that you are entitled to a refund if you are not happy with the end results or that there is at least meaningful recourse in the event that you are not satisfied.
3. You should also make inquiries into infection control standards at the practice of a dentist you are potentially interested in receiving treatment from. This is something you can assess for yourself if you visit a practice. Are the dentists wearing all the protective gear- such as fresh surgical gloves, protective eyewear, scrubs and a mask? Do not be afraid to ask about sterilisation standards and other procedures to prevent infection in the practice.
4. If you really want to do your homework then you can also find out whether the country where you are thinking of receiving dental treatment keeps records of complaints against dentists. If so you can check if there are records on a particular practitioner- that way you can feel reassured that a specific dentist does not have a secret history of dissatisfied, angry former patients that you are unaware of.

 

Text by Susie Bates