Are You Considering Having Dental Treatment Abroad?

If you have been tempted by cheaper dental treatment in other countries, it’s well worth considering your options

For the vast majority of us, times are becoming more difficult financially, and it seems very likely that this is going to become even more so in the coming months, and possibly years ahead. When the bills start to arrive for energy charges and mortgage payments, you can be sure that you won’t be alone in looking for any potential savings that you can make in other areas.

These money saving choices will affect a lot of businesses, and the dental profession is no exception. Some treatments can be relatively costly, and although the long term benefits for the patient are often very good indeed; at times like this, our Burton patients might start looking for cheaper options. As the UK dental industry is well regulated, there is often not a lot of scope for ‘spectacular bargains’ and this has led to a boom in dental tourism, with people travelling abroad to have their treatment.

Dental implants and ‘Turkey Teeth”

Two of the most popular treatments to be carried out abroad are teeth implants and veneers. There is little doubt that treatment is cheaper abroad but this is not without significant risks. Whilst some of the savings can be attributed to a cheaper cost of living in those countries, it may also be due to cheaper materials and less experienced dentists. As dentistry may be less well regulated in some countries, it is even possible that dentists that are not suitably qualified may carry out your specialised treatment. With dental implant placements especially, this could go horrendously wrong. Even the fitting of veneers can result in an odd looking smile, dubbed by the British press as ‘Turkey Teeth’, due to the fact that a lot of treatments have been carried out in Turkey.

Leaving aside the ‘worst case scenarios’ though, where you are treated by an unqualified dentist, let us look at some of the more likely issues that may occur.

Inexperienced dentists

Although there are undoubtedly many excellent dentists practising in other countries, it can be difficult to know which ones are experienced in your chosen treatment. Some of this difficulty can be reduced by using one that a friend has used and recommended, but not everyone is in this position. Social media especially, has been targeted by dentists abroad, but a professional looking advert doesn’t necessarily mean that they have dentists that are as skilled at placing implants as those in the UK. Whilst you might be fortunate, there are real risks, and an incorrectly placed tooth implant may prove to be very painful and may well fail altogether. Spending initially less on this treatment then, may prove to be a false economy and we recommend that before you consider receiving treatment in another country, you speak to our team at Mike Allen’s Dental Practice Burton to discuss your options.

Cheaper materials

Using the right material to manufacture a dental implant is crucial to its success. Only certain materials will allow the implant to fully fuse with the bone into which it has been placed. These are not cheap materials and it may be tempting for some to cut corners and use cheaper implants. Although this may help to cut costs, it also greatly increases the risk of dental implant failure. Even a reduced cost is a total waste of money if the implant fails. Even if it doesn’t fail completely but problems arise from it, you should ask yourself if you would really feel happy going back to the same dentist to try to correct it, leaving aside, of course, the additional cost of your air fair which will add to the overall cost.

Other issues

Most of us like to feel comfortable with the dentist that is providing our treatment. This includes being able to explain any discomfort you are feeling or any requirements that you have regarding the treatment. This might apply, for example, with dental veneers when explaining what degree of whiteness you would like.  Language can be a barrier here and even if the dentist speaks English, as most will probably do, the more subtle aspects of your conversation may get ‘lost in translation’.

UK options

Having said what the potential risks are of having your treatment abroad, it is worth discussing the benefits of NOT doing so.

Realistically, it is likely that you will pay more in the UK than you will abroad. However, given, for example, that a tooth implant can last for at least twenty years if looked after correctly, the cost should be looked at over the longer term. If you do this, you will see that your new replacement tooth is much better value for money than you initially might have thought.

You can also be assured that if you use a UK dentist, they will be fully qualified and trained to carry out the treatment, ensuring that you should get the desired outcome. With the range of treatments that we offer our Burton patients, there really is no need to look elsewhere and you will be able to relax in the knowledge that a familiar face is carrying out your treatment.

Despite the excellent success rate of implant placement, there is always still a small possibility of issues arising. In the rare event that you do require further treatment, we are close at hand and do not require a trip to the airport, a flight overseas and at least overnight accommodation in a hotel. What could be simpler?

If you are considering having your treatment abroad, whether that is an implant placement, dental veneers or any other cosmetic treatment, please talk to us first. We know that times are difficult financially and have a number of payment plans available to help you to spread the cost of your treatment. If you would like to talk to one of our team, you can contact Mike Allen’s Dental Practice via our website, or call us on 01283 845345.