What is dental treatment abroad like?
Dental treatment abroad has a varied and foggy reputation. Many people have observed the so-called amazing ‘1 day transformations’ on social media such as Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. However, it can be hard to judge the quality of care and the general outcome of treatment from social media alone.
For every 1 day transformation, there is also a slew of dental tourism horror stories. This further mystifies the true nature of dentistry abroad and can make it difficult to make a decision on where to get treatment and whether or not quality of care is of standard.
Here at Synergy Dental, we pride ourselves for offering the highest quality of cosmetic care to our patients and do not sacrifice quality of care or materials when helping patient’s reach their dream smile; essentially, treatment abroad has an unclear reputability and thus your decision to go abroad should only be considered with considerable amount of research and appreciation of the potential risks.
Why is it so much cheaper than the UK?
Due to lower cost of living, lower cost of running a practice and differences in material prices, dentistry abroad can be significantly cheaper than the UK.
This doesn’t indicate a reduction in the quality of care, rather it is a reflection of the economic state of the country you are considering your dental treatment abroad in.
It is important to note however, that even though treatment is independently cheaper abroad, other costs may contribute to the overall price of your dental endeavor. Things such as flights, accommodation, time off work, aftercare when you return to the UK and more will ramp up the price of treatment.
Remember, dental treatment doesn’t end when you leave the practice but rather it has long-term impacts on your dental health and maintenance is just as important as your initial treatment!
Are the dentists better or worse abroad?
It is a common misconception that dentistry abroad is ‘worse’ than UK dentistry due to a lack of qualifications; this is not the case. However, there is an argument to be made that traveling abroad for dentistry integrates a massive array of factors that may impact the quality of care you receive.
It is mandatory for all dentists in the UK practice under GDC guidelines. The GDC, which stands for General Dental Council, is a UK regulatory body that sets guidelines and enforces legislation to ensure UK dentists provide the same high standard of dental care throughout the country.
By going abroad, you are at the liberty of the individual clinician, their qualifications and their country’s national regulatory board – which may not be as stringent as the UK’s GDC.
What are the common procedures offered abroad?
There are a range of dental treatments, usually cosmetic, offered abroad including: dental crowns, veneers, dental implants, teeth whitening, fillings, extractions and more.
The reason for this is mostly because these treatments are not commonly offered on the NHS and usually need patients to undergo private treatment. This can be costlier in the UK as materials are expensive and of high quality and overheads in private practice is very high.
If something goes wrong can it be fixed here?
Generally, it can be a challenge to get dental treatment fixed in the UK due to personal liability of the dentist. If you had bad dental work abroad and expect a UK dentist to fix it, you may be in for a shock as dentists may opt out of meddling with extensive treatments from abroad in fear of litigation without complete history, notes and documentation.
This may leave you in a situation where you may need to travel back to your initial practice abroad to fix dental treatment – leaving you more out of pocket and dependent on the integrity of the practice you chose to get your dental work completed at.
Book your dental appointment with one of our dental practice.
End of Part 1
