Dental treatment abroad

[cats whiskers]

Hi

Has anyone got first hand experience of dental treatment abroad either in Poland or Hungary.

My OH who does attend the dentist regularly always seems to need work done mainly to his crowns, they either become broken or chipped or he needs root canal work. On average he spends between £500 to £1000 per year. The practice he attends has several dentists, but only one uk trained, so we know that foreign standards match UK.

We have read some articles advising that it is cheaper to get the work done abroad but we would appreciate some feedback either positive or negative and what to look for in a Dentist abroad.

Cheers
Cats.

[Toothsmith]

The practice he attends has several dentists, but only one uk trained, so we know that foreign standards match UK.



Not Always! (http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=845&ArticleID=1836032)

[LizEstelle]

No personal experience but I believe there are now companies set up who can offer a 'holiday plus dentistry' situation. You'll probably find them by googling.

[LizEstelle]

Not Always! (http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=845&ArticleID=1836032)

...and if you think that UK born/bred/trained dentists are beyond that sort of thing, think again...

[DownintheMouth]

Definately don't gamble your teeth away, no matter how cheap or tempting it seems abroad, especially in poorer countries.

If your husband is getting such complex problems, they may need to be referred for a Specialist opinion, perhaps to a Dental School, but going abroad may be cheaper initially somewhere, but the quality and/or outcome will not be the same!

By quality, I mean the whole process from sterilisation techniques (not that it just looks clean) to not get diseases, proven materials and techniques and back-up if things don't go as planned, which can happen with anything biological, like medicine or dentistry.

One of the biggest reasons for increased costs in the UK is the increased costs of obeying all the Health and Safety rules, paying full insurances to protect people if anything goes wrong and the increased costs of doing 5 years training at a UK University, staffed by some of the best medical/dental teachers.

Teeth are not like Hair, if they are messed up they do not grow back again and it could cost 10 times more than the standard UK prices of doing the work right in the first place in the UK, to get big problems fixed after a "cheap" foreign dentist has had a go.

I have seen some of the "cheap" results, which sometimes can look OK for about 18 months, then if it all falls apart, guess what, that cheap Dentist has often moved on with little or no insurance/back-up to call upon and of course no-one in the UK wants to then touch this massively failing work with a barge-pole, because it often has caused greater complications and might even make the UK Dentist's replacement work fail too :(

Of course TV will soon be making the "My mouth was ruined abroad" programmes in the next 2 years to follow on from the "cheap" 3rd world plastic-surgery disaster movies they have just made!

I'm all for a bargain and if it's a known branded product that is identical in every way to the UK, like a mechanical camera, then it might be cheaper without a reduction in quality or personal risks. That's what this site is good for!

However Surgery of ANY kind is an entirely different matter, but there will be enough gullable people who wish to take the gamble and suffer avoidable harm as a result.

At least if you get the "CAMERA" gamble wrong, you only lose money and a bit of pride, but no personal harm!

In general, most foreign adverts quote Harley Street prices as typical UK comparisons, when in fact private prices vary greatly all over, so these foreign clinics are not as cheap as you may think anyway.

The most important thing though, if you are having key-hole Surgery done on you whilst you are awake and wriggling, is to have a good key-hole Surgeon who understands your needs and little quirks (we all have them!) and is highly skilled too - put bluntly, that combination of qualities will never be cheap, but when done well, is still good value for money.

Of course, some people don't value their teeth so they don't have regular check-ups, cleanings, don't floss their teeth once a day, brush twice a day or follow their Dentist's advice either. They expect to be fixed for free and have no responsibility or input to prevent dental problems, perhaps believing Government's promises that Dentistry is NHS, free, available to all etc, more spin, etc. In reality, you get what you pay for.

They may be happy to accept 20th Century Dental alternatives like extractions and Dentures, but I would not. Dentures are a substitute for nothing, like a false arm or leg, but they do NOT replace strong, health teeth!

For everyone else, Dentistry is high-tech, 21st Century key-hole Surgery and is more closely related to ENT Surgery than it is plumbing.

Chose your highly skilled and qualified key-hole Surgeon wisely, create a relationship of trust with them and follow their advice closely.

Do these people exist abroad? Absolutely, somewhere, but it is a needle in a haystack challenge to find them in a poorer Country and price alone is a very poor pathfinder indeed.

Ironically I will make more money fixing these type of "failed" cases, just like I do if teeth are left to rot and gums get diseased, but I preach prevention because that is always the best (and cheapest!) way overall.

I guess I am too busy because not everyone listens to prevention messages.

I hope you and your husand make the right decision for yourselves.

Good Luck,

DownInTheMouth.

[LizEstelle]

Er... by 'poor country', I assume you mean somewhere like the UK, where it is now virtually impossible to find an NHS dentist, the majority of practitioners having decided that they need remuneration in the megabucks class and removed themselves from the pocket-reach of many poorer people.

Somewhere like the UK, also, where every year cases of misconduct in the sense of carrying out unnecessary dental work are found amongst our totally home-grown crew.

[Toothsmith]

...and if you think that UK born/bred/trained dentists are beyond that sort of thing, think again...

Very very few are silly enough not to bother with indemnity insurance though.

I would guess that's a trick only for those with no seizable assets in this country.

[Toothsmith]

Er... by 'poor country', I assume you mean somewhere like the UK, where it is now virtually impossible to find an NHS dentist, the majority of practitioners having decided that they need remuneration in the megabucks class and removed themselves from the pocket-reach of many poorer people.

Somewhere like the UK, also, where every year cases of misconduct in the sense of carrying out unnecessary dental work are found amongst our totally home-grown crew.

Recent report from Office of National Statistice (Government institution) had the average dentist (Private or NHS) on £41k

Hardy megabucks. Probably similar to a decent plumber.

Strangely short of the £80k that seems to have been promised to the 'average' NHS dentist by Government ministers as well.

Seems like the department that produces the statistics wasn't talking to the department that produces the spin.

[DownintheMouth]

Hi Liz,

Nowhere is perfect of course, but the vast majority of UK Dentists are excellent and poorer countries simply cannot provide the same overall quality as more advanced ones, on average, not even compared to our mis-managed NHS!

Most Dentists who have moved away from the NHS have done so reluctantly and have had to be forced away. Please put the blame for this where it truely belongs, or are you going to blame doctors for the NHS not being able to allow all the best services for cancers and other treatments too?

I agree if Dentistry is truely NHS it should be free and available to everyone - clearly it isn't and it's getting much worse despite Dentists best efforts, but that's due to very bad management from the DoH !

The DoH and Politicians like to blame Dentists for government's poor planning to reflect blame away from themselves ,but they were told years ago this would happen if they didn't change their approach, but politicians think they know better than the Professionals.

In case you hadn't noticed, they did exactly the same with Opticians and now they are mainly private wit less than 10% being NHS today.

It's Government that doesn't value eyes or teeth - don't blame Dentists or Opticians or Doctors or Nurses if they are under Government duress and mis-management and changes for changes sake so no-one can compare Government's under-performance.

If you just don't like Dentists generally, you'll have to make up another reason if you can't get past your "issues" overall.

Why not write to your MP and protest - they've ignored all us Dentists doing that so why don't the voters do it and make it a national issue?

The trouble is, most Dentists now believe that even this Government can't be that incompetent for so long, so it must be a deliberate policy to let NHS Dentistry die slowly and painfully without admiting it publically :(

Are you going to let them get away with blaming everyone but themselves?

Yours,

DownInTheMouth.






Er... by 'poor country', I assume you mean somewhere like the UK, where it is now virtually impossible to find an NHS dentist, the majority of practitioners having decided that they need remuneration in the megabucks class and removed themselves from the pocket-reach of many poorer people.

Somewhere like the UK, also, where every year cases of misconduct in the sense of carrying out unnecessary dental work are found amongst our totally home-grown crew.

[devonpaul]

yep, been to hungary for implants and crowns at kreativ in budapest. am going back soon. For regular treatment probably no cheaper. For implants quite a bit cheaper and they are good at it as are doing it all the time. If go wrong will pay all costs for you to retun within reason. They make their own porcelin(cant spell)crowns which are top quality go to there website for cost. In my opinion they are better than dentists i have had here by far but not worth going for fillings etc

[Baglady]

Hi, my teeth were in quite a state that no NHS dentist would touch them. I'd had my amalgam removed for composite fillings for health reasons which I don't intend to go into here, and was later told by 4 UK dentists I needed x-amount of crowns, the cost being astronomical, certainly beyond my incapacity benefit.

In desparation, I went to the Czech Republic. My dentist spoke excellent English, his surgery was spotless and as well, if not better equipped than some dentists here. He had a Lab and technicians on the premises. He told me that one good legacy from the Communists was good health and dental care. He prides himself on the materials he uses and his workmanship.

He restored my teeth and in the event, I only needed 2 crowns. I made 2 visits last year for the work, and on the second, he and his wife picked me up and returned me to the airport personally. The restorations were made at a fraction of the UK cost.

He said for future check-ups, I could come out on Friday and they would meet me, he would work on Saturday if necessary, and take me back on Sunday. What's more, he would welcome other UK visitors.

Feel free to pm me for any details.

[Toothsmith]

From Sunday's OBSERVER (http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1945946,00.html)

Long distance dentistry is never good in case of emergency.

[MissMoneypenny]

From Sunday's OBSERVER (http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1945946,00.html)


Thanks for that link. I had near enough made my mind up to go to France for a dentist, so good to note that an MP is going there also.
"Edward Leigh, chair of the Commons Public Accounts Committee and Conservative MP for Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, has admitted he regularly makes a 500-mile round trip to France for dental treatment and has urged the public to follow his lead."

[Toothsmith]

Because they are such a paragon of good sense?

He probably puts it on his expenses which means you and I are paying for it anyway!

[MissMoneypenny]

Because they are such a paragon of good sense?

He probably puts it on his expenses which means you and I are paying for it anyway!

They are cheaper. From the link you gave:-

"Leigh had root canal treatment while on a skiing trip to the Alps earlier this year, paying about £62 for work that would have cost about £150 on the NHS or about £330 privately in Britain. 'I suggest if anyone needs a dentist then go to France,' he said. 'They are much cheaper and far easier to register with."

There was a programme on tv recently showing how good the French dentists were (plus other countries) and how good they are to their clients.

[North-East_Quine]

I was with my previous NHS Dentist for nearly 40 years. However, she recently left and I was destined to be without a dentist. I have now managed to get into an NHS practice with a young Polish Dentist who works 4 days privately and 1 day NHS. My husband and daughter have also been taken on at the practice. On our first visit my husband was gobsmacked to be told he needed 7 fillings! He has always had excellent teeth and had only been to see his previous dentist 4 weeks previously - with no treatment required.

My daughter had a similar experience - being told she need 5 fillings. She too has attended regular check-ups and was only at her previous dentist a few months ago. I've to get 8 fillings, mainly replacing small one in my front teeth! The new dentist is refusing to do amalgam fillings and will only do composite white ones which cannot be offered on the NHS.

Should we be suspicious of this! Are foreign dentists coming over here just to make money out of filling teeth unnecessarily?

[Toothsmith]

If he is working on the NHS, he MUST offer an NHS alternative.

White fillings on front teeth ARE available on the NHS, it's just back teeth where they are a cosmetic option.

You are in fact seeing a PRIVATE dentist in reality, who is just pretending to be NHS to get people through the door.

In the 1950s a lot of Australian dentists came over to work the NHS system to give themselves enough money to go home and start their own practices.

Nowadays, there is no advantage to doing lots of fillings on the nHS, as dentists don't get paid any more for doing lots as for dooing one.

UNLESS - they tell you they will only do the fillings privately. Then they are breaking the terms of their NHS contract and a complaint to the PCT is in order.

Why not go and see a dentist who honestly operates in the private sector? You will be much more likely to get an honest opinion, and it might just save you money as well as your teeth.



EDIT :- I don't for one minute think this is a problem of Polish dentists. I'm sure there are dentists of all nationalities trying to pull tricks like this with the NHS. There are also dentists working on the NHS in the spirit of the agreement and trying to make it work.

[Toothsmith]

I just resurrected this thread to post an email that a colleague of mine received the other day!

From an unknown patient he'd had no previous contact with.

"hi there,
i'm writing on behalf of my husband, who is currently undergoing
dental repairs in hungary. he will need dental implants, but his gums
will have to heal for about 6 weeks first, as he had some infections
and had some teeth removed. after the implants are screwed in, he will
have to wait another 6-8 months untill the final teeth can be screwed
on. he has no remaining teeth on top and needs a full denture during
this time. he has just come home from hungary, and the denture that
the dentist has fitted is absolutely horrible - much lighter than his
bottom tooth colour, and it gives him an extremely noticable overbite,
probably the most awful dentures i have ever seen. he only needs the
dentures for a few months, but he can not walk around like this. how
much would it cost to fit him a natural and aesthetically pleasing
denture, but still while maintaining a budget, as they are not meant
to be permanent?
thanks!"




If you were that dentist how would you reply??? :D

[Parisien]

From Sunday's OBSERVER (http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1945946,00.html)

Long distance dentistry is never good in case of emergency.

Couldn't agree more..........but when you can't afford any treatment in the UK, then choices are made........needless to say, it may not be much better in the UK either!

[Parisien]

Not Always! (http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=845&ArticleID=1836032)

Same applies to crap/bad practice in the UK, what makes you think whats done in the UK is so superior?

[Toothsmith]

It may not be superior - there is bad stuff in the UK.

But at least it's regulated under UK law and redress is possible.

The people going abroad CAN afford treatment in the UK. They are spending thousands abroad.

It's just abroad they are getting highly advanced work at a fraction of the UK cost.

They could have spent the same money getting more basic treatment in this country.

Now - one argument is if they can get such advanced treatment at that cost then why not? - Which is a fair point.

BUT - Why have their teeth got into such a state that they need such advanced work??? And what is going to change in their lives that will make really advanced work last for them??

My argument is that if they have - say- £5k to spend on their teeth, then finding a local dentist, having basic but good work done, and then plenty of money left in the pot to go towards regular check ups and hygiene visits will see them much better off than 5k blown on implants in Hungary in the belief that they will never need to visit the dentist again!

When the implants break down (As they will without very regular care and attention) then the patient will be in a much worse condition than before they started.

This is without any reference to the actual quality of the work, and assumes it's all done to the highest standards.

But - there are good and bad dentists all over the world. This is why an awful lot of my posts go into how to choose one and what to look for. A lot of the things I recommend people do when choosing a dentist simply aren't possible if you plan to go abroad for treatment. Unless you make several flights before even booking an appointment.

[iain_60]

Hi Just thought I'd add my opinion this thread as I have to say I disagree with quite a few of the comments made.

The people going abroad CAN afford treatment in the UK. They are spending thousands abroad. They could have spent the same money getting more basic treatment in this countryNot in my case and a number of other people I know as well. I went to 3 or 4 consultations in the UK and ALL of them quoted me over £10,000. If I could have afforded the work in the UK I would have had it done in the UK.


Definitely don't gamble your teeth away, no matter how cheap or tempting it seems abroad, especially in poorer countries.

If your husband is getting such complex problems, they may need to be referred for a Specialist opinion, perhaps to a Dental School, but going abroad may be cheaper initially somewhere, but the quality and/or outcome will not be the same!I find this comment very un-educated. I had my Implant treatment with a company called Kreativ Dental. (http://www.kreativdental.co.uk/)
Now if you bother to do a bit of research you will see that the dentists are highly trained specialists. The equipment and Implants they use are World Class and I can tell you from my experience that the "outcome" is superb. They have an extensive Guarantee which I would say is far from "gambling".

You are right though DownintheMouth " the quality and/or outcome will not be the same!" It will be equal too, or better than what you would get here in the UK.

You only have to look at the establishment they are running; their new clinic is jaw dropping.

I think you are tarnishing the whole industry with the same brush. My advice to you would be to try it... You may be surprised... I was!

Good luck

Iain

[Toothsmith]

You completely missed my point.

How did your mouth get into a state where it needed £10k of work doing?

Unless you understand that, then all this superior quality work you've had done will go down the tube in exactly the same way that your own teeth did.

Even abroad, I would guess this £10k of work would have cost £4-5k?

So you DID have money to spend on your teeth.

You would have been much better off spending it on less advanced treatment that would not put the rest of your jaw at risk when it fails.

How often do you visit the dentist now to get all this excellent work checked and maintained?

[donteatthat]

"You are right though DownintheMouth " the quality and/or outcome will not be the same!" It will be equal too, or better than what you would get here in the UK."

Sadly not with the implant systems they are using.
One I have never heard of, but doesn't look good on the website, and the branemark implants have been pretty much supseceded due to an inherently poor design.

Not sure what qualifies these dentists as specialists either.

[tomstickland]

I spotted this at the weekend:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=483744&in_page_id=1774

[jac59]

I'm not selling anything. I know nothing about this but I went to Hunmgary and had a bad experience there. I've since found a uk dentist called dentalcare plus in Plymouth which claims to have relatively cheap service for implants, especially when set against the cost of travelling to Hungary etc. Does anyone know anything about this company or what it claims. The prices are higher than Hungary but look significantly cheaper than the rest of the uk

[nina197]

I'm from Croatia and have been working as a dental treatment coordinator in croatian dental clinic for couple of years (I have also spent some time in UK and Australia, so the following post is very sincere...).
Maybe you do not know or believe this(!), but our dental practice is just as the same quality as yours (which is something that I honestly wouldn't say for most of the polish and hungarian dentists) and is up to all western european dental and ethical standards! Actually croatian dentists have been known to practice western dentistry at eastern european prices (Croatia is a beatiful Mediteranian country on the very border with Italy and the rest of W.Europe, our patients are mostly Italians).
You can visit one of our clinics sites, this one I would sincerely reccommend (it's an excellent clinic with more then thirty years of experience in all fields of modern dentistry, it has it's own radiology and lab which reduces the time of your treatment. They also organize your accomodation and airport/hotel or private app/clinic transport. You can email, call or Skype them, and you can also send your Xray or macro photos for free treatment plan estimation. They are highly specialized, but also very kind and they speak good English. After treatment they do free chekups and give 2 to 5 years guarantee, depending of the treatment). Croatia is only 1,5 hour away from UK (the bill+the low cost plane ticket will still cost you less then a UK dental treatment)! :j
See it for yourself:
www.dentaladriatic.com (http://www.dentaladriatic.com)

[nina197]

I'm from Croatia and have been working as a dental treatment coordinator in croatian dental clinic for couple of years (I have also spent some time in UK and Australia, so the following post is very sincere...).
Maybe you do not know or believe this(!), but our dental practice is just as the same quality as yours (which is something that I honestly wouldn't say for most of the polish and hungarian dentists) and is up to all western european dental and ethical standards! Actually croatian dentists have been known to practice western dentistry at eastern european prices (Croatia is a beatiful Mediteranian country on the very border with Italy and the rest of W.Europe, our patients are mostly Italians).
You can visit one of our clinics sites, this one I would sincerely reccommend (it's an excellent clinic with more then thirty years of experience in all fields of modern dentistry, it has it's own radiology and lab which reduces the time of your treatment. They also organize your accomodation and airport/hotel or private app/clinic transport. You can email, call or Skype them, and you can also send your Xray or macro photos for free treatment plan estimation. They are highly specialized, but also very kind and they speak good English. After treatment they do free chekups and give 2 to 5 years guarantee, depending of the treatment). Croatia is only 1,5 hour away from UK (the bill+the low cost plane ticket will still cost you less then a UK dental treatment)! :j
See it for yourself:
www.dentaladriatic.com (http://www.dentaladriatic.com)

[dmg24]

nina197 reported for spam.

[sheilavw]

I had my dental bridge done in Turkey last august. Lovely dentist, spotlessly clean. Saved £1200 which paid for the hols and bit towards the spends/,

[nina197]

nina197 reported for spam.

sorry, but what is reported for spam? :confused:

[nina197]

I had my dental bridge done in Turkey last august. Lovely dentist, spotlessly clean. Saved £1200 which paid for the hols and bit towards the spends/,

could you please tell me how many units was your bridge made of? and the approx.price of it, if it's not too much to ask?:o

[elejayne]

Hi,
I've just come across this post and I see Kreativ Dental was mentioned by someone.

I've just completed treatment at the clinic and as far as the treatment I received it was brilliant.

The only problem I had was with their OLD UK representative. Be warned! MR Ian Domville is not a registered dentist as stated on his website. And luckily for Kreativ he no longer works for them!!!

I would hole heartedly reccomend Kreativ but do not go any where near Mr Domville, when I turned up in Budapest he had not even made my appointment!! So I was on my own in this city. The clinic was fantastic they came and picked me up straight away and could have not been more apologetic.

Do not worry though. Kreativ have a new company running their UK affairs. Ill dig out there contact details and post on here later. They organised my final visit and where very profesional. I do not want to give the wrong impression about Kreativ Dental, It was just the problems I ran into with the old Rep Ian Domville. I cannot speak highly enough about the clinic, dental treatment and they now have new UK representatives. Like I said I'll post back once I find their details.
Ta,
El

[elejayne]

As promise above here are the contact details for Kreativ Dental in the UK.
website: www.kreativdental.co.uk (http://www.kreativdental.co.uk)
tel: 0845 0945 331
email: office@kreativdental.co.uk

El

[Toothsmith]

Does it not just ring a few alarm bells?

It is very easy to make a dental practice LOOK good. It is easy to make the initial result LOOK good.

The real test is what your mouth will look like in 5-10 yrs time - not the day after treatment.

It seems to be an organisation which is a bit sloppy in the checks it performs of it's employees/agents.

But then - in the country it operates in, there is very little regulation on who can do what and what qualifications you need in order to call yourself an 'expert' or 'specialist', so they're not very experienced in checking such matters.

Be very careful.

The money you 'save' might well be needed - plus a bit more - in the not too distant future.

[julie1956]

Know what? I've been looking your posts and noticed a clinic I've actually been at.
I had big dental troubles, untill my friends adviced me to go to NW Croatia to resolve them in dental clinic Dental Adriatic, which is situated in Umag, on the Istrian coast.
It's a small family dental clinic and one of the 1st private clinics in Croatia, regarding their quality, experience and personnel. You wont get that sort of service in UK,or a guarantee for your dental work. They are highly equiped and professional.
Sincerely, I was affraid to go at first, but I've done my teeth and had a great time at once (delicious food, beautiful coast, wonderful sea). Honestly,I've had fun, resolved my dental issues and saved approximately up to 70% of UK prices! Visit dentaladriatic.com

[iain_60]

Jesus julie1956,

Love if that isn't an advert written by someone you works for the adriatoc place I dont know what is!!

It would help if you could write proper english! It stands out a mile!!!

It would be nice to get some proper posts!!!

What a joke you are julie1956!!

[iain_60]

Hi again Toothsmith,

I've been reading through a few of your post's..... and it seems you have a real problem with people who are considering, or who have already been abroad for dental treatment.

Why can't a clinic in a foreign country produce standards of dentistry that are far better than England? The answer is they can!! and that is exactly what Kreativ Dental do and many other very good dental clinics in Hungary, Croatia and other parts of Europe.

As everyone knows England tend not to produce the highest quality services / expertise / product in many areas of life. When we think of well-built cars we think VW - Germany. Watches - Switzerland. Food - French. Wine - French. Football -Brazil.... The list could go on and on. Now dont get me wrong I am a proud Englishmen. But I also have a bit of common sense. If I want quality I will buy quality, whether it be German, Canadian, French etc. I will buy English Ale, because it is the best!

This is how it works for dentistry! I will visit the best clinic I can find. Which just so happens not to be in the UK.

As for your comments regarding the money issue. You are right, if people look after their teeth they will not need to spend thousands later in life. But I'm afraid the reality is that not all people do look after their teeth so when they get to the point of deciding todo something about it they have no other choice than to go abroad because of the ridiculous prices we are being charged in this country!!!!

One more thing... just to finish...

It seems to be an organisation which is a bit sloppy in the checks it performs of it's employees/agents.

But then - in the country it operates in, there is very little regulation on who can do what and what qualifications you need in order to call yourself an 'expert' or 'specialist', so they're not very experienced in checking such matters.

This proves my point.... You are very quick to make judgements where I do not believe you are qualified todo so.

I believe this forum is called "The moneysavingexpert.com" - It could be called "The full of so called experts.com" - Have an opinion of course... but it seems to me you are very biased.

I agree with your steps on how to find a dentist - Follow Toothsmiths advice at the bottom of his posts. I found myself standing in a world class clinic in Budapest, receiving expert treatment (which has been backed up by 2 UK dentists) and the bouns was I didn't have to pay the ridiculous prices you find here in the UK!

Iain

[Toothsmith]

To answer your main point, I'll just be repeating what I wrote in post #21 and #23 above.

The vast majority of people who go abroad will be going there with a completely broken mouth, and with no real idea of what they have done wrong for their mouth to get into that situation.

They will be getting thousands of pounds worth of work done, and the initial result will probably look fantastic.

But - they will have no idea still of where they went wrong with their own teeth, and they will most likely still make exactly the same mistakes with their new teeth.

They may well carry on smoking, they may well eat the same sort of things and drink the same sort of things. They will still brush th same, they will still avoid the dentist wherever possible - just because they can't find an NHS one (Who would never be able to look after such work anyway).

And within a few years, it will all fall to bits again - only this time, with bridges, and implants screwed into the bone, it will not be a new set of teeth they will be in search of, but a cheap skull rebuild!

In the long term, people with little interest in upgrading their dental knowledge to go with their upgraded teeth would probably be better off with a cheaper plastic denture than whizzy advanced implants.

The quality of the nuts and bolts is completely irrelevent. As is the quality of the plasma screen in the practice waiting room.

The 'quality' is to be found in the effort made to monitor and improve the patients knowledge and health before the treatment starts. It's in working with the patient over the long term to gradually improve and maintain their dental health.

It's not in the limo from the airport, or the nice hotel room, or the shopping oportunities in the city.

I will conceed that if, in partnership with your regular UK dentist, you go off to a foreign clinic to have a specific treatment carried out, and then return for regular aftercare with that same UK dentist, then there prehaps is some scope for moneysaving.

This is not where the Kreatives, or the like are marketing though.

They sell the idea of one hit dental fixes, with a nice holiday on the side.

The quality of their staff or treatments may well be high, but without all the boring, time consuming, unsexy, slog that should accompany it, then it can never be described as a quality dental service.

It is a 'qwik fit' dental clinic, only the consequences are far more serious than your exhaust falling off 5 miles down the road.

[julie1956]

Jesus julie1956,

Love if that isn't an advert written by someone you works for the adriatoc place I dont know what is!!

It would help if you could write proper english! It stands out a mile!!!

It would be nice to get some proper posts!!!

What a joke you are julie1956!!


Proper English??? Please, read again your post...:rolleyes:

[julie1956]

It wasn't advertising, I reccommended a Dental Adriatic in which I actually did my teeth...
I'm glad that you agree that there is no difference i high quality of dental treatments in UK and abroad, because that's the way it is!

[julie1956]

To answer your main point, I'll just be repeating what I wrote in post #21 and #23 above.

The vast majority of people who go abroad will be going there with a completely broken mouth, and with no real idea of what they have done wrong for their mouth to get into that situation.

They will be getting thousands of pounds worth of work done, and the initial result will probably look fantastic.

But - they will have no idea still of where they went wrong with their own teeth, and they will most likely still make exactly the same mistakes with their new teeth.

They may well carry on smoking, they may well eat the same sort of things and drink the same sort of things. They will still brush th same, they will still avoid the dentist wherever possible - just because they can't find an NHS one (Who would never be able to look after such work anyway).

And within a few years, it will all fall to bits again - only this time, with bridges, and implants screwed into the bone, it will not be a new set of teeth they will be in search of, but a cheap skull rebuild!

In the long term, people with little interest in upgrading their dental knowledge to go with their upgraded teeth would probably be better off with a cheaper plastic denture than whizzy advanced implants.

The quality of the nuts and bolts is completely irrelevent. As is the quality of the plasma screen in the practice waiting room.

The 'quality' is to be found in the effort made to monitor and improve the patients knowledge and health before the treatment starts. It's in working with the patient over the long term to gradually improve and maintain their dental health.

It's not in the limo from the airport, or the nice hotel room, or the shopping oportunities in the city.

I will conceed that if, in partnership with your regular UK dentist, you go off to a foreign clinic to have a specific treatment carried out, and then return for regular aftercare with that same UK dentist, then there prehaps is some scope for moneysaving.

This is not where the Kreatives, or the like are marketing though.

They sell the idea of one hit dental fixes, with a nice holiday on the side.

The quality of their staff or treatments may well be high, but without all the boring, time consuming, unsexy, slog that should accompany it, then it can never be described as a quality dental service.

It is a 'qwik fit' dental clinic, only the consequences are far more serious than your exhaust falling off 5 miles down the road.


it's true, but that's gonna hapenn even if they have a dental treatment in UK...We're talking about dental habbits in this case.

I had my last work done in Croatia in November - a 7 unit bridge, and in June (while I'll be going there for vacation) I'll have a free chekup! It's not a problem at all.
However I do agree with your point in dental aftercare with their dentists in UK...

[Toothsmith]

it's true, but that's gonna hapenn even if they have a dental treatment in UK...We're talking about dental habbits in this case.

Yes we are - but a dentist is far more likely to try and change those habits before embarking on advanced work if the patient lives a short distance away.

Plus they are less likely to embark on completely unsuitable treatments if it's easy for the patient to come back and complain, and relatively easy to seek redress through the courts.

How many people in the UK would know where to begin a complaint against a Croatian dentist?

Are there even any laws that would protect patients in this situation? Or any laws that a dentist must have insurance cover?

I know for a fact that I wouldn't have to 'rip off' my patients anywhere near as much if I didn't have an obligation to hold professional insurance cover.

And that cover isn't like car insurance, I pay just as much as someone who has a terrible record of complaints. I've never had one (That hasn't been sorted out in-house anyway!)

[Infrasonic]

I know for a fact that I wouldn't have to 'rip off' my patients anywhere near as much if I didn't have an obligation to hold professional insurance cover.

And that cover isn't like car insurance, I pay just as much as someone who has a terrible record of complaints. I've never had one (That hasn't been sorted out in-house anyway!)

Toothsmith; the below link may be of use to you in getting a (possibly) fairer deal on your insurance.

http://www.dentalprotection.org/assets/documents/Apps_2007/UK_subsbooklet_07.pdf
Individual dentists who (for a variety of reasons) are felt to represent a particularly adverse
risk for the mutual fund which is owned by and held in trust for the whole membership, pay
a higher subscription to reflect both this additional risk, and also the cost of monitoring/
administration, counselling and other targeted risk management support

[ingram62]

I xan recommned a dentist in Rovinj Istria In Croatia, you can fly to Pula airport with Ryanair and also have a nice holiday.

Regards


Elaine

[donteatthat]

Toothsmith; the below link may be of use to you in getting a (possibly) fairer deal on your insurance.

http://www.dentalprotection.org/assets/documents/Apps_2007/UK_subsbooklet_07.pdf
Individual dentists who (for a variety of reasons) are felt to represent a particularly adverse
risk for the mutual fund which is owned by and held in trust for the whole membership, pay
a higher subscription to reflect both this additional risk, and also the cost of monitoring/
administration, counselling and other targeted risk management support

I am sure Toothsmith is aware of Dental Protection.
Dental Protection's is not insurance, its indemnity. Insurance does tend to be more expensive the longer you have been in practice.

[shoda]

Hello,

I'm looking to have my teeth done abroard, kreativ has poped up on the forum, has any used this service, I would like as much information about this dentist as possible before i make any sort of deccission, does any one recommend a good detist other wise

Shoda