The Great 'Medical Tourism' Hunt

Before anything gets too clouded, can say that I have no issues with people having dental care in other countries that they visit regularly.

If someone has relatives who live abroad, or who are not natives of the UK then as far as I'm concerned it is fine to have dental care wherever you feel confident in your care.

You dont know me toothsmith, I don't know you. An arm wrestling match about past or current credibility, helping others or whatever, is irrelevant.

I question your presence here, in regard to your objection to travel-abroad dentistry. You are free to counter it and appear to have done so but I think the general point remains, certainly about the most excellent possibilities of this topic.

You do not have any sort of clue of the issues involved here. You just have a chip on your shoulder about people who have worked to get themselves into a position where they earn more money than you.

I have more than a clue: I have a good understanding of economics, capitalism, human nature, greed, and how, in this case, they pertain to Rip Off UK dentistry. And I am angry about it. I think the UK economy is getting increasingly skewed, polarised into haves and have-nots, house prices being another disgusting example.

As for comments about what I earn, resentments etc, if I were you I'd tread carefully if you wish to avoid straying into a very unpleasant area, since you have no facts about me but I'm probably right in saying these forums essentially serve a purpose in helping people who, unlike you, do not have the luxury of massive salaries. I fall into that category through no fault, lack of education or effort of mine, and when I switch off my computer have nothing like the lifestyle you undoubtedly have: which I suspect is common here, so remarks like "people who have worked ....more money than you" blah blah will not be well received and certainly not by me when you, metaphorically, drive off smiling in your big Mercedes. I see plenty of wealthy people who have what they've got on the basis of hard work etc etc and thats fine.....the point is, dentistry involves different issues pertaining to health and welfare rights of a country's citizens, and how unacceptable it is when it becomes get-rich capitalism serving what's becoming an increasingly privileged few who can afford it.

I know people in business - one is a shop, one was a factory in the manufacturing industry. In both cases, you find nothing like the exploitative exchange that happen in dentistry. The sums and salaries involved are comparable, but irrelevant; what this concerns is an aspect of basic health care and how it should be available relatively easily in an advanced country. No one will believe, or accept, that a cost difference of £400 compared to £1800 is accounted for with greater running costs - and that concerns Hungary, not Goa or Thailand, and I suspect its similar with other European countries. That may be acceptable economics for a piece of "designer clothing" if that's what people want and enjoy and accept paying for, but dentistry is different - and I'm not talking US cosmetic style work, just basic healthy nice teeth. Blaming the government for an "unworkable NHS" is a ridiculous notion - what's that supposed to mean, exactly? Dentists are leaving it because they make vastly better profits by going private. I have no animosity towards you for earning £100,000 as such - but I do get angry when I'm presented with massive dental bills. They are two different things, but get related whereby questioning the former is the other side of the coin of the latter.

I'm not interested in the "rubbish" that YOU just posted. What does administrative points for this, points for that, have to do with the fundamental economics of this? - absolutely nothing. How much does an NHS dentist earn? And are you going to tell me it's a sob story, because it's only £50,000? Try and tell me they object to points for this points for that admin, rather than the fact that they can make £80,000, £100,00 whatever by going private?

I repeat that dentistry is mostly £ motivated, and the departure of dentists from the NHS is because they earn even more by going private.

How much does an NHS dentist earn?
How much do they earn by going private?

- and I think people can 1) make up their own minds why it happens and 2) object like I do when dentistry increasingly becomes an expensive option for the relatively privileged when 3) Britain is an advanced country and dental health is a basic necessity.

I'm really not interested in the agenda that you undoubtedly moan about in your professional organisations, and use to convince others you are victims.

How much does an NHS dentist earn?
How much do they earn by going private?

UK dentistry is going the same way as US private health care; what the government needs to do is implement some legislative control that currently applies to doctors, so dentistry doesn't become even more of a capitalist situation than it already is.

My initial remark expressed great delight at this thread and I look forward to more stories and information about dental holidays.

I have a friend who had some teeth knocked out playing football and others loosened.

He went to India and paid less than £1500 for all the work.

He then paid nealry £3000 to have it all undone and redone to the correct standard in the UK.

Think about it very carefully - there's no comebacks as far as I'm aware.