The Great 'Medical Tourism' Hunt

Dr_Hicks

...........

Oh, and just one last thought.......

Who is going to look after all this work? 90%+ of the UK population have some form of gum disease (bleeding gums, receding gums, halotosis, funny/bad taste in mouth, wobbly teeth) which means that:

a) It is not wise to consider advanced dental treatment if your gums are unhealthy, and as it takes a considerable amount of time to get gums healthy, are the dentists abroad going to correct this first?........i doubt it as it takes multiple visits, and will they turn you away if you are not suitable for treatment?......i doubt that too as they have booked aside time in their clinic to see you, so if they turn youa way it is lost revenue.

b) any dental treatment will ultimately fail if this is not corrected, and lets face it, if you are having to seek complicated treatment this already puts you in a high risk group of needing more treatment in the future.

Sorry for not including this in the above post, only thought of it whilst i was having a bath (sorry for the mental image).

Stuart.

northsea_2

you have so depressed me! I have been thrashing about with ideas of going to Goa or Hungary for dental treatment when there seems to be very little point! Yes I have gaps, crowns with decay under, infections and wobbly teeth with gum disease... of course there is no miracle cure! The truth hurts but you are right, I have terminal teeth! Damn. What is one to do?

Jarvisma

Just to put my two pennies worth in....

I am not a new poster (read: marketing exec) with no posts so this is a genuine personal experience not a sales pitch!

I have had ver crooked teeth ever since I can remember and they always made me incredibly paranoid about my looks. I never smiled or laughed with my mouth open. I was quoted about 8 or 9 grand to have all the work done I wanted here, so I went down the Hungary route and got all the work done there in November last year. I can honestly say it was the best thing I've ever done.

The trip was really easy ( it helped that I live very close to Gatwick) but I was really looked after and considering I went on my own (as a 20 something female) I always felt in very safe hands.

Overall the cost came to around £1500 including flights etc. I'd be happy to give any more details anyone wants if they PM me.

I'm going back next month too as I'd rather go there for a check up & some minor work than go through the hassle of finding a dentist here!

theredfox_2

I'm a bit tired of dentists coming here talking condescending obvious stuff about the risks, etc, when their interests are very clear: don't go abroad, stay here, and even better, come to me (because I need that new Ferrari/Tuscan Villa/diamond ring).

Cheap flights and internet communication make this a new world, a new situation: substantial money can be saved because we are no longer tied to expoitative dentistry prices and Rip Off UK. You started it, by abandoning the NHS and seeking even greater salaries in the private sector. We - the consumer - will finish it by embracing that capitalist logic and finding more reasonable charges. Hungary seems a particularly good idea, and with a bit of research even better deals can be found going further afield.

Jarvisma

I just had to say I've had a very big surprise this morning....

I've had tooth ache for a couple of days so thought I would try and phone around to find a dentist and get an apt. I wasn't expecting much as I would have to register (I have posted above that I've had alot of work done abroad recently) but I called my PCT who gave me the number of a dentist 2 miles away.

I called them and I have an appointment at 4.15 this afternoon! Going on all the bad press in the last year or more there was no way I was expecting that but I have been pleasantly surprised.

(I'll hold complete judgement untill I've been though!)

Dr_Hicks

*sigh

Please re-read my post mr fox. in no way was i implying that going abroad for dentla treatment was a bad thing BUT i do think that good dentistry is a case of prevention. The 'wait till it's broke then go abroad' option is only one way to go.

re Dentists pay...........i think you are a tad out of date. We dentists had a great deal under the NHS in the 80's which allowed us to drive nice fast cars and ahve expensive villas, but those days have long since gone (Unfortunately as i was 15 at the time ). Yes we get well paid but it is nothing compared to a doctors salary........120k minimum and how helpful are they?

Northsea.....sorry to depress you, not my intention, merely pointing out some flaws in seeking advanced treatment abroad, and then coming back home and doing !!!! all to look after it.

I reiterate.....dental treatemnt abroad is not a bad thing BUT all dentistry needs to be placed in a healthy mouth and then MAINTAINED!!!

Sorry for your cynicism Fox

Thanks again.

Stuart

Jarvisma

Sorry, but I have to say I don't agree with your opinion of what the problems are.

I've been for dentistry abroad, purely for the cost implications as stated above. When I came home, I most certainly maintained the care and cleanliness of my teeth and as I said in my last post I was very happy to be able to see a UK dentist here for a minor tooth ache (which was really just sensitivity and has passed now) and scale & polish etc.

My happiness was short lived unfortunately, I arrived at the dentist and was treated with no more respect than faulty goods on a conveyor belt - until that is I mentioned that I would be interested in having some cosmetic work done privately!

I'm not begrudging those dentists who choose to go private for a better income, after all why shouldn't they. In my opinion the government should provide enough incentives for dentists to treat NHS patients, which evidently at the moment they don't.

The dentist I saw spoke hardly any English, was dismissive when I said my tooth was hurting and wasn't in the slightest bit interested in my comfort the whole time I was there.

In contrast, the dentist I saw in Hungary was extremely patient and kind, stopping regularly to see if I was ok and comfortable. Listened to exactly what I had to say and always talked to me and explained what he was doing before he did it.

Proof that for me it isn't even all about cost, is that I for one would rather pay a £150 air fare and travel for 3 hours to visit the dentist in Hungary that treats me like a valuable patient, than pay £15 and go round the corner to see a dentist that quite frankly gives the impression that I'm nothing more than a nuisance! :mad:

Sorry Dr Hicks, but I think you're fighting a losing battle.

TurnaroundSue

As previously stated in my post, I have had veneers/crowns done by a UK dentist and he showed no interest in talking to me about gum problems etc (unless I am one of the lucky 10% who have healthy gums!!!) as Dr Hicks has said and really showed no interest in that side of dentistry. He just went along with what I wanted, with hardly any advice (see previous posting) and very little since. I lost all confidence in him and am seriously considering going abroad - It's not only about cost, but also it appears from my experience they can't be any worse than the UK dentists I have encountered.

Dr_Hicks

*sigh............

It seems you may be correct Jarvisma, i may truly be fighting a losing battle. There is no excuse (not even financial ones) for treating ones patients like a set of teeth rather than a person....i am very sorry, and very embarassed that your experiences have been so poor .

Turnaroundsue........thank you for your comments too, to do any cosmetic work and not treat any existing gum disease, or even discuss it, is not the way to go in my opinion. You are right to have lost faith.

I stand by the comments i have made in previous posts, but those comments depend on you finding a good dentist to carry them out, and if that good dentist is in hungary then so be it.

My only advcie can be.........always go on a personel recommendation when finding a dentist.

I would like to thank you for not being cynical about my motives, and again extend my offer to pm me with any queries.

Thank you,

Stuart.

sscrabble

I am looking to have , most probably, a full top set of implants. From what I have read the treatment for this is usually to give you six, eight or ten implants and fix what is in effect a reduced denture, ie the implants have some 'gum' around them but not the horrible plate on the roof of your mouth. Having the work done in the UK is out of the question - the costs are just too much - I am confident from reading dozens of feedbacks that treatment abroad with rare exceptions is as good as or superior to the UKs - I am also sure that there would be dozens of horror stories online if treatment abroad was as dodgy as some posters make out.

So my questions
Budapest seems a popular choice for the work - is it the best or are they all pretty much the same - and is anywhere significantly better value?

I had most of my top teeth out 30 years ago due to a butcher of a dentist- I have managed to keep my three remaining top teeth for all that time, but according to my dentist there time is coming to an end - (a)could implants be worked round them until they go, or would it be advisable o have them out and have the full set (b) because of the 30 years , is it still likely that there will be sufficient bone to implant successfully - I have a BIG face and I am male if that has any relevance.

Are there any dentists abroad who would be able to give me a 'probable' yes or no to whether treatment is possible if I take digital photos of my mouth, just to save a long trip for an initial consultation to be given an immediate and conclusive no!