The Great 'Medical Tourism' Hunt

BitterAndTwisted

All surgery is complicated. What's your point?

rebeccamclellan

Please read the "Disgusted at NHS" thread. {I cannot post the link as i am a newbie}, you will know how people are treated in NHS now. I would not risk something like this.

qdays

Horrible stories here, and I do feel compassion for you. I'm not a dentist myself, but to place a whole denture on one implant seems like a disaster waiting to happen. I'll stand corrected if I'm wrong.

However, take the bottom line, if you can't afford dentistry in the UK, yet you feel embarrassed by your teeth, to the point where you can't smile, you opt for dental travel. You save a tonne of money but there's no aftercare. There's the trade off. You risk being in the .1% (or less) who need serious aftercare. An alternative would be looking into a company that's prepared to pay for your travel and accommodation expenses of course, if you return to the clinic which first did the treatment.

A pointer, do your diligence if going abroad for treatment, and be certain there is no such thing as a perfect record - there is however quality, compassion from doctors and attention to detail and if you look for good clinics, you will be able to find them.

Mark2spark

Hi, I'm a newbie as you can see.
I'm about to undergo dental work, Budapest is a serious option now, have done about as much research as I can muster, have had a £12k+ 'estimate' from my regular uk dentist which is simply unaffordable. Kreativ and smilesavers are the two on the shortlist, I would invite any comments from recent visitors to either.
I'm posting so that hopefully over the coming months i'll be able to update and not be accused of spamming or advertising.
Can't say I agree with much of what toothsmith says, on the other hand i think redfox's sentiments are a little ott.
I think the bit that done it for me on tooothsmith was about page 8 when he said that going private meant half the amount of customers but increased charges... i'm not sure why going private should equate to higher wages, I thought it was about better quality materials?
Also the initial bit about uk employment laws, uk mortgages, uk this uk that... sort of the same for a uk electrician then toothsmith? Whose final job could kill people? After 5 years at college? With an annual inspection of a sample of his previous years work? Imagine having to re-take your driving test every year. (rolls eyes)
Anyway,
Cheers for now,
Mark

Mark2spark

Actually it was post no. 104
"When going private, you only need about half the patients you need in an NHS practice - as the increased fees mean you can decrease your workload..."

Which is sort of what people are complaining about, ie their dentist charges too much. (without a viable alternative in the uk marketplace)

brook2jack

Speaking personally what it means to me having converted from 100 per cent NHS for 20 years is
1 I now see 20 to 25 people a day as opposed to up to 75 a day

2 I now see people with toothache on the same day as opposed to running a waiting list for toothaches

3 what I provide for patients is decided by them and me not some beaurocrat who knows naff all about dentistry

4 I can afford to use best equipment and materials and laboraotories

5 my and my staffs health are better we are no longer working through lunches, finishing late and are alot less stressed.

I earn a similar amount but see alot less patients so yes obviously they pay more.

Mark2spark

Well, sorry if it sounds cutting brookjack, but it seems that you're saying that if you went one step further and only saw 5 patients a day but increased your charges 5 fold then everyone in your practice and your family would be better off. All exept your patients wallets.

"Which is sort of what people are complaining about, ie their dentist charges too much. (without a viable alternative in the uk marketplace)"

lorrigirl29

hi i really considerd going abroad even got my pas port sorted and got a locall scan and got a copy of it emaild it to people in budapest but after a lot of thought i stayed with a locall dentist about 10miles away from me i had 6 implants in my bottom jaw i had a lot of opointments before the implants were put in and sinse i had them put in i have been down every 2 weeks for checkups i got a infection in one iv been down 3 times in 2 weeks to keep on top of it and had one of the heeling caps changed iam there again in a week to be honest i totally sick ov going down to them 20 mile round trip i dont even introduce my self at reception any more cos iam there that much but i wouldnt change it for the world to have them on the door step if there a problem of any sorts i just phone and they get me in straight away well after i finish work they are very good even when i got implants put in i asked them if i could come after work for them and they agreed i went for them at 5.30pm they stayed back til around 7pm just to do them for me so in a nut shel yes they are dearer but could you imagin just poping to budapest for a infetcion or poping to budapest just to get a bottom denture relined or reshaped or a new one after them gum has heeld a bit all them flights would way out way the cost that i paid here and time off work
i reacon i have saved money by staying in the uk i paid £12 grand for the 6 implants thats with everything inc
seriously think twice about going abroad the time of work the flights the hotel your food all that i think will end up been dearer than staying in the uk
i was only of work 4 days and 2 of them was the weekend they used a new thing called a stent on me no cutting of the gums and no stitches and heeling time almost zero
please do all the adding up and will be better of here good old UK

brook2jack

Mark2spark wrote: »

Well, sorry if it sounds cutting brookjack, but it seems that you're saying that if you went one step further and only saw 5 patients a day but increased your charges 5 fold then everyone in your practice and your family would be better off. All exept your patients wallets.

"Which is sort of what people are complaining about, ie their dentist charges too much. (without a viable alternative in the uk marketplace)"

The other way to look at it is which patient would you rather be ..... One of 75 in a day having to wait weeks for a toothache appointment with no time to get your problems properly sorted, waiting weeks for routine appointments and having someone treat you who is permanently exhausted and stressed.

Or for less than a tenner a month (check ups, hygienist appointments,xrays, toothache appointments etc) be one of 25 patients a day be seen immediately for toothache and have time to discuss your dental health.

Mark2spark

Clearly something in the middle needs to be found brookjack. The items covered by the £10 a month aren't the things that are unaffordable.