The Great 'Medical Tourism' Hunt

Tooth_Fairy_4

I can understand people being sceptical about postings from people who have never posted anything and only just registered (like myself). Being honest here I actually work for Dentistry Abroad (soon to be called Dentistry in Budapest). https://www.dentistryabroad.co.uk or info@dentistryabroad.co.uk
We send dental patients to Budapest from the UK.
I am not going to go on about how good it is or how it works, however if anybody would like to talk to a few patients who had been there, done that, I can put you in touch with them so you can ask them yourselves. I hope this sounds fair!

Katalin

Hi,

There is one dentistry that is very fair and I do recommend is from the bottom of my heart. Dentistry Travel in Hungary.
https://www.dentistrytravel.co.uk

Dentistry Travel does consultations and aftercare in London, treatments in Hungary. Prices are very fair compare to others and treatment is proven. Furthermore Dr. Antal Roka is registered with the Association of Dental Implantology in the Uk and the General Dental Council in the Uk - trackable.
There are still good companies that will not take advantage on you.
I had my teeth cleaned and whitened there this weekend.

theredfox_2

Excellent.

I cant tell you how satisfying I find this thread, because it does several things:

1) Exposes the disgusting prices for these services in rip-off UK.
2) Which is especially pertinent with dentistry
3) Suggesting that these practitioners are very greedy: not content with 50, 60, 70 or 80 thousand a year, they want 100, 150 or more and go private.
4) Helps people really, really sick with rip-off UK to stuff it, go elsewhere, support another economy that probably needs it and
5) Enjoy a holiday at the same time.

More, please, on peoples experiences and knowledge - this is just great!

rac_3

I too have just returned from Budapest after having extensive dental treatment.

Before travelling, I carefully researched overseas dentists, and, as you might expect, they work out cheaper, in most cases about a third of the UK price, and that includes travel & hotel.

Price however, is not the only consideration.

One of the reasons I chose the company that I did (http://www.dentistabroad.co.uk/)
was that they have a UK clinic.

This is important as any guarantee you are given for the completed work will often contain a clause that you attend the clinic for a check up at least once a year. This would get expensive if the company you choose do not have premises in the UK. This is also useful if you require any minor follow up work.

I would be happy to provide a more detailed account of my experience if anyone requires it, but, suffice to say, I am perfectly happy with the treatment I received.

rac

Toothsmith

Denzelpuppy wrote: »

It is time these Licensed Bandits posing as Dentists in the UK woke up and smelt the roses and realised they soon wont have a industry, if they dont stop ripping people off 3K in budapest compared to £14K in the UK do the sums it's a no brainer!!!!!

Uk dentists work in UK properties and employ UK staff under UK employment law. We live in the UK pay UK mortgages.

We pay UK prices for equipment and materials and maintain the UK properties using UK builders and services. We have UK regulations to comply to including Waste disposal regulations, minimum wage, health and safety, cross infection control, registration of all dental staff, training to appropriate standards for all staff.

We generally use UK based dental labs for denture, crown and bridgework (Although some trying to remain in the NHS are now sending their labwork overseas for cheaper prices), who employ their technicians under UK employment law, and have to conform to all the UK regulations that govern them.

As you can see from all the different companies that have been linked to here - dental tourism is big business.

That's because it's making somebody an awful lot of money. All the cheap apartments and chauffer driven rides to and from the clinic are paid for by the patient.

The dentists in the eastern european countries are earning a very good living in their own country - but who is looking after their own people?

All the polish dentists who came to this country to fill the gaps in the British NHS did so because their country alledgedly has a 'surplus'. Poland does not have a surplus of dentists - it just deosn't employ all the ones who they qualify. They have a VERY limited state service, so the local population is suffering just the same shortages as this country.

Health tourism is not a win-win situation.

There will be a price to pay somewhere along the line by somebody.

billlew

I've had dentist work done in Goa which saved me thousands of pounds. I had 9 extractions, 2 palettes done for just over £200. This was in December 2005 (all I wanted for Xmas was my 2 front teeth). I had my remaining teeth cleaned and a filling done the following Dec price 500 rupees, just over £6.
I had a crack in my upper palette in March of this year which was replaced free of charge.
So from someone who had a fear of dentists, I can't recommend the dentist I saw highly enough. I had emails on a regular basis afterwards and now I wouldn't dream of not popping in to see him on my 2 annual visits to Goa (what a place to recuperate).
His website is https://www.mydentistgoa.com

Denzelpuppy

Toothsmith wrote: »

Uk dentists work in UK properties and employ UK staff under UK employment law. We live in the UK pay UK mortgages.

We pay UK prices for equipment and materials and maintain the UK properties using UK builders and services. We have UK regulations to comply to including Waste disposal regulations, minimum wage, health and safety, cross infection control, registration of all dental staff, training to appropriate standards for all staff.

We generally use UK based dental labs for denture, crown and bridgework (Although some trying to remain in the NHS are now sending their labwork overseas for cheaper prices), who employ their technicians under UK employment law, and have to conform to all the UK regulations that govern them.

Ahh its always some onelses fault,the dentists blame the goverment because they didn't like the contracts they had to sign ie we cant survive on 60/80/90 k per year, we have to pay for this we have to pay for that, the whole point of threads like these is that it shows how far we are being ripped off, the whole thing is a vicious circle, and the circle must be broken if we as a nation are to survive, Uk dentists might have to pay higher prices for their properties, but they dont have to buy they can always rent, as do most people companies in europe we are obssessed with owning our own properties, the Eastern European companies still have to buy the same equipment in fact it's usually better. So I still stick to my original statement UK dentists are Licenced Bandits and are ripping us OFF!!!!!!!

theredfox_2

Toothsmith wrote: »

Uk dentists work in UK properties and employ UK staff under UK employment law. We live in the UK pay UK mortgages.....

That's because it's making somebody an awful lot of money....

Health tourism is not a win-win situation.....

There will be a price to pay somewhere along the line by somebody.

1) Paying UK mortages etc....so do we all. But somehow, I doubt if YOU struggle with this toothsmith. You make it sound like you're the victim. You're not - you're one of the reasons why people call this country Rip Off UK.

2) Yes, YOU - dentists - are making an awful lot of money. What do you make, toothsmith? 60, 70, 80 thousand a year before perks?

3) No, health tourism is not win-win, its win-lose: we win, you lose.

4) Yes there will be a price to pay - as more people go abroad you might have to stop charging so much, and won't be able to afford your holiday villa in Tuscany. How sad.....not.

I know what dentistry is like - I used to have a dentist friend. He used to strut around like a middle class version of Del Boy, concerned with one thing and one thing only: £££. In fact he went to the US, because over there it's more like $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

tipsychick

There was an interesting account of cosmetic dentistry in Hungary in The Sunday Times last weekend.

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/destinations/europe/article1839806.ece

I understand what you're saying Toothsmith and I'd much prefer to get it done in the UK where I know the system but it's just prohibitively expensive.

theredfox_2

From a Hungary dentist quoted in the Times:

"According to Dr Endre Lantos, of the Vital Centre dental surgery, “The English have no idea of the true cost of dentistry. Here, I can fit an implant for £400 and make £100 profit. In London, they’ll charge £1,800 for the same treatment. Same materials, same techniques, same expertise. No wonder your dentists drive sports cars”."

Sports cars? Yes, thats exactly true for the dentist I knew. Big, red, and show-off. Although I suspect Mercedes cruisers are just as popular as speedy Ferraris.