The Great 'Medical Tourism' Hunt

PayDay

David_Mee wrote: »

Sure its easy to pick on the gross figures earned by dentists and scream and shout but this just shows complete ignorance of FACTS. You have failed to knock off expenses as Toothsmith pointed out ages ago - staff need paying, bills need paying, suppliers need paying etc etc You have also failed to look at other equivalent professions - how much do lawyers get paid?? Why no thread suggesting you go to Hungary for legal aid?? How much to GP's get paid??

If you go into your own private business then you should be allowing for the fact that that it is a global market, in your business plan. Why are you dentists asking the British people to stay loyal to you? You aren't being loyal to us with the prices you charge.

Denzelpuppy

David_Mee wrote: »

If this were true then dentists would be out of business - they aren't - so it can't be true!

How did their mouth get into the state its in? By Magic??

Nope they got in that state because of the phobia that people have over dentists and their practices, which in all fairness is not the Dentists fault 100% but due mainly to the fact of the slowness in technology terms that dentistry has progressed over the decades, and is now only really progressing, with modern anesthetics like TIVA and the use of Laser Drills which if British dentists want to hold onto their patients need to invest in. This of course costs money but instead of trying to recoup their investment in double quick time and charging extortionate fees for using new technology they should eek it out over a longer period. IE you reap what you sow

aurora_borealis_2

Is there any chance of a walk-in whitening appointment in Budapest?

Also, prescription sunglasses - might they be cheaper there?

Denzelpuppy

aurora_borealis wrote: »

Is there any chance of a walk-in whitening appointment in Budapest?

Also, prescription sunglasses - might they be cheaper there?

I would say yes I did notice up the same street as the apartment i was staying in that there were 2 24hr dental centres that did everything from implants, to emergency work to cosmetic dentistry

TurnaroundSue

I have read this thread with great interest, but I am still confused by how to pick out a good dentist in the UK? Ok Toothsmith has advised on his other threads to go and get a feel for the dentist/speak to them etc, but I don't know how this would help me. Just by going into a dentist's practice would not help me to make a decision on whether they are good or not and when I have phoned up a couple of local dentists to ask to speak to the dentist, I have been told that I need to register and make an appointment for this to be able to happen. What do I say then, no sorry, not really sure you are good enough and try somewhere else?

I went to a UK dentist some 6 years ago, after my own NHS dentist would not do white fillings. I was niave and did not realise some of the questions I should have asked. The dentist spent very little time with me in ensuring I was doing the right thing, letting me know the full term prospects (sorry, I am talking about veneers now) and has never really spent any time since. I am now in the situation of have a broken crown, 2 veneers which have come off (the same dentist then telling me they cannot be replaced as you don't get the same bond) so will now have to be replaced with crowns, and cannot now afford the extortionate prices since dentisry prices have gone through the roof!!! Having veneers is one of my life's biggest regrets.

So now I am in a position where it doesn't really matter what nationality my dentist is or what country I have it done in, as the result will still be the same - I need to research wherever I go, but the difference being to find out about dentists abroad there is alot more information available on the internet then there is for, say, the dental practice along the road - so I feel that my choice will be better informed before I go abroad as the information provided is more detailed. There aren't any prices etc on local dentists on their websites (if they have one!!) to even compare!!!

I do also agree that even though I know nothing about the politics in this country of dentistry, I do feel that as a member of the public that the cost is more important to the dentist than any advice, help, education they give. I also work very hard for my money, but do not earn even a tenth of a dentist - is that far??? I have never seen a poor dentist, even before all the rot the government has done - all my dentists have been rich!!

brigittejohn

From my experience, most places must be better than the UK, not just the places named on this forum!

I have lived in the UK for 27 years and practically all my medical experiences including dental here have been a disaster of low quality or high prices, and usually both.

When I arrived I already had a white filling and my UK dentist did not even know such a thing existed!

I now go to Brazil for treatment, as my husband is Brazilian: clean, modern, polite, and knowledgeable.

I have a friend who has major problems after a failed hysterectomy: she got more and better help in Tanzania!

Shame on the UK!
When are people going to complain effectively and get this sorted? We are worse off here than in many developing countries! It is shocking!

Toothsmith

TurnaroundSue wrote: »

I have read this thread with great interest, but I am still confused by how to pick out a good dentist in the UK? Ok Toothsmith has advised on his other threads to go and get a feel for the dentist/speak to them etc, but I don't know how this would help me. Just by going into a dentist's practice would not help me to make a decision on whether they are good or not and when I have phoned up a couple of local dentists to ask to speak to the dentist, I have been told that I need to register and make an appointment for this to be able to happen. What do I say then, no sorry, not really sure you are good enough and try somewhere else?
....................

Going and visiting the practice really does make a difference.

Asking to speak to the dentist on the phone isn't the same.

If I'm up to my elbows in a decayed tooth, there's no way I can come to the phone! Even if I was having a coffee, and someone comes on the phone wanting to talk to me I wouldn't do it - you never know what sort of nutter it is!! It's far to easy to get embroiled in some spiralling conversation about how dentists are conspiring to poison the world with Mercury!

And what can I really tell anybody on the phone anyway?

By coming into a practice - just on the pretext of picking up a practice leaflet, or wanting some information on opening hours, you will see how friendly the staff are. You will see how crowded the waiting room looks (You don't want a waiting room crammed full of tutting people tapping their feet and looking at their watches!)

Also, again speaking personally, if someone comes in and is asking questions, and I can see they only have one head, and are of this planet, I'm much more likely to pop out of my hidey hole - sorry surgery - and have a chat.

All a nice website proves is that they've hired a good web designer. That doesn't tell you if they're a good dentist or not either.

The problem with dentistry is that you can only really tell if you have a good one or not 10+ years after having any treatment! Has it lasted, does it still look good, and is there enough tooth left to do something else with when the previous treatment comes to the end of it's life?

There are many good dentists out there. Often, they don't need to advertise via flashy websites, as they are busy enough with patients referred to them from other patients.

Personal recommendations from people you know and 'gut feeling' from visiting the practice really are the best way to find someone - But essentially you're right. You can never 'KNOW' that you have a good dentist before you get anything done. And you often don't know that you've HAD a good or bad dentist until several years AFTER.

Oh - and the bit about the veneers is not really true either. If you have to stick back a veneers, it's never quite as good as when it was initially stuck on, but a new one should stick just as well as anything. The problem is that in replacing it, you will have a little more of your tooth shaved away again, and there's only so many times you can get away with that.

theredfox_2

brigittejohn wrote: »

I now go to Brazil for treatment, as my husband is Brazilian: clean, modern, polite, and knowledgeable.

Can you say WHERE?!
Interesting as this thread is, it's real value will lie in sharing some information.
Theres a few other posts here also, saying XYZ is just great, but don't say WHERE in XYZ!

Not so much education, education, education, as information, information, information....that's what we need. That's what allows us to benefit from dental holidays.

Just a quick web link - then we can go see, check out prices, e mail, and make plans.

"This thread has been viewed 3579 times. "
- so it could be a great resource, IF we can get some more information.

TurnaroundSue

Toothsmith wrote: »

Personal recommendations from people you know and 'gut feeling' from visiting the practice really are the best way to find someone - But essentially you're right. You can never 'KNOW' that you have a good dentist before you get anything done. And you often don't know that you've HAD a good or bad dentist until several years AFTER.

Unfortunately the dentist who did my veneers came as a personal recommendation by someone who hadn't actually had any work done by him, but she was a dental nurse and so therefore could recommend him that way. It goes to show that not always a personal recommendation is the right way either - he is the dentist that said about the veneers, so really do not have any faith in him whatsover. I now feel that my only option is more by research, information and 'gut' feeling and therefore like I said before I would rather go abroad and get the work done at a more reasonable cost than picking a dentist in the uk, where whom I have very little faith in - thanks for the info Toothsmith, but hopefully you can see where I am coming from?

Denzelpuppy

Toothsmith wrote: »

There are many good dentists out there. Often, they don't need to advertise via flashy websites, as they are busy enough with patients referred to them from other patients.

Or they are so busy, because most have gone to private treatment, to make more money, than on the NHS system, so the few NHS dentists there are are over subscribed