Concerns over NHS dentistry provision and the high costs of private care have prompted many UK patients to seek help abroad.
"If you are going for crowns, veneers or implants then you could save thousands of pounds"
Due to the virtual collapse of NHS dentistry (there are reported to be 47,000 people without an NHS dentist) this year has seen a substantial rise in the number of people travelling for dental treatment, although experts differ about the numbers. One website, treatmentabroad.com, claims 22,000 patients went abroad for dental procedures and spent an average of £2,500. But another health tourism info site, RevaHealth.com, puts the figure at 35,000, adding that 60,000 searched online for information on dental tourism last July, up more than 50 per cent on the previous month.
Among the countries benefitting from this boom because of their low-cost, high-quality dental care are Hungary, Poland, Turkey, Croatia, Bulgaria and even Thailand. Savings on some treatments can be as high as 80 per cent, with flights and accommodation on top of that.
"If you need something minor done, the cost of the travel and accommodation is likely to outweigh the savings," says Philip Boyle of RevaHealth. "But if you are going for crowns, veneers or implants then you could save thousands of pounds." The most common dental inquiry the site receives concerns implants, which cost £2,000 on average to have done in Britain but only £800 in Poland.
As is common, UK dental professionals advise against travelling: "So-called 'dental holidays' are presented as a cheap alternative to getting treatment in this country," says Dr Nigel Carter, the chief executive of the British Dental Foundation. "But if things go wrong, then nothing could be further from the truth. We advise people against going abroad for dental work." To put this in context, one million Austrians travel to Hungary for dentistry every year.
In an attempt to meet this objection and deal with one of patients' biggest worries, the agency Big Smile (020-7262-6968) arranges for patients to have an initial consultation at a dental clinic in London's Notting Hill Gate. High-tech X-rays are taken, followed quickly by a video conference with a dental professor at the Macedonian Dental Institute, where the treatment is done. So before you set off, you'll have had two opinions and worked out a treatment plan. What's more, if there are any minor complications when you get back, the London clinic can deal with them. And if a serious problem crops up, all the work is guaranteed and you'll be able to go back to the Institute free of charge.
A female dental tourist lost her front teeth in a riding accident and had various repairs on the NHS, none of which were satisfactory. "I couldn't afford private treatment here but all the overseas ones seemed to involve just setting off without any consultation until you got there and taking your chances. With Big Smile I could sort it all out first and everyone spoke very good English. The results have been fantastic."
Another customer had an even more impressive result: she stayed in the UK. "I felt I needed crowns to straighten some teeth but after I'd been checked out in London, they said I only needed braces which I should get done in England. I think it's great that they decided on what was best for me, not what would make them money."
Macedonia is a relatively new dental destination, much more familiar is Hungary which has been a top destination for UK patients for several years due to the high quality of treatments and low costs. Organisations such as Vital Europe phone in UK 0800 075 4400) has a clinic in Harley Street where the Hungarian who will be doing the work will assess you and take "panaoramic" X-rays before travelling to Budapest.
Richard Petho, the co-owner of the clinic, says he has been swamped with calls from potential patients in the UK. He estimates his four dentists are treating about 200 British patients a month, and he is scathing about the professionalism of his British counterparts. "Here, our dentists are conscientious and hard working. We give attentive treatment. Something your dentists seem to have forgotten about."
One satisfied customer was Myra Lovett, 61, who lives in Benfleet, Essex. Myra opted for Vital Europe because she could meet the dentist in London. "My teeth were in a dreadful state, I needed an enormous amount of work. Now they are fabulous."
Her three trips to the Hungarian capital cost £7,400, including treatment and accommodation. In the UK the work, which included six root-canal treatments, two implants, 24 crowns and 23 bridges would have cost more than £21,000.
Dentistabroad.co.uk is another dental tour operator with a clinic in London where patients can be assessed before travelling for treatment in Budapest. It claims to treat between 80 and 100 patients from Britain and Ireland every month and features over 20 enthusiastic testimonials on its website. They give you a written estimate for treatment and accommodation, and you arrange flights which can be anything between £50 and £150.
Dentaprime phone in the UK: 0800 781 96 37) is a clinic in Bulgaria that doesn't have any links with a London clinic. Arrangements are made directly with the clinic itself, which is on the Black Sea, via an English-speaking counsellor who deals with questions and helps in booking flights. The lead dentist is an implantologist, Regina Schindjalova, who was trained in Russia and is a member of the International Congress or Oral Implantologists.
The clinic guarantees its workmanship for five years. If there are problems they have links with an English-speaking dentist in Amsterdam. Prices can be 50 to70 per cent cheaper than in the UK, while accommodation is equally cheap; hotels are available for £15 a night. As an example, six implants with crowns, plus three all-ceramic dental crowns, plus three ceramic inlays, which would be £14,750 in the UK are £7,100.
"I was extremely anxious about making my decision to go abroad," says Mrs Ann Robe, "but from the moment I first contacted Dentaprime I was treated as an individual. All the staff were excellent and put me at ease straight away. There was no 'hard sell' during the consultation, they listened to what I wanted and made suggestions based on their knowledge and experience. The facilities are exactly as described on the website, with modern equipment and a friendly atmosphere. The emphasis placed on cleanliness and hygiene was first class. I am delighted with the results, very, very happy. My confidence has been boosted and I am no longer ashamed to smile!"
Cost comparisons
There are also huge savings to be made on less expensive procedures. Veneers that cost £500 in the UK are £270 in Hungary, £215 in Poland and £150 in Thailand. Most people opting for treatment abroad combine it with a holiday to help keep down costs.
In Britain, for example, an implant costs about £2,000; root-canal treatment, £450, and a crown, £570. Those same procedures in Hungary are £789, £166 and £198; in Turkey they are £570, £75 and £171.A full set of implants for someone who has lost all their teeth because of gum disease can cost £50,000 in this country. In eastern Europe, the procedure costs an average of £16,000.
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Special Report Publishing report on health tourism, distributed exclusively with the Sunday Telegraph
Publisher: Miles Allen
Editor: Andrew Baker
Design & Production: Benn Withers
Print & Distribution: The Telegraph Group Limited
This report was published in association with Treatment Abroad . Visit online at: www.treatmentabroad.net
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Material contained in this report is for general information only and is not intended to be relied upon by individual readers in making (or refraining from making) any specific medical decision. Appropriate advice should be obtained before making any such decisions. Special Report Publishing does not accept any liability for any injury suffered by a reader
