Debunking the top 3 dental tourism myths

Dr Mala from the Healthy Smilez Dental Care Centre in India debunks the top three dental tourism myths, so you can enjoy a dental holiday at affordable prices, in your chosen country.

Cosmetic Dentistry treatments have become some of the most sought after dental treatments to improve your smile. Most patients come with a wish list to have a Hollywood smile by either masking the defects of their natural teeth either by porcelain veneers or by correcting their teeth alignment using Invisalign or Clearpath Aligner appliances.

With the increasing popularity of these treatments, we are finding a great increase in Dental Tourism. With the cost of cosmetic dentistry considerably high in the patient’s own country, they are ready to travel great miles for rediscovering their smiles.

Dental tourism has become a hot topic of discussion across many social media channels and with all kinds of stories flying around; it has become difficult to separate facts from myths. All my international patients traveling from US/UK/Canada tell me so many funny stories and share the criticism they faced from friends and family before finally deciding to come for dental treatment. Hence, I am here to set the records straight by debunking the top 3 dental tourism myths:

Myth 1:  With Cheap Prices Come Cheap Quality

Ok, I admit it this is a cheap line to say although I did take inspiration from Uncle Ben of Spiderman’s fame – ‘With Great Powers Come Great Responsibility’. While Uncle Ben is absolutely correct in his own context unfortunately the statement – With Cheap Prices Come Cheap Quality of work is not true at all.  In top Dental Tourism destinations like India, factors like dental equipment, materials and cost of living is quite low and hence, dentists, as myself, are able to provide the SAME QUALITY treatment at much LOWER PRICES.

Myth 2:  Dental Board Abroad is not as advanced as ours

You will be surprised to learn how advanced foreign dental boards are these days. With so many cross-country dental boards’ learnings sessions and programs, dentists across the globe possess the same level of skill set if not better.  Dental Boards across the globe have set certain universal dental standards which every dentist has to adhere to, irrespective of the country they are practicing. Hence, assuring high quality advance treatment across borders.

However, I would still advice to do your own research before finalizing the destination and your dentist. Some of the most popular Dental Tourism Destinations are India, Poland, Mexico and Turkey. Further, you should ask dentists to share their credentials about their practice, accreditations, qualifications their quality certifications, reviews, pre and post work, etc. that will help you further assess the quality of their practice.

Myth 3: Dental Tourism costs the same as my home country if you add up Travel and Accommodation

This can’t be any further from the truth. Cost of Living in many of these popular dental tourism destination is quite low. Hence, the overall treatment cost including travel and accommodation continues to be almost one third of what the treatment would cost in US/UK/Canada. However, do keep a look for cheap airline fares and book your appointments accordingly.

Not to forget the added advantage of visiting a new country and exploring their beauties. Most dental procedures require a few days gap between multiple sittings and hence, you can utilise these free days to EAT, PRAY and LOVE.