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The rise of dental tourism
LAST year 45,000 people from the UK travelled overseas for dental treatment.
In 2006, that figure was 30,000, demonstrating the massive increase in popularity of so-called dental tourism.
It's easy to see why. A few years ago, shortages of NHS dentists led to huge queues building up outside surgeries which were taking on new patients.
That is now a thing of the past, but since the introduction of new dental contracts many more dentists have chosen to go private.
A survey of people in Leeds last year revealed residents travelling as far as County Durham or Nottingham for dental treatment.
For patients who are with a private dentist, that usually means an increase in cost – something which could be bearable for a six-monthly check-up or straightforward filling.
But when someone needs complex dental treatment, the costs can really stack up – sometimes into the tens of thousands.
Many people simply can't afford to pay and so may live with pain and discomfort.
Or NHS patients may find that the treatment they want – such as dental implants – is not available to them on the NHS so they must pay the full cost themselves.
That's why more and more people are looking abroad to have dental work done. Last year's survey also revealed people in Leeds had travelled to Poland for treatment on their teeth.
And medical tourism search engine RevaHealth.com showed the city was in the top five in the UK for people enquiring about foreign dental treatment.
Each month, an average of 150 people from the Leeds area log on to the site to find out more about travelling abroad for dental work, with Hungary the most popular destination.
The majority of those, 79 per cent, are interested in having dental implants.
It seems this treatment is one of the most popular. This relatively new procedure involves implanting a metal rod into the jawbone on which to fix a false tooth.
Having implants is a long procedure with the implants usually put in six to nine months before teeth can be fixed to them.
They're also costly, as Doug Wynter, from Temple Newsam, Leeds, found out.
After suffering problems with his teeth for many years, Mr Wynter eventually turned to the internet for help.
"I was told that eventually I would lose all my teeth because of gum disease," he said.
"I did lose a few and had to have a plate, then I went on the internet, looked around and thought about implants. I was trawling through and the prices for treatment here were out of the question."
Mr Wynter, a carpet salesman, said he found basic prices of around 3,000 per implant in the UK – he needed six.
Instead he discovered Vital Europe, a dental clinic based in Hungary but which also has a surgery in London. He decided to have his treatment with them and expects to pay a total of about 11,000, compared to the 30,000 it would have cost in this country.
The 54-year-old, who is married to Trisha, found the idea of being able to visit a London office appealing and went there for an x-ray and to obtain a quote.
"I spoke to my own dental practice before I went and took the estimate, but they said they could not do it for the price I was quoted," he said.
Mr Wynter also told his UK dentist of his intention to go abroad and will still attend there too.
Last month he travelled to Budapest for two nights for the start of treatment.The firm arranged for couple to stay in an apartment, be picked up at the airport and then later taken to the clinic for treatment.
His next visits will be in August, initially for one night and then a two-week stay.
Though he hasn't finished his treatment yet, Doug is happy so far.
Savings
"It's very well-organised. Whatever they said they would do, they have done. I was very well looked after and the clinic was clean," he said.
"I couldn't have afforded to get the treatment over here. To get it done here was out of the question."
Vital Europe says it currently treats more than 200 Brits a month at its Budapest clinic.
Managing partner Thomas Antalffy said: “They’re choosing to travel to countries such as Hungary primarily for the cost savings, which can be considerable.
"There’s a huge demand, these days, for cosmetic treatment which isn’t available through the NHS and can be extremely expensive if done privately in the UK."
He said that the London clinic will provide aftercare too and added that all their dentists were registered with the Hungarian Chamber of Dentists and went through a rigorous vetting process.
Aftercare and dentists' qualifications are some of the other issues to think about when looking into dental treatment abroad.
Dental bodies have warned patients to do their research carefully and consider how any problems following the treatment would be resolved.
Oral health charity the British Dental Health Foundation has even warned patients against it.
Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the Foundation, said: "It is a big concern that UK patients are so willing to travel abroad for dental treatment without being fully aware of the risks.
"Not all dentists are as highly trained as those in the UK, where extensive training and strict examinations are undertaken to ensure they meet the high standards required and this also applies to foreign dentists practicing in the UK.
"So called 'dental holidays' are presented as a cheap and hassle-free alternative to getting treatment in this country but we know from calls to our dental helpline that if things do go wrong then they are anything but as patients can be left facing all sorts of questions.
"After all, if there are complications it is not just your wallet that will be affected."
He said anyone considering going abroad for dental treatment should – like Mr Wynter – get advice from their own dentist first.
And the British Dental Association also urged caution.
A spokesperson said: "Anyone thinking about having dental treatment overseas must make sure that they are aware of the potential risks and the hidden costs.
"Difficulties may arise if there are problems with the treatment when the patient returns home, especially if there are insufficient records of the treatment carried out.”katie.baldwin@ypn.co.uk
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Friday 25 May 2012
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