DENTAPRIME Dental Clinic

Advert:

Patients tell about their dental holidays at the DENTAPRIME dental clinic in Bulgaria:

Visit The DENTAPRIME dental clinic and save up to 60% for dental treatment.

Dental tourism in Europe

Tooth replacement is expensive.  Dental implants, crowns and bridges can easily cost thousands of Euros.

Many patients wonder if it really needs to be that expensive. Of course, they do not want to turn in quality for savings. Nowadays, many dental clinics are specialised in dental treatment for foreigners. In general, these clinics are very professional. They have recognized the potential of dental tourism and by offering a good service and excellent technical standards, they want to commit themselves to foreign patients.

Beware of the black sheep, though! Some clinics, that are not yet equipped to Western European technical standards, try to make profit from the new dental holidays ’boom’. Patients who think about treatment abroad should consider the following. What kind of impression do you get from the clinic’s internet site? Does it offer serious information or just sales talk? Did someone call you before departure to inform you personally? What are the options for after care in case of complications?

With this internet site, we would like to offer a guideline to find the right clinic and to inform you about the advantages and risks of dental holidays.

Consumer sites advise: Make thorough enquiries – save money

Low wages and less expensive labour costs enable up to 70 per cent savings on tooth replacement, in the first place in Eastern European countries. But what about quality? Do patients take a higher risk? Consumer sites put your mind at ease: treatment in an Eastern European country meets the same standards as in your home country. On the condition, of course, that you carefully search for a good doctor. Above all, it is recommended to look for practices that work together with partners in your home country. If after care is required, this cooperation will help you to avoid an extra trip abroad.

The quality depends on the doctor – also in your home country
The European Consumers Centre confirms: „ Education, quality of work and dental treatment abroad are not always worse than in your home country. “ This statement may sound preserved, but this is due to the fact that three mystery guests were sent out to thirty dental practices abroad for an advice on their dental treatment. It showed that –in all countries- the offers considerably fluctuated in price and quality. The decisive factor was not the country, but the treating doctor.

The guarantee obligation is well-regulated within the European Union
So a careful choice of the dentist is essential for a successful treatment. The European Consumers Centre recommends to visit the dental practice’s homepage. Usually, this will give you a good impression of the technical status and the treatments that are offered. These are by far not the same. Within the European Union, however, the guarantee obligation for materials like crowns and bridges is integratively regulated: you can complain within two years. Many times, however, after care is required. The European Consumers Centre comments:  „A local dentist is obliged to repair tooth replacement for two years without costs. In case of treatment abroad, one should agree upon the same right for guarantee.“

Dental holidays then and now

The prejudices list for dental holidays is long: shabby clinics, unfriendly and badly educated doctors and assistants, whose bad English cause communication problems with their patients. In fact, especially in border regions, profitability sometimes is the main goal of a clinic. Here is where dental crowns of the assembly line are offered.

The quality differences are huge. However, if you search for a clinic and for good information, nothing will be in the way of great dental holidays with a successful and much less expensive treatment.

In the UK and Ireland, dental tourism has also become very popular. Ever since the opening in the Summer of 2006, many patients visited the Dentaprime dental clinic near the Bulgarian Golden Sands. In the West-Hungarian city of Soprons, with a population of only 60.000, more than 300 dentists hold practice.

What foreign contractors should offer

In principle, foreign dental clinics offer the same methods as your local clinics. For a filling, periodontal treatment or cleaning, however, it will be hardly worthwhile to go on a foreign trip. At the most, you can combine this with an already arranged holiday in that particular area. However, it will be worthwhile if you travel for dental implants, all sorts of tooth replacements and aesthetic corrections and rebuilding. This includes complicated jaw reconstructions and ceramic inlays, veneers and crowns.

A crown is a protective shell for a damaged tooth, which is cemented on the tooth stump. A bridge is a fixed tooth replacement, used to close a gap that is caused by a missing tooth. Inlays and onlays are made of gold or ceramic. These are inserted fillings that are used to fill larger gaps. A dental implant is an artificial root, which supports the tooth replacement, e.g. crowns, bridges or (partial) prostheses.

Cosmetic corrections include veneers (loved by Hollywood stars.) Veneers are wafer thin ceramic shells that are fixed to the teeth. The hydrogen peroxides in bleaching (also called teeth whitening) make stains -caused by smoking, tea and coffee- disappear and colour your teeth brilliantly white.  Just like a city tour, all these treatments can be integrated in a dental holiday programme. However, be sure to set an appointment with the dentist prior to leaving home.

Even dental phobic people are very well cared for in the foreign clinics. The clinics offer sedation, hypnosis or the so-called twilight sleep. Hence, treatment time flies. The holiday feeling certainly helps to relax.

Additional costs – take care when comparing prices

A ceramic crown for as little as 200 Euros… A housewife from Perth surfed the Internet and her catch was several different pricing examples from Scottish, Hungarian, Polish and Bulgarian dentists. The Hungarians were the least expensive with only 200 Euros per crown. She asked us if this was a reliable offer.

Our advice:  „Please ask if the price is all-inclusive, e.g. x-rays and aenesthetics.”

Does the offer for tooth replacement really include a full ceramic crown or is it made of metal-ceramic? This is a very important question. A metal-ceramic crown only has a ceramic facing. The core, however, is made of metal alloy.  A full ceramic crown has been completely milled from a ceramic block. It is free of metal and therefore free of allergies triggering substances. Full ceramic crowns also are more aesthetic. It allows the light to shine slightly through, – just like a natural tooth. The Scottish housewife wanted treatment for her front teeth. Hence, this aspect is very important.

The material and the included treatments must arise from the offer. It should be perfectly clear what patients get for their money. More and more, offers almost can be characterized as baits. People should be skeptic, when a full ceramic crown only costs 200 Euros. The bottom line is that you always will pay more.  A good price for a full ceramic crown, including examination, diagnosis, anaesthesia and x-ray, is 400 Euros. On the average, compared to treatment in the home country, a patient will save 50%,

How much can you save with dental treatment abroad?

In most foreign dental clinics, treatment will be 40-60 per cent less expensive than in your home country. This is due to the considerably lower wages, rents and labour costs on site. In principle, education, quality of labour and dental treatment is equal to the standards in your home country, though. You should always be careful and choose for a suitable and professional clinic.

A cost estimate in your home country: six dental implants, three full-ceramic crowns and three ceramic inlays for approximately 14.750 Euros. In Bulgaria, the same treatment –including flight and accommodation- will cost about 8.800 Euros. In Spain, due to the higher travel costs, you would pay about 1.000 Euros more.

Another example : 13 bad looking front teeth need to be replaced. Old fillings, inlays and crowns must be replaced by new ones. In your home country, this would cost about
17.400 Euros. In Bulgaria, the total would be about 6.300 Euros.

Which risks do you take with dental treatment abroad?

If treated in one of the professional clinics (see checklist), the risks are the same as in your own country. Within the member states of the European Union, dentists must repair without costs for two years. This, however, only applies to labour. Hence, in case of a complaint or applicable guarantee, the patient should directly contact the dentist abroad.  If applicable, you have to reckon with additional travel costs.

If you are treated abroad and after some time a local dentist finds a failure, he will charge you and you will have to pay yourself. Many foreign dental clinics, however, have recognized this problem and partnered up with local dentists. For after care, you can then find a dentist in your own country, which will send his invoice to the foreign partner. Some clinics offer patients a choice: people can follow further treatment abroad or in their own country. When looking for such a clinic, you should always ask for such guaranteeing.

If you want to play it safe, ask a local dentist to make a personal dental treatment plan and compare this with the offer from abroad. In all cases, one should only choose for customary in the trade dental implants. Brand, material and measures must be mentioned in a so-called implant passport.

Checklist for a good dental clinic abroad:

1. What kind of impression do you get from the clinic’s Internet site? Is the information extensive or do they only promote their low prices?

2. Do you receive sufficient information on the technical equipment and is this up to date?

3. Do the employees schedule enough time for the first phone call to inform themselves sufficiently about your dental and medical history?

4. Do the doctors at the clinic speak English? If not, will there at least be someone to translate?
If treated, you should always avoid communication problems.

5. Are the dental implants customary in the trade and will a dentist in your home country be able to perform after care, if required?

6. What are the conditions for guarantee on the material?

7. Does the clinic cooperate with dentists in your own country, in case after care is required?

8. In the clinic, the doctor should schedule enough time to examine you thoroughly and discuss the results with you. He/she should give you several options and should not try to talk you into a very complicated treatment.

9. During the treatment, the doctor works with a magnifier and a microscope and he/she uses minimally invasive methods.

10. If the employee of a clinic responds in an impatient or avoiding way, you should choose a different doctor.

Let’s grill the clinics…

High-tech, international expertise, massive scientific location advantages: in general, foreign dental clinics are better than their reputation. If you compare prices and treatments in an impartial way, you can save a lot of money, without passing on a top treatment.

The tools for such an impartial comparison are below, clearly summarised in four points.

1. Trust at first sight? The clinic’s internet site.
OK, if there are clear links to further information on the technical equipment, treatment options, (free) services, personal advice and concrete, comparable pricing examples.

Bad, if the home page does not look inviting and professional.

Take care, if only low prices are advertised. (Think of a supermarket flyer.)

2. Technical equipment & staff: facts, facts, facts …
OK, if the clinic verifiably works with the most modern dental technical equipment.

Verifiable is: Clear mentioning of equipment and the names of their manufacturers.
Indications for an outstanding technical equipment are 3-dimensional volume tomography (for an optimal diagnosis and treatment planning), intra-oral cameras, multimedia treatment places (the patient can follow information about the treatment and read the given advice on a monitor), and especially the in-home dental lab.
It should be crystal clear which brands and materials are used for tooth replacements. (Who is the manufacturer of the implants – are there alternatives? Is zirconia being offered?)

Take care, if the clinic does not want to inform you about the year of (re)build.
The best staff will fail to give their best performance if the communication with the patients is tiring. Hence, the clinic’s staff on location should speak English.

Did they inform you about the qualifications of staff and doctors?
3. Is good treatment guaranteed? Guarantee and after care in your home country

OK, if the EU-regulation of a 2-years guarantee on tooth replacement is explicitly mentioned.

4. Now we get personal: is your contact at the clinic sufficiently skilled?

You have decided to ask for a personal offer, but would like to ask some concrete questions first.
Do you receive a swift and clear response to your enquiry?

Are there any remarkable mistakes in spelling or grammar in the correspondence or in the brochures?

Do you talk to personal, dental competent conversation partners or with call centre employees, who repeat, ask for patience and then forward the call to a ‘competent colleague’?

Do you receive an avoiding answer to concrete questions?

Are your wishes taken seriously or do they try to sell you expensive treatments?

Is your contact able to answer questions about travel planning?