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Dental Tourism
Over the years I have heard a story or two about American's flying overseas to get special
(cheaper) medical and dental attention, but it seems to be a bigger trend
than I initially heard. USA Today has
a story on Nancy Carothers and her toothy dental experience in Mosonmagyarovar, Hungary. (Pronounced
moshon-mag-yah-RO-var, the city name itself is a mouthful.) Nancy decided to head to Hungary to get the eight crown
dental work after consulting a travel agency, who had been specializing in dental tourism since 2001. Though her trip
expenses totaled somewhere around $4,300, the dental work only cost her $2,900 while the rest was sightseeing, airfare,
and accommodation. Had she had the work done in the U.S. with her insurance plan her expenses may
have totaled $11,150. Seems a little hard to believe, but at the same time this is America. If people can
make a small fortune off of your mouth then they will.
For the many Americans without insurance, traveling abroad may be the best way to go to seek medical/dental attention. I'd do it in a heartbeat if I had anything in need of some fixin' and the money to spare right at the moment, because in the long run you save a lot more. Oh, and you also get to see some pretty cool places in the process. Those who are weary about having services performed in foreign lands should check out the many links provided in USA Today article, by clicking here.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Willy Dec 18th 2005 5:37PM
South Africa is a popular destination for plastic surgery and safaris. Evidently, people tell their co-workers they're heading for a safari and then get their boobs done during the vacation. While recuperating, they head to the game parks. Upon their return, they've got plenty of photos-as-alibi.
I had surgery in Pretoria, SA in 2001, and I think the quality of medical service there was AT LEAST as good as anywhere in the western world. I didn't get my boobs done, however.
Dr Sandeep Dec 18th 2005 5:37PM
Great News for AUSTRALIAN PATIENTS for DENTAL IMPLANTS :
On 25th July 2005, at our Gurgaon Centre [NCR New Delhi], we performed surgery on a patient, Jeff Henkins, who is from Sydney, Australia. We placed 3 Dental Implants [Maxillary] in a go.
He arrived Gurgaon on 22nd July from Singapore Airlines. We provided the Airport Transfer & he is staying in a Guest House nearby our Surgery which is costing him only 1500 Indian Rupees only along with complimentry Breakfast.
On 23rd he got his Initial Consultation & three Cosmetic Fillings done. Next day he got his crown preperation done & then he explored New Delhi.
On 25th we performed the Implant Surgery & adviced him to take rest for two days.
Today most probably he left for Agra to visit The Great Taj Mahal, one of the great wonders of World.
He'll be going back to Australia on 4th of August, 2005. He'll be coming back to India at our Gurgaon Centre, after 3-4 months for his Second Phase of Treatment.
Next visit he'll be coming along with his wife.
Great going Dental Tourism !!!
Best Wishes & Warm Regards.
Dr Sandeep Singh
Mail us at : drsandeep@sahajdental.com /drsandeep13@hotmail.com
Visit us at :
www.sahajdental.com / www.dentotourism.net
Dr Sandeep Dec 18th 2005 5:37PM
Welcome to the World of Sahaj Dental Clinic : A Complete Dental Care : Offering a great opportunity to experience Mystic India with World Class Dental Treatment. Where you Save & Enjoy, both.
Dental Tourism is a budding concept for a planned vacation along with total Dental solution and care. Health problems and treatment are very costly in most of the European and American countries compared to this part of the world. We provide excellent package to meet your treatment expenditure and at the same time guide you to spend the vacation. You can enjoy your holidays and receive services related to Dentistry such as Dental Implants at a very affordable price.
A dentist can charge $300 to $400 for a Dental Filling in USA & Europe. It costs only $20 to $40 in India. A Root Canal is $3,000 in the West but only $100 to $200 in India. Dentures can cost $1000 overseas but only $200 in India.
Dentistry is a growing industry with 13,000 practicing dentists in the US. However, at the same time it is not affordable by average citizens due to the expensive Dental Care Services. Dental treatment is generally not reimbursed by the National Health Schemes of some countries and is too expensive.
The difference in charge of a Dentist from US to India is worth a thought. That is why India has recently become a major tourist hub of Dental Care Solutions. You can have your tooth fixed and make your holidays memorable at the same time or simply, enjoy the different hues of Mystic India and get the Dental treatment done without getting a hole in your pocket.
"Buying Expensive things make you feel bad once only, but the bitterness of poor quality lingers long, even after the sweetness of low cost is forgotten" - Dr. William Dickerson
In spite of low cost, you are still getting Quality Treatment in India primarily due to low labor cost as compared to any other region in world viz. Middle East, Western European Countries & United States of America.
Probably for this reason, it is possible to receive high quality Dental Treatment at Sahaj Dental Clinic, Allahabad & Gurgaon, India, up to 75% less than what you would pay at home for the same.
At Sahaj Dental Clinic, "Quality is First & Foremost". That is why, in spite of being so cost-effective, we strictly adhere to the Quality Control of our Equipments & Facilities, Materials, Procedures practiced in Dentistry & the Professional competency of our Dentists & Lab Technicians.
Because, savings are only meaningful if the patient receives Quality Treatment, equal to or better than that available in their home country.
Courtesy : Dr Sandeep Singh
Visit us at : http://www.sahajdental.com / http://www.dentotourism.net
Dr Sandeep Dec 18th 2005 5:37PM
Please, visit our website : http://www.sahajdental.com
Ours is the most Cost-effective destination for Dental Implants with World Class Dental Care at both the Centers.
Recently we placed 3 implants in our patient from Ireland at our Allahabad Centre. Along with Dental Treatment she enjoyed the stay at Varanasi a lot.
Shez planning to return for second phase of her treatment after 4-5 months along with her boyfriend.
It was really cost-effective for her as she was supposed to pay 5000 Euros for One Single Implant in her own country & here at Sahaj Dental Clinic, she paid only US$ 3150 for all three Implants & related complete treatment procedure.
Another patient we got from Australia , on 22nd July'2005. He also got 3 Implants fixed in his Upper jaw with Direct Sinus Lift. He came to our Gurgaon Centre & had a memorable visit to Great "Taj Mahal" at Agra.
Right now I'm workin on one of my patient from London,U.K.
Mr. Hood is going to get 6 unit Full Ceramic Bridge for upper ant. teeth.
That's a whole lot of saving along with great vacation.
Dr Sandeep Dec 18th 2005 5:37PM
Hi !!!
These days I'm workin on one of my patient from London,U.K.
Mr. Hood is going to get 6 unit Full Ceramic Bridge for upper ant. teeth.
Dr Sandeep Singh
Mail us at : drsandeep@sahajdental.com /drsandeep13@hotmail.com
Visit us at :
www.sahajdental.com / www.dentotourism.net
Dr. Ambert Dec 18th 2005 5:37PM
Go Goa : Suntans and bright smiles included by Reuven Proenca, Gomantak Times 27th July 2005 Goa India
Goa with it combination of super specialty hospitals and luxurious hotels, has been touted as an ideal medical tourism destination where ailing foreigners can combine a relaxing holiday with cheap but effective medical treatment.
But the state is seeing a new trend: hitching onto the medico-leisure bandwagon are dentists who are offering their services at a fraction of the price their foreign clients would expect to pay at home.
Dr. Ambert Pimenta, for example catches the attention of prospective clients with a simple promise: get your dental treatment in Goa and holiday for free. His website (http://www.goadentist.com) says, "Yes as I promised, here is how you can make your holiday to Goa absolutely FREE ! Consider how much you pay in Europe or America ...are the long lines and frustrating long waits at an NHS dentist wearing you down ? Compare our pricing with that of any NHS service or private practice for that matter, we will leave the competition behind.
The subsequent arithmetic proves his point : the average cost of an all inclusive package holiday being approximately 600 per person. While a dentist in the UK would charge 900 for tooth whitening, three crowns and a bridge Dr. Pimenta, on the other hand does the same job for just 240 (approximately Rs 20,000), which he says amounts to a saving of 660, hence the free holiday. The website also carries details of various dental treatments and a comparison of costs.
While dentists practicing in and around the tourist belts have been treating foreign patients for years now, increasing numbers -like Dr. Pimenta, Dr. Anand Colaco and Dr. Hubert Gomes, to name a few are focusing their sights on the potentially lucrative foreign market. " Last year we had a lot of British patients ," Dr. Pimenta, who has clinics in Margao and Calangute, told Gomantak Times. " Goa is already been marketed as a tourist destination so we are just adding value to the brand by offering them our services"
He says that he first latched onto the idea of catering to tourists when a foreign patient told him how difficult it was to get treated by Britain's National Health Service (NHS).
" He told me he had to sleep on the streets for hours to be among the first to get an appointment. Even then it would take at least six months to get to the dentists chair. What we do here is to offer them a holiday coupled with dental treatment and they get treated like royalty for a fraction of the price they would have to pay back home." Dr. Pimenta explained. He adds that he gets between 300 to 400 patients per season, most of them through word of mouth.
Dentists say the most frequently sort treatment is laser tooth whitening , a 45 minute job that costs approximately Rs 48,000 in Britain and Rs 5,000 in Goa.
Dr. Anand Colaco says, " the cost factor is very attractive to foreigners, unlike other treatments in the west, dental treatment is not subsidised or covered by insurance so they have to shell out exorbitant amounts. When they come to India they see that dental treatment is not only affordable but also of good quality. We also make an effort to build up a rapport with the patients unlike practitioners in the west."
Dr Sandeep Dec 18th 2005 5:37PM
Dental Implants: Present and Future of Modern Dentistry
Who wouldnt want to have a bright, perfect smile, teeth firmly integrated in the jaws, ease of eating, talking, and laughing with confidence?
Having a healthy normal dentition means person posses normal chewing ability and is confident in his surroundings with a natural smile.
Its really unfortunate for a person to loose a tooth or teeth., a person can loose a tooth or teeth by caries , trauma , periodontal reasons ( gum problem ) or congenitally missing one or more teeth. There are many ways to restore missing tooth / teeth by Complete Denture , Removable Partial Denture , Fixed Partial Denture ( Crown & Bridges ), Orthodontic correction or by DENTAL IMPLANTS.
Earlier removable partial dentures (R.P.D) were prevalent and to support the artificial teeth plastic like material (acrylic) were used. It creates lots of inconvenience by hindering in tongue movement thus leading to speech problem and being unhygienic because of food deposition.
The fixed partial dentures (F.P.D) are very convenient comparable to removable partial dentures but for F.P.D healthy and firm teeth are needed to get the support. Its also unfortunate since normal healthy teeth are trimmed for the crown placement. But a person cant have a fixed prosthesis when there is no firm teeth present on the posterior aspect for supporting the F.P.D.
Similarly wearing a complete denture (C.D) needs years of hardship as the patient has to learn to maintain the dentures in the mouth. The dentures got the rocking tendency due to tongue movements and is very difficult when resorbed ridges are there.
So a better solution for every case is DENTAL IMPLANTS...
DENTAL IMPLANTS are root like device, made of Titanium, which are integrated in jaw bone. Few months are than needed for the implants to get osseointegerated, i.e., bone formation around the implants. Once integrated the IMPLANTOLOGIST (dentist who places implants) can fasten the crown, bridges or dentures to this artificial root (implants).
Placement Of Dental Implant :
Implant placement is a painless, minimal invasive, atraumatic procedure which is done under local anesthesia in a normal dental chair unit. The procedure doesnt take much time and there are no restrictions in maintaining normal routine activities. (Off course not heading to play baseball)
The implants are placed and left for 3-4 months for the osseointegeration and in meantime patient can wear temporary prosthesis. Then one or two weeks are given as gingival healing caps are placed over the implants to achieve natural contour of gingiva. After that the prosthesis is delivered.
Am I eligible for implants bearing prosthesis??
Person having a missing tooth / teeth and leading a healthy life and activities are the candidates for implants.
IMPLANTS MAY NOT BE PLACED IN :
1.Chain smokers
2.Patients with endocrine disorders like uncontrolled diabetes, pituitary and adrenal insufficiency, hypothyroidism etc.
3.Having active infections like tuberculosis, temporal flu etc.
4.Active lesions like cyst, abscess, etc.
5.Anatomical restrictions like insufficient space for implant placement.
6.Social restrictions like psychological disorders.
7.Patient on certain medicaments like corticosteroids.
8.Patients with bone disorders like fibrous dysplasia etc.
9.Patients with hematological disorders like hemophilia.
Merits and Demerits :
1.Implants can take 8 times extra load than natural tooth so more durable and firm.
2.Minimal invasive and is placed at the edentulous site without touching natural tooth structure.
3.Perfect for aesthetic demands.
4.Floating dentures can be firmly secured.
5.But comparable to conventional methods, its a costly affair and needs a bit surgical intervention.
Frequently asked questions :
AGE IS NOT A FACTOR patients above 16-18 years of age are suitable candidates.
In the unlikely event an implant fails, it can usually be replaced by another. Infact most patients wouldnt have it any other way.
Advanced Procedures :
Sometimes, patient's may have less available bone width and height necessary for implant placement due to resorbed ridges , ballooning of maxillary sinus , traumatic bone loss etc.
In such cases implant placement is possible by various bone augmentation procedures like sinus lift (direct and indirect), chin graft, ileac crest graft, grafting by alloplastic materials, nerve repositioning etc.
In selected cases implants can be immediately placed after tooth extraction like in anterior trauma cases, cases with retained deciduous tooth / teeth etc......
Courtesy : Dr Sandeep Singh
Visit us at : http://www.sahajdental.com / http://www.dentotourism.net
Ashok Kumar Dec 22nd 2005 12:35PM
Trying to find the Dental Clinic of Dr.Anand Colaco in Goa. Would be grateful to receive this information.
Ashok Kumar Dec 23rd 2005 12:36AM
Looking for the address or other contacts like phone, fax, email of dental surgeon Dr.Anand Colaco in Goa. Shall appreciate if somebody could response.
bhavna Jan 1st 2006 11:04AM
i have very bad teeth and i wish to do implants but they are very expensive and i need them to be very cheap as my income will not allow me to spend to much can some one advice i do not mind going for clinical research