Cosmetic dentistry abroad

[Angela Beeton]

I am thinking of having a smile makeover but in the UK the cost is frightening as I need bridge and crown work and possibly two implants.

Has anyone used dentists abroad and if so would you recommend it or have any tips which might come in useful?

Thanks.
Angela

[admin]

Hi Angela, for many people cost i a priority however is is difficult for UK dentists to give advice in this area because the regulations that govern uk dentistry may not apply abroad. This is not to say treatment abroad is substandard just that you must make yourself aware of the pros and cons of going abroad.

Also if something goes wrong - which happens with both UK dentists and those abroad this can not only cost you more as you will need to fly back and tae more time off work you need to find out what the level of aftercare is.

Just make sure you ask all the questions before committing to any treatment

Admin

[Dr Pav Khaira]

This is excellent advice. I know several dentists abroad who I would be happy working on myself but their fees are no different to what is charged over here. You may find the result you are looking for but problems may arise if things do not go well.

There are a number of options available here for you, in that most high end practices tend to offer finance options to make treatment readily affordable. Secondly, it may be possible to stage your treatment over a longer period of time and therefore spreading the cost.

What you need to decide is the level of quality you are after. Excellent dentistry does cost more but lasts significantly longer

I hope this helps

Kindest regards

[biljana]

Hi,

Here is why we should not be fooled by cheap dentistry abroad. Talking from my previous experience. In 2004 I went to a popular eastern european" cheap dentistry country" being fooled by, well, the cheapness of it alI. I had a root canal treatment done on my top front tooth ehen I was 17 so it was discoulored. Not badly, but as I`m a helthy eater and don`t smoke, compared to my other nice white teet it was a bit darker. So, went to see the TOP DENTIST there, as they advertise on the net. He had a look at my teeth, and wanted to sell me more than one porcelain tooth to start with. He tried to sell me 8 porcelain crowns!
First thought: What is this guy, a dentist or a salesperson? So, I opted for ONLY ONE , the one that needed doing and I stated, nice and clearly, that I wahted the crown to match my other teeth( my teeth are naturally all even). So, he promised me the world. Here is what he did in one appointment:looked at the x-ray, took the wax print, took all the enamel of round my tooth(only left the base of my tooth) and put a lousy temporary tooth on(which came off 3 horls later). He asked me to come back in 5 days time, so he can fit the crown in. OK. So, I couldn`t leave the house for 5 days, because my tooth was missing to start with. I really, really doubted all this, but thought now that I`ve started it all, I might as well see what the outcome`s gonna look like. The result: He fitted the crown on (they stick it on with some white stuff)...and gave me the mirror for me to have a look: This was horror to my eyes: The crown was much bigger than my teeth, much higher, wider and thicker. I can not bite on it! It look absolutely horrible!!! So, I expressed my disapointment and all he said was " well, if you get the rest of your teeth done, we`ll make them all bigger and matching!" So, a sales person, not a genuine dentist. The result is: my teeth after this look worse than before.

These people that offer cheap cosmetic dentistry abroad, they are DENTISTS ONLY, they aren`t COSMETIC DENTISTS! They are trained to do fillings, root canal treatments etc. but not good quality cosmetic dentistry!
Now, why are they cheaper: the material they use for the crowns or veneers is the cheapest material you can get! They haven`t got the machinery nor the skills or experience that proper dentists have here to make the crowns nice and thin, so they make them thick and useless. And,all they want to do is give you a nice smile there and than, they don`t bother if you are going to get an infection after 2 years or not. You are a foreign patient to them , they know that very rarely(if at all!) someone would fly back there to get their teeth treated after the infection.

So, now I`m having my teeth done here by a very good and respectable COSMETIC DENTIST! He takes everything into account and I feel reasured every time I talk to him.
The damage is done with my teeth, all due to me jumping in for the cheap dentistry in eastern europe! I will never ever go anywhere else to get my teeth even touched, neither would I recommend it to anyone who wants a nice, healthy long lasting smile.

I will now pay a lot for my crowns, but I will NOT go to anyone that`s not a cosmetic dentist for cosmetic dentistry. It makes sense doesn`t it? Guys, do not be fooled by cheap easter europen dentistry. TRUST BRITISH DENTISTS! After all, the good british dentists go through a lot of additional education to learn the cosmetic side of it. The difference is simple: do you want to have your teeth done cheaply by a dentist that uses the cheapest material out there? Do you want your crowns to only last 2 years(that`s the guarantee you get abroad!) Or do you want to wear nice crowns, veneers etc, made pf the best material, made by the best dental technicians, fitted PROPERLY by the best cosmetic dentists, and finally teeth that last way longer than the poxy 2 years. Well the choice is yours! I, in the meantime will stick to our checked british dentists that comply to certain standards!

[admin]

Hey Biljana,

Thanks for that useful post what you spell out makes complete sense, yes cosmetic dentistry abroad is cheaper and the dentists abroad are often very good however, the main issue I see is the aftercare and the comebacks if something goes wrong. Things go wrong even with the best UK cosmetic dentists but at least you know they are at their clinic and that you can easily reach then. If you had a problem with cosmetic dentistry abroad the last thing that you would want to do is worry about booking time of work, booking an appointment at the clinic abroad and booking flights and accommodation.

The point you make about the difference between a "cosmetic dentist" and a "dentist" is very valid unfortunately we do not have any ways to judge as there are no formal qualifications. A good cosmetic dentist will have a portfolio of previous cases, have a lot of experience (ie number of cases treated) and will have untertaken post graduate education in cosmetic dentistry

Admin

[Dr Pav Khaira]

I totally agree with Admin, there is no set way to assess quality of work. However, a good cosmetic dentist will be able to show you examples of his or her work.

Training after qualifying is so crucial to expand knowledge, very little is taught at university regarding cosmetics as there is too much basic knowledge to cover. I have spent hundreds of hours and a vast amount of my own money learning how to do cosmetic dentistry to an exceptionally high level. I'm a great believer in quality and use only the world's best technicians and materials. And I do this because this is what I would have done myself. You can get cosmetic dentistry cheap, but I think a previous experience from a fellow member on these threads has highlighted the concerns many of us have voiced.

Thank you for sharing!

Kindest regards

[biljana]

Hi everyone,

yes that`s true. still, every dentist is different. I just always get the feeling like when we go abroad( well Eastern Europe) they look at us as a pot of money. I do understand that some ot those dentist there are genuine and good. But the reality is:

1. They charge less
2. They don`t make as much money as our dentists
3. OUTCOME OF THIS: THE USE CHEAPER MATERIALS!

So that`s why they are cheaper. I had a very quck service there which was bad, the dentist wanted to do as many patients as possible so he could make as much money as possible.

They order their fuji fillings etc. from Chicago and you know, the same places like we do, but nothing there is as hygenic as here. This is my REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE, all due respect to fereighn dentists that meet british standards.

Regards
biljana

[Dr Pav Khaira]

Excellent points. I know lots of dentists in Europe I would be happy to have work on me, but their fees are not cheaper. Quality is quality wherever you are on the planet.