Dental Tourism Booming, As UK Residents Flee High Fees
Dental tourism is booming according to recent statistics, as more and more Brits head abroad to escape high dental fees.
In the past, wealthy tourists from developing countries travelled to the USA and the UK for dental and medical treatment. However, a growing number of people from the UK are travelling abroad to save money on dental treatment, cosmetic surgery and bariatric surgery.
Dental tourism has been growing as an industry for the last decade and a host of nations have emerged as hot spots for dental tourists from Western Europe, including Poland,Bulgaria,Hungary and Romania.
The main attraction of dental tourism is the cost. Even after factoring in travel and accommodation costs, patients can still save hundreds of pounds, as fees tend to be around 50-70 per cent lower than they are in the UK.
Dental tourism has many other benefits. Patients can discover new countries, enjoy a holiday and save money, but there are pitfalls and dentists in the UK are wary of the growing popularity of dental tourism.
Standards of care and policies relating to infection control may not be as stringent in other countries as they are in the UK and it is difficult for patients to check that their dentist has the relevant expertise. Dentists across the UK have admitted to seeing patients who have received bad treatment overseas. They advise those who are wanting to receive dental care abroad, to thoroughly research the clinic and the dentist before travelling out.
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