Almost 90% of UK dentists have treated patients who have been abroad for treatment
A new survey has revealed that almost 90% of UK dentists have treated patients who have undergone dental procedures abroad.
The study, which was conducted by the British Dental Association (BDA), showed that 86% of dentists have treated patients who have developed issues after visiting a dentist overseas. The most common problems were with dental crowns and implants. Eighty-seven percent of dentists had seen patients who had new crowns placed overseas, and 85% of dentists had treated patients who had new implants.
The most common reason patients visited their dentist back home was failed treatment. More than 75% of dentists had seen patients who had developed severe pain and over 70% had treated patients due to ‘poorly executed treatment.’
More than half of the dentists surveyed said that there had been an increase in the number of patients requiring pain relief or remedial treatment in the last 3 years. Almost all dentists said that patients had chosen to go abroad to save money on treatment.
The cost for patients to fix issues caused by having treatment in a different country ranged from hundreds to thousands of pounds. Over 65% of patients paid at least £500 and over half paid over £1,000 for remedial treatment. Around 20% paid more than £5,000 for treatment to fix problems following treatment overseas. Approximately 40% of dentists said that remedial work was carried out on the NHS.
The survey highlighted numerous concerns among dentists. The most common source of anxiety was continuity of care (93%) followed by low-quality care (79%), difficulties in following treatment up and making complaints (77%) and a lack of communication between patients and practitioners (66%).
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