Brits Looking Abroad for Dental Deals
As a growing number of British people put off dental treatment due to the cost, dental tourism is becoming increasingly popular.
Dental tourism involves travelling abroad for treatment and is so popular because prices abroad can be up to 70% lower than prices in the UK and there are often no waiting lists.
Research has revealed that private dental prices in the UK are among the highest in Europe and dental travel operator, Dentist Abroad, estimated that around 70,000 people travelled abroad for dental treatment in 2008. A survey carried out by the British Dental Association confirmed the growing popularity of dental tourism, with around 50% of dentists saying that they had patients who had received treatment abroad. However, 29 percent said that they had treated patients to correct treatment they had abroad.
Peter Ward, chief executive of the British Dental Association, said that it was important that patients researched their trip carefully before going abroad for treatment. Often, dentists are not regulated as stringently as in the UK and what appears to be a good deal may actually end up costing a lot more, as well as potentially causing pain as a result of dental complications.
Hungary is the most popular destination for British dental tourists but Poland is emerging as a rival, with prices considerably lower than the UK and cheap, regular flights available from airports all over the country.
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