The Rise Of Dental Tourism

… and some scary bits

Dental tourism has escalated at an exponential rate in the past few years.

Have a great holiday and get cosmetic surgery done at a fraction of the cost back home? How can you resist that thought?

Flash your gleaming white smile while sunbathing in the beaches of Phuket? Irresistible!

Dental tourism is a flourishing industry (not to mention very profitable), and without doubt, many such tour managers have sprung into action to offer Aussies cheap dental services. They are supposedly in it because they want to ‘save’ people from expensive dentistry in Australia. They make use of testimonials to make you believe that nothing has ever gone wrong and nothing can go wrong! Can it?

Dental Tourism - How it Works?

• Many dental tour operators give people quotes without a clinical examination based on a Selfie (provided by the client) and an x-ray.
• The dental treatment plans and quotes are printed on the tour operators own letterheads.
• We have received numerous quotes from such tour operators and most times these quotes include procedures that are simply not required.
• Common examples are; quoting root canals in every tooth that are to be crowned without valid reasoning, bone graft procedures in every implant surgery without evidence (CT Scans).
• Also, indiscriminate use of services like veneers, crowns, implants, ‘All on 4’ restorations, white fillings, zoom whitening and root planning without adequate information to make a judgement.

The Truth About Dental Tourism

Overseas dentists/dental tourism operators claim that the costs of dental services are a fraction of the cost they would pay a local dentist for the same procedures. Unfortunately, most people are naïve and believe they need everything on that plan and then want to compare costs for the exact same plan. They do not realise that there could be several variations and that they may have better or more conservative options.

Fortunately, dental tourism is now slowly on the decline. We have helped hundreds of people with such quotes understand the problem and offer all possible solutions with associated costs, which helped them make an informed decision. We have often matched and very often beaten such overseas dental quotes presented to them by such tour operators.

Dental Tourism - Case Studies

Dental is always cheaper overseas, right? Do you still believe that you will spend a fraction of the cost you would pay for dental here in Australia?

Do yourself a favour. Get a second opinion!

Why?

Here are some case studies of clients who had heartbreaks and near misses, but you won’t hear about it…

• Case 1 - Paid $13,000 + 2 trips to Thailand and spent close $20,000 for a dental job that would have cost under $10,000 here.

We recently saw a lady in her late 70’s who had been to Thailand through a local tour operator. She had been to Thailand in October 2016 and had four implants and bone grafting process done. She went again in April and had a new upper and lower denture fitted to her implants. She was in intense pain from the lower denture and went to a local dental prosthetist, but he refused to see her. She has been visiting our office to get the denture corrected and spend more dollars. It was heartbreaking to inform her that there she was over-serviced and the job could have been done here at Oris Dental for under $10,000. She regrets the decision but is too scared to tell her kids and friends because of the fear of being ridiculed.

• Case 2 - Manila horror. Cost $45,000 for a $16,000 job!

We saw a lady who had been to Manila through a recommendation. She had implant treatment worth $15,000 done with a fixed bridge. The bridge was 3 years old and started to feel loose. Unfortunately, the dentist had used 15 mini-implants instead of the 4/6 regular-sized implants, and it could not be repaired. The implants were failing and we referred her to a specialist dentist who had to remove all implants and redo the whole process costing her another $30,000. If she had come to us in the first place for the implants and the fixed bridge, it would have cost $28,000 less then what she eventually paid!

• Case 3 - Phuket about it! Quoted $17,000 + Flights and Accommodation.

A charming 30-year-old with dental issues was given a quote of $17,000 for ‘fixing’ his teeth. Apparently, he needed 20 root canals and crowns. After careful assessment, we changed the plan as he did not need the root canal in most of those teeth. The case was completed for under $15,000. More importantly, we saved him from the many root canals that he didn’t need!

• Case 4 - Chinese Adventures. Denture well stuck.

This person had 4 implants done in China, but could not go back to get the denture fitted. He decided to use superglue on his denture to attach the denture to the healing abutments. Apparently, they were not very successful. He then used ”Super Duper” glue from Bunnings warehouse and the denture has been stuck in for 5 years. He now thinks it may have been a bad idea. Sorry Sir, we cannot help!

Looking For a Dentist in Sunshine Coast?

If you have a quote for your dental work from a dental tour operator or manager and want to check how we compare or want a second opinion, bring it in, and we will waive the initial consultation fee.

It is obligation free, as we would like you to get the best possible dental care, no matter which path you choose. And yes…we will compare apples to apples if that’s what the doctor ordered!

Get in touch!

Terms and Conditions

• Dental assessment is essential. There will be no consultations without clinical examination.
• Written quote must be presented to the dentist. The written quote must have your details and must be dated.
• The quote should not be over 3 months old (Foreign exchange rates can affect your quote).
• All x-rays, photos, scans and email communications with overseas dental manager must be brought to the appointment or emailed prior to the appointment.
• Appointment times strictly as per the availability.
• First consultation is free. Subsequent consultations may incur a standard fee.
• If you fail to turn up for a scheduled appointment or cancel without 24 hours notice, we reserve the right to charge a fee for your next appointment.