Travelling for Smiles

Created on 01st August 2008

Long waiting lists, worries about hospital infections and exorbitant prices are putting people off having dental treatment in this country, which explains why thousands travel to Hungary, where a highly qualified dentist will cost far less than in the UK. Jenny Pitt investigates...

If you need to have dental treatment but are put off by the cost and the stress involved, then take a moment to consider how much money you might save by having the treatment in Hungary. It's quickly becoming the dental centre of excellence, in terms of reputation, backed up by the statistics - a staggering 100,000 people last year travelled abroad for medical treatment, 40 per cent of which for dental care and the most popular destination was capital city, Budapest.

Why is the dental care so good there? Simple. Hungary has an all-inclusive health system for each of its tax payers, a kind of social insurance, and it has the facilities and service akin to our private health schemes, such as BUPA or Axa, but the difference is Hungarians receive medical treatment on a ‘treat and pay' scheme. This means that hospitals and dental surgeries are equipped with state of the art facilities. Also, here in the UK you might expect to see a dentist who specialises in one particular area, while in Hungary dentists are trained to cover all aspects of dentistry, plus their qualifications are acknowledged in the UK. In fact, many do work internationally and in this country.

Many people are curious as to why there is such a difference in price between Hungary and the rest of Europe. They often assume that the quality of materials must be poorer, but in fact the materials are usually identical and often superior. Some clinics in Budapest, for example, use a service whereby the patient's teeth are scanned with a 3D imaging camera. The results are emailed to Sweden where the requested crowns are made to an exceptionally high standard, and returned by courier within 48 hours to be fitted by the dentist.

Hungarian surgeons and dentists must have a government certificate to practise with affiliations and membership to international dental organisations. To keep their licence, dentists must earn points each year by attending training courses, seminars and lectures to keep them abreast of new technologies and techniques. There are many highly qualified dentists in Budapest which might explain why costs stay low.

Leading Hungarian dentist Dr Attila Kaman of Smile Savers in Hungary explains: "Certainly the overall cost of living in Hungary is less than in western European countries, but in Budapest this is not quite so marked. Perhaps the biggest factor that influences prices are the sheer numbers of highly qualified dentists competing in the same market.
The end result is escalating quality and plummeting prices."

There are many people from the UK who have had successful treatment, at a price they can afford, Russell Fraser being one of them, who saved over £17,000. "I had 18 Procera crowns and now have a perfect smile. This might sound funny, but after two years hiding my teeth, since the treatment I have now had to learn how to smile properly again. The treatment has basically given me a ‘Hollywood' smile and now I get lots of comments saying how beautiful my teeth are," he says. Dr Attila Kaman has the last word: "Any saving made on a rubbish service is not a saving. Our clinics provide an exceptionally high level of service. Hungarian dentists are second to none."
CSMUK

A checklist of things to look out for and questions to ask when choosing a good dentist abroad are:

1. Ask for case studies and reference phone numbers if still in doubt
2. Are they up to the job? Especially for implants and cosmetic dentistry
3. Does the website offer 3D virtual tours? Inspect before you arrive
4. Check the small print when guarantees are offered
5. Do you feel that they speak your language adequately?
6. Keep an eye out for any hidden extras
7. Location, location, location
8. Who's writing the letters of praise?
9. Was that really you on TV?
10 . Be wary of too many discounts and freebies if the basics don't add up