Dental Tourism

Dental Tourism also known as Dental Travel is when individuals seek dental care outside of their own health care system or location. Often the trip involves traveling to another country that is fairly close by. A number of foreign countries provide top quality dental treatments ranging from cosmetic dentistry to dental surgery at very reasonable prices simply because of lower labor and administrative costs.

Some individuals plan their trip for getting a particular procedure or procedure s done, while others may combine some type of vacation/holiday with the opportunity to experience high quality dental care at prices that are much lower than in their own country. For people who have no dental insurance, yet need to have extensive dental work done, Dental Tourism is an excellent option to consider.

Dental Tourism is not a new phenomenon. US citizens have been traveling across the border into Mexico for quite awhile for dental procedures. Panama,and Costa Rico are two more countries known for high quality, low cost dental work. The UK and The Republic of Ireland are two of the largest sources of dental tourists traveling to eastern Europe for dental work. There are a number of service providers in the UK who book trips for the medical tourist to travel to Poland, Hungary, Croatia, and Romania for both cosmetic and dental work.

If you have a particular dental procedure you are interested in, look for it in our PROCEDURES LIST . By clicking on the specific procedure or sorting by "class" you will be able to find the facilities that have indicated that they perform that particular procedure. Our list is selective and you may not find some procedures, but it will give you a number of choices from where you can begin your search.

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Reasons for Dental Travel

There are a number of reasons why folks seek dental treatment outside of their own country:
- Dental treatments in the US and some European countries are very expensive
- Many people do not have dental insurance
- Those folks who do have dental insurance benefits provided by their employer usually have certain limits to their benefits

Frequently Dental Tourism is a more affordable alternative to paying for procedures in one’s home country. Traveling to save money for a dental procedure is understandable. One the major reasons for personal bankruptcy in the United States is caused by medical and dental bills. It is unfortunate that people all over the world are avoiding medical and dental care right now, because they cannot afford it in their home country.

For US and European residents the foremost reason for traveling for dental care is the reduced cost of the procedures in foreign countries. Other reasons for obtaining dental care overseas are emergency treatments while in a country for business or vacation. In certain countries like Canada and some European countries with national healthcare systems, have undue delays and wait-lists, result in people finding alternative solutions for their dental care. Americans have been taking advantage of dental treatment south of the border for many years in Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama.

The governments of Singapore, India, Thailand, The Philippines, Malaysia, Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama have made medical and/or dental tourism a national priority. As a potential patient you need to conduct research before you travel to a foreign country to obtain dental treatment. Just because there are a number of very good dentists, doctors, or hospitals in other countries it does not mean that all members of the medical community are first-rate and are up to American, European or Canadian standards

How To Start Your Research

The main questions most patient will have are: I know I’ll save money, but how good is the quality of care I will receive? Who can I trust? Who can assist me in making these decisions?

OnlineMedicalTourism has a useful set of tools that allow you to select a dental procedure and search for dental facilities that offer the procedure. To go to the OMT Medical Tourism Procedure page click here: Medical Tourism Procedures

OnlineMedicalTourism also provides information on service providers, also known as facilitators, who offer full dental travel services at competitive prices for clients from all over the world. These service providers (facilitators) specialize in combining money saving dental treatment along with wonderful tourist options. They will arrange everything for you including: doctor's appointments, transportation (from your home country, as well as for local travel), hotel accommodations, language translation assistance, and among many other services.

To go to the OMT Medical Tourism Services page click here: Medical Tourism Services. Once you are on the page you may find all the full service providers/facilitators by clicking on "sort by SERVICE".

High quality at a lower cost:

High quality: in other countries dental care is provided in state-of-the-art facilities with modern equipment utilizing the latest technology and in some cases the dentists are educated or trained in the US and other well recognized countries.

Low cost: the ultimate reason for Dental Tourism is to save money on dental care, by going to countries which provide very good quality dental care due to their lower labor and overall operational costs.

For what types of procedures / treatments is dental tourism appropriate?

First, you need to determine whether Dental Travel is appropriate for you by taking in account the treatment required and your personal circumstances. The various factors in making that decision include: how many visitations to the dental facility are required, as well as weighing the travel cost that are involved. If the travel costs outweigh the savings, then dental tourism is not the appropriate solution.

However, if you require major dental work for instance a full mouth reconstruction, or jaw surgery, there is usually a major savings even after adding up all the various factors involved in traveling abroad. Frequently when more common procedures are done at dental facilities abroad, the dental tourist is also having a larger procedures attended to at the same time such as a combination of root canal treatment with implants or crowns along with some fillings, teeth reshaping, or teeth whitening.

(See below for more information on popular dental treatments.)

Travel benefits:

While the foremost motivation is affordable dental care, for many folks this is also a wonderful opportunity to combine a vacation with dental care in a foreign county. Depending upon the extent of dental care, a few trips might be required. What a perfect opportunity to take a companion with you and enjoy the benefits of a vacation together.

Immediate dental attention:

By utilizing the modern digitization of dental records, obtaining quotes and service has never been easier. There are many dental facilities and facilitators that are available who will accommodate your schedule to ensure immediate access to dental care

Dental tourism destinations:

There are a host of global Dental Tourism destinations that offer high quality dental procedures at lower cost compared with one’s home country. Countries like Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama are popular dental tourism countries due to their proximity to the US and Canada. For patients from Europe, Turkey and Hungary are popular destinations. In addition, India, Thailand, and Singapore are becoming well-known destination countries not only for reconstructive surgeries, but also for major dental procedures. Where you choose to go may depend upon the proximity of the facility to your home country or whether you plan your dental travel around a business related trip or a vacation.

When you are making plans to travel abroad to another country for a dental procedure you want to make sure that the particular facility and the medical staff will provide high quality of care. Many medial travelers prefer working with a service provider/facilitator, who deal with dental facilities. They are able to coordinate your entire trip. By assessing your options such as working with service providers (facilitators) listed on our Medical Tourism and Dental Tourism Portal, reading the testimonials provided, and doing the research on a specific dental facility and its staff, you will be in a much better position to make a well research and calculated decision.

Some of the Most Popular Dental Procedures

Veneers

A dental veneer or dental laminate is a very thin layer of composite restorative material – mostly porcelain, formed in to a shell that matches the front of your tooth. Veneers are used to improve the look of a particular tooth due to discoloration, cracking or some other reason, such as enlarging a tooth to help fill gaps between teeth.

The dentist is required to file down a very thin layer from the tooth to receive the veneered covering. You may want to have a local anesthetic before this is done. The dentist usually takes an x-ray or an impression of your tooth to send that impression to a dental laboratory. It takes a few days to receive the veneers back from the dental laboratory, so having a veneer will require 2 appointments.

At the second appointment the veneer is tested for fit and adjusted or contoured as required. Once the fit is perfect, the tooth’s surface is roughened and thereafter a primer cement is applied. After the veneer is placed, it is “cured” by a dental light that hardens the chemicals in the cement.

Composite veneers are made of glass or quartz crystals in a resin base. They can be made in some dental offices and placed directly, or created in the mouth like bonding and contouring procedures. Composite veneers are less expensive than porcelain but may be less stain resistant.

For additional information and a list of the facilities that perform this procedure go to:
Veneers.

Or visit Wikipedia at: Veneers .

Crowns

Dental crowns are one of the most common dental restoration procedures these days. A crown is like a cap that covers the portion of a tooth which is just above the gum line. Once it is affixed, the dental crown becomes the tooth's outer surface. Dental crowns are sometimes called "dental caps" or "tooth caps."

Dental crowns need to be custom fitted to your teeth. The shape and size of the crown is based on molds of your teeth taken by the dentist. The molds are used by dental technicians, or the equivalent, to make your crowns.

Most dentists send the molds to a qualified dental laboratory which employs dental technicians to make the crowns. Quality control at this dental laboratory is critical and some dentists may even send the molds out of the country to assure better quality, which adds to the costs. Crowns will often take a few business days to custom produce for you, especially if they are made at an external laboratory. A very big or busy dental practice might have its own dental lab on-site.

For additional information and a list of the facilities that perform this procedure go to:
Crowns.

Or visit Wikipedia at: Crowns .

Dental Fillings

Cavity or some decay in a tooth occurs when the surface of the tooth has been compromised by acid-producing bacteria, then more bacteria can easily get into that space and the cavity size will increase. To avoid further damage to the tooth, the decayed portion is drilled out and then a filling is inserted into the space where the decay was located

The cost per filling may depend on the number of surfaces the dentist must fill and whether it is to be performed in the front teeth or more difficult and expensive to place in the back teeth. Our teeth have 5 surfaces – 4 sides and the top of the tooth. Most dentists have a fee for each surface of the tooth

The largest cost involved in the process is the labor and business costs of the dentist. The charges for dentist’s time, charges for staff time for patient care and also for such tasks as standardized sterilization procedures, and pass-along costs for clinic overhead such as building expenses, together make up the biggest cost differential between various countries. It is important to know whether the lowest quote also includes attention to high health and sterilization standards, because these procedures and equipment do cost time and money.

For additional information visit Wikipedia at: Dental Fillings .

Dental Bridges (Partial Dentures)

A dental bridge is inserted to replace a series of missing teeth. It is a combination of a series of dental crowns attached to a mechanism (metal) that is usually attached to your other teeth. The natural teeth on either side of the bridge may need to be contoured to allow a little more space in which to fit the bridge. The amount and type of reduction done to the abutment teeth varies slightly with the different materials used.

For additional information and a list of the facilities that perform this procedure go to:
Dental Bridges (Partial Dentures).

Or visit Wikipedia at: Dental Bridges (Partial Dentures) .

Dental Implants

A dental implant replaces a tooth. A typical implant consists of a self-tapping titanium screw with a roughened surface, with a dental crown placed above.

Several steps are necessary to place the implant - as the placement of the combination - implant and crown is usually performed in two separate visits to the dentist, separated by a few months in between. This is called a two-stage dental implant. There is a newer type of implant called an instant load dental implant which can accept a crown within a few days of the implant placement.

For additional information and a list of the facilities that perform this procedure go to:
Dental Implants .

Or visit Wikipedia at: Dental Implants .

Dental Whitening

Dental whitening only affects natural enamel of your teeth. The whitening process does not affect the color of porcelain or composite crowns or veneers. So, when you have a porcelain or composite treatment, the color is matched as close as possible to your teeth. Once these crowns and veneers are placed over your teeth, the color will not change as a result of the whitening process. As such, make sure to have your teeth whitened before you have any crowns or veneers applied to your teeth, giving you the best chance of matching all the shades of white.

For additional information and a list of the facilities that perform this procedure go to:
Dental Whitening .

Or visit Wikipedia at: Dental Whitening .

Dentures

Dentures are full-mouth false teeth, which are required when a patient is without teeth also called "edentulous.

When someone has no teeth the appearance of their lips and jaw can slacken as they have no support. Dentures help give support to the jaw and lips for better appearance and afford the patient much better chewing abilities.

Dentists take fittings of your gum line and jaw in a series of appointments. Complete dentures are fitted to the (lower) mandibular arch and the (upper) maxillary arch. Dentures can be made of acrylic or porcelain. Resin dentures are also available for those with a limited budget, but these dentures do not last as long and are more prone to discoloration.

The part of the denture that rests on top of your gums and the underlying bone is soft to ensure a comfortable fit, eventually wears away and the denture will not fit as well. Your dentist can reline your dentures replacing this soft material for a better denture fit.

Dentures are removable and must be cleaned with a toothbrush or cleaning solution. A partial denture can be fitted if a patient is missing only a few teeth in a series, also known as a bridge. If the missing teeth are not next to each other then another option is a dental implant.

For additional information and a list of the facilities that perform this procedure go to:
Dentures.

Or visit Wikipedia at: Dentures.

Tooth Contouring & Reshaping

Dental bonding or contouring is a procedure where a resin the same color as the tooth is applied to teeth, resulting in a better appearance. The resin that is used can break away or chip off, especially when the resin is applied to a tooth that has higher bite pressure. For this reason, bonding or contouring is primarily done on the front teeth (top or bottom) where there is less bite pressure to reduce breaking and chipping of the applied resin. This process is also used as a temporary alternative to more expensive crowns or other dental procedures. The advantage is that bonding or contouring requires a small amount of roughening of the area and just a small area of your tooth enamel is removed, compared to having a crown inserted. Personal habits such as biting of fingernails or using teeth for other tasks other than chewing heighten the likelihood of chipping the resin away.

A “primer” liquid is applied first and then the resin is applied layer by layer, which is then “cured” with a laser to enhance hardening and bonding the resin to the tooth. The dentist thereafter shapes and polishes the tooth. This process can take around 30 to 60 minutes per tooth depending on the scope of work to be done. An experienced dentist should ensure results that look just like your other teeth – in color and shape. The procedure should not be painful or require any anesthesia.

Bonding improves the appearance of your smile by restoring cracked, chipped, discolored or misaligned teeth. Teeth can be made to look a little longer, or reduce the amount of gums showing when they smile - if your gums have receded and a root may be exposed which could lead to pain or risk of decay.

For additional information and a list of the facilities that perform this procedure go to:
Tooth Contouring & Reshaping .

Or visit Wikipedia at: Tooth Contouring & Reshaping .

Root Canal

A root canal specialist who performs the procedure is called an endodontist, and the treatment is also called an endodontic treatment.

The exterior layer of our teeth is enamel, whereas the inside is a soft pulp tissue which contains the nerve. The nerve senses hot and cold. The inner tooth also contains a blood supply to provide nutrients to the tooth. This inner pulp tissue can be damaged by a tooth fracture resulting from an accidental injury or by dental decay.

If bacteria invades the pulp tissue inside your tooth, it will spread an infection from the top of the tooth to the root tips, connected to the jawbone. In addition, a substance called pus can accumulate and form an abscess which is in some circumstances extremely painful. Root canal treatment relieves this pain and alleviates the problem by removing the diseased inner pulp of the tooth which is filled and sealed.

Antibiotic medication may be prescribed to speed up the healing of the infection and the tooth may a temporary seal may be put in place or be left open to drain. The dentist uses what is called a dental dam - a thin sheet of rubber to isolate the tooth and prevent the spreading of the infection. X-rays assist with determining the length of the particular root canal. The dentist makes an opening through the top of the tooth – directly into the pulp chamber and cleans the diseased tissue away, being very careful of the sensitive nerve.

Once the bacteria are removed, the inner canal space is filled with a latex-like material called gutta percha and a sealant is then applied to prevent bacteria from re-entering. A metal post may also be inserted to provide adequate support within the tooth and for the crown which will be inserted.

A root canal usually involves a number of visitations to the dentist to finalize all the required steps in the procedure. When the root canal procedure is completed, your tooth will no longer have a nerve as such will not sense hot / cold or signs of tooth decay. Regular dental check-ups with periodic x-rays are suggested to detect and avoid future disease in that tooth.

For additional information and a list of the facilities that perform this procedure go to:
Root Canal.

Or visit Wikipedia at: Root Canal .

Gingivectomy–Gum surgery

A gingivectomy is a type of gum surgery which usually involves removal of a small layer of gum tissue, called gingiva. A gingivectomy is also known as periodontal flap surgery, and a periodontist is a specialist dental with an advanced knowledge and skill in gum disease

Most of the time, a gingivectomy is performed to remove the diseased gum tissue. Many times a minor gingivectomy is performed to allow for more space in the placement of an implant or a crown. The procedure is performed for cosmetic reasons where someone feels that their gums are too prominent.

A gingivectomy is usually not performed in one appointment at the periodontist - mostly only one quarter of the mouth is worked on at a time, thus a full gingivectomy may take up to 4 dental visits

A local anesthetic is required and one or more small incisions are made to allow part of the gum to be pulled back, like a flap. This allows the dentist to see the tooth, surrounding gums and the bone. The dentist may also decide the tooth requires some type of other dental work like as a filling.

Once the diseased or excess gum tissue has been removed, the gum is sewn or sutured together, and a dressing is applied to cover the gum preventing infection. Pain medications are usually given, and antibiotics could be prescribed, if further infection is a concern. The healing can take a few weeks

If gum disease is left unchecked, it will infiltrate the underlying bone. This is usually called periodontitis, which may require a tissue graft or bone graft to help correct.

If you think you have gum disease, do not delay seeing your dentist. If the disease is advanced, a gingivectomy or other periodontal surgery techniques may not be enough to save your teeth.

For additional information and a list of the facilities that perform this procedure go to:Gingivectomy–Gum surgery.

Or visit Wikipedia at: Gingivectomy .

Dental Bonding

For additional information and a list of the facilities that perform this procedure go to:
Dental Bonding

Dental Jewelry

For additional information and a list of the facilities that perform this procedure go to:Dental Jewelry.

Tooth Extraction

For additional information and a list of the facilities that perform this procedure go to:Tooth Extraction .