Hungary is a popular destination of dental tourists

What is dental tourism? Dental tourism basically just means travelling off to another country to seek more affordable dental care, surgery and treatment. This is very commonly practiced by Britons, Americans, European and Canadians who would like to find more ways to save on dental treatments which are otherwise very expensive in their home countries.

There are no exact statistics on dental tourism today, but it is estimated that more than a million people from all parts of the world travel to get affordable dental treatment. This applies for dental treatment such as dental implants, cosmetic dentistry, crowns, root canals, and even less complicated procedures like tooth extraction. Countries like Hungary (which is today’s top location for dental surgery), Costa Rica, Thailand, Mexico, Panama, South Africa and India market affordable, yet high-quality world class dental services to those who seek them.

The popularity of the concept of seeking dental surgery abroad stems from the fact that there are over a hundred million American adults, and about 25 million kids do not have dental insurance, or underinsured to cover dental treatment. These people will need to pay thousands of dollars for the simplest dental treatment procedures. Furthermore, even the insured who have dental coverage will find that the insurance does not cover for dental cosmetic procedures or dental implants, which are needed by many individuals.

The same goes for Britain where there are about 35,000 people who seek more affordable dental treatment in other countries. In Britain, there is a shortage of dental professionals willing to offer reasonable dental services, adding to the frustration of Britons. Who would resist gaining back that beautiful smile without having to spend as much, yet still get the chance to travel to another beautiful country? Dental tourism is indeed an offer that is quite difficult to resist.

With the popularity of dental tourism, more and more dental clinics abroad have concentrated their efforts on getting foreigners to avail of their services. This has resulted to even better deals for the dental tourist. In fact, many dental centers abroad now do not only offer dental treatment, but travel and accommodation assistance as well. It should not be difficult, for example, to look for a dental center in Budapest that would help you get a big discount off your air ticket and accommodation cost. There are even treatment packages which combine the treatment with travel, accommodation and even local tours which are very hard to resist.

Bear in mind that when travelling to another country for dental surgery, you will need to plan ahead of time. Depending on the type of treatment you need, you will have to stay for at least two days to up to a week in your country of choice. Post-treatment care is also very important so if you don’t intend to fly back after your dental surgery abroad, make sure there is some after care arrangement provided in your home country.

Dental Treatment Abroad

If you are thinking about having a dental surgery abroad, there are a few important things for you to consider. First and foremost, take note that every dental surgery, even just mere tooth extraction, has some risks – something might go wrong. There are more risks involved with more complicated dental surgeries, more so with procedures done abroad. Even in countries where there are strong medical regulations, there are still some cases of incompetent dental centers and inexperienced dentists botching surgeries.

This does not, in any way, mean that dental surgeries abroad are dangerous. The danger involved when having one abroad is just the same in magnitude as when you have it in your country, or anywhere else. But there are ways that you can set the risk to a minimum, and here are some of them:

Trust the word of mouth. Recommendations, assuming they are impartial and unbiased, can be very important. Ask people you know who have already tried dental surgery abroad, or people who know people. You can also check online forums and ask people about their experiences. Do not get yourself fooled only by some smart advertising. Make sure you do your research well before choosing a dental care center.

Never settle with a dental surgery or surgeon just because it is affordable. The price should never be the sole deciding factor when looking for a dental treatment option. Use your common sense: if something looks a lot cheaper than they should be, start looking for another option. Also, make sure you check the price inclusions – you do not want to be met with unpleasant surprises along the way!

Make sure to deal only with a dental surgeon and staff that can speak good English. They should have at least a good translator that can help explain the entire procedure. Remember that dental surgery involves the same amount of risk that other surgeries have, so make sure you are well-informed and the surgeon can answer all issues and questions.

Make sure you see your surgeon before agreeing to an actual dental surgery. Many dental centers abroad arrange face-to-face consultations before the surgery is arranged. This set-up is ideal as it allows you to develop trust and ensures that your surgeon is well aware of the exact kind of treatment you need.

Do a background check on your prospective surgeon. Your dental surgeon should have the right credentials and should be duly qualified to perform the dental surgery you need. They should be more than willing to provide this information with you, to gain your trust and your peace of mind.

Check the kind of post-operative care available for you. Since you will have your dental surgery abroad, post-operative care becomes more significant. Note that most dental surgery, especially the more complicated ones, will require some future check-ups. Also, should you experience complications when you get back to your home country, it can be quite impractical to get back there for consultation. Check whether they have after-care treatment available in your home country. Also, check whether any post-operation that will be done should there be complications will be free of charge.

The Chain Bridge in Budapest

Dental treatment abroad can be scary at times. This is something new and uncertain but this is not unheard of. In many cases, most people prefer flying out abroad for their smile makeovers. Here are the top six reasons why it is better to have a smile makeover in another place rather than yours.

• The price. There are actually cities that can offer you dental services that costs about 40 per cent lower. This is why most people fly in to get their dental needs. For example, Budapest in Hungary has many tourists that visit for the purpose of dental services. Since a smile makeover is composed of a series of procedures, you would be able to save much from having these done cheaper. In some cases, since you would be having the series done, some clinics can throw in more discounts.
• The place. Smile makeovers should be able to give you something to smile about. If you would be staying at the same place while having the makeover, yes, you would have a nicer smile but have the same old things to smile about. If you are in a new place, you would be able to see new things, meet new people and have more reasons to smile about. Some cities also have lower cost of living that can make you stay longer. Even if the cities are tourist spots, there are still places where you would have the best value for your money.
• The novelty. A new place also brings in more experiences. Since you would be experiencing a new life after your surgery, why not start it from a new point of view. Thus, if you are in a new place, you would less likely to be bored and pout even with a great smile.
• The ambience. There are actually cities that can make you feel at home while still being able to experience the strange ambience. Thus, if you would feel a new ambience, you can adjust more fully with the changes that are about to take place. Some cities are also equipped with recovery enhancing features like in Budapest where there are thermal baths that can relax you and make your recovery faster.
• The people. The cities with these dental clinics also have English-speaking personnel so communication may not be a problem. Aside from the people in the clinic, you would also likely to meet locals and fellow tourist that will add to your directory of friends. At the same time, these friends would make your dental treatment abroad more enjoyable.
• The secret. Having your smile makeover in other places makes it a big secret to everyone back home. You would be able to surprise your family, friends, co-workers with a brand new smile.

Flying out for your smile makeover would not only renew your spirit because of the new places but also your own self-confidence when you return. When you would be faced with the same people and familiar faces, you carry with you a more confident smile to shine on everyone.

Dental insurance is probably one of the best investments to your oral health.

There are a number of options for dental plans available today. To get the best value for your money, make sure you carefully go through dental plans available and choose one that will best suit your needs.

Typical dental treatment and routine checks cost about $300 to $400 yearly, and restorative or cosmetic dental procedures can go as high as $25,000 or even more. Dental plans usually have pre-determined limitations on the number of dental visits allowed, the reasons for x-ray coverage, and other services. Just like health plans, they can also exclude treatments for a number of pre-existing conditions. Without much ado, here are some of the dental plan options you can choose from:

Indemnity Plans
Indemnity dental plans allow you to choose the dentist you want. Indemnity plans are also called fee for service as they have different sets of limitations and even co-payment options. However, there usually is a set annual maximum limit, excess of which you have to pay yourself.

Capitation Plans
In this type of plan, you are provided with comprehensive dental care but only through designated dentists. The DHMO (Dental Health Maintenance Organization) is one example of a Capitation plan. Participating dentists will receive some fixed monthly fee based on the number of patients they get assigned. Aside from premiums, co-payments may still be required for each visit, depending on the dental plan coverage.

Direct Reimbursement Plan
Many people will find the direct reimbursement plan most ideal. As is suggestive of its name, this plan allows employees and policy holders to become reimbursed for the money they spent on dental care. So this means that if you have some dental work done, you initially pay for it, and the employer reimburses a fixed percentage of the dental care costs. There might be limit on the amount the employee can spend, but there is usually no limit in as far as services are concerned. You can select a dentist of your choice, or you can work hand in hand with dentists to plan out the most appropriate and affordable procedure.

Managed Care Plan
This is a very common plan that employees can take most advantage of. In this plan, employees pay for the dental bill via co-payment. The more complicated the procedure, the higher the co-payment that needs to be completed. This may be ideal for smaller businesses where a dental plan is more of a luxury than a necessity.

Whichever dental plan you think suits your needs best, take time to acquaint yourself with what is covered and what is not. Doing so will allow you to make wise choices when the time comes. If you want to make the most out of your dental plan, make sure you visit your dentist regularly. Lastly, it is best to spend time on preventive care to keep your mouth healthy. Good oral hygiene can save you a lot in the long run.

Smokers might have reduced guarantee on dental implants.

Smoking can potentially cause many dental problems. They range from bad breath to oral cancer. I will list the most common problems:

• Bad breath
• Staining of the teeth
• More rapid development of tartar
• Adversely affects the attachment of bone & soft tissue to the teeth. i.e.: receding gums which can cause a sensitive reaction to hot & cold
• Delayed healing
• Six times more likely to develop oral cancer
• Periodontal disease

The effects of smoking are that people who smoke will have a high probability of losing their teeth. Furthermore, smoking initiates gums disease. Gum disease manifests itself as swelling on the gum areas that finally lessens the strong teeth formation. It is at this stage that tooth loss occurs. After loosing a tooth you’ll most likely need dental implants to replace it. Many dental surgeries offer reduced or no guarantee on dental implant for smokers (while they might offer lifetime guarantee for nonsmokers…), as smoking can cause dental implants to fail. Some will argue that there is no association between smoking and loss of teeth or gum problems. They further insist that their genetic structure is responsible for these kinds of dental problems.

But their argument is totally wrong.

Studies have proved that smoking can cause dental problems. Many dental problems, especially gum problems are caused due to smoking. This is because smoking triggers the accumulation of bacteria in plaque. Actually the gluey white material that builds up on our teeth whenever we do not brush them is plaque, already a major factor in dental problems. Moreover like a double jeopardy, smoking helps in bacteria formation in plaque. So, when bacteria already thrive within the gum area, it will lead to inflamed gums. Furthermore, this will have an effect on the jaw, speeding up the loss of teeth. If not, teeth will soon need to be extracted because it is by this stage that they will progressively get worse.

Gum disease is a silent killer of your teeth.