You may be forgiven for thinking that cheap dental care abroad equates to inferior or unsafe treatment, and unfortunately it is all too easy to find tragic stories of people whose experiences have been far from satisfactory.
On the other hand, there are also plenty of people around who have had fantastic experiences of dental care abroad – so who do you believe?
In reality, both. Just as there are good and not-so-good dentists at home, the same is also true of dentists in Mexico, or Thailand or elsewhere in the world. The trick is to do your research and make sure you find out as much as you can about your procedure and your dentist before you book. Don’t be shy about asking questions – knowledge is power – and the more you know the more likely it is that you will be able to make an informed choice on what is best for you.
That said, there are some things you may find reassuring about dentistry abroad.
Dentist Training:
The perception that dentist training in the West is superior to the rest of the world is slowly being eroded. Globalization has made the world a much smaller place and it is not unusual for cross-border training to take place, and quite often dentists abroad who treat foreign patients do train in English-speaking countries, which gives them the advantage of receiving Western training and qualifications, as well as improving their English.
You will find many of our dentists to be members of their own country’s dental association, as well as, for example, the American Dental Association, or international professional organizations, such as the International Congress of Oral Implantologists.
Equipment and Materials:
Dental clinics abroad who treat international patient very often have some of the most up-to-date facilities and state-of-the-art equipment in the world. Dental tourism brings in money, and very often this money is ploughed back into the business. Dental clinics overseas know they have to continue to be the best, in order to continue attracting patients. It is a self-perpetuating system.
Hygiene and Safety:
Although there isn’t one international benchmark for safety and hygiene requirement, many clinics adhere to internationally-recognized standards. This entails using autoclaving sterilization equipment, having protocols in place for infection control, and signing up with the International Standards Organization – one, if not the, leading international quality standards association.
While nothing can absolutely guarantee your treatment will be 100% safe (this is true whether you have it in Los Angeles or Los Alogodones) we make it easier to find out all those things about a dentist or clinic that can help you decide if they are reliable.
All our verified clinics are quality-checked, and you can see qualifications, photographs, real patient reviews and take virtual tours, all on our website. We also do criminal and malpractice checks too.
We don’t list dentists on our website who we wouldn’t be happy to go and see ourselves, and while we can’t vouch for the reliability of all dentists abroad, we can for ours.