Last fact-checked: 14 March 2020

Struggling to find an NHS Dentist at home and reluctant to pay the high prices at a private clinic? There is another way. Book a holiday and an appointment abroad for your dental fillings in Alicante and keep your dental health in check for less.

The table below shows the price of fillings in Almeria compared to your home country:

Why Are Dental Fillings Important?

As the dental crisis in the UK bites even further, more people are finding themselves without an NHS dentist. The cost of going to a private dentist is usually enough to put people off from going unless they are in major pain—and even then the expense is causing some to carry out their own dental work, like fillings and even extractions.

Dental fillings are a simple but important dental procedure to maintain the health and integrity of your teeth—neglecting to have them carried out is just storing up a whole heap of trouble that will eventually require more complex, expensive dental work to put right.

A simple dental filling is required when the teeth have been eroded by decay. This is caused by acid-producing bacteria that feed off sugary, sticky drinks and food. This is why keeping the mouth free of debris and cleaning the teeth is an important factor in maintaining dental health.

A clean mouth gets rid of bacteria and removing sticky deposits from teeth makes it more difficult for the bacteria to stick and do their damage. However, the damage caused by tooth decay is easily remedied with a filling. The decayed area of the tooth is removed, the resulting cavity is cleaned and filled with a material that seals the hole and prevents bacteria from getting in to cause further damage.

Further damage can result in the soft pulp chamber in the centre of the tooth succumbing to bacterial infection, which then often requires a root canal procedure to resolve. Along with regular dental check-ups, and professional teeth cleaning performed by your dentist or hygienist, a tooth filling is part of a preventive care regime that helps to maintain dental health and avert the need for complex dental work.

The dental fillings procedure typically takes minutes to carry out and you should be out of the dental clinic in less than an hour. The dentist will first examine your mouth and possibly take X-rays to determine the extent of the decay.

The treatment is carried out under a local anaesthetic. Once your mouth has been numbed, the dentist begins to remove the decay from the tooth. It is then cleaned and the filling material you have chosen is used to fill the cavity. Most people choose a tooth-coloured filling these days, which can be made from either porcelain or composite material, rather than the silver-coloured amalgam fillings which not only look unsightly but are a controversial option because they contain mercury. 

After a few moments, once the filling material has hardened, the dentist will then smooth down the filling so it is comfortable. The tooth will be polished to complete the procedure.

You shouldn’t experience any downtime after the filling, save for an hour or two when your mouth will be numb until the anaesthetic wears off.

Dental care in Spain is generally good. Spanish dentists are well trained and qualified, delivering good quality across the whole range of dental procedures, be they simple or complex. Because they are in private practice, it is in the interests of the dentists to provide high standards at good value-for-money prices; otherwise, patients can easily go somewhere else—a luxury that anyone with an NHS dentist doesn’t necessarily have.

One thing you may notice about the clinics in Spain is that they are very modern and equipped with state-of-the-art technologies to deliver accurate diagnoses and positive treatment outcomes. The materials used are provided by world-renowned brands that your dentist at home uses. So, there is no need to worry that the treatment you receive is in any way inferior to that at home.

But how can the prices be so much cheaper in Spain, you may ask? It is nothing to do with the quality or standards being lower, but everything to do with the local economy’s prices for general services. The UK and Eire are relatively expensive when compared to many other countries. This is across the board for rents, cost of goods, staff wages and utilities—all the things your dentist has to factor into their prices, which are, of course, passed on to you.

It is always wise to question these things, just as much as it is to do your own research on any dental clinic you are thinking of visiting. Dental Departures’ simplifies the process by only including dentists we have pre-screened on our site. Our checks take in onsite visits, dentist qualifications, professional memberships and legal/malpractice records. 

If we aren’t happy with anything, we do not partner with that provider and you won’t see them on our site. Our listings also include prices, clinic photos, patient reviews and location maps so you can really hone in on each facility and choose with confidence that you will receive good-quality care.

Top-quality dental clinics in Alicante where you can go for your fillings include:

? Appadent Dental Care

? Gardents

? Clinica Dental Integral Dr Bruno Negri

You can book a dental filling in Alicante online via our website. Alternatively, contact Dental Departures’ Customer Care Team if you want to find out more. Or schedule your appointment online with us any time of the day or night, at no charge to you.

Sources:

Donnelly, Laura. Dental crisis leaves Britain reliant on charity from the developing world. The Telegraph. 2 January 2018. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/01/02/dental-crisis-leaves-britain-reliant-charity-developing-world/

The rise of DIY dentistry: Britons doing their own fillings to avoid NHS bill. The Guardian. 3 April 2015.https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/apr/03/rise-of-diy-dentistry-britons-doing-own-fillings-to-avoid-nhs-bill

Dental Check-Ups. NHS. Website accessed: 4 April 2019. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/dental-check-ups/

Burhenne, Mark. Know before you go: teeth cleanings. Ask the Dentist. 27 March 2019. https://askthedentist.com/know-before-you-go-teeth-cleanings/

Smith, Yolanda B.Pharm. Dental Fillings Procedure. News Medical. Website accessed: 4 April 2019. https://www.news-medical.net/health/Dental-Filling-Procedure.aspx