Dental Tourism: Countering The Myths

There has certainly been an increase in the popularity of dental tourism over the last few years. People living in countries where the cost of cosmetic dentistry is higher than elsewhere will look abroad, knowing that there are options which can save them money. At times like this, they are often likely to have a friend tell them to reconsider, arguing that the safety of having a cosmetic procedure carried out in a “less advanced” country is asking for trouble. But how true is this allegation?

The truth of the matter is that although there are some recorded instances of people going abroad for dental treatment and ending up with results they are not happy with, this does not seem to be any more common than people being unhappy with the results of full-price dental treatment in their home country. It does not appear that a “full price” country such as the United States or the Republic of Ireland are any safer for dental treatment than the “cut-price” options such as Mexico or Slovakia.

In this light, the only question you need to ask yourself when considering overseas dental treatment is “Where should I get it done?”. Traveling for dental treatment is something that more and more people are doing, without any negative outcome. For you, the job is to research where people in your country are having the work done and what they think of the results. Because in places like Mexico, India or Hungary, there are better and worse dentists – just like in any country.