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If you are in need of significant dental work for a number of reasons, you may be tempted to seek dental treatment overseas due to it being cheaper. Popular destinations for overseas dental treatment include Bali, Vietnam, Indonesia and Korea where the cost of implants, bridges and veneers may be a fraction of what it is in Australia.
In fact, some companies promote these 'dental tourism packages' where they handle all the logistics and accommodation of getting you overseas to have the dental treatment done, while getting you a holiday at the same time.
While this may seem too good to be true, there are a number of risks that you may need to consider with these packages:
Lack of follow up: usually people travel overseas for major dental work, such as dental implants, All-on-4 procedures, full mouth rehabilitation with crowns and veneers. These highly complex treatment procedures require regular review to ensure success and longevity of the treatment provided. If an issue arises, it may be even more costly to fix when you get back home, otherwise you may need to travel back overseas for remedial treatment.
It is cheaper for a reason: many of these overseas dental clinics may not be as heavily regulated in terms of practice standards and infection control compared to that of Australia. The quality of the materials used may also be poorer, which may influence the longevity and success of the treatment provided. In contrast, Australian dental clinics have strict regulations in terms of standards and protocols that need to be followed to ensure treatment is safely carried out. This is one reason why dental care in Australia is more expensive compared to other countries.
While there are many exceptional dentists overseas who do great work, there are also many who take shortcuts with procedures to the detriment of the patient. It is recommended that you research heavily on these packages and into the quality of the treatment provided before committing to it.
At Officer Smiles, our Dentists in Officer can offer you payment plans to help with any high valued treatment options that you might need. We take accountability for our work and ensure that you are regularly reviewed to minimize any issues from arising. Speak to us today on (03) 8338 1207.
