Dental tourism refers to traveling to another place or country to get affordable dental treatment, dental care, dental surgery or dental procedure because they are very costly in your own country.
The New York Times, in one of their articles regarding dental tourism, said that “roughly half a million Americans sought medical care abroad in 2006, of which 40 percent were dental tourists, according to the National Coalition on Health Care, an alliance of more than 70 organizations. That’s up from an estimated 150,000 in 2004…”
Without a doubt, dental tourism is an effective way to save money. Due to the economic recession in the US the prices of dental insurance have reached a peak. Many of the average Americans can simply not afford these insurance plans so they are left with no option but to travel to other places where they can fix their oral issues for a significantly low price.
Moreover, dental facilities abroad offer you the same, if not better, facilities that you can find anywhere in the US. The dentists are highly qualified trained professionals and have the most modern tools to use for regular procedures. Most of these dentists have had their training as rigorously as any doctor in the US. These dental partners offer you a quick service, and will work in according with your time schedule too.
Some people view dental tourism as a great opportunity for vacation as well. Since the air fares or rail fares are not expensive, you can even bring along your family or friends. So not only will you have your dental issue fixed, at the same time you can enjoy the trip.
However, there may be some potential drawbacks to dental treatment. You should choose a place that is not too far, otherwise your travel expenses might cancel out any savings. Moreover, it is perfectly understandable to get teeth whitening, if say you were visiting Dubai, but to go to Dubai especially for teeth whitening might not sound a very good idea. Also, if you have to get braces, choosing a local dentist will be more convenient. As you know you have to make frequent visits for routine check up, you cannot go to far off places just for that.
Nevertheless, according to a finding, more than 200,000 thousand people will travel abroad for oral care, and that is almost one percent of the adult American population! Of course if you prefer to stick around home you may also want to check out what options are available to you by browsing online and seeing what plans are available for you in your area before making a decision you may regret later on.
If you’re stuck and need some help finding good information online try using GetFreeDental.com for finding information on local affordable or free dental care near you.
I focus on saving people money and writing on affordable niches. My primary focus is on affordable insurance. In addition, I have had a passion for affordable dental and medical care.
