Weekend Dental Appointment Vs. Overseas Appointment

There is often an endless list of things to do and places to go when one is overseas. For an increasingly large number of travelers, having a problematic wisdom tooth extracted or having dental implants installed mid-way through the holiday experience is a welcome idea. This is because the cost of dental treatment in some foreign countries is significantly lower than the cost of such treatment in Australia.

There are several factors to consider when evaluating the significantly lower cost of an overseas dental appointment. A few of these factors are discussed below.

The Question Of Insurance

The initial cost of dental treatment overseas may be lower in a large number of foreign countries. However, a large number of patients are forced to pay for the lower cost of overseas dental treatment from their own wallets.

A large number of dental insurance plans do not cover overseas dental procedures. A good number of those that provide overseas cover will only pay for the cost of dental care in the event of an emergency (e.g., accident scenarios that lead to the loss of teeth).

When evaluating the actual cost of an overseas dental appointment, the initial cost of the appointment should be compared to the initial cost of similar service from a local weekend dentist who features in the dental insurer's list of preferred service providers.

The Reality Of Repeat Visits And Dental Emergencies

In a large number of cases, the end result of a dental procedure or treatment (e.g. installation of implants) requires a number of subsequent visits to the dental health practitioner for follow-up and for monitoring a patient's recovery.

It is often advisable to receive subsequent care from the dental practitioner that undertook a particular dental procedure or administered a particular treatment.

Therefore, patients who choose an overseas dentist over a weekend dental practitioner would need to make a few more trips overseas before they can reap the benefits associated with the procedure and/ or the treatment. Compare this to making a few more trips into town for subsequent care from a weekend dentist.

This helps to explain why many overseas dental practitioners will often advise their patients to seek post-treatment care from local dental health practitioners.

Additionally, there's very little that an overseas dentist can do when there's a sudden inflammation of the gums one evening soon after the installation of dental implants (for example).

There's nothing particularly wrong about booking a weekend dental appointment overseas, but is it really as cheap as it is often made to sound?