A New Smile in the “Land of Smiles” – Dental Clinics in Thailand: Amazing Care, A Fraction of the Normal Cost
Dental Clinics In Thailand are advertising for quality dental care at prices that are unheard of in the West.
Thailand has earned the title of the Land of Smiles. After reviewing the advantages of coming to Thailand for dental care, it’s not hard to understand how that name came about. With the high rates of tourism throughout the country, dental clinics from central Bangkok to the southern island of Phuket are advertising for quality dental care at prices that are unheard of in the West.
Who Are The Clients Of Dental Clinics In Thailand?
Especially as the price of care has risen in places like the United States, many Westerners have decided to add on a visit to the dental clinics in Thailand on their next trip. In addition, because of their close proximity, many Australians and New Zealanders have begun to add dental clinics in Thailand to their holiday destinations.
Asides from the regular tourists that pass through Thailand, there is a growing community of expats who have come to call Thailand their new home. Bangkok is home to many foreigners. These people have come to Thailand for reasons of business, government work and a whole host of other reasons. The members of this community have set up shop not only in major metropolises like Bangkok but also in some of the more remote places like down in the islands. This community includes Germans, British, Americans and many others from the West who have decided to make their lives in Thailand.
What Are The Advantages Of Dental Clinics In Thailand?
The cost of dental work done in Thailand is on average a third of the cost that the same procedure would cost in Western countries. On top of that, many potential patients are able to find vacation package deals that come along with a visit to one of the dental clinics in Thailand that make it almost too hard to refuse. They are essentially able to go on a two week vacation and have their dental work taken care of all for less than what it would cost to have the work done in their home country.
What Are The Disadvantages Of Dental Clinics In Thailand?
One potential issue that has been raised with dental tourism is that there have been complaints of poor quality work done in some of the dental clinics in Thailand. However this has been shown to be a minority of cases and the majority of tourists who’ve had work done have been quite satisfied with their dentists.
Perhaps one of the biggest possible disadvantages involved in the dentistry tourism industry is the question of follow up visits. If a patient has decided to come to visit one of the dental clinics in Thailand for a vacation and chooses to have some dental work done while he is there, then it seems to work out very conveniently for him. The problem arises when it comes time for a check up. While the cost of the procedure was astronomically low, the potential patient now needs to factor in the cost of a new flight and cost of staying while back at his Thai dentist. Still there remain enough tourists who come to Thailand every year for their vacation that this arrangement does in fact make sense for them financially. This includes the part time expats who own homes in Thailand but still spend half of the year in their home country.
Things To Check For Before Choosing A Dental Clinic In Thailand
Check for qualifications
While the vast number of dentists that work in these clinics are more than qualified, it’s important to double check that they have their accreditation from a school with a good reputation.
Check for insurance
Hopefully the dentist performing surgery on you or giving you whatever sort of procedure is good at what he does. However, mistakes happen and as the potentially injured party, you want to know that the dentist who was working on you has some kind of insurance to cover errors. Be warned though, as the Thai justice system isn’t always the fairest to foreigners.
Check for recommendations from other clients
Nothing speaks for a dentist’s work like the mouths of his other patients, literally. Before you choose to do a procedure, look to talk to patients that have seen this dentist in the past. Ask them questions like, “did he pay attention to your needs” and “how was he about following up during the recovery period”. A dentist can toot his own horn all he wants but the voice that you want to hear is that of the ones that have gone through this already.
These quick tips should help give you an idea of if this is the right thing for you. If dental tourism in Thailand sounds right to you, a quick search on your computer can bring up a long list of dental clinics willing to give you a quote for whatever work you need done. Consult your own dentist before making any final decisions about visiting one of the dental clinics in Thailand.