Dente Smile Clinic

Dental Implants – Why Going Abroad May Not Be The Best Option

Thinking of having a dental implant? Before taking the plunge, there are some very important things to consider. What exactly are dental implants? Dental implants are simply artificial tooth replacements used for the treatment of missing teeth. What happens is a small titanium rod is placed into the jaw bone and acts as a replacement for the root portion of a missing tooth in your mouth. A replacement false tooth is then fitted to the rod. The jaw bone eventually heals around the rod, forming a firm foundation for the replacement tooth. Dental implants are the ideal option for people in perfect health who have lost teeth due to injury, gum disease, or other reasons.

Of course, there are a number of restorative choices for tooth loss such as the ever popular dentures, but no other procedure matches the durability and permanence of dental implants. They also look and feel natural; even to the person who has had the implant.

In some cases, dental implants are the only possible choice to restore the functionality of the teeth as well as its supporting structures. Having missing teeth means that not only is it more difficult to eat but in time, the surrounding teeth also start to move towards the gap, eventually caausing the face to look caved in.

Your own dentist may be able to place your implant but if not, then they will be able to refer you to some one reputable and local. The implant process only takes a few hours so you may only need to book an afternoon off work or make child care arrangements for a few hours.

Alternatively, you could always have your implants done abroad, they can be cheaper but there can also be drawbacks to going outside the UK for treatment. Dental tourism is becoming increasingly popular in the UK, whereby patients combine a dental treatment with a holiday and still save money.

Price seems to be a motivating factor in going abroad for implant dentistry abroad; however, it is important that you are aware of negatives of having implant dentistry abroad.

After care- The initial implant may have been cheaper abroad but once you have had your implant treatment, you should have follow up aftercare appointments which would mean taking more time off work, booking a flight and a hotel to see your dentist again – all adding to the cost.

If something goes wrong- dental implants do fail – this is fact whether you have treatment in the UK or abroad. A good implant surgeon will have a 90%-95% success rate. If you have implant treatment in the UK and it fails, booking an appointment and getting to see your dentist is more convenient and certainly more cost effective than taking time off work, booking a flight and accommodation.

Regulations- although regulations in different countries may be strict regarding dentistry abroad, we cannot be sure if they are to the same standards as those set out by the General Dental Council in the UK.

Continuity of care and familiarity- in the UK, you know where your dentist is and you will see the same dentist for all your appointments, whereas abroad, you may not see the same dentist every time and you will not be familiar with the systems and language.

Dr Rafik Hebeish BDS MFGDP (Eng) qualified in 2000 and has since then worked in private practice. He has a passion for cosmetic dentistry and dental implants for which he trained at the Perfect Smile Academy and the Eastman Dental Hospital respectively.
Confident Dental is a Wimbledon Dentist Practice
Tel: 0208 947 2939
Web: www.confident-dental.com

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By Rafik Hebeish