Dental implants are a type of fixed tooth replacement procedure that has a high success rate. They require unique hardware and multiple procedures to offer long-lasting results. However, due to the complexity of the procedure, dental implants are more costly than other tooth replacement options.
To avoid the high price of dental procedures, some patients receive dental implants overseas in countries like Thailand and India. However, given the complexity of a dental implant procedure, travelling overseas for the procedure is full of risks. The procedure for dental implants in Chiang Mai might carry unnecessary dangers due to the unregulated industry, the uninsured dentists, and the unhygienic practices.
The safest dental implant procedures are done in Australia. Dental implants in Chiang Mai are perceived as less expensive, but this fails to consider the financial risk involved in overseas procedures. Learn more about the procedure to fully understand the risks of dental implants in Chiang Mai compared to an Australian dental implant.
The Dental Implant Procedure
A dental implant is the only permanent tooth replacement procedure. The implant is a titanium screw that is secured in the jawbone and fitted with an abutment.
The abutment connects the implant to the artificial tooth.
A dental implant is placed in a three-step procedure. The assessment and X-ray is the first step in a dental implant procedure. A dentist will determine if an implant is right for you based on your dental history, health history, and your X-rays.
The next step is to undergo dental implant surgery. A professional makes an incision in your gum tissue, drills a tiny hole into your jawbone, and screws in the implant before suturing the wound closed.
The healing process called osseointegration, is complete when your jawbone has fully fused with the implant. This takes four to six months. The integrated dental implant can now be fitted with an abutment and artificial tooth. The whole process takes four to nine months, depending on your immune response to the implant.
Benefits of Australia Compared to Chiang Mai for Dental Implants
Chiang Mai, Thailand, is a popular destination for dental implants, which can be obtained for a fraction of the cost if the procedure were performed at an Australian dentist. However, the dental professionals performing Chiang Mai dental implants lack accountability, which is vital for the patient’s safety and peace of mind. Dental tourism also risks exposing patients to non-standardised dental practices and unhygienic offices.
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Accountability
An Australian dentist is legally, ethically, morally, and professionally responsible for a dental procedure’s short and long-term results. Given a dental implant’s relatively long treatment timeline, a dentist’s accountability is even more important. Prioritise your right to hold a dentist accountable by having your dental implants done at home.
Legally speaking, it is in a patient’s best interest to have dental work done in Australia rather than Chiang Mai, Thailand. Australia has explicit medical and dental malpractice laws that give patients recourse if a procedure goes wrong. A dental implant in Chiang Mai could go wrong for many reasons, but the patient has close to no legal standing to hold the dentist legally accountable.
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Health Concerns When getting Dental Implants in Chiang Mai
Generally, dental implants in Chiang Mai are professionally executed. Dentists in Chiang Mai have the dental technology and necessary training to perform safe dental implants. However, the month’s long recovery time and multiple follow-up appointments necessary for successful implantation make implant tourism a dangerous option.
Dental implants in Chiang Mai are done too quickly to ensure the patient’s safety. Osseointegration takes up to six months, and complications can arise along the way. Without a dentist monitoring the progress, the complications will go unnoticed and develop into serious health concerns, such as peri-implantitis.
Treatment for health and dental complications that arise from dental tourism is often paid for out-of-pocket. Thailand is not one of eleven countries that qualify for Australia’s reciprocal health care agreements. The financial risk that accompanies dental tourism paired with the hurried dental implant procedures makes dental tourism a very risky endeavour.
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Hygienic Considerations in Chiang Mai
Dental tourism introduces unnecessary hygienic risks to dental work. Dental tourism has many risks, from the inherent risk of travelling to the intrusive nature of dental work.
Visit No Gaps Dental, where you can be sure your dentist is following hygiene best practices. We strictly adhere to the best hygiene practices by providing hand sanitiser, enforcing social distancing, and vaccinating our staff. The pandemic environment is always changing, but we are committed to providing you with essential dental care.
At No Gaps Dental, we encourage you to do your part to stop the spread of COVID-19 and keep yourself safe. Wash your hands frequently, use hand sanitiser when necessary, and wear a mask in crowded areas.
Leave Dental Work Out of Your Travel Plans
Dental tourism to Chiang Mai, Thailand, seems like a good way to combine travel and necessary dental work; however, it is safer to have dental work done at home when all the risks are factored in. From hygienic considerations as simple as accessible hand sanitiser to legal and ethical accountability, staying home for dental work is the safer option.
The specific risks of Chaing Mai dental implants include an overly hasty dental implant procedure that can lead to dangerous complications. Those complications may cost you large sums of money without legal recourse in Thailand.
Visit No Gaps Dental and avoid all dental tourism risks. Be confident in your dental care with our highly trained professionals and hygienic dental surgeries. Call us now on (02) 8806 0227 for a consultation.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
References
The Australian litigation landscape – oral and maxillofacial surgery and general dentistry (oral surgery procedures): an analysis of litigation cases
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/adj.12374
Medical Malpractice in Thailand: What You Need to Know
https://www.hg.org/legal-articles/medical-malpractice-in-thailand-what-you-need-to-know-29369
Dental implant tourism
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1834-7819.2010.01267.x
Medical Tourism and Insurance
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/medical-tourism#medical-tourism—-what-about-insurance