Are you still reeling from the cost of dental implants here in Australia? That being the case, you may be researching the dental implant cost in Thailand, which you’ve heard is a whole lot cheaper.
According to Finder, a single implant in Australia can cost anywhere from $3000 to $7000 and that could be even higher if you were to need another treatment such as a bone graft or sinus lift beforehand.
So how much does a dental implant cost in Thailand?
At the top end of the scale, you could bag yourself a dental implant and crown using quality implants for little more than $2000 with treatment carried out at an international dental centre in Bangkok or a dental hospital. On the face of it, that could save you as much as 50-70%.
Of course, if you wanted to save even more money, you could choose a lesser-known dentist utilising cheaper implants.
Even factoring in the costs of a return flight, accommodation, and food for your stay, it is possible to still make savings. Throw in some sun, sea, and sightseeing, and it’s hardly surprising that around 15,000 Aussies travel to overseas destinations each year for cosmetic procedures and dental treatments.
What could be better than a holiday in the sun with a little bit of dental work thrown in?
Food for thought
Travelling to Thailand for your dental treatment sounds like a win-win solution but before booking your ticket, you really should consider more than just the cost. You see, there may be risks associated with getting dental implants in Thailand that you mightn’t necessarily come up against back home
But before talking about those risks, let’s look at the reason that dental implants are cheaper in Thailand than they are in Australia.
Dental implants Cost in Thailand – Why are they so cheap?
You may be thinking that implants are much cheaper in Thailand because the standard of care isn’t as good as it is here. But you only have to do a quick search on the internet to see plenty of prestigious clinics kitted out with the latest technologies and employing highly qualified dental implant surgeons and nurses.
So, if that’s not the reason, what is?
The reason that dental implants cost much less in Thailand boils down to the cost of living. Sydney, for example, is one of the most expensive cities in the world and as you’d expect, overheads and the wages dentists have to pay themselves reflect this.
A dentist in Thailand with more than 8 years’ experience, on the other hand, earns on average a salary of ฿1,683,480 per year which equates to around AUD80,000.
Office rental can be as low as ฿450 per square metre (a little over AUD21) which goes to show how destinations like Thailand can open up their dental clinics to overseas patients for less, and still turn a decent profit.
What about the potential risks?
We mentioned earlier about potential risks involved in getting dental implants in Thailand that you might not face back home. So what exactly are we referring to:
The language
While it’s true that English is widely spoken in large cities like Bangkok making it a breeze to order a beer or a serving of noodles, when it comes to nailing down the idiosyncrasies of your implant treatment, this could be more of a challenge.
Important points could get ‘lost in translation’ especially when English isn’t the first language of your chosen doctor. Before, during, and after implant treatment, the last thing you want is not to understand what your doctor is telling you and not being able to get your message across to him.
Insufficient treatment time
Another point to consider is that the majority of people travelling abroad to places such as Thailand are seeking high cost, complex, and often multiple treatments which they simply can’t afford in Australia.
Ideally, these would be carried out over a period of several months, allowing time for healing and lowering the risks of infection. Since most people are opting to take a 2-week vacation away from work, it doesn’t leave much time for the Thai dentist to carry out an assessment, complete clinical questionnaires, take x-rays and scans, plan and fit in multiple treatments, and be there to oversee the early stages of recovery. Consequently, treatment may be rushed to fit in with their patient’s return flight when it would be safer and more prudent to wait.
This scenario wouldn’t occur if you had dental implants in Australia since it’s far easier to space treatments apart when your dentist isn’t a 9-hour flight from home.
Complications
Like any surgery, dental implants aren’t without their risks or complications. While the same applies back home, it’s far easier to contact your dentist, hop in the car, and be sat in the dentist’s chair in less than 15 minutes when they’re located nearby. Don’t forget there’s the added cost of another return flight/accommodation/and food – and until you get to see your Thai dentist – you’re not even sure what the outcome will be.
Before you know it, any savings you might have made have disappeared and your stress levels have gone through the roof.
Do you really want to take the risk? At the end of the day, is the lure of the dental implant cost in Thailand more important than your health and sanity?
If the answer’s no, and you’d rather play it safe with dental implants in Australia, then why not book an implant consultation with the experienced dentists at No Gaps Dental. We provide a variety of methods to pay and also offer finance plans to help you spread the costs.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks.