How far would you be willing to go to see a dentist? A few blocks maybe? Across the state? How about a different continent?
Recent figures suggest that over 15,000 Australians are packing their bags and travelling abroad to seek medical/dental treatments each year including undergoing dental implants in Mumbai.
And it’s no wonder especially when you consider the eye-watering cheap prices. But is travelling abroad to undergo a dental implant procedure to places like Mumbai, India, Safe?
Getting a Dental Implants Abroad – What You Should Know?
While the Australian Dental Association recognise that dental tourism is on the rise, they want people to be fully aware of the perils, pitfalls and risks associated with such an undertaking.
So what could go wrong?
Tied To Tight Scheduling
Under normal circumstances, anyone looking to undergo dental implant treatment would normally go through a whole series of examinations and tests that result in proper diagnosis and treatment planning. This takes time and may include putting right other dental issues to enable the safest and most effective dental implant procedure – issues such as eradicating gum disease or ensuring adequate bone is available – both of which can have a detrimental influence on the longevity and safety of an implant-based restoration.
Typically, however, when a patient travels abroad to places like Mumbai India for dental implants they only have a short timescale to get the work done. This results in both the patient and the dentist having to work to an enforced timeframe when it might not always be in the patient’s best interests. All too often, this results in complex dental issues.
On the contrary, when you visit your chosen dental implant dentist here At No Gaps Dental in Sydney, for example, all treatments are spread out over the most appropriate timescale prioritising your health, safety and comfort.
Overtreatments
Unfortunately, overtreatments are an all too common factor in many clinics that specialise in dental tourism. In essence, an overtreatment occurs when a dentist carries out an unnecessary procedure to avoid any potential future risks that they won’t be around to deal with – treatments like an unnecessary root canal on an otherwise healthy ‘bridging’ tooth, for example.
This is often carried out to reduce the chances of tooth decay. While in most cases there is no real need to perform such a treatment, more often than not, it’s carried out anyway.
In addition, patients seeking dental implants in places like Mumbai, India may also be booked in for a range of other dental treatments to maximise cost savings. While this is understandable from a financial perspective, this is most definitely not the way to approach complex dental problems.
Conversely, visit your local dental implants dentist and they should develop a comprehensive treatment plan that gives you the time and the opportunity to get treatments done safely. Moreover, there should be no added pressure on you to get other dental work done.
Levels Of Treatment Quality
It has to be said that many people heading to places like Mumbai for dental implants treatment do little or no research on the dental clinics and in particular the dentists who are going to be working on them. Most rely on recommendations from their dental travel agent and while there are some top dentists and dental clinics in Mumbai, India unfortunately, they aren’t typically the ones offering bargain-basement prices.
Some dental procedures like dental implants, for example, can be relatively complex affairs requiring the experience of a highly skilled oral surgeon. They often use the latest dental implant technology to assist them and this is something that many dental clinics in Mumbai lack.
Moreover, India in particular is still awash with ‘street dentists’ who ply their trade on the street with little or no sanitation or infection control. While this is illegal and has been since 1948 the government tend to turn a blind eye. Some have even set up residence in back street clinics to avoid fines and yet have no licence and no formal dental training.
Back here in Australia, all dentists including dental implant dentists are trained to exceptionally high standards and are monitored regularly for factors like health and safety and infection control.
Limited Or No Aftercare
One of the major pitfalls of undergoing dental implants in Mumbai or indeed any other country abroad is where do you turn should complications arise? Unfortunately, despite the proven success of implant-based restorations, dental implants are not fool-proof and complications can and do arise from time to time.
If you happen to be one of the unfortunate people who develop dental implant complications back here in Australia, then you simply contact your implant dentist at any time who will take a closer look. They can then put plans in place to re-do any work needed and get you back on track. If the worst comes to the worst, you even have a clear pathway to a liability claim for a failed or botched dental implant procedure
If, however, you develop complications after undergoing dental implants in Mumbai India per se, then you have little to no chance of seeking recompense.
Even if you do manage to jump on the next flight out to Mumbai, India there is never any guarantee that the dentist in question will do anything to fix the problem. Inevitably, most patients are left with having to sort out the problem back home with a dentist in Australia. So in addition to the inconvenience, it’s likely that you will be out of pocket for a considerable amount.
Considering Dental Implants? It Pays To Stay At Home!
While there’s no getting away from the fact that dental implants here in Australia don’t come cheap, then providing you do your homework and choose the right implant dentist, what you’re really buying into is total peace of mind.
Here at No Gaps Dental, for example, we strive to make dental treatments affordable without compromising on quality. In addition to keeping our prices low, we offer several flexible payment plans designed to help you spread the cost of payments for treatments like dental implants.
Book your free consultation with your nearest No Gaps dentist by contacting us on (02) 8806 0227 today. We take the risk out of getting dental implants so you can concentrate on getting a healthy confidence-boosting smile.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks.