If you know anything about dental implants you’ll probably be aware that here in Australia they don’t come cheap. This is one reason why over 15,000 Australians travel abroad each and every year for medical and dental tourism particularly to undergo dental implants in Malaysia where costs can be up to 50% less.
But before you start searching the internet for cheap flights from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur per se, it pays to be aware that while you might initially be saving yourself a whole load of cash, you may unwittingly be taking on a set of risks that may otherwise cost you a lot more in the long term. With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at some of those risks.
Differing standards
Here in Australia, standards of dentistry are extremely high and carefully regulated. This ensures that protocols are correctly followed during a dental implant procedure and any materials utilised in the process are safe to use. There are also strict guidelines in place with regards to infection and hygiene control.
While that’s not to say that dental clinics and hospitals in Malaysia don’t have standards or protocols, it may mean that there are differences in the quality of the regulation. This is a risk of dental tourism.
Of course, there are some well-renowned dental clinics offering dental implants in Malaysia where the standards of cleanliness, infection control and patient care remain high but inevitably, these are unlikely to be the same establishments providing dirt-cheap dental implants.
All dental implants aren’t necessarily the same
If you do notice a dental clinic in Malaysia offering a cut-price dental implant service, you have to wonder how they can afford to do it. Even with a cheaper cost of living, equipment, materials and training don’t come cheap and these are things that should be factored into account when pricing up a dental implant procedure.
Inevitably something has to give and typically, that ‘something’ is the standard of the dental implant itself.
Did you know for example that there are over 400 dental implant brands currently on the market?
These range from premium brands like Straumann and Nobel Biocare through to value and discount brands. Typically, lesser-known implant brands don’t have the years of testing, development, financial backing and proven success that the premium brands have and as a result, many companies go out of business as quickly as they arise.
The problem with this from a patient perspective is when a dentist in Malaysia uses a discount product then if the dental implant or abutment fails several years down the line, there may be little or no chance of replacing it with like for like because the company may no longer be around.
Moreover, some unscrupulous dentists may even use sub-par dental implants containing a wide range of cheap metals to keep the cost down. These can cause patients biocompatibility issues and unfortunately, this is the downside of dental tourism in places like Malaysia, Thailand or Bali.
Shorter treatment windows
When people travel abroad to undergo dental implants in Malaysia and other destinations it’s usually because they have multiple dental issues that need sorting out. This means that any savings made are fully maximised. The trouble with this theory is that patients can have unrealistic expectations of how long certain treatments like dental implants take.
Typically anyone embarking on dental tourism will have a window of opportunity during which time they need multiple treatments completed. Inevitably, a dentist may realise this and therefore push ahead with the various treatments even though it might not be entirely safe or right to do so.
A dentist may, for instance, fail to deal with any pre-existing conditions first such as gum disease which, in turn, can place the entire dental implant procedure at risk. Alternatively, they may decide to load the implant with a dental crown when it’s too early to do so.
As a top tip – if you are considering undergoing dental tourism abroad in places like Malaysia, then book an open-ended ticket and leave yourself plenty of time to you’re your treatment done safely.
Remember dental implants aren’t ‘set and forget’ processes. All sorts of factors may need to be taken into account including the possibility of bone grafting or sinus lifting and/or the eradication of gum disease before any dental implants can be placed.
Dental implant problems
The final risk factor with dental tourism especially in places like Malaysia is that when dental implants go wrong or fail, they inevitably do so months down the line, long after you have returned from your trip. While implant failure isn’t so much of an issue when you undergo dental implant treatment back here at your local dentist in Australia, it remains a huge problem if your dentist is on a different continent and a 9-hour flight away. Think costs of return flights, further accommodation and even, whether there is any chance of recourse at all.
As you can see, dental tourism on the surface may appear to be a no-brainer saving you a great deal of money on a dental implant procedure initially but in reality, there are a ton of underlying risks that can seriously impact both your wallet and your health.
So what are the alternatives to undergoing dental implants in Malaysia? Is it even possible to save money on dental implant treatment back home?
The good news is that there are ways that you can have quality dental implants here in Australia without it costing you the earth. They include:
- Keeping an eye out for local promotions
- Checking your extras cover on your medical insurance – more and more companies are including aspects of dental implant treatment in their coverage.
- Flexible payment plans – Many dental clinics now offer financing or flexible payment plans on dental implant procedures.
Here at No Gaps Dental, we’ve seen and dealt with first-hand the problems caused when people opt for cut-price dental implants in Malaysia as a way to save money. So we keep our prices very competitive without compromising on quality.
Moreover, we also offer flexible payment plans that allow patients to spread the cost of dental implants treatment over several weeks or months.
To find out more about how we can help you to restore your smile book a consultation at a No Gaps dental clinic of your choice or call us at (02) 8806 0227 today.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks.