When you need complex dental work like implant restorations, understandably, you may be concerned about the costs involved. With an average price of somewhere between $2000 and $7000 per restoration, it’s no wonder that 15,000 Australians are prepared to travel abroad for their treatment each year – many of whom seek out dental implants in Vietnam.
Moreover, in a 2018 ABC news report, it’s thought that as many as 3 out of 10 Australians have avoided visiting the dentist purely because of the cost implications – while a further 1 in every 5 Australians is unable to afford the cost of treatments like dental implants. So clearly, there is a huge demand for dental tourism.
In fact, in Vietnam for example, a single dental implant could be yours for under $1000. That’s a 50% saving at the very least. So even when you add on the cost of return flights, it’s still an attractive proposition. Throw in the sights, sounds and smells of a new country and all the excitement that brings and it really is a bit of a no-brainer – or so you might think.
However, before you start trawling the internet for a cheap flight to Vietnam, it’s worth taking a moment to consider the risks involved. These are risks that you wouldn’t or shouldn’t have to consider if you visited a local dental implant dentist back here in Australia.
So without further ado, let’s dive in and take a closer look at those risks…
Risk factor #1 – A Dental implant dentist in Vietnam might not have the same degree of training
When you sit in the dental chair at No Gaps Dental, you will never for a single moment have to worry about whether your dentist is sufficiently trained. Dentists here in Australia are nationally registered through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (APHRA) via the Dental Board of Australia. These are bodies that maintain the highest levels of safety standards and clinical excellence through ongoing training of their dental practitioners.
Alternatively, a Vietnamese dentist might not have the same degree of training or clinical standards as a dental implants dentist back home. Of course, excellent dentists are placing dental implants in Vietnam, just as there are bad ones back here in Australia. However, and typically, they aren’t usually the ones charging bargain-basement prices.
If you are intent on visiting Vietnam for dental implant treatment, then be prepared to do some homework before you go.
Risk factor #2 – A dental implant procedure can’t always be rushed
More often than not, a dental tourist seeking cheap treatment for missing teeth isn’t going abroad because they require a single implant restoration. On the contrary, they travel because they need multiple treatments. This can in some cases equate to tens of thousands of dollars saved. These are treatments that in a normal clinical environment would be carefully planned and span multiple appointments over several weeks or months. That may be okay while you visit your local dental implant dentist, but how does that strategy compare when seeking out a dentist in say Hanoi to undergo a series of dental implants in Vietnam?
The truth is that many dentists are forced to work with patients who have very tight deadlines. This means that often, Vietnamese dentists squeeze dental implant treatments in when it might otherwise be prudent to wait a while to ensure the best clinical outcomes.
If you are keen on traveling abroad for multiple dental implants, it would be better and safer to book an open-ended ticket to allow yourself sufficient time to properly undergo the treatments.
Risk factor #3 – What happens when dental implants go wrong?
Although dental implants are the gold standard of missing teeth replacement with a 95% success rate on average, it still means that around 5% of all implant restorations will fail. While some of this may be due to the lack of skill/experience of the dental implant dentist, dental implant failure can also be caused by an unforeseen dental infection or a second rate/cheap dental implant.
The problem is that implant failures by their very nature rarely show themselves straight away. Most occur 3,6, 9 or 12 months down the line when your trip to Vietnam is just a dim and distant memory.
If the same problem occurred while you were under the clinical supervision of a local dentist back here in Australia, it would be relatively easy to seek assistance. However, it’s a completely different ball game when your implant dentist is an 11 or 12-hour flight and over 7700 km away.
Often, it’s left to dentists back in Australia to pick up the pieces of failed dental implant cases, sometimes with little or no clue of the implant systems used – all at a significant price increase for the patient involved.
Top tip – If you are intent on seeking out missing teeth replacement options aboard, it’s worth finding out what degree of recompense or recourse you have, should you happen to be in the 5% minority and you develop problems with your dental implants.
Dental Implants in Vietnam – The Bottom Line
If you are keen to make significant savings and undergo missing teeth replacement abroad, it’s worth carefully considering the risks involved, weigh up the pros and cons, and do your homework.
Alternatively, if you would like to pay a little less for quality missing teeth treatment, then contact any one of our 15 No Gaps Dental offices located in and around the Sydney Metropolitan area. With experienced teams, we provide a wide range of dental treatments and services at prices you will be pleasantly surprised at. Contact us on (02) 8007 6727 today and book a dental implant consultation at a clinic of your choice.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks.