Are you considering dental implants to restore your smile and give your confidence a boost? Has the cost prevented you from taking action? Perhaps you’ve spoken to friends who have suggested you go to Thailand for a dental implant.
If you’ve done a Google search for ‘Thailand dental implant’, you will have discovered that dental implants are indeed cheap in Thailand and can save you anywhere between 50 to 70% off the price in Australia.
Just imagine…
Cheap dental implants with a tropical holiday thrown in. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, before booking your flight to Bangkok and packing your suntan cream and swimsuit, it’s best to find out what’s involved and be sure that you feel comfortable with any potential risks.
Before committing to dental implant surgery, talk about all your options for tooth replacement with a local dentist you trust. If, after considering all the advantages and disadvantages of other treatment options, your preferred treatment is still a dental implant, then make some enquiries about finance options that may be available to you to make the treatment more affordable.
However, if you’re still intent on travelling to Thailand for a dental implant, here are some potential risks and pointers to consider.
Lack of training
While some dental implants are relatively simple, others can be more complex. The training and experience of the Thai dentist placing the implants are vital, particularly their ability to handle and make good any unexpected consequences that could occur with surgery. Unfortunately, we’ve all read the horror stories of people that have travelled overseas for dental work and suffered severe consequences from what was supposed to have been simple implant surgery.
Although there are many highly-qualified dentists in Bangkok, the accreditation and training requirements may not meet the same high levels as those necessary in Australia. Lack of expertise and training puts you more at risk of dental implant failure and infection, which, in turn, may necessitate more surgeries when you return home to correct any malfunctions. As a result, you can probably wave goodbye to any initial money you saved with these additional procedures and care costs.
Hygiene risks
All dental practitioners have to be certified and face regular inspections from the Australian Dental Association to assure compliance with established hygiene standards.
At No Gaps Dental, we follow strict hygiene rules, including hand sanitiser, throughout our clinics. Hand sanitiser helps prevent the spread of germs and disease, protecting both our staff and our patients. We also ensure all our dental tools are sterilised and that dentists and hygienists follow strict disinfection protocols to reduce the spread of harmful saliva and blood pathogens. It helps to use hand sanitiser in your home too.
While the same impeccable hygiene and infection control likely exists in modern dental clinics in Bangkok city, they’re probably not the clinics offering bargain-basement dental implants.
Dental and medical history
Not everyone is suitable for dental implants, which is why your dentist needs to be aware of your medical and dental history. Few dentists in Bangkok have English as their first language, and it’s possible when communicating vital medical information such as allergies that it gets ‘lost in translation.
You may also have to rely on your memory to divulge crucial information such as previous dental work and reactions to the anaesthetic, which could impact dental implant surgery. This could put you at an increased risk of complications or dental implant failure.
Dental implant surgery risks
Like any surgery, dental implants surgery comes with its own set of risks. Because the success of the treatment relies on titanium merging with the jawbone, the implant procedure is more invasive than other treatments.
If you have experienced bone loss, the dentist will first provide a bone graft to create a stable foundation for the dental implant. A healing period is then necessary for the implant to fuse with your jawbone. The dentist needs to monitor your progress carefully and watch for signs of rejection or infection during this time.
Thanks to the latest technology, dental implant surgery can be carried out quickly by the dentist with minimal discomfort. But because every person heals differently, fusion can take between 4 to 6 months.
If you suffer from an allergy to the metal alloy commonly used in titanium dental implants, you may need zirconia implants which may not be available in Bangkok.
Know your implants
Find out what brand and type of dental implants are being used by your dentist in Thailand. Quality implants are critical for long-term success.
Be mindful that there are hundreds of implant systems, and often these cannot be interchanged. According to where you are in the world, some implant systems are not fully supported. In other words, a dental implant surgically placed by your Thai dentist may not be able to be rectified or restored in Australia should a complication arise at a later date.
Usually, dental implants are placed in one appointment and restored once the bone has fully healed around the implant – 3 to 6 months later.
Are you prepared, and is it cost-effective for you to attend multiple appointments in Thailand over such a time frame? Should the failure of the implant occur or a part of the implant system needs replacement, can you have this rectified back home in Australia?
Choose dental implants in Australia
As you can see, there are multiple pointers and potential risks to consider when going to Thailand for a dental implant.
The potential risk of dental implants in Thailand can mar the enjoyment of your holiday and negate any cost savings.
At No Gaps Dental, our dentists are highly qualified and utilise top-quality implants and the latest technologies. We’re here for you every step of the way and just a phone call away should a complication arise.
Why not schedule an implant consultation today to discuss your best options? Call us now on (02) 8806 0227.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks.