Babyboomers.com

In Parts 1 and 2 of this series we considered factors surrounding the escalating cost of dental care and alternatives that are available to patients. Now we get down to the nuts and bolts to help you slog through the jungle of dental tourism sites and find the best care.

Popular destinations for dental care

Mexico and Central America

Quality dental care is available in many countries around the globe.  For Europeans and people in the UK, Hungary is a popular location, though a bit distant for many Americans. India and Thailand also offer excellent care at considerable savings, but are really, really far away making them impractical for North Americans.

People in the States find Mexico and Central America to be the best bet. Those in border towns often drive to Mexico for dentistry, though the escalating drug wars are cutting into trips. Frequent flights, short flight times and inexpensive ticket prices make other Central American destinations attractive for dental travelers from the States.

Central American locations are popular choices for more than their proximity to the US and their temperate climates. Countries in that part of the Americas, being closer to the US, are more likely to dentists who speak English fluently, come here for training and maybe even have practiced here at some point in their careers.

Quality care can be found in all three countries. As the table illustrates, there are differences between the destinations. Overall, Pan American Dental Tours chose Panama because of its overall superior profile.

Comparing Dental Travel Locations

Flags (top to bottom): Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama

Why Panama

1. English-Speaking Dentists

The English-speaking tradition is a strong one. Many dentists have trained, or even practiced in the States  and belong to the American Dental Association.

2. Safety

Panama City is a modern, bustling metropolis. Forbes Magazine and Business Week, among many other sources, consider Panama to be a top choice for Americans choosing to retire to a safe country.  Headlines of drug wars, kidnappings and death make Mexico a dicey place to visit. San Jose, the Capital of Costa Rica, where dental tourists go, is in many ways a Third World city. The US State Department warns the visitor.

3. Ease of Travel

On the ground, you can drive comfortably in Panama.  Roads do not abruptly end and turn to rubble (you can lose your fillings driving in many parts of Costa Rica).

4. Eco-tourism

Lonely Planet says, “Panama’s biodiversity is staggering – the country is home to 218 mammal species, 226 species of reptile, 164 amphibian species and 125 animal species found nowhere else in the world. Panama also boasts 940 avian species, which is the largest number in Central America.

5. US Dollar

From the capital city to the smallest villages, you can pay with the US dollar and even get change in dollars and coins. No fumbling with conversion rates, and hefty credit cards exchange fees will not affect you.

How to Find a Dentist Abroad

As this quote from a respected travel authority notes, the prospective dental tourist must be prepared to spend time to locate dentists. It’s even more than locating the dentists. A patient needs to have a fair amount of knowledge about dentistry and the specific procedures they require, which takes even more time. The typical patient is looking to get quality care at a savings, not a dental degree. Sometimes language gets in the way. Frustrating long distance calls to offices where English is not spoke is costly, time consuming and sometimes nerve-wracking.

The dental tourist can simplify the process and reduce their anxiety about making choices.

Finding a dentist

Friends

Recommendations from satisfied friends who have been treated abroad is always a great way to start a search.  You should find out the work that was done, the factors that appealed to your friend and their impressions of the place where he/she was treated. Their needs may be very different than your own, because they had different work done or prefer a personality that you do not like.

Internet

Web searches for “dental tourism” will yield results, in fact at last count, 1.240,000 results. The top results will include many medical tourism companies, and even the sites of dentists who offer to treat dental tourists. There must be an easier way.

Dental Tourism Facilitators

A new industry has sprung to help the dental travelers find the care they need. Dental Tourism facilitators can help the patient looking for care.  These facilitators often have relationships with dentists and sometimes tour companies in one or more locations and they work to make the process easier.

Facilitators are usually paid by the dentists, so the patient can save time and also get the knowledge base of the facilitator at no cost.  Although the facilitator has a vested interest in promoting the professionals they are partnered with, they depend on satisfied clients and referrals, so their interest is in satisfying clients.

Travelers should vet the facilitator they choose. Many facilitators work across the spectrum of medical procedures, making it unlikely they have met dentists they recommend or ever inspected their offices. Ask how they chose the dentist they recommend and when they met.

Even then, the dental traveler should exert caution. Some facilitators are travel agents and may not have specific healthcare and dental experience.

Can the facilitator provide any references from patients treated by the dentist they recommend? Do the credentials of the dentist themselves meet a set of criteria—where and when were they educated and trained? What professional societies do they belong to?

On the Ground: What a patient needs to consider

How do I know exactly what work will be done when I get in the dental chair?

Reputable facilitators will only work with patients who provide Treatment Plans and x-rays from a US dentist. Why? A patient wants/needs to know what something will cost before flying to another country. The dentist who will do the work must be able to see what is needed. As professionals, they may recommend the same, more, or less work. So the patient will know what they are getting when they arrive for treatment.  (Note: Some patients are embarrassed or afraid to ask their dentist for a copy of records. Dentists get these requests often. Federal HIPAA law says that patients are entitled to copies of medical and dental records.

How much time will it take?

Different procedures require different amounts of time. Work such as veneers, root canals or fitting for bridges or dentures can be done in one trip, with time between fitting, lab work and placement.

Implants require two visits, each about a week in length. The first visit will be for the surgery. During that visit, the dentist will see a patient upon arrival to confirm the necessary work, do the surgery on Day 2, and then check the patient as needed before they leave for home. During the second visit, crowns are made and fitted.

Can a patient travel after the work?

Patients will be free to travel between appointments or even arrange appointments to maximize travel days. In the case of implants, the second trip is only for the fitting of the crowns, which allows for ample travel time. (author’s note: I recently had implants and was pain-free after leaving the office)

What if there is a problem after arriving home?

Most dental procedures are time tested and relatively uneventful. Even major procedures like dental implants are more than 95% successful. Most problems will be detected between the time of the surgery and the visit before returning home. Still, apossibility always exists that a problem may occur after arriving home.  There is no reason a patient cannot a local dentist if necessary. Extremely cautious patients may want to purchase low-cost insurance policies from their facilitator. These policies provide ample coverage for anything that may occur when the patient gets home.

Who is the Ideal Dental Traveler?

Although every dental patient wants quality dental care at the best price, not everyone is cut out for dental travel.  Let’s paint a picture of the ideal dental tourist. He or she:

1. realizes that the US is not the only country with qualified dentists. Dental “authorities” may downgrade the quality of care abroad, or claim that sanitary conditions are inadequate. The same authorities would not dare repeat those claims to International colleagues when they meet at the American dental Association meeting or at a post-grad class at NYU!

2. has the time.  Some people may find that travel is preferable to the routine of running off to the dentist at lunch hour and returning to the office. As the author of a feature on dental tourism in the New York Times said “Remarkably, some patients argue that a flight and a few hours in the dental chair is less hassle than having to rush back to the office half-sedated. For others, turning a trip to the dentist into a family vacation takes their mind off pending procedures.”

3. feels comfortable traveling.  People who like to travel find the “free” vacations in a spot they may have overlooked to be a bonus. And as noted above, the anticipation of a vacation may take some of the fearful anticipation from a dental visit. If you have never been out of the US, this may not be the best time to start.

4. needs more than $10 thousand of work in the US. Patients who need more work will save more money. A patient who needs one implant may pay for their vacation with the amount they save, but the patient who needs six implants will pay for their travel and realizes large cash savings. Summed Up

Summary

Escalating dental costs are making many Americans consider treatment alternatives.  The global economy has made it easier to get equivalent care at substantial savings.  And, dare we say it, dental tourism is an option that may make treatment more fun than a white-knuckled drive to the dentist’s office at lunchtime. It’s not for everyone, but if you do your homework, this may be a chance to combine the work you’ve been delaying with a great vacation.

Driving into Panama City, Panama