Travelling abroad for dental treatment is becoming quite common among patients in developed countries. Every year, some 800,000 Americans travel overseas for dental care, according to Patients Beyond Borders. Almost half of all medical tourism is dental travel, which the industry describes as an “increasing phenomenon.” If you’ve heard of people who have gone abroad for dental treatment, you might wonder whether you could benefit yourself. The main reason many patients seek dental care overseas is the rising cost of healthcare in developed countries — you can potentially save hundreds or thousands of pounds by becoming a dental tourist. Read below to learn more about the benefits of dental tourism, the cost savings, and the risks you should be aware of.
Benefit from Lower Dental Care Costs in Countries like Turkey
Dental care is expensive in just about every developed country in the world. Even in advanced countries with universal healthcare — such as Canada or the UK — patients may struggle to obtain affordable care beyond the most essential treatments. In the US, where overall healthcare is very expensive, dental costs are unattainable for the average income earner.
The problem is that only a few dental treatments are considered medically necessary. Most treatments that patients desperately seek — such as replacing missing teeth with dental Implants — are considered cosmetic. Health insurance policies and government-covered plans do not pay for cosmetic dental procedures like smile makeovers or laser teeth whitening, so patients often have to pay out of pocket. Travelling overseas is one of the best ways to avoid the hefty price tags that come with going to the dentist. Dental tourists often travel from a wealthy country where care is expensive to one where dentists’ fees are lower but standards of care are the same. When lower cost doesn’t mean lower standards, dental tourism becomes very appealing. But how cheap are “low cost” dental treatments anyway?
Comparing Prices
For patients from Western countries, dental tourism can result in substantial savings. Consider, for example, Turkey — one of the top destinations in the world for dental tourism. In Turkey, dental clinics often offer free initial consultations to attract new patients, whereas in the US, just visiting the dentist could cost over $200. One patient in Ireland diagnosed with gum disease was told that the treatment she needed would cost over €6,000; in Turkey, resolving gum disease would cost only a third of that.
Common cosmetic procedures such as laser teeth whitening or polishing can cost close to a thousand euros in the UK, whereas in Turkey laser teeth whitening could cost just €300 or less. Prices for minor treatments offer good savings, but most patients fly to countries like Turkey to save thousands, if not tens of thousands, on major dental procedures. Most ageing patients want dental Implants to replace missing teeth, and branded procedures like All-on-4 dental implants can replace an entire arch of teeth — but these treatments often cost over $20,000 in the US, or a similar amount in the UK or Canada. In Turkey, patients can get a single dental implant for as little as €800.
Popular cosmetic procedures like smile restoration may involve several different treatments, such as crowns, veneers, implants, or gum contouring. Costs can easily rack up for these in developed countries where insurance rarely offers coverage. Such patients can travel to Turkey, where the overall cost of smile restoration can be as low as half the price in the US or Canada. The point is that patients who need common cosmetic procedures can seek care in a country like Turkey and possibly save thousands. If you don’t have dental coverage, this is a better option to consider.
Reasons Why Dental Treatments May Cost Less in Some Countries
It’s perfectly normal to be puzzled about why dental care costs less in certain countries. In poorer countries, healthcare costs are naturally low so the local population can afford clinic fees. But what about destinations like Turkey? Turkey’s currency, the lira, allows the country to keep healthcare costs low for several reasons — a lower exchange rate lets those earning in dollars, euros or pounds benefit from smaller local fees. Turkey also invests heavily in its dentists, some of whom have trained in the US or Northern Europe.
Turkey doesn’t offer low-quality care for lower prices — Turkish dental care is on par with standards set in Europe. The country’s public health facilities may lack infrastructure, but private dental clinics charge local prices while being built to world-class standards in most cases. Turkish dentists don’t have a practice of charging patients for third-party costs like rented equipment. In America, dental prices are often inflated by charges like rental equipment, whereas Turkey usually charges a flat clinic rate — you only pay separately for dental products, like tailor-made crowns or veneers. All in all, lower clinic fees keep overall dental costs down in Turkey, so patients from Western countries can benefit from a fraction of the price they’d pay at home.
Is Dental Tourism Worth the Cost?
If you’re travelling to another country for care, you’ll obviously need to factor in airfare and hotel charges on top of the cost of treatment. When all these things add up, can patients still save hundreds or thousands?
Dental tourism travel costs vary significantly depending on where you’re flying from. If you live in Germany, for example, you can travel to Turkey for a very low cost. Flying to Turkey from North America could cost up to $1,000 or more. Then there’s accommodation — but Turkey has a vibrant tourism industry, so you can find very affordable hotels, villas, or Airbnb rentals. Airfare is also much cheaper than flying to many other European countries.
Say your trip to Turkey from North America costs a couple of thousand dollars. If you’re seeking treatment like a dental implant, you can still save thousands more, even after the travel costs.
For patients in nearby European countries, it might save several hundred euros to pop over to Turkey to get your teeth scaled and polished, or to get cosmetic dentures. If you live in North America or Australia, travelling would be much more cost-effective for expensive cosmetic procedures, including smile makeovers, implants, gum contouring, or a full set of veneers.
Ultimately, you should add up the travel costs based on where you live and the season you plan to fly. In most cases, patients still find it more affordable to travel for the treatment they need than to receive the same care in their developed home country.
Enjoy a Holiday While You Undergo Dental Treatment
While lower costs are the primary reason for dental tourism, they’re not the only one. Some patients become dental tourists to enjoy a holiday while getting treatment done. Dental treatment is stressful anyway — so why not relieve some of that stress on a Mediterranean beach between visits to the dentist?
Countries like Turkey are well known for tourism. Turkey has a massive tourism sector, and visitors flock in to see the many historic sites, sometimes dating back to the Roman era, to enjoy the gentle Mediterranean sun and beaches with pearl-white sand. Turkey is also a top foodie destination and a great place to shop for authentic Turkish rugs. Adventurous tourists can even try hiking or trekking further inland — essentially, the country has the whole package.
Many dental clinics set up close to tourist destinations to attract foreign patients, and some even offer tourism packages. These make it easier for patients to find nearby accommodation and cheap plane tickets, and clinics may throw in perks like free consultations and chauffeured transfers to and from the hotel. Patients can benefit a lot from these Turkey teeth packages — not only are they cost-saving, they also make travel arrangements significantly more convenient.
Perhaps Receive Better Dental Care than in Your Home Country
Dental tourism isn’t only for patients from developed countries. Well-off patients from developing countries can seek treatment in Turkey to enjoy high-quality care. Low-income nations may lack dental clinics with technologically advanced facilities, and high-end treatments like All-on-4 implants might not be available at non-premium prices. Patients in these countries who are willing to pay for quality and reliability can seek care in Turkey.
Turkish dental clinics are equipped with the latest technology, like laser cleaning and, in top clinics, 3D smile-scanning machines. Clinics often have attached labs to custom-design products like crowns and veneers. Such care may not be available in many places in Asia or Africa, so patients can fly to Turkey to receive premium European-standard dental care.
Patients from developing nations can also save money by flying to Turkey rather than a country like the US, where airfare, accommodation, and clinical costs would be eye-wateringly high. Countries like Canada and Germany are famed for their nationalised healthcare, but only citizens benefit from those plans. In Turkey, affordable costs are available to everyone.
What Dental Treatments Should You Go Abroad For?
You can get any type of dental treatment in a country like Turkey. However, patients might want to prioritise to truly save on costs. For example, if you need immediate care, such as for a tooth extraction, visit a nearby dentist without waiting to travel. Certain surgical procedures might be better performed in your home country. If the treatment you need is covered by a healthcare plan at home, there’s no need to travel — unless you’re sure the care you’d receive abroad is better. Limit dental tourism to treatments you’d have to pay for out of pocket.
Most patients find it worthwhile to go abroad for cosmetic procedures such as:
- Smile restoration / smile makeovers
- Dental Implants
- Dental veneers and lumineers
- Dental crowns and dental bridges
- Cosmetic dentures
- Scaling and polishing
- Gum contouring
- Sinus lifting
- Cosmetic dental fillings
These treatments aren’t limited to the above. You should compare prices in your home country and in Turkey before visiting.
Understand the Risks
As cost-saving as dental tourism can be, there are risks that patients should consider well beforehand. Mainly, patients with certain medical conditions are cautioned against travelling abroad for dental treatment. For example, if you have severe asthma, air travel can trigger an attack, and asthma can complicate dental procedures — so it’s best not to let travel put stress on your body before treatment. Patients recovering from other medical treatments for conditions like heart disease, kidney failure, or an organ transplant are also advised not to travel abroad for care, as these conditions put you at risk of infection during invasive procedures. You may need special medical care even for a dental procedure that an overseas clinic might be ill-equipped to provide — in your home country, you can easily be taken to a hospital as an insured patient, but the same may not apply abroad. If travelling in general is stressful for you, don’t travel abroad; your body should be in optimal shape to receive most dental treatments. Finally, don’t travel to another country without understanding how its dental health system works. As in any country, there are good clinics and bad ones, so do your research and find a well-regarded clinic to avoid unnecessary problems abroad.
Planning Your Own Dental Trip?
If you’re weighing up dental treatment abroad, the clearest place to start is a transparent quote. See our dental treatment prices, estimate your treatment with our cost calculator, or start a free online dental consultation and we’ll build you a personalised plan, with no obligation.
Uğur Gültekinler D.D.S. graduated with his dental degree from the Faculty of Dentistry in Izmir, Turkey, in 2003. With over two decades of experience, he has developed a deep passion for cosmetic dentistry, using only the finest techniques and most advanced materials to create beautiful smiles.
Co-founder of Smile Dental, one of Turkey’s most advanced dental clinics, Uğur Gültekinler D.D.S. is our lead smile designer — combining years of hands-on expertise with cutting-edge digital smile design technology. Working closely with each patient, he tailors treatments to individual goals using his extensive knowledge in dental crowns and veneers.
Uğur Gültekinler D.D.S. is fluent in Turkish and English.
