Britons save thousands on treatment abroad
The Mail on Sunday’s recent investigation into medical tourism revealed that Britons can save thousands of pounds in choosing to have their treatment abroad.
It reported: “35,000 Britons a year travel abroad for dental work, while nearly 60,000 searched online for information on dental tourism in July - up more than 50% on the previous month. 'Dental tourism' is a growing phenomenon, with more Britons combining a flight to a holiday resort with a visit to the dentist.”
Several European countries, but chiefly Hungary, Poland, Turkey or Croatia , or even as far a field as Thailand are all cashing in on the boom because of their low-cost, high-quality dental care.
“Strange as it may sound, it is the perfect holiday for a growing number of Britons who cannot get treatment on the NHS and do not want - or cannot afford - to pay big bills for going private, “ the Mail on Sunday revealed.
“This booming business is a direct result of the difficulty Britons have in finding an NHS dentist since the introduction of new contracts in April 2006 that saw a limit in the number of treatments that dentists could claim for from the NHS. This meant many dentists moved into private practice - leaving a shortfall of more than 2,000 for NHS patients.“
Department of Health figures suggest that the number of people with access to NHS dentists has fallen by 47,000 since 2006.
In 2006, over a million people had no access to NHS dental care and the situation will not be improving.
“According to a survey by medical cash plan provider HSA, about 40% of those questioned believed it was only 'a matter of time' before NHS dentistry disappeared altogether.
“Britons can save up to 70% by going abroad for dental treatment. Dental implants, which cost £2,000 on average to have done in Britain costs only £800 in Poland. There are also huge savings to be made on less expensive procedures. Veneers that cost £500 in the UK are £270 in Hungary, £215 in Poland and £150 in Thailand. Most people opting for treatment abroad combine it with a holiday to help keep down costs.”
