Getting Dental Treatment Abroad
As a Brit, one of the costliest health treatments we come across is that of dental surgery. Even if you use the NHS dental services, a check-up will set you back £22.70, if you need a filling that will raise the cost £62.10, and if you’re wanting a more complex procedure such as dentures, you’ll be paying £269.30 per denture. And the problem you have with NHS dental clinics is that there is always a huge waiting list, especially for the more complicated forms of treatment. And if you want to avoid the waiting time and go private not only does this come at an extra annual fee but the
prices can be nearly four to six times more than NHS costs.
These rising dental costs and long waiting times are leading more and more people to look for treatment abroad, as it brings along with it both the benefits of being able to be seen in a much shorter period and at the same time you will be saving money, even with the cost of travel and accommodation factored in.
Going abroad for these services is what’s referred to as health tourism and the most popular place for it by far in the whole of Europe is Turkey. With the recent opening of their new Istanbul airport, over two dozen countries including us here in the UK are within a four-hour flight of this affordable dental care. However, it’s not just the prices, Turkey has invested a lot of money into its healthcare system putting its health tourism sector at the heart of its 2023 vision to boost the country’s economy and create innovation.
On average the cost of dental treatment in Turkey comes in at around 70% cheaper than the UK and the rest of Europe. Each of the dental practices in Turkey also complies to all the European Regulations they need to reassure you that they’re both safe and professional. Another reason why Turkey is so popular is that it’s also quickly becoming a holiday hotspot for us Brits and so you can combine your holiday with getting your dental treatment out of the way. Nearly all the dental practices in Turkey specialise in cosmetic dental treatments as well as non-cosmetic treatments. These cosmetic treatments which are becoming increasingly popular include bone graft (£200) and sinus lifting (£500). If you wanted that bone graft carrying out in the UK it would cost, more than £1,000 for a simple graft or over £2000 for a blocked graft. And when it comes to a sinus lift they can cost from £2,000 to £2,700.
As we’ve touched upon already if you need dental implants, either partially or fully, you want to get these done sooner rather than later as firstly, it’s affecting your confidence, and secondly, it’s affecting your ability to eat. Here in the UK there can be one of two things standing in your way, firstly as we’ve pointed out the extortionate cost, and the waiting period, especially if you’re not on a private scheme, with it usually being half a year at a minimum if you’re lucky rising up to a few years.
Also, if you live in a heavily populated urban area in the UK, chances are you have a handful of dentists within a short drive, but if you live in a heavily rural area such as the Scottish Highlands you can find that you’ll have to drive for hours just to get to your nearest one which is incurring a significant cost in terms of petrol. So, if you’re travelling that far anyway, why not just travel to your nearest airport and enjoy a holiday whilst you’re at it.
Now when it comes to the world holiday, you might be thinking it’s all well and good saving hundreds or thousands of pounds on the treatment itself but what about the flights and the
accommodation? Well return flights to Turkey believe it or not can cost less than £200 and to stay in a local five-star hotel won’t be setting you back at any more than £50 a night meaning that if you’re there 5 days you won’t be spending more than £500 which I’m guessing is considerably less than what you had thought. These low costs mean that in the grand scheme of things you’re also saving money as well as getting a holiday out of your dental trip to Turkey!
If you’re in need of dental treatment and have found that either the waiting times are too long or it’s too expensive over here in the UK, hopefully, this post has revealed the hidden gem to you that is Turkey for dental care. You may have only seen it as a popular tourist destination before, now, however, it is far much more than that and a good option for you if you want quality, affordable and timely dental treatment in one form or another. If you want to know more about dental tourism to Turkey and how we can help just click on the FREE Consultation link and we can answer any questions that you have.