Thinking of going overseas for dental implants?

You may want to think again…

Dental tourism has become quite popular over the past few years; the perception is you jet off to an Asian country, get the dental work done for a fraction of the cost, relax by the pool with a cocktail or ten, then head home with a tan and a shiny new smile. Sounds great, right? Unfortunately the old adage ‘If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is’ is quite pertinent here.

The true cost of cut-price implants

If you do a Google search for ‘dental implants’, you’ll probably see the ads offering dental implants for $250. Yes, really; $250. A dental implant in Australia will generally set you back many times that, so $250 sounds pretty tempting, right?! How can they do it so cheaply? Unfortunately the reality is that they have had to seriously cut their costs in some way; either through low quality equipment, low quality materials, staff with inadequate training, or a combination of the above.

What these ads don’t tell you is the real cost of the risks associated, and what it could cost you to fix if it all goes terribly wrong.

Let’s take a look at some of these risks.

Risk one: Low quality materials

When your dental implant is created using inferior materials, there’s a very good chance these materials won’t last and could leave you with crumbling crowns and other issues in a very short space of time. When you undergo a dental implant in Australia, the materials we use are of such excellent quality that oftentimes it’s possible for a crown to last for well over 10 years before requiring replacement.

Further to this, in Australia we use the highest quality titanium implants which are biocompatible, meaning there is almost no chance your body will reject it. This allows osseointegration to occur, fusing your jawbone with the implant and providing the sturdy and strong root required for the crown to be fitted to later.

But imagine if an inferior material was used; one that your body rejected. Imagine the infection which could occur at the site. Imagine if this left you with so little viable bone in your jaw that it was impossible to fix.

Risk two: No comprehensive after-care

Above we discussed osseointegration. This isn’t something which happens overnight; it’s a process which can take several months. In Australia, we won’t fit your final crown to implant until it has well and truly integrated. During this time it will be closely monitored to ensure there’s no infection, and that everything is progressing as it should.

If you take a “holiday” to get your dental implant done, however, you’re probably going to be there for a matter of a couple of weeks at most. In that time you’ll undergo surgery to place the implant into your jaw, have the crowns fitted, and be sent on your merry way. There’s no way to easily attend follow-up appointments, no real duty of care required from the ‘doctors’, and you’re essentially on your own. By shortening the treatment time, you’re significantly increasing the risk of complications and trying to “fix” this once you get home and realise there’s a problem can be an expensive and difficult situation.

The real cost

As you can see, while the initial cost of getting dental implants overseas can seem like a real bargain, the truth of the matter is that the risks really can far outweigh any perceived savings. It could end up costing you far more to fix any problems afterwards than it would have to simply undergo the procedure in Australia where the industry has strict guidelines in place to ensure you are protected.

While we can understand the appeal, we would strongly urge you to think very hard about the potential risks involved before you click that ad!

Brisbane Dental Implant Group

With more than 25 years’ experience in the field, Dr Michael Howard and the team at Brisbane Dental Implant Group provide you with a “one stop shop” for comprehensive dental implant treatment. Our facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art technology, and we only use the very best quality materials, so you are assured of the very best outcome. Further to this, all of our laboratory work is undertaken in Australia using the highest standard of materials for the best final outcome.

If you would like to book a dental implant consultation with Brisbane Dental Implant Group, please feel free to contact us.