If you are looking for a dental implant solution in the UK, you might be tempted to consider going abroad.
Sometimes informally referred to as Turkey teeth, dental tourism is a growing market across the world, thanks to the advertised results and so-called low costs in countries such as Turkey, Thailand, Mexico, India, and Costa Rica.
But will dental implants abroad give you the solution you are so desperately seeking?
What exactly do dental implants abroad cost?
Before you can decide which is the most accessible treatment path for you, you’ll need to know exactly what the costs of dental implants abroad and dental implant costs in London can be.
Cost for full mouth dental implants abroad
UK price: between £13,000 – £26,000 for a full arch (either upper or lower jaw)
Price abroad: between £2,419 – £6,047 for a full arch (either upper or lower jaw)
Cost for single-tooth dental implants abroad
UK price: around £2,750
Price abroad: between £282 – £524
Cost for three dental implants abroad
UK price: £6,750 (£2,250 each x 3)
Price abroad: between £846 – £1,572 total
Why are dental implants cheaper abroad?
Dental implants abroad are always advertised as cheaper than treatment in the UK. The common reasons for this are:
- Non-inclusive advertised prices
- Cheaper prostheses and dental implants
- Different standards and regulations
Disadvantages of dental implants abroad
As well as a variety of hidden follow-up costs in the UK to correct poor-quality treatment, which can exceed £5,000 per patient according to a 2022 BDA study, there are several other disadvantages of dental tourism that patients should be aware of.
All-inclusive prices aren’t as advertised
When comparing, dental implants abroad cost less – but this may be because they include less than packages in the UK.
All dental implant packages in the UK should include:
- All scans needed for treatment planning and suitability checks, including any scans to check jaw bone quality and quantity, and scans after to check positioning
- Any consultations
- The dental implant apparatus itself – for example, the dental implant, abutment, and prosthesis, if using a three-part dental implant system, or the dental implant and prosthesis if using a two-part system
- Any temporary prostheses needed during healing *if appropriate*
- Detailed aftercare and essential medications, including antibiotics and pain relief
If you are going abroad, however, you will also need:
- Flights, airport transfers, baggage, and any taxes
- Visas
- Overnight accommodation
- Dental insurance
Any bullet points above that are underlined are commonly not included in dental packages abroad and so must be then paid for by the patient – which can quickly increase the cost of your dental implants abroad.
Cheaper dental materials
Sometimes, dental implants abroad cost less due to the difference in prosthesis materials.
UK dentists generally use implants crafted from carefully regulated, medical or dental grade materials, including titanium or zirconia, which are biocompatible.
This means they are incredibly strong, resistant to corrosion, do not harm the body once implanted, and have the unique ability to bind with bone and living tissue – in a process called osseointegration, which helps them last for decades.
These components are also completely traceable with corresponding serial numbers that manufacturers and dentists must keep on file – just in case a batch of components proves faulty, and patients need to be alerted.
When choosing your provider for dental implants abroad, be sure to discuss the materials used in your treatment. Otherwise, you could end up with lower-quality untraceable materials that don’t fuse with your bone and result in dental implant failure.
You should also be sure to get a copy of any treatment notes, including implant serial numbers, to pass on to your dentist in the UK – a safeguard that could save you thousands in the future in a worst-case scenario.
Different standards and regulations
In the UK, all dental surgeries must practice according to specific regulatory and registration standards – including registering with the General Dental Council and adhering to the standards of the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
These professional bodies ensure dentists practice in a way that protects the patient, especially if something goes wrong, and ensures that all dental professionals follow the same ethical code of conduct.
If you seek dental implants abroad, you should do your homework and identify which specific standards and regulations your chosen dental surgery must comply with – as each country will have their own.
You should also find out what these standards offer you in terms of protection during and after your surgery – to be sure it is comprehensive and fits your needs.
Aftercare for dental implants abroad
Aftercare is also a huge problem when choosing to go for dental implants abroad.
A British Dental Association (BDA) survey from 2022 included 1,000 UK dentists and found that a whopping 94% of them had examined patients who had gone abroad to seek dental treatment.
- 86% of dentists examined patients whose treatment was failing or had already failed
- 76% said that patients were experiencing pain
- 72% noted that the treatment had been poorly executed
All of which needed rectifying in the UK – at the expense of the patient.
By choosing to visit developing countries that offer cheaper dental implant treatment, you are ridding yourself of the chance to receive aftercare of any kind – which can be just as important as the treatment itself in terms of dental implant success.
If you opt for treatment in the UK, any issues with your dental implants must be rectified – by law – and which grants your mouth the best chance at healing and makes successful, long-lasting dental implants much more likely.
Choose expert UK dentists to get the best dental implant treatment
Where you choose to go for dental implant treatment is, of course, down to you and your budgetary constraints.
However, you should be very careful to ensure that the cost of dental implants abroad doesn’t far outweigh what you might have paid for dental implants in London – which would come with the certainty of legal protection, the most advanced dental implant components and techniques, and with less risk of things going wrong.
We have plenty of information regarding the dental implants cost in London on our website.
To meet with our dental implant experts for a free consultation to discuss your options, you can call us on 020 3285 6148 or send us an email to [email protected] and we’ll be in touch.