I tend to share your feelings here. Much better, for me anyway, to be with somebody you know and trust. But I recognize that it's total madness having anything done in Geneva, what with the Swiss franc the way it is (even though I'm based there for about half of the year). And I've heard stories that dentists in Geneva aren't necessarily better than those in Poland or Hungary....never quite got around to plucking up my courage to going to Eastern Europe, though. All I need doing now is having a couple of wisdoms pulled, and I also need a paradontological treatment.

 

Most of these places has a sanitation problem and of course there's always the follow-up visits I would think twice before going to any professional in a distant country

 

I think I should make it clear on the thread (not to you specifically) that I never fly anywhere just for medical treatment. The cost of travel eliminates the savings, unless you're having something major done. I do my work in Thailand because I'm here anyway.

I have heard others say good things about Samitevej. Bumrungrad keeps jacking up their prices. Maybe I'l give S a try.

 

"I think I should make it clear on the thread (not to you specifically) that I never fly anywhere just for medical treatment." - You would if you lived in Cambodia. I fly to BKK to change a band aid.

 

I belong to an online message board forum for dental professionals. The forum is very much like FT, except it is only open to dentists and people affiliated with dentistry, to allow professional exchange of ideas.
We discuss our cases, ask each other for advice, and post our work for suggestions and critique.
There are some 100,000 members...most are in US/Canada, but there are many from different countries.
To be sure, US and Canada do not have a monopoly on good dentists. There are lots of extremely talented clinicians from many different countries whose work is exceptional. There are dentists from Ukraine, Slovenia, Russia, Lithuania, Yemen, Costa Rica, Brazil, Argentina, whose work is as good or better than 90% of US dentists. But while their fees are somewhat lower than US, none of them are even close to what is being posted here. Quality is expensive, whether you're paying in dollars, hryvnas, or rials.

Those dentists are extremely competent, but they are not representative of the dental care standards in their countries.
The average work we see coming from abroad is of horrifying quality.

To those who say they've gotten good dental care elsewhere, I respectfully submit that they may not be able to tell good dental care from bad, or they got lucky...because based on what every American dentist sees walking into his or her office, the odds are overwhelmingly against it.

 

In the process of getting two implants done in SF Bay Area. Cost is ~10k. Did the bone grafts a few months ago, just got the posts screwed in a week ago, and then have to wait a couple more months before attaching the crowns. Getting it done for a fraction of the cost sounds attractive, but having to make 3 flights somewhere to get it done? I just don't have the time for that.

 

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I would trust to my dentist in the US much less abroad

 

Sorry, but not the case for Europe as charges for procedures are set by government, and typically 50-75% cheaper than what you would be charged in the US. Similar to most healthcare.

Besides, most US dentists are prone to over treatment (i.e. generating more income) - ask any Swiss, Dutch or German dentist (many attend conference in the US). If major work is indicated by my US dentist I always get a second opinion from my European dentist - and it often contradicts the US advice.

 

My Swiss dentists sure are expensive, but I trust those two young guys, one of whom whose special area is parodontology (odd how the spell checker doesn't recognize that word; have I got it wrong? In French it's 'parodontologie'). These seem to be really good, respect each others fields, have a lot of customers and are nice and reassuring. I think what is important is the relation you develop with the dentist or doctor or whatever. That is more important for me.

 

I trust the quality, it's the integrity I'm not sure of. Some US dentists seem to think they are entitled to be filthy rich and that I'm the patient to do it.

The last time I was at a US dentist I went to a new dentist for a check up.

The lady picked and probed and wrote stuff down and took some x-rays. Then she presented me with an estimate that would have covered a new car or two (approaching $30k total). She had financing plans all available, etc.

The whole car salesman pitch got to me.

I had the work done in Thailand for less than $1,000.

 

you really think we're just protecting our turf?
how many people get their dentistry abroad? 1%? 2%?
That's not even a drop in a bucket, compared to 50% of Americans who do not see a dentist regularly. If you think we are just looking out for ourselves, keeping people from going abroad is not it. If anything, it keeps us busier, fixing the crap that fails within a year.

Again, I am not bashing foreign dentists. I know personally quite a few on all the continents who are infinitely better than I am. I also know they are not cheap.

Cheap is cheap. No need to go abroad.
You can find dirt cheap clinics in the US too.

 

I had a bunch of dental work done in Mexico City this May, including extraction of all four of my wisdom teeth, at KEMM Clinic in Polanco (123 Platon). My dentist was trained at University of Pennsylvania, and very professional. The facility was extremely clean, with modern equipment. Altogether I paid just over $700 for everything, including intake and a few follow-up visits. Very satisfied with the work.

 

I get my dental work done "abroad" if that includes Mexico. Where I live here there are
EXCELLENT dentists at 1/3 to 1/2 the price of the U.S. I know several people from Canada, the U.S. & the U.K. who are snowbirds and wouldn't dream of getting the work done in their home countries & I'm not just talking about fillings. The work includes implants, dentures & everything else.

 

I find it hard to believe that it would cover a pre-existing condition.

I've had very good (supposedly) dental insurance in the US, and it's capped at $1,000 or $1,500 per year. I've had years where my dental costs were an order of magnitude above that.

I have no idea what "retail" or any other nominal price is; all I know is what I get charged. Foreign is much cheaper.

Root canal and crowns are "covered" but still hundreds or thousands out of my pocket.