Dental Tourism: Three Reasons Why You Should Not Get Dental Implants In Underdeveloped Countries
Many people like to travel to less-developed countries to get cheaper plastic surgeries and cheaper cosmetic procedures. While that may be tempting when you consider dental implants, there are several reasons why you should not get dental implants anywhere else but in the U.S. or more developed countries. If you still want to engage in dental tourism to get cheaper implants, consider first the following reasons for avoiding it in less-developed nations.
It Is a Surgical Procedure for Which You May Need Blood
Cutting open your gums to expose the bones underneath means that there will be a lot of blood. If your foreign dentist is not careful, or if you have quite a lot of bleeding, the dentist may hook you up to donated blood. In under-developed countries, that is a recipe for uncontrolled disease, including HIV and AIDs (which is still common in Africa if you choose to have your procedure there). Unregulated blood banks in less-developed countries should be the number one reason for avoiding any surgical procedure in these countries.
Infection Rates Are Much Higher
Not surprisingly, your chances of infection after surgery are much higher in low- to middle-income nations. Most dentists and doctors in these countries require that patients stay a few days or more after surgical procedures. However, if you already have the beginnings of an infection in your gums from poor hospital hygiene and poor-to-no sterilization techniques, you are going to want to be on the next flight home and not in a hospital bed or recovery room in one of these countries.
The Final Cost, Including Travel, May Be More
When all is said and done, your final cost for traveling to another country for dental implants may not cancel out the expense of just getting your implants here at home in the U.S. Your flight, your passport, your transportation within your chosen destination and any aftercare to treat infections or medications may just cost you more than a whole mouth of dental implants. Additionally, last minute changes in flight or a country closing its gates to tourists because of recent attacks, bombings, etc, means that you flew the whole way for nothing and have to turn around and go home.
What You Can Do Instead
Talk to your dentist. See if he or she is willing to cut the costs for you or provide you with information on how to decrease the expense of implants. Some dentists in other states may charge less, in which case you do not have to travel halfway around the world to get quality implants for less. Some dentists may even match other dentists' specials on implants and other dental services, allowing you to stay home, get your implants and still get a good, affordable deal on your faux teeth.
Speak to a local dentist or go to site to learn more.