Dental Implants in Manchester or Dental Implants Abroad – What Should You Do?

11 February 2019

Dental Implants in Manchester or Dental Implants Abroad – What Should You Do?

Let’s face it, when it comes to dental implants, Manchester residents will be all too aware that they don’t come cheap. In fact dental implants cost UK patients on average somewhere between £1500 and £2500 per tooth. So how about If I told you that in just a short flight away in places like Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic, you can visit a dental implant clinic and undergo an implant based restoration, complete with crown for as little as €811?

Even with today’s exchange rate that’s a little over £713.00 or somewhere between a 55% and 72% cost reduction. Even when you factor in return flights, the cost of a dental implant in Manchester, or indeed anywhere else in the UK, still doesn’t even come close!

But here’s the thing…

Before you go and jump on the first flight out, there are things you really should be aware of. Our dentist in Poynton explains…

Before I start, I know what you’re thinking. ‘They have to say what they’re about to say to justify the high cost of dental implants in the UK’ and I get it. However, the point is that there are certain risks you undertake when you seek dental implants abroad, that you wouldn’t necessarily have when you visit say, a Hale dental practice who have been successfully fitting dental implants into patients for a number of years.

Let me explain…

Different countries, different standards

Here in the UK, the Care Quality Commission was set up to regulate standards in all UK dental practices. This includes the prevention of cross contamination. As such, all dental professionals need to complete annual training to ensure that they’re up to speed with the latest processes. In addition, stringent audits are also regularly carried out.

Alternatively, when it comes to a dental implant clinic fitting implant-based restorations abroad, different countries have differing training goals and as such, those same high standards may not always be met.

That said, there has in the past been plenty of cases where UK dentists have put patients at risk from infection and equally, there are a number of clinics abroad which practice the highest standards of infection control. So, potential patients should still carry out any due diligence before choosing an implant dentist. However, it’s fair to say that if you do run into problems, any type of recourse will be far easier here in the UK than it would if you have undergone dental implant treatment abroad.

As a top tip – Try to visit the dental implant clinic first to get a feel for what the practice is like. This goes for whether you’re seeking dental implants in Manchester, or Budapest!

Implants can and do fail – Fact!

Did you know that even the most experienced implant dentist is unlikely to have a 100% success rate when it comes to fitting a tooth implant?

It’s not because we aren’t good at what we do. The reason is simply because there are way too many influencing factors which are outside the control of the dentist.

To put this into perspective, did you know that the number one reason why dental implants fail in Manchester and indeed the rest of the UK, is because patients themselves fail to commit to proper and ongoing oral care?

The issue is that when patients do encounter problems with tooth implants, it isn’t usually when they’re still on their 2-3 week dental tourism trip – however convenient that might be. Instead, there’s a good chance that if dental implant failure is going to occur, it’s way more likely that it will be 6 -12 or even 18 months down the line.

So, if a tooth implant fails in Manchester per se, its far easier to visit your implant dentist in Poynton and explain the problem in person. Whereas, it’s a whole different ball game when your dentist a 2, 3 or 4 hour flight away, and in a different country!

Language/Communication barriers

While many clinics in Europe who deal with dental tourists have English speaking dentists, English still mightn’t be their mother tongue. For this reason it can make it difficult to explain or convey specific concerns, queries and instructions to your implant dentist. On the flip side of that, important special instructions which need to be conveyed to you, such as post-surgery recovery and implant aftercare, can become lost in translation.

As a top tip – if you are considering seeking dental implants abroad, do as much homework as you can, not only on the clinic and area itself, but also on the implant dentist. After all, you’re trusting them with your health right?

Shortened treatment times

Most people seeking dental implants treatment abroad, will book time off work (usually 2 weeks or so) and undergo treatment. Because of the short timescale in which the dentist needs to carry out the work, they may need to cram in treatments to match the patients’ availability.

On the contrary, when you visit a local dentist and undergo dental implants, Manchester dentists can take the time to plan and execute the tooth implant procedure properly, so as to minimise the risk and ensure a greater chance of implant longevity.

As you can see, getting cheap dental implants abroad doesn’t come without risks, so it’s important to at least be aware of these risks in order that you can make a fully informed decision that isn’t based solely on price alone.

With all of that said, the question now is…How can I get cost-effective dental implants in Manchester while still getting the very best service? Our Hale dental practice explains…

Keep a look out any promotional offers

Quite often dentists will run promotions on their services. Whether that’s a free no-obligation implant consultation worth ‘X’ amount of pounds, or whether that’s money off the dental implant procedure itself, keep an eye out for any leaflets or’ in-practice’ promotional offers when you’re next visiting.

A word of warning – do be aware of dental implant advertising offering cheap implant deals. When I say cheap, I really mean ‘too good to be true’ kind of cheap. Chances are it’s an ‘implant only’ offer meaning you’ll end up paying extra for the abutment fitting, dental crown and in some cases, the surgery itself. So, always make sure you check out the small print.

Dental Insurance

While typically, most insurance providers won’t cover you for dental implants, some will pay a certain percentage towards the cost. This could bring down the tooth implant cost sufficiently enough to make affordable dental implants in Manchester a reality. Therefore, it’s well worth checking the small print on your existing policy or alternatively, seeking out those dental insurance providers that do.

Payment plans

Finally, in order to make dental implant restorations more palatable to cost conscious patients, many dentists will offer a variety of ways to pay. Often this includes spreading the cost of payments over a number of weeks or months. It’s well worth asking your implant dentist what payment options they provide.

So there you have it, everything you need to know about the risks involved with getting cheap dental implants abroad and some tips on how to get affordable dental implants in Manchester and indeed the rest of the UK!

If you live locally and are considering dental implants, Manchester-based Church Road dental and Cosmetics can help. Visit us for a free, no obligation consultation and get all the facts you need to make an informed decision. Call today to make a booking on 0161 486 0743.