Dozens of people from Tayside and Fife are set to fly abroad for cut-price dental work in the coming years, it has been claimed.
Health tourism is fast becoming big business in a number of countries and The Courier understands interest is growing among local people who are keen to beat long waiting lists and save cash by looking beyond Britain’s boundaries for treatment.
Patients from Dundee and Fife, for example, are already said to have booked into the Dental Centre Hungary, which is hoping to attract new clients from across Europe to its clinic in Budapest.
The practice there grew and began to undertake treatment for patients resident outside Hungary, principally Germany and Italy, but soon extended later to Switzerland and, after the admission of Hungary to the EU in 2004, to Ireland and Scotland.
And with NHS charges rising and dentists sometimes difficult to come by, it appears more local people could opt to travel further afield to have their needs met more cheaply.
One Fife couple who have already been happy to go the extra mile for dental work are John and Sandra Wishart, from Kirkcaldy, who believe the service provided puts Scotland in the shade.
”I decided to go overseas for treatment having first visited the dental practice in Hungary for a consultation,” John said. ”I was more than impressed with the professionalism of the dental staff and their facilities.
”The cost of treatment is considerably less than the UK, which was a factor in my decision, but it was the overall feeling of confidence in their ability to carry out the treatment to the highest of standards in clean surgical conditions which made my decision easy.
”Flights are available from Edinburgh, accommodation is good, and restaurant prices are inexpensive.”
Cost is understandably one of the deciding factors for the patients who have travelled from Scotland so far, with implant-fixed dentures (overdentures) costing as little as £1,640 at the Hungarian clinic compared to up to £7,500 here.
Root canal treatment can also set people back around £350 in Scotland, as opposed to the £150 offered by clinics on the continent.
Iain Dubrey, who has been hired by Dental Centre Hungary to promote the clinic’s work in Scotland, admits there has been a growing demand from prospective Scottish patients.
”The problem for many patients needing serious work done is that the NHS moves far too slowly and the costs can be astronomical,” he said.
”For a lot of people, waiting lists are a nightmare. I had one woman from Dundee contact me after she’d had root canal treatment carried out near her home only to be told that when she needed the second stage done, she would have to wait until next year.
”She was in extreme pain and that just wasn’t possible. She was quite distraught and didn’t know where to turn, so that’s where we came into the picture.”
Mr Dubrey added that another client had been quoted £10,000 by a Glasgow practice to have implants put in her top and bottom jaw for cosmetic and health reasons, although she was able to have it done for just over £3,000 in Budapest.
”I’ve been impressed by how many inquiries we’ve had since starting up and clearly there is a demand for our services,” he added.
Photo by Andrew Milligan/PA Archive