ASIA DENTAL HOLIDAYS - How to have a great Thai or Philippines Dental Vacation!
Thailand and Philippines Dental Travel Checklist
By David Mandich for Certified Dentists Internationale’
Bangkok and Manila dentist prices are even less than dental prices in Mexico! Same materials, same equipment and many dentists in Asia have Western education and/or clinic practice in the West.
Below is the Board Certified Asia Dentist Association’s tips for dental tourists considering a dental holiday in Asia.
1. Get a price quote before taking off on an your dental holiday. Email a copy of your home dentist’s treatment plan, x-rays or panoramic x-ray to the dentist in Asia. Many dentists will give online estimates subject to a clinical exam.
Take digital pictures of your teeth. They are almost as good as an in-the-chair exam. If none of the foregoing items are possible - don’t worry, x-rays and panos are inexpensive in Asia. Panoramics for dental implants are only around $24-40usd in Asia vs. $150 -250 in the USA & Canada. Same equipment.
2. Get an idea of how many crowns, bridges, dental implants. you will need and list it all in the clinic’s online Contact Form. Be sure to note health issues the dentist in Asia should be made aware of.
3. Choose a certified dentist in Asia qualified to do the type of procedure(s) you are seeking. You will be assured of the best results from a board certified dentist rather than a less-skilled general dentist in Asia.
4. Discuss your payment options with the dentist. Credit cards are accepted in most places, but often subject to bank and credit card add-ons. American Express Travelers checks work in some countries but not others.
Important tip: Advise your credit card company you will be going overseas
If bringing cash - be sure to check with customs bureaus of your countries of departure and destination before getting on the plane. In many countries undeclared large amounts of cash will be confiscated. (Oh Yes!) Ex. $10,000us (per person or per family) is the magic number for declaring cash to customs in the US and Mexico.
5. Note your proposed travel dates to your dental travel or patient adviser to be sure the dentist can accommodate you. Dentists in Asia love vacations too - especially at year end, Chinese New Year, national holidays, etc.
6. Plan your stay around your dental treatment needs – find out exactly how long your treatment will take and give yourself time to recover - you may want to return to the clinic prior to departure for another bite adjustment and have the dentist check the healing progress.
7. Your denture adventure (sorry for the pun) will go smoother and you will get the best dentistry if you use the services of a dental association which promotes only certified dentists. At the time of this writing - the Board Certified Asia Dental Association and Certified Dentists Internationale are the only dental tourism agencies that restricts its referrals to board certified dentists.
Bottom line - if the dentist is not board certified - you won’t have any guarantee as to their level of training and skills. This is because in many developing countries (Mexico, Thailand, Cambodia etc.) general dentists are permitted to attempt complicated procedures without proper training or certification. Hope you got that - if not read again!
8. When using a dental tourism agency or going it alone - research the clinic you will be having your treatment at. You can be sure board certified dental associations vet their member dentists. Most dental tourism agencies (especially travel agencies) do not have the staff or expertise to do this.
9.When you’re not at the dentist, there is plenty to see and do in Manila and on the other 7,100 islands that comprise the Philippines. Bangkok has over 400 temples and many other exotic sights to see. Check ahead as you might catch one of the many exciting festivals that run throughout the year in Asia.
10. Let a Board Certified Asia Dentist patient adviser take the uncertainty of selecting the right dentist for your important dentistry. When you select a Board Certified Asia Dental Association member dentist in Asia, you will be assured that you will be getting the right dentist who is fully trained and certified by a board of specialists for the procedures that you need.
11. If you have a dentist or clinic in mind already, you can submit their name to a Asia Dental Association to be sure they are certified.
12. Go direct. Avoid travel agencies and online dental brokerages with clever .com names like DentureAdventure.com as you will pay more for your dental work, flight, hotel etc.
Start with a Board Certified Asia Dental Association. Often dental clinics provide free hotel/clinic transportation and have accommodation discounts that you will never see when you use a travel agency.
Board Certified Asia Dentist Association for free dentist estimates, resumes, referrals, appointment setting, and dental tourism information. The Association has member dentists in Manila, Bangkok, Hong Kong and other locales throughout Asia.
Certified Dentists Internationale’ Newly merged with the Mexican Board Certified Dentist Association it now features dentists in Asia, the Middle-East and Eastern Europe.
Contact:
Dental Tourism Patient Adviser - Dr. Cristina Terrado for personal assistance for Asia and board certified dentists: dr.christina.boardcertified@gmail.com
Author: David R. Mandich - Health Care Travel Writer
Url: angelswrote.wordpress.com
Email: www.angelswrote@gmail.com
Dental Tourism News Today - Read articles, news, and updates about Mexico, European and Asia dental tourism aggregated from CNN, TIME, NPR, the NY Times, Sydney Herald, UK Daily News, health care and travel writers.
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