The Truth About Full Mouth Dental Implants Cost In Thailand

If your local dental practitioner’s treatment plan has left you asking questions about full mouth dental implant cost in Thailand, we’d like you to check this out before you start booking plane tickets. While initial pricing may look cheaper at face value, when you consider the true cost of dental tourism, you could end up paying much more.

 

The Truth About Dental Implant Costs

Dental implants certainly do provide a welcome and permanent replacement for missing teeth. But many patients find the initial capital outlay expensive – and that’s not surprising when you consider that the return on your investment is long term. So long term, in fact, that you could be reaping the rewards for the rest of your lifetime.

 

Paying Out Of Pocket

In many scenarios dental implants are not covered by health insurance, and in some policies are listed as exclusions. If you have a policy that does include Periodontics cover (and doesn’t specifically exclude dental implants) you may be able to claim.

Plenty of patients will look for second opinions and others start looking beyond local borders, for cheaper alternatives. Thailand is a popular destination for dental tourists, with many claiming that they can enjoy a luxury beachside getaway including flights, as well as full mouth implants in Thailand for the same price as the procedure alone in Australia.

 

Why The Picture Is Bigger Than Counting The Pennies

A dental implant procedure is a surgical procedure that already carries some degree of risk, even when performed in Australia. And the level of risk increases once you leave local borders – because you are no longer protected by the regulatory bodies that look after your interests at home.

Let’s have a look at some of those risks…

 

There’s the language barrier

While you take it for granted that your dental practitioner speaks English in Australia, you can’t assume the same in Thailand. Not being able to converse fluently can work to your disadvantage. It can result in miscommunication, expectations not being met or information just not being relayed.

If you were to go ahead with dental implants in Thailand your local dental practitioner would need to collaborate with the team in Thailand, to ensure good continuity of care. If they cannot communicate, it can make things very difficult.

There are time restrictions

Consider that the average dental implant procedure can take up to 18 months to complete – maybe more, maybe less. To condense the procedure into a two or three week stay in Thailand does make things very rushed. If you’re going to have a complex procedure, this makes things even more difficult.

Again, if you were to go ahead with dental implant treatment in Thailand you would probably have to make a minimum of two trips and a local practitioner would need to supplement your post-treatment care. This does not leave much time for dealing with complications.

It also does not afford much time for planning, or for you to mull over your treatment plan. If you have booked a return ticket you will have to make decisions according to your travel diary.

At DDSS we do not recommend that the dental implant process be rushed. Between each stage of the implant procedure your body needs sufficient time to heal and recover. If this does not happen, your chances of implant failure are elevated.

There are differences in standards

Australian dental regulations are very strict, and patients’ rights are protected by regulatory frameworks and standards. In the event that something does go wrong, a patient has recourse.

Once you head overseas for dental treatment, you are no longer under this protection and if something does go wrong, you are on your own.

There are many different implant manufacturers out there

If a Thai dentist uses an implant that your practitioner doesn’t know or can’t source spare parts for, you will have a problem later on.

Why Post-Operative Care Is So Important

As previously mentioned, after each stage of the dental implant procedure your body needs sufficient time to heal before you can move forward. Sometimes it can take a few weeks after a surgery before problems start to present. If you have opted for a dental implant procedure in Thailand, you may already have headed back home by then.

 

So What Are Your Options If Something Goes Wrong?

If there is a complication, something will have to be done, so you could either return to Thailand or you could seek out the help of a local dental practitioner. Neither option is ideal and both incur additional costs.

If a local dentist has to pick up, he or she may not understand what the foreign practitioner has done.

 

How Much Do Full Mouth Dental Implants Cost In Thailand?

Each patient’s case is different, and the cost of your treatment is directly linked to the specifics of your treatment plan. A treatment plan can only be drawn up once you have had an assessment by your dental practitioner.

According to traveller.com.au Australians can expect to pay approximately a third of the price for dental implants in Thailand, and usually this includes a getaway too.

 

How Much Do Full Mouth Dental Implants Cost In Australia?

Finder.com.au reports that the all-on-4 dental implant procedure, which replaces an entire arch of teeth using only four implants can cost in the region of $15 000 – $30 000 in Australia.

Ultimately, full mouth dental implant costs in Thailand are higher in the long term than they are when performed by locally trained, certified and accredited dental professionals. To find out more about the benefits of dental implants please get in touch

Sydney CBD: (02) 8294 5812 
Gosford: (02) 8294 8656