Eastern European Dental Tourism
Hungarian Dental Savings Bundled with Luxury Vacations
Inexpensive crowns, bridges, dentures and extraction of wisdom teeth are part of an emerging international business niche that targets vacationing "tooth tourists".
According to Julie Snider of USA TODAY, more American vacationers are joining Austrian, German and other European "tooth tourists" travelling to former Iron Curtain countries to have their teeth repaired at deeply discounted prices.
In Eastern European countries like Hungary, low-cost dental clinics named "Happy Dent" and "Eurodent" occupy an entire block in a key shopping district. A small Hungarian city, Mosonmagyarovar has more than 150 practising dentists. The core clientele for these dentists are visiting Germans and Austrians who top up their dental vacations with purchases of low-cost cigarettes and cheese.
Cost-saving Examples
Hungarian dentists are targeting English and American patients. One dental tourist from Washington saved almost 350% from what she would have paid at home. For example, eight crowns at a Hungarian dental clinic cost US$3,195 compared with the $11,151 cost-estimate from a Washington dentist.
Another "tooth tourist" from Philadelphia travelled to Hungary for dental work on 26 teeth including crowns, bridges and two extractions. The total dental bill was $6,000 – a fraction of the $43,000 estimate for the same procedures in the United States. The Philadelphian used his extra cash to pay for an eight-day visit to Germany, a tour of Vienna plus local horseback riding.
Another Hungarian dental destination, Soporon (population 58,000), is a tourist mecca featuring economical tour packages that include visits to castles, thermal spas and wellness retreats plus biking, fishing and kayaking.
Dental Tourism Portal
A website named German-Dentist-Hungary offers a compelling case for Eastern European dental tourism. Topping the list of advantages is the average 70% savings for dental treatments. Below are selected price guidelines that compare costs for Hungarian dental care versus those in the U.S.
- Denture per jaw … US$480 (83% saving from U.S. dental cost of $2,800)
- Gold crown or bridge … $300 (79% saving from U.S. dental cost of $1,460)
- Porcelain crown … $340 (74% saving from U.S. dental cost of $1,300)
- Removal of all wisdom teeth … $580 (81% saving from U.S. dental cost of $2,420)
- Root canal treatment per canal… $80 (87% saving from U.S. dental cost of $600).
Other Advantages
The Hungarian dental website also features a color-coded map pinpointing dental offices in Hungary, as well as three international airports (Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest). Hungarian dental clinics offer tourist assistance, including free transportation from Vienna or Bratislava airports as well as advice on how to apply for passports.
Foreign patients can negotiate a preliminary estimate with Hungarian dentists well before flying overseas for actual treatment. Prospective "tooth tourists" first mail dental x-rays to Hungary or e-mail digital versions as a file attachment, plus any estimates from a local dentist, dental files and additional digital photos of the patient’s teeth.
Potential Disadvantages
Steep cost-savings and Eastern European tourist attractions make a compelling case for a bundled dental vacation. However, prospective tooth tourists should carefully consider potential issues with travelling thousands of miles to receive dental care.
Should there be any issues with treatment received at the Hungarian dental clinic, the long travel distance makes a series of follow-up visits prohibitively expensive.
Although some staff at the Hungarian dental clinics can communicate in English, German and Hungarian are the native spoken languages. Local language requirements can complicate any required investigations or legal actions.
Tourists must pay for dental treatments in advance, either in cash or in travellers’ cheques. For multiple appointments, half of the estimated total cost is due at the start of dental care with the remainder payable on the last visit. Payments can be in US dollars or euros.
