If you’re considering obtaining a dental implant overseas, it’s best to be cautious. Australian dental standards are in place to help protect Australian citizens and residents and to promote outstanding care. Here are some reasons to think carefully about the benefits of Australian implants versus dental implants overseas. Once you tally up the overall costs, it is in fact, much safer and more effective to stay in Australia.
The dental implant: a sophisticated dental option to replace missing teeth
Dental implants are permanent, sturdy tooth and root replacements designed to look, feel and function like a natural tooth. A qualified dental team installs them, and they necessitate materials and operatory procedures of outstanding quality.
These implants can replace an entire arch of teeth, several teeth, or a single tooth. They can also secure dentures, thereby preventing embarrassing denture slippage.
For dental implants to be safely installed, a dentist must evaluate the health of your gums, jawbone, and surrounding tissue to ensure you are a candidate for dental implant surgery.
Are overseas dental implants worth it?
It may seem like a smart idea in the short term to choose the cheapest option, but it’s easy to forget that there is a huge difference between price and cost. The price of a dental implant overseas might seem cheap due to poorer-quality materials or possibly lower standards of training or lower quality control in another country. As tempting as the ticket price might seem, the cost of an overseas dental implant can add up in the long run.
What materials are used in a dental implant?
An Australian-standard dental implant consists of three primary elements:
Titanium implant, or root replacement system
A tiny, screw-like, sterile titanium implant is placed in the patient’s jawbone. Over time, this titanium implant will fuse with the patient’s jawbone in a process known as osseointegration. This new “root” heals to provide a strong foundation for the abutment and crown.
An abutment, or a small metal post
An abutment connects the titanium implant base to the crown. It sits partially outside and partially inside the gum line, providing excellent support for the patient’s artificial tooth.
Tooth crown
Crafted out of natural-looking and durable materials, this is the tooth replacement others will see whenever you smile. It mimics your natural teeth in both form and function.
These Australian standards have been put in place to protect dental patients from infection and painful complications due to implant failure.
Barriers faced when seeking dental care abroad
If you choose to pursue dental implants overseas, you may encounter some challenges and extra costs.
For instance, you may encounter a language barrier and find it challenging to communicate with your dentist.
This can be stressful and even unsafe if you are unable to communicate any discomfort or concerns. You may find that the costs of going abroad quickly tally up. The accumulated expense of flying to and from your overseas dental destination, taxis or transportation from airports to hotels to a dentist’s practice, and food while abroad all add up considerably.
It is difficult to assess the make-up of the implant components in an overseas dentist’s practice. You may receive a lower-quality implant without even knowing it–until you have to deal with the consequences later on.
Additionally, if you do experience any issues and decide to pursue follow up care in Australia, you may be advised to return to the overseas dentist for further treatment.
If you prefer to have the dental implant complications or ongoing maintenance done here in Australia, you may be surprised to learn that the materials used aren’t compatible or are not approved by any Australian dental governing body.
The consequences of an inadequate implant
While a dentist overseas might be well-trained, there is simply no way to be sure that the standards of hygiene or sterilisation throughout the process of supplying, storing, or installing a dental implant is up to code. Additionally, other countries may not have the same standards for continued education or up-to-date dental methodologies.
What if your dental implant procedure requires multiple steps? Will you fly back and forth to another country, pay for food and lodging and risk illness or infection, only to be unsure of the outcome?
Conclusion
When it comes to a long-term decision like a dental implant, it is far better to stay in Australia. You save time, build a relationship with a well-trained local dentist, and can be confident in the quality of the treatment you receive. If you or a family member are in need of a dental implant, call us on any of the following numbers:
Chatswood (Dr. Willis & Dr. Chou): (02) 8203 8786
Baulkham Hills (Dr. Willis & Dr. Chou): (02) 9158 6637
Sydney (Dr. Willis): (02) 9159 3728
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
