Dental implants have changed lives. In the past, dental bridges and dentures represented the only options for patients who experienced severe tooth decay and tooth loss. However, bridges and dentures lack the permanence, comfort, and sophistication of dental implants, which represent an investment in long-term dental health.
Some individuals seek to minimise the cost of their dental implant investments, opting for dental implants in Thailand or another less-regulated country. However, is the cheaper up-front price really less costly in the long run?
Dental Implants: What Are They?
Dental implants are small screw-like structures that are surgically embedded in the jawbone and serve as artificial tooth roots. The implants fuse with your natural jawbone and provide support for an artificial tooth, or crown.
Dental implants are made of titanium alloy, like hip, shoulder, and knee implants. Titanium alloy is stronger than natural teeth, not susceptible to decay, and mostly hypoallergenic.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants provide a secure post for a crown, fixed bridge, or denture. This gives patients the peace of mind to go about their daily lives without worrying about their teeth.
Dental implants are also good at preventing bone loss, like natural tooth roots. When missing roots are left unresolved, as in traditional dentures, it results in bone recession, which can change patients’ facial appearance as much as missing teeth can.
Dental Implants in Thailand
The dental implant procedure is one of the safest and most predictable of oral surgeries. Because of the high success rate, many people believe that going to a less regulated country will not endanger their health.
However, as with any surgery, serious complications can arise, including failure to integrate, perforation, and infection.
Dentists in Thailand might be subjected to different, more lenient regulations than dentists in Australia, making it sometimes unrealistic to expect the same results from dental procedures in these two different countries.
Cost of Dental Implants in Thailand
Dental implants procedures in Thailand are often only about half the cost of those in Australia, initially making traveling abroad for the procedure seem like a smart financial decision. However, you’ll need to remember to budget for travel and accommodation, as well as knowing the cost of a complication in the procedure.
Traveling directly after surgery can result in blood clots, so you’ll need to budget for an extended stay in Thailand if you chose to undergo a dental procedure there. Additionally, traveling soon after surgery can increase the likelihood of a dangerous infection, as you will be exposed to different pathogens in Thailand.
Dental implants can take up to a year to fully heal, meaning many patients who receive dental implants in Thailand must take multiple trips abroad throughout the recovery process. If anything does go wrong during your procedure or recovery, you won’t have a claim to recompense for an international procedure. With the recent travel restrictions, many patients have had their implants placed overseas but then are unable to return to have the crowns fitted and treatment completed. These patients, unfortunately, are now having to shop around in Australia to find a dentist willing to take over an incomplete treatment plan. The different types of implants and components used overseas are sometimes difficult to source in Australia, leading to frustration for the patient.
You should also keep in mind that you’ll probably have to pay the considerable price of dental implants in Thailand out of pocket, as most insurances don’t cover non-emergency international procedures.
Complicating Factors for Dental Implants
Patients who have been living without natural tooth roots for extended periods may have inadequate bone density for a traditional dental implant procedure. Toothsome offers bone augmentation so the procedure can be done safely and effectively on these patients.
To determine your outlook for a dental implant procedure, it’s important to have multiple consultations with a trusted dentist and create a personalized treatment plan. This will involve CTs and X-rays to determine your jawbone health as well as a review of your oral and overall health to determine your candidacy for dental implant surgery.
It’s important to your long-term health to go through a complete treatment planning stage, and often the convenience of working with your local dental practice and the cost of multiple trips abroad will outweigh the lower sticker price of a dental procedure in Thailand.
The Takeaway
Dental implant procedures have a lower advertised price than these procedures in Australia, but getting dental implants abroad can result in higher long-term costs; travel cost, lack of insurance coverage, and a higher risk of dangerous complications can add up to make dental surgery in Thailand a financial and dental mistake.
At Toothsome, we understand the financial strain of undergoing a dental implant procedure and aim to make this life-changing method of tooth replacement available to more people. That’s why we provide affordable procedures with flexible payment options.
To learn more about how a dental implant can improve your quality of life, contact Toothsome to book an initial consultation.
Chatswood location: (02) 8203 8786
Baulkham Hills location: (02) 9158 6637
Sydney location: (02) 9159 3728
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
