Whilst not necessarily a new topic for discussion, this post is centred on our patient’s personal experience of travelling abroad for dental treatment. Stripping away the hype and the horror, we focus on the factual and look to give our readers a first-hand account on (very nearly) undergoing dental treatment 3000 miles from home.
Meet Matt.
Age:
Keeping it secret
Location:
West Yorkshire
Dental Concerns:
Cosmetic & Restorative (i.e. repair work need). Matt was troubled by his dental bridge which crucially included one of his front teeth. Due to the position / age of Matt’s dental bridge it was prone to detaching / debonding leaving him feeling frustrated and conscious about the space at the front of his mouth. Whilst undergoing this restorative treatment Matt decided it was an ideal time to improve the shape, uniformity and colour of the teeth surrounding his bridge (in what we call his smile line). Matt also had a space where he had a molar (back tooth) removed and he found himself chewing heavily on the other side, compromising his ability to enjoy certain foods.
Proposed Treatment:
- Dental Implants
- Crowns / Veneers on surrounding teeth,
- Tooth Whitening
- Composite Bonding
Given the amount of treatment needed, cost was huge factor when Matt made the decision to travel abroad for his dental treatment. Having discussed his decision with his own Dentist (Dr John (Sean) Maguire) Matt travelled to a clinic in Turkey for a consultation during a family holiday. Matt’s treatment ‘package’ included his flights, a hotel stay (with the dental clinic on site) and all of his dental treatment costs. Matt’s treatment would be carried out over two visits to Turkey (7-10 days per visit). The initial visit to Turkey would comprise the implant surgery (placement of dental implants into the jaw bones) and provision of ‘temporary teeth’. Six months later Matt was to return to have his implant crowns fitted (his permanent teeth) and also the additional cosmetic work he wanted (crown and veneers). In terms of aftercare, he would have an annual video call with his clinician.
Whilst the clinic was clean and well equipped and the clinician’s friendly and professional, Matt became uneasy when he found himself in communal areas of the resort and observed fellow guests at various stages of their patient journey. ‘I looked around me in the restaurant and bar and saw lots of people with exactly the same smile. Big, white, perfectly uniform shaped teeth. And I just thought, they look fake, they look like they have ‘had their teeth done’. Matt was also unnerved by some patients who were clearly in the middle of some quite invasive and significant dental treatment. ‘Some really young people were having treatment and had their teeth ground down to nothing more than pegs’.
Matt was also shocked to hear that for some people their treatment schedule had overrun and they had either had to extend their trip or return home with treatment unfinished and rebook for later in the year. ‘I just suddenly felt really far away from home’ says Matt, ‘I thought if it was me going through that type of treatment I would feel so much better if it was with my own dentist, someone I know and trust and could call on with ease if I had any problems’.
Upon his return home Matt had a consultation with Sean (our Implant Dentist) and Dr Gareth Nichols (our Cosmetic Dentist) and together they agreed a comprehensive treatment plan procedure with accurate costs and likely timescales.
‘They were excellent from start to finish’ says Matt, ‘I had several appointments for my implants with Sean and four weekly reviews to ensure he was happy with the healing process’. Matt felt reassured that he was closely monitored by Sean throughout his implant treatment, remarking that it was a more comprehensive procedure than he had first realised and that there were more stages to his treatment than those detailed in his Turkey treatment plan. ‘I think there was definitely an element of condensing appointments to fit in with your holiday duration in Turkey’. ‘The level of service having a dentist “round the corner” at Pontefract Dental Care compared to travelling to Turkey was worth the extra cost’.
Following successful implant treatment, it was time to focus on the remaining cosmetic elements of Matt’s treatment. Using our state of the art intra-oral scanners (removing the need for traditional impressions), Gareth was able to create a digital treatment plan of the teeth surrounding Matt’s new implant showing him exactly how they would look. ‘I was involved at every stage and was able to have input into shape, size and colour’ says Matt, ‘being able to properly visualise the end result was brilliant and gave me such confidence’.
Working alongside some of the best dental laboratories in the UK, in just a matter of weeks Gareth was able to complete Matt’s smile makeover and fit his crowns and veneers.
‘My whole treatment went without any complications. I am so pleased with the final results and get lots of compliments about my teeth’.
Sean & Gareth were also delighted with Matt’s smile makeover, ‘treating Matt was an absolute pleasure and seeing how thrilled he was with his results is why we do what we do. Here at PDC we strive to achieve excellence in a highly equipped and professional setting but without it feeling intimidating or pretentious. Clinical excellence and a great end to end patient experience are our fundamentals. Thanks for being a great patient Matt’.
For more information on our implant and / or cosmetic treatments do not hesitate to get in touch.