Dental tourism: important points and benefits

Every six months, Marina travels from Moscow to Ryazan to see a dentist whom her friends introduced her to. On Friday she comes to the city, spends the night in a hotel, and spends Saturday at the dentist (one filling costs 1,500 rubles, while in the Moscow clinic they charged about 5 thousand for a visit) and in a beauty salon (coated manicure – 400 rubles). Nikita goes to Zheleznodorozhny near Moscow for dental treatment, where his sister lives: the last time he paid 2,700 for a filling, pain relief and an appointment (in Moscow it cost him 3-4 thousand).

Development of dental tours in Russia

The “late start” of this type of tourism in Russia is due to the fact that the USSR pursued a foreign policy that made it impossible to use the services of a dentist in another country.
After the borders were opened, Russians went not for more affordable prices, but for the latest high-quality services. This has become the main difference between domestic dental travel and that accepted in other parts of the world.

At the same time, domestic dentistry began to actively develop. The availability of modern equipment and the latest materials, the opportunity for specialists to participate in world-class symposia or any seminars and the exchange of experience with foreign colleagues have prepared the basis for the full promotion of private dentistry in the Russian Federation. An increasing number of patients in public clinics are choosing convenient treatment in a private dental office.

The demand for private dentistry is growing day by day. More than 9,000 masters, graduates of 2 dental institutes and 44 faculties that operated in the country before the collapse of the USSR, chose to get a job not in public, but in private dental clinics, or opened their own business.

About risks and side effects

The Moscow doctors surveyed are skeptical about dental tourism. Igor Lemberg, Associate Professor of the Department of Dentistry and Organization of Dental Care at the Scientific Center at the State Medical University of the President of the Russian Federation, Colgate Total expert, believes that this is not always justified.

“Any dental service involves a laboratory, and no good technician will do something quickly. They go where it is fast and cheap, and this means without taking into account individual characteristics. If we do large, serious complex work, we must first treat the teeth, conduct diagnostics, implant implants, which takes time, but at the resort everything is done quickly - in one or two weeks,” says Lemberg. “Unfortunately, in our country there is no understanding that health is the most precious thing a person can have, so they only run to the doctor when they have been in pain for two weeks or something has broken down. Doctors relieve the pain, and the patient disappears again. I am sometimes horrified by what happens in patients’ mouths: for example, a girl comes in without her front teeth, and I ask her: “How do you smile at people?” Why do you paint your lips if you don’t have teeth?”

The problem with regional dental clinics is that the quality of medical education in Russia differs from region to region, so it is impossible to assess in advance the level of qualifications of their specialists.

Last year, the dental magazine Startsmile, together with the Kommersant publishing house, compiled their own rating of Russian dental clinics based on data on the number and qualifications of doctors, equipment, the presence of X-ray machines and separate sterilization rooms. In total, 350 clinics participated in the study, and the final rating, in addition to Moscow and St. Petersburg dentistry, included clinics in Tula, Ryazan, Smolensk, Orel, Omsk, Nizhnevartovsk, Samara, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Rostov-on-Don, Voronezh, Reutov, Anapa, Yubileiny, Chelyabinsk, Zhukovsky, Zelenograd. However, due to the fact that the rating included mainly premium-segment clinics, the prices for their services in Omsk and Moscow turned out to be approximately the same.

Why do you paint your lips if you have no teeth ?

Vladimir Sadovsky, a dentist and president of the Russian Dental Association, could not answer the question of which regions of Russia are famous for strong dental schools.

“Any answer to this question will be a deception: to be objective, you need to conduct research,” says Vladimir Sadovsky. “We just recently held a meeting of deans of dental faculties in Russia and launched a rating project, the first results of which will be summed up only a year later, in February 2016.”

Last year, the Expert RA rating agency compiled its own top list of Russian universities based on a survey of employers, teachers, students and graduates. It included only 11 medical universities in Russia, and even those were not in the top twenty. The best, according to the agency, were educational institutions in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tomsk, Kazan, Voronezh, Saratov, Omsk, Yekaterinburg and Samara, Saratov and Volgograd.

Last year, accidents occurred in several regional dental clinics that could have been avoided if doctors had carried out preliminary diagnostics or used high-quality anesthesia. Thus, in the Saratov city clinic No. 2, a 17-year-old patient died from anaphylactic shock due to an allergic reaction to anesthesia, and just a month later in the Saratov clinic No. 1, an 84-year-old pensioner who suffered from coronary artery disease died after pain relief. In Magadan, a five-year-old patient died under general anesthesia in February 2014, and in Naberezhnye Chelny last fall, ten patients went into anaphylactic shock after an anesthetic injection. Fortunately, they were saved.

Geography of trips

This type of tourism is widespread both in Russia and abroad. If we take our country, the phenomenon is most popular among residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg. So, the most popular places within the country:

• Ryazan, Klin, Zheleznodorozhny;
• Omsk and Novosibirsk;
• Tver, Riga, Krasnodar;
• Volgograd.

It is in these cities that they provide high-quality services for treatment, whitening, insertion of new fillings and other operations related to teeth.

As evidenced by numerous reviews from those who went on dental trips, this service is in great demand in France, where it is known under another name - “healthy vacation”. And the French are practical people.

On a global scale, there is a certain division of geographical directions. It should be noted that in foreign countries, dental travel is popular mainly among people of retirement age. Depending on their place of residence, patients choose the following directions:

• pensioners from Austria, Germany and Britain go to Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Poland) to straighten their teeth;
• Americans prefer traveling to Canada, Costa Rica and Mexico, since the cost of treatment within the United States, taking into account medical insurance, is much higher;
• Australians, Japanese and Chinese travel to Thailand;
• Uruguayans choose Argentina;
• Among Russian tourists, destinations of the former USSR (Ukraine, Belarus) and countries such as Turkey, the UAE, and Israel are also popular.

Dental services chosen by patients in another country

Due to the high level of medicine and relatively affordable prices, as well as a strong medical base, dental tourism is becoming increasingly popular. However, it is very important to carefully search for your dentist, as the doctor’s qualifications may not be sufficient.

What darkens a smile

On the Internet, both on clinic websites and from ordinary bloggers, you can find hundreds of reviews about trips to dental tours. As a rule, medical organizations post exclusively positive posts: they say that they are cheap, not angry, fast and competent. And yet, a significant part of the online audience finds disadvantages in “dental” tourism. For example, many people are confused by the cheapness. A well-known dentist blogger in Moscow, Stanislav Vasiliev, notes that prices for the services of specialists of the same qualifications in Moscow and the regions simply cannot vary as much as is described in advertising. Imported equipment, in particular, costs the same for a Moscow private dentist as for a Saratov one. The only thing that is really cheaper outside the Moscow Ring Road is renting real estate. But with this you can gain 10, or even 15 percent of the total amount in the check. But why medical services themselves are becoming so cheaper is a question. Vasiliev also pointed out that the dental tourist has virtually no choice. He doesn’t know any good clinics in a foreign city and has to be content with what the “dental” travel agency chooses. The head of one of them, Ilya Khinsky, told RG that his organization cooperates with three dental centers in Ryazan. Naturally, verified. But a picky client always wants more choice. In addition, the doctor-blogger emphasizes, some types of treatment require dynamic monitoring. And it would be very good if the same doctor monitored the patient’s condition after surgery. And every week you don’t really get to visit another region, even a neighboring one.

Wallet

The “dental” tour in the region is mainly decided by people who need not just a couple of fillings on problem teeth, but complex treatment. According to officially published data from capital clinics, prosthetics for several teeth in Moscow can cost up to 1.5 million rubles. While in Ryazan you can spend three times less. Firm owners are trying to ensure that Muscovites are served at the same price as residents of the region.

Advantages and disadvantages

Dental tours have the following advantages:

1. In any case, this is tourism. That is, you can see new places (for example, tour the sights of Uzbekistan or take part in interesting excursions along the Golden Ring), as well as get acquainted with another culture. This way, you will be able to combine business with pleasure.
2. Quite fast treatment. Since the time of such tours is limited, the doctor cannot waste it and tries to do as much as possible for you in the shortest possible time. That is, you can treat caries, install a couple of implants and much more in a day.
3. The likelihood of treatment from one specialist in one office. Many doctors in clinics in small towns are generalists. There are not enough specific tasks, so the doctor is forced to do any kind of work: cleaning, caries treatment, tooth extraction and much more. For this reason, you can undergo all stages of treatment practically in one office or within one clinic.
4. Saving. It is no secret that maintenance and rental of premises in the capital and big cities are expensive, and the costs for them are included in the cost of treatment. Therefore, of two identical doctors who work with the same materials and equipment, the price of treatment is more affordable for the one who is located in the province.
5. A toothbrush along with toothpaste as a gift. Compared to the cost of treatment, these gifts look funny, but you must admit, it’s still nice when you get something for free.

Now let’s look at the main disadvantages of a dental tour:

1. Most treatments are either quite lengthy or require extensive preparation. For example, treatment of a periodontitis tooth takes about a month, or even more. Why not go to the doctor every month for another stage of treatment? And prosthetics in difficult cases usually takes a year or a year and a half - that is, you need to live near the clinic and constantly visit the doctor.
2. Inability to quickly observe. Even after a simple tooth extraction, the patient is observed for another two days, since unforeseen difficulties may arise in the postoperative period. The same applies to such popular procedures as prosthetics, dental implantation, treatment of complicated caries - here in some cases the patient needs long-term observation, up to a couple of weeks. If the doctor provides treatment for 24 hours, and then the client goes home, the question arises who will observe him.
3. No choice. Clients do not know where they will be sent or what specialists they will end up with. Basically, patients are contacted in advance by a travel company, which distributes applications to partner clinics. Therefore, there is a high probability of finding yourself at an appointment with a farrier, to whom local residents simply do not make an appointment. And refusing treatment is often also inconvenient - after all, you have traveled many kilometers, spent time and money on the tour.
4. Responsibility. In any case, you will want to know who is responsible for the treatment. Who is to blame for the marriage and who, in an unfavorable case, will pay for another dental treatment. Of course, doctors are responsible for the services provided, but contacting them will be problematic. Not everyone will be able to travel to another city or even country for a consultation.
5. Not the best quality clinics. Even in the provinces, the best clinics have many clients without dental tourists. And the price of treatment there is only slightly lower than the capital’s prices. For this reason, travel companies have to negotiate with empty private clinics, which local patients are afraid to go to. Visitors are unlikely to know or guess about this.

Bentley - suitcase - station

Interesting events in the tooth battle “Moscow and the Regions” are being closely followed by business in the capital. The businessmen sensed the potential client’s questions unmistakably. Firstly, where to find a good doctor in a foreign city? Secondly, how to plan a trip correctly? Let's say you bought a train ticket. Where can I get a taxi there? Is there Yandex or Uber there? How not to be late on the way back? In general, companies have appeared in the capital that offer full-fledged “dental” tours. With ticket booking, transfer to the place of treatment and back. And the dental part itself - fast, high-quality and regionally budgetary.

Ryazan University graduates 100 dentists every year. Competition for “Muscovites’ teeth” is constantly growing

“Everyone wants to save money now,” Ilya Khinsky, director of one of the largest companies selling dental tours, told RG. “Many people come to us: both students and wealthy citizens driving Bentleys.” Those who are interested in dental tourism are mainly those who want to treat several teeth at the same time. The rhythm of Moscow forces many to postpone a visit to the dentist until the last moment, until they really have an urge... But even then, a modern Muscovite is in no hurry to shell out tens of thousands. First of all, you need to understand whether the receiving doctor is competent and how adequate his price tag is. Both aspects have been studied in detail in the business environment. And we came to the conclusion that the best city for Russian dental tourism is Ryazan.

Prices in Russia

The price of medical services depends on the complexity of the operation and the location of the medical appointment. Let's look at the cost using the example of the most popular dental tourism destination, which is Ryazan:

• anesthesia - 250 rubles;
• treatment of caries - from 1400 to 2000 rubles;
• premium class prosthesis insert - 30,000 rubles;
• metal-ceramic crown - 5,000 rubles;
• whitening using the ZOOM system - 18,000 rubles.

The cost of services in countries far and near abroad should be clarified in the clinic that you have chosen as the place of treatment. However, savings in some cases compared to Moscow clinics are up to 60 percent.

The final cost of the tour depends on many factors and is most often announced to the customer before signing the contract.

In many cases, the effective price consists of the following components:

• prices for air or railway tickets in two directions;
• the cost of a taxi or transportation around the city;
• cost of living;
• the actual price of dental services;
• payment for intermediary services;
• other costs (issue passports or visas, etc.).

How to save money on dental treatment?

There are a number of other ways to save on dental treatment. Dental tour is not the only method. Let's consider other options.

• Free under compulsory medical insurance policy.

Every person has the right to free treatment, including dental treatment. Many people take advantage of this and go to regular clinics.

Many people do not know that there are a number of paid medical centers that accept patients under the compulsory medical insurance policy. You may have to pay for something, but the main treatment will be covered by the policy.

• 100 km from Moscow.

Many residents of the capital, for example, my friend, move 100 km from Moscow. He went through acquaintances to private providers who provide treatment at home. It was outside the city of Yegoryevsk.

Personally, I wouldn’t risk treating my teeth at home.

This moment can be used when traveling and on vacation.

• Discount coupons.

There are a number of websites that offer discount coupons for various services: beauty salons, exhibitions, hair removal, courses, including dentistry.

It is no secret that the need for dental prosthetics makes people think about the upcoming costs to resolve this issue. Sometimes a person has no idea how much it costs to be able to chew and smile beautifully.

In this regard, we analyzed the pricing policy for dental services in the Moscow region and Moscow. Let's consider a small comparative calculation of dental prosthetics in our clinic if a person, for example, needs to put crowns on his teeth or removable dentures. The best option for this are metal-ceramic crowns (indistinguishable from natural teeth). In the Moscow region, the price of such a crown varies from 6,000 to 9,000 rubles per unit. The cost of this crown in our clinic is 4,500 rubles. For example, a person needs 5 crowns. Simple multiplication indicates the possibility of saving in this case from 7,500 to 22,500 rubles (we remind you that this is only for five crowns)! Accordingly, as the number of crowns increases, cost savings increase. Also, if necessary, we will recommend that you save money by installing crowns of different prices in the smile area and on chewing teeth (here we will offer crowns at a price of only 2,500 rubles). If you wish to install metal-free zirconium crowns (cost in the Moscow region from 20,000 rubles ), then the savings in our clinic even on one crown (our cost is 15,000 rubles) will be 5,000 rubles.

When making removable dentures for a patient, the cost savings in our clinic are even more obvious - our prices are acrylic for one jaw - 8,000 rubles! ; clasp – 17,500 rubles! ; removable elastic prosthesis (Acri-Free or T-cristal) - 16,000 rubles - and this is 50% cheaper than Moscow prices. Based on the results of a comparative analysis of prices, we can declare with full responsibility that our patients can save up to 60% of costs on dental prosthetics. We assume that 30 or 50 thousand rubles, and often a large amount saved on dental prosthetics, will absolutely not interfere with the family budget. What does it take to make your dental dream come true? Only in this section we give you the opportunity to discuss all questions about prices, discounts, preparation and prosthetics of teeth in our clinic personally with the director by phone +7 905 621 07 88 - Lavrov Albert Yurievich.

Bets will be placed on:

• absolute ease of search and the possibility of access to our clinic (from the south of Moscow along the M2 highway 20 km before reaching Tula; if by train, we will meet you at the Tula railway station)
• a minimum number of visits to prepare for prosthetics (removal and treatment of the corresponding teeth), taking impressions, fittings and installation of crowns or dentures to save your time; there is the possibility of hotel services for one or two nights for a nominal fee in order to limit prosthetics to 2-3 visits to our clinics. During free hours for processing your casts, you will have the opportunity to visit historical places and museums in Tula.
• individual approach to each patient - when discussing the shape, color and quality of crowns and prostheses during a conversation between a doctor and a patient, there is a master technician who produces truly beautiful prosthetic work.
• the use of imported materials (mainly from the USA, Germany) and modern X-ray diagnostic equipment for dental treatment and the manufacture of crowns and prosthetics; a guarantee for treatment and prosthetics with the signing of an agreement for the services received.

For the most specific representation of the scheme and costs of prosthetics in our clinic, without even coming to us, you can take and receive a printed panoramic image of your teeth in the dentistry closest to your home and send this image to our email. email, which we will review and during the same day we will inform you about the cost and correctness of your prosthetics.

We have worked through all the important issues to ensure that our clinic patients get a great mood from the correct and adequate costs for your smile. Call us and we are ready to help!

Quality of services

As for the metropolis, it is easier to get caught by a non-professional, due to the fact that it will not be difficult to hide and get lost in the capital of our country. If any problems arise, the doctor can change the clinic, choose another district of Moscow, and rebuild his career; if it doesn’t work out, choose another clinic, and so on ad infinitum. In a small city, they monitor the quality of services provided more strictly; information, as we know, spreads at the speed of sound. The reputation of the clinic is important for everyone, both for managers and doctors. If the doctor provided a poor-quality service, the whole city will know about it and in the future it will be problematic to get a job in the city’s clinics.

Tver is a city of dentists. Since 1954, the Tver Medical Academy has been training highly qualified dentists from different parts of Russia and countries. Due to high competition, the best of the best remain to work in Tver.

Dental treatment abroad: Bulgaria

There are 8 thousand dentists in Bulgaria who are ready to serve foreign patients, the number of which is increasing every year. In the wake of the growing popularity of the country in the dental services market, the local government introduced legislative order in the industry, and now about 3% of medical tourists from all over the world come to Bulgarian dentists, mainly from Europe and neighboring countries.

Bulgarian dentists, especially those operating in major cities and resort areas, are as highly qualified as their counterparts in Western Europe, and local dental clinics, equipped with the latest technology, offer a wide range of services at very attractive prices. The greatest demand here is for expensive procedures such as dentures and implantology.

Dental tourism: Hungary

Known for its mineral springs, lakes, swimming pools and spas, the country has long been a popular destination for health tourism. Now, high-quality and inexpensive services from local dental clinics are in high demand among Europeans and North Americans.

Hungary has the highest number of dentists per capita in the world, and dental clinics boast the most modern equipment. Since the country joined the European Union in 2007, the qualifications of Hungarian specialists and the quality of medical services have become as close as possible to Western European standards. Since 2008, Hungary has been the European leader in the dental market, occupying about 40%.

Russians, residents of the Central European region and other adherents of dental tourism come to Hungary for regular examinations and cleanings. North Americans are choosing a wider range of services, including cosmetic restoration, dental reconstruction and implantology. Even taking into account flights and accommodation, such procedures cost at least half as much in Hungary as at home.