How does dental tourism work in practice in Hungary?
Those interested in dental treatment abroad have already heard of dental tourism as a concept. But how does this happen in practice? What is the process that results somebody will have dental treatment not in their own country but in Hungary, Budapest. Let us see the details of dental tourism in Hungary.
The city of Budapest is getting known as the capital of dental treatments in the world. There are three major reasons behind this trend:
- high quality dental treatment,
- affordable dentist price and,
- speed of treatment
If you find the price of your local dentist too high, and you are willing to fly abroad for a couple of days to regain your smile, it might be a good idea to travel to Hungary to get your teeth fixed while exploring a European city, Budapest, with history of more than 1000 years.
When you compare the cost of treatments among foreign countries, the cost of dental care in Hungary is the most affordable one ensuring meaningful financial savings while quality is among the best ones in the world. Traveling to Hungary for dental treatment becomes the most common thing with the low cost flights and affordable dental tourism packages provided by clinics and dental travel agencies. The industry of dental tourism in Hungary is supported by the huge number of highly skilled and experienced dentists and clinics specialized in treatment of foreign patients. The main difference in between „normal” dental clinics and clinics specialized in dental tourism in Hungary is, that you will have lots of free additional services in addition to dental care. These additional services all support patients for preparing travel and stay in Hungary for dental care.
Getting a quotation
In order for someone to start thinking about dental tourism in Hungary, you first need a treatment plan. There are several ways to do this. If you email the panoramic X-ray to the clinic of your choice, you will receive a treatment plan by email within a few days. Or, if you are spending your vacation in Budapest, you can book an appointment for a consultation. In both cases, you will receive a comprehensive treatment plan that includes the treatments required, the materials used, the prices and the warranties. If you receive a patient treatment plan based on an emailed x-ray, its accuracy is on average 85-100%. The accuracy of the treatment plan also depends on when the x-ray was made and what treatment is needed.
You can compare the treatment plan from Hungary with a plan issued by your local dentist and decide whether it is reasonable to perform treatment abroad. As a general rule, the more complex treatment you need, the better to come to Hungary for treatment. In other words, the more expensive the treatment, the more it is worth doing in Hungary because of the financial benefits.
When treating foreign patients, the principle is that the dentist recommends only treatments that are long-term and safe. For example, if you need to treat a tooth that has a low chance of being saved only by root canal treatment but it is likely to have problems, the Hungarian dentist will recommend removal of the tooth and replacement with a bridge or implant.
Of course, after reviewing your treatment plan, there might be a number of clarification issues that you may want to discuss with the clinic, either by phone or email, before making a final decision.
Scheduling your dental travel – Dental tourism in Hungary
Once the decision has been made after all queries have received reassuring answers the would-be patient will indicate to the clinic that he accepts the plan and would like to start treatment.
At this point treatment period is harmonized and the patient books the airline tickets. If the treatment is not urgent, it is worth coming in the low tourist season, because it will also cost you cheaper accommodation and airline tickets.
Based on the airline tickets booked, the clinic will schedule treatment times and send them to the patient in advance so that the leisure time activities can be planned. Here the patient will experience a significant difference. Appointment times will be longer and if dental lab work permits, there will be treatment every day. The essence and great advantage of dental tourism, besides the cheaper prices and good quality, is that the treatment in Budapest will be completed within a few days meanwhile the same treatment at a local dentist takes for weeks or months. Good prices and high quality of fast treatments make dental tourism really attractive.
It is advisable to book your accommodation near the clinic. The clinic is likely to assist you with it, as clinics tend to have long-term partnerships with nearby hotels and thus offer better accommodation rates to their patients.
Staying in Budapest
The vast majority of clinics provide free airport-to-hotel transfers to patients upon arrival and departure.
During the first appointment, if there has not been a consultation in Budapest, the treatment plan will be finalized by the dentist based on the examination. Because the panoramic x-ray only shows teeth in 2 dimensions, the treatment plan previously sent may need to be refined.
The length and number of appointments may change, but they never jeopardize the patient’s flight tickets, meaning that the total duration of the treatment will not be longer.
During the treatment, the clinic staff and the dentist are at the patient’s disposal, assisting and providing information.
After the treatment is completed and the bills are paid, if the patient requests it, the clinic will fill in the necessary paperwork for the patient to receive a refund after the treatment in Budapest. This is a tax credit for Irish patients, and a social insurance refund for French patients. In many other countries, private insurers pay certain amounts after treatment in Hungary. It is good to know that some insurers may ask for Budapest accommodation and airline bills in addition to medical papers, so it is worth keeping it.
Upon departure, the clinic provides shuttle service to the airport.
After treatment in Budapest
After dental care in Budapest, it is important to follow your dentist’s instructions and maintain proper oral hygiene to keep your new smile as long as possible.
Warranty papers, invoices, treatment records, and implant passports in particular, if implanted, should be carefully preserved as they may be needed for subsequent treatment. Similarly, before and after treatment, x-rays and photographs taken during treatment should be taken, as these will allow the local dentist to see exactly what treatment we have received. So, there are a couple of things you need to pay attention in case of dental tourism in Hungary.
Annual check-ups after treatment are also required to maintain the warranty provided.
