Are you based in a Scandinavian country and worried about the cost of your dental care? Probably you should look into dental tourism in Hungary. This little country has been the capital of dental tourism for decades and famous for its competitive dental prices which come with high quality treatment. Find out details about why tens of thousands, including many Norwegians, Swedes and Danes, travel to Budapest for dental treatment every year and leave satisfied. Let’s see the advantages of Scandinavian dental tourism in Hungary.
What treatments do they travel from Scandinavia to Budapest for?
Regarding dental tourism, we can divide the types of treatment into two large groups.
One of the groups consists of those who need treatment from a medical point of view, i.e. they have damaged or missing teeth that need to be replaced or repaired. During these treatments, oral surgery procedures, like extraction, bone replacement, sinus lift and placement of implant screws can also take place, and in the case of minor work, the dentist places crowns or bridges on the teeth after root canal treatment.
The other group is aesthetic or cosmetic treatments, in which the patient’s teeth are medically fine and do not require treatment, but the patient is not satisfied with his smile. Such reasons can be e.g. that your teeth are yellowish in spite of whitening, or the teeth are misaligned, or the size and shape of the teeth are not the same, or they are chipped or broken. In these cases, the dentist typically uses porcelain or zirconium veneers or crowns. In some cases, Invisalign or Clear Correct invisible braces are used.
Reasons for dental tourism for the Norwegians in Hungary
The standard of living in Norway is very high and, accordingly, the general price level is also very high. Dental treatments are expensive, but HELFO provides a certain amount of reimbursement from the price of the treatments. Since Hungary is also a member of the EU, the Norwegian patients can also receive a refund for the price of the treatments in Budapest after filling out the appropriate HELFO form.
Some example of prices: In Norway, replacing a tooth with an implant+abutment+crown approx. NOK 22,000, of which approx. NOK 11,000 will be refunded by HELFO. In Budapest, a single implant-based tooth replacement (implant+abutment+crown) costs approx. 12,000 NOK (approx. 1000 EUR when paid in euros) and then the Norwegian patient receives the refund in Norway after the treatment.
In the case of a complete jawbone restoration, which is All-on-4, the prices in Norway can go up to NOK 140,000/jaw. The expected HELFO reimbursement is ~40,000 NOK. While the full All-on-4 treatment can be done in Hungary for ~70,000 NOK/jaw (paid in EUR), and HELFO also provides the refund for the Budapest treatment.
Reasons for dental tourism for the Swedes in Hungary
Both public (state supported) and private dental treatment is available in Sweden. Dental treatment is free until the age of 23, but serious dental problems usually start to appear in middle age or older. Public dental treatment is not free in Sweden, although the fees are lower than in private clinics, but the waiting time is also longer, and the desired treatment is not always available within the framework of public treatment.
In Sweden, an aesthetic zirconia crown is ~6,000 – 6,500SEK, the same crown is available in Hungary for 3,500SEK (paid in EUR). In practice, the dental tourism patient receives the zirconium crown in Budapest at half the price. If we take into consideration a more serious smile makeover treatment as a basis, where 20 pieces of zirconia crowns are placed, the savings can be up to SEK 60,000 if the treatment is performed in Budapest.
The savings can be even more significant in the case of implant-based treatments, because in Sweden, a complete replacement of a tooth with an implant (plus abutment and crown) is SEK 22,000. In Hungary, replacing a tooth with an implant+abutment+crown approx. 12,000SEK.
Approximately Swedish dental tourists can save 50% with treatment in Budapest.
Reasons for dental tourism for the Danes in Hungary
Dental care in Denmark is subsidized through the Danish health care system, but you still pay a lot for that. If you are under 18 dental care is totally free. Between the ages of 18 and 23, patients receive a slight discount on the price of treatments, but over the age of 23 they must pay the full price. Those who are entitled to state support, i.e. have a CPR number, have approx. 40% off the treatment, so only the remaining 60% is paid by the patient.
Even with the 40% state subsidy, dental prices are astronomical in Denmark. For example, the total price of a porcelain crown is ~6,500 DKK, even after the subsidy, the patient still pays 4,000 DKK. The same in Budapest is less than 3,000 DKK.
An all-inclusive single tooth replacement with an implant in Denmark ranges from 20,000 to 30,000 DKK, while in Budapest it costs only 7,500 DKK which is around 1,000EUR. So the savings opportunities are significant, more than 50% savings are possible in Budapest, even if we add travel and accommodation costs.
Based on cost savings, the above examples clearly indicate that dental tourism from the Scandinavian countries is Hungary is beneficial and the cost savings options play a primary role in the decision.
Let us see additional reasons for Scandinavian dental tourism in Hungary
Based on the price comparison, we saw that at least 50% of the treatment costs can be saved in Budapest, so it is worth getting started and embarking on treatment abroad especially in Hungary. The success of the treatments is proven by several decades of experience and hundreds of thousands of satisfied dental tourists in Hungary.
The more complex treatment someone needs, the greater savings are possible.
Since Hungary is in the middle of Europe, it can be easily reached by plane in a few hours. You can fly from Scandinavia to Budapest with all of the low-cost airlines in a couple of hours so the trip can be cheap and quick.
Accommodation and living costs in Hungary are much lower than in Sweden, Denmark or Norway, so that is not a problem either. Depending on your needs, you can stay in an Airbnb or a more elegant hotel, i.e. the cost of accommodation can be available from 30 EUR per night.
Budapest has a million sights to see, so even if you have to travel several times for treatment, the dental tourist in Budapest will not be bored. Hungarian cuisine and spas are particularly popular, along with other historical attractions. The panorama of Budapest from Gellért Hill, or the Heroes square, and the Opera House and its performances amaze millions of tourists every year.
Budapest clinics are very well equipped and always use the latest dental techniques. The dentists are highly trained and speak English and German fluently. It is interesting that the dental training in Budapest is world famous, similarly to the dental treatments, because hundreds of foreign university students start their dental studies here every year.
Since Budapest is one of the world centers of dental tourism, this also strengthens the competition between clinics in the interest of acquiring patients. With a huge capital injection, clinic owners and managers build state-of-the-art clinics with plenty of dental chairs. The Hungarian clinics are operated in a friendly, yet modern environment with competitive treatment prices, thereby attracting thousands of foreign patients annually.
Anyone who comes to Budapest for treatment at a dental clinic that specializes in dental tourism will come to one of the most modern and best-equipped clinics in the world, where you can be sure that you will receive quality treatment at an affordable price.
If someone comes to Budapest for aesthetic treatment, it takes exactly the same period of time, or maybe even less, than having it done by a local dentist. In addition, the dental tourist can even combine the treatment with a short holiday. An important aspect is that there is practically no waiting time at Hungarian clinics, so they can receive patients immediately if needed.
Some things to look into before travelling from Scandinavia to Budapest for dental care
Of course, since you are going abroad for treatment, it is worth making the appropriate preparations and looking into certain things, such as:
- warranty conditions related to the treatment
- opinions of other patients about the clinic
- if possible, before starting the treatment, it is worthwhile to make a one-day visit to Budapest and meet the dentist in person and visit the clinic
- to obtain information about the details of the treatment and the materials used
Some good to know facts after your treatment has been finished:
Collect and keep all your
- invoices of the treatment
- dental implant passport if screws were placed.
- guarantee documents
Do not forget to
- ask the clinic to fill in refund/reimbursement documents of your treatment
- attend the annual check-ups in Hungary to maintain guarantee
Mind your oral hygiene in order to enjoy your smile as long as possible.
Closing thoughts about Scandinavian dental tourism in Hungary
Based on the blog article, it was confirmed that the main driving force of Scandinavian dental tourism in Hungary is the favorable dental treatment prices. In addition to the competitive prices, the quality of the treatment is also excellent and as Hungary is part of the European Union refunds are possible for the Scandinavians for dental care in Budapest. The stay and travel in Budapest can be organized easily and very cheaply.
If you live in a Scandinavian country and want to fix your teeth or want a new smile, please contact us via email: smile@dentaltreatment.eu and we will make you a treatment plan and quotation.
