In many parts of the world, the price of dental procedures can be extortionate, as they are often considered non-essential cosmetic treatments. As prices head skywards, dental tourism has flourished across Eastern Europe and South-East Asia, drawing in thousands of tourists seeking low-cost, high-quality dental work.
In Hungary, one of the leaders of this growing trend, dental tourists from Western Europe and North America can cut the cost of treatments by hundreds or even thousands of euros. Dr Frank Kannmann, a dentist at Hungary-based HD Dental, spoke to European CEO about the phenomenon.
Can you tell us about the trend of dental tourism?
Dental tourism, as an industry, started in 2005 and has grown rapidly since, with more patients searching for dental clinics on the internet. Globally, $33bn (€28bn) is spent on dental tourism each year. Its popularity is mainly due to the low price of treatments.
Hungary is renowned for being an excellent destination for dental tourists due to the outstanding education dentists receive and the high quality of treatments.
What sets Hungary apart from other European markets?
Affordability is the main advantage of dental treatment in Hungary. Hungary has one of the highest concentrations of dentists per capita in the world, meaning high-quality treatment comes at a low cost.
Hungary has one of the highest concentrations of dentists per capita in the world, meaning high-quality treatment comes at a low cost
Further, our patients usually visit Hungary as part of a full package holiday. They are able to travel around the country and its neighbours as part of their trip; dental treatment is just another part of their holiday plan.
Can you tell us more about HD Dental?
HD Dental has offered a wide range of dental services since 2009, and has built up a great deal of experience with dental tourism in this time. We boast a team of competent staff who work with the most up-to-date equipment, meaning each patient has a smooth and successful experience at the clinic. Individual treatment planning, combined with the latest techniques, allows for efficiency and flexibility.
Choosing the right dentist is of the utmost importance, both in terms of the service you receive and the cost of treatment. Due to low operating costs in Hungary, HD Dental can provide its services at half or even a third of the cost of overseas treatments without compromising on quality. Unlike other health service providers, there is no queue or waiting list at HD Dental.
Booking an appointment or requesting information is as easy as picking up the phone. HD Dental is qualified with the World Health Organisation’s international standards organisation for dentistry and is certified by Temos. Staff members speak English, German, Korean, Polish, Spanish, Chinese and Hungarian, and international patients are always welcome.
What treatments do you offer?
HD Dental offers a variety of treatments, including dental restorations for heavily damaged or missing teeth, dental implants and fillings. The clinic offers dental surgeries ranging from a simple tooth extraction to a more complex osteotomy. HD Dental also provides treatment for periodontitis, a serious gum infection that can lead to tooth loss.
What are the demographics of your overseas clients?
The majority of clients visiting from abroad come from Austria (28 percent), Germany (25 percent) and the UK (21 percent). Dental tourists travelling from the US or Canada make up 12 percent of our clientele, and eight percent come from Scandinavia.
Have you introduced any new systems, processes or treatments to meet the growing dental tourism trend?
We are following the digital trend in dentistry. For example, scanning impression machines and CEREC milling machines allow dentists to finish crowns or inlays in one visit. Along with a photo room, we use Smile Vision technology to allow patients to design their smile before treatment.
Furthermore, HD Dental offers painless drilling and provides narcosis for the dental-phobic patient. For the sake of sharing patient dental history, HD Dental runs its Life Time service, which allows patients to access their X-rays and treatment history.