swoosie06

Hi:
I saw just last week(pacific time)on either CBS or possibly NBC a story about several people from the US who went to India and Thailand to have some procedures done. One person needed a triple bi-pass and went to one of these outstanding hospitals saving tons of money and was back on his feet in two weeks. The other, a woman had cosmetic surgery(I think a face lift)and had the procedure performed as well as having holiday after it. I didn't think of writing down the hospital names. I read some horror stories of people from the US traveling down to Mexico and ending up having complications when they visited a dentist. I can't afford dental insurance almost $300 per month just for one person. I really need this dental work and can't afford $$$$ that these dentists want in the US. Can anyone help me out and suggest either hospitals that I can look into outside the US?
thanks

ggnga

I am going to a dental clinic in Budapest the end of this month. I already had a trip planned to France. I chisled out 5 days in the middle for dental work. I got a cheap flight from paris to Budapest skyEurope for 158 euros. The clinic provides pickup and return to airport and an apartment to stay in free while I am there. They have their own dental Lab on premises. I got a few email references and they gave very good reviews. I looked at 4 clincs before choosing this one. I already had tickets using ff miles to Paris so no cost there. I am hoping for the best. I am having all the dental work I need done for the cost of what one root canal and porcelain crown would cost here. Even having my teeth professionally whitened. It is Fedasz Dental clinic. www.fedaszdental.com

I have not been there so can only give you info I have been able to find. I will of course give a report when I return. I leave Sept 20 and return Oct 5.

ggnga

return Oct. 6 as if it really mattered...except that I have a Paris GTG on Oct. 5th.!!

perk

Not in Europe......At Baylor University which is world famous for dentistry there were many students from Costa Rica. Many of them go back to Costa Rica to practice. With there being a large expatriate community down there you might find some recommendations.
I would certainly do your homework...

FainaAgain

do you have a dental school in your area? no insurance, 50% cost, and the most difficult work performed by teachers.

francophile03

I have read about people going overseas to have dental work done but not heart operations. How does one know if these foreign doctors are licensed?

ggnga

a root canal yes, heart surgery no. The dental clinics in Hungary, Poland and Chech Republic have been around and do a big business from UK clients.

BTilke

I personally would not travel elsewhere for dental care. Go to a dental school. You do NOT want to fly immediately after any serious dental treatment. And you should also wait a few days after procedures to see if you have any problems (i.e. infection). Frankly, the most miserable vacation that I could think of is one that combines sightseeing with trips to the dentist. And in the long run, I don't think it would be all that cost effective.

Again, go to the nearest dental school clinic. Or call some of the dental offices near you, explain your financial problems, ask what kind of payment arrangements would be possible.

julies

My son lived in Lithuania for a year and had all of his work done there at a very reasonable fee. Apparently he felt that the quality was excellent. I have read their medical personnel are extremely well trained.

ggnga

I prefer a dentist in Hungary with years of experience than a school with students. I am nurse with experience in teaching hospitals.

david_west

Why not go to Cuba? (yes i know yanks aren't supposed to, but when I was there the place was crawling with them - and most were health tourists). Top quality cheap health care.

You know as well as I do that in a few years those same dentists are going to be charging top dollar in Florida.

SiobhanP

My workmate is Bulgarian and flew back to Bulgaria to have some dental work..very good dentists and very cheap. He told me some of the Dentists in Hungary were trained in Germany and that they are excellent as well.

There was something on British TV aabout people having operations abroad due to waits on the NHS. MOst were happy but they were surgery on an arem or knee etc NOT bypass surgery and did mentione some bad cases. Plastic surgery no way...too dodgy! Some people are flyng to South africa to do this though as the prices are much cheaper.

Just remember your health is your wealth!

USNR

All this reminds me of the man who took longer steps in order to save shoe leather...and, in the process, ripped his pants.

Some people have no idea of priorities. In my opinion, without good health and good health care, nothing else works.

Ardfert

People are probably right to avoid having bypasses done anywhere but the best centers.The good news is that bypasses are being done less and less as stents,little tubes put into the arteries of the heart by a cardiologist,are taking more and more of the market and there is some suggestion that cardiac surgeons should consider retraining in a different field!

guaranteed

$300 a month for dental insurance!

What a lot of crap. I am a dentist, and am familiar with dental insurance. And I can tell you that nobody pays $300 a month on dental insurance. You were either misquoted or someone tried to scam you.

Or you are just trying to promote this clinic in Budapest.

Buzz off.

ggnga

If you could read you would realize that different people wrote about the $300 dental insurance and the Budapest clinic. I said I only read and researched the clinc and could not say good or bad until I returned. Dental insurance for me is cheap $16 a month but pays alsmost nothing for treatments other than routine care. However, I could not get dental insurance if I did not take the medical insurance also which makes is much more expensive. Perhaps that is what swoosie is talking about. So you buzz off.

Now I begin to understand some of the resentment on this board. Why in the world would you think automatically that the dental care is not good because it is NOT in the USA.

rickker20

If you go outside the US for any medical or dental work you are asking for trouble.

Mary_Fran

I just visited my dentist yesterday and got the bad news that I need to have a couple of crowns replaced. Arggh! My own fault. I had fallen off the periodic teeth-cleaning wagon four years ago, and got my just desserts in the form of a stiff estimate for the costs to remedy my neglect.

However, nothing would drive me overseas. An ongoing relationship with a good dentist who knows and cares about you is as essential as the relationship with one's family physician. IMO, if you don't make regular visits to a competent dentist, you're cruisin' for the same bruisin' I got yesterday, when confronted with the bill for the remedy.

Aside from that, my dentist is just a fabulous guy and a great citizen. He recently returned from a month in Bangladesh, doing pro-bono dental work on some of the world's poorest. Each year he makes a similar trip to a third world country to donate his services. He also helped establish a program to improve dental care for rural poor children in my state.

I love this guy and wouldn't think of putting myself in the hands of a stranger.

StCirq

Asking for trouble by going out of the USA for medical care? How so? And how come the USA comes in 47th or 49th or something like that on the WHO's ranking of healthcare in the world? Can you explain that, rickker?

I've had excellent healthcare on many occasions in Europe, far better than anything my HMO here in the USA can provide.

I don't think I'd go to Eastern Europe for dental work, though, because I don't speak any Eastern European languages well enough, and even if the doctor/staff spoke English, I'd want to be able to read the literature, medicine bottles, etc.

And I definitely wouldn't interrupt a vacation for major dental work anywhere in the world!

ggnga

For the thousands of dollars I will save, ($2200 quote in USA for one tooth--root canal and crown)I plan to take several great vacations. The staff speaks excellent english. I have talked with them on several occasions. I will not need medicine for dental work except maybe something for pain which I will have with me. If I need an antibiotic I am a nurse and know about all the different types. I also want to get all the work I need at one time and be done with it. I am getting all my very old fillings replaced, a one tooth bridge, root canal and crown and teeth whitened for the USA price for care of one tooth.

If this is a diaster or a great deal I will tell you all about it when I come back.