Dental Work

[John1]

Has anyone used dental services overseas. Need much work and trying to save.

[doccrocker]

I wouldn't recommend it. I have had many new patients come in with many problems and they tell me they "just had the work done a year ago". When asked why, they said cost was a factor, but after adding up the total expenses, we could see they spent more than if they had just had it done right in the first place. I have been in active practice for 45 years (just now retiring) and it has been very rare to see quality dental work from overseas. I have seen it, but it is rare. Some people have posted on this forum that they have had fine dental care from foreign countries. I can't dispute the comments, but, how does anyone really know unless a trained dental professional examines the work?

“There is hardly anything in the world that someone cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price alone are that person’s lawful prey. It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money — that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot — it can’t be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.” ---John Ruskin

A higher cost does not absolutely guarantee higher quality, but I can safely say that a lower cost cannot do anything but compromise quality. Best advice is to get 2nd opinion and possibly even a 3rd, and tell them that you are seeking other concepts. Advise that you are not shopping for cost, primarily. Any three dentists will come up with at least 10 possible treatments, some similar and some different. Learn what the pros and cons of each are before making a decision.

[Challenger]

I wouldn't recommend it. I have had many new patients come in with many problems and they tell me they "just had the work done a year ago". When asked why, they said cost was a factor, but after adding up the total expenses, we could see they spent more than if they had just had it done right in the first place. I have been in active practice for 45 years (just now retiring) and it has been very rare to see quality dental work from overseas. I have seen it, but it is rare. Some people have posted on this forum that they have had fine dental care from foreign countries. I can't dispute the comments, but, how does anyone really know unless a trained dental professional examines the work?

“There is hardly anything in the world that someone cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price alone are that person’s lawful prey. It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money — that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot — it can’t be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.” ---John Ruskin

A higher cost does not absolutely guarantee higher quality, but I can safely say that a lower cost cannot do anything but compromise quality. Best advice is to get 2nd opinion and possibly even a 3rd, and tell them that you are seeking other concepts. Advise that you are not shopping for cost, primarily. Any three dentists will come up with at least 10 possible treatments, some similar and some different. Learn what the pros and cons of each are before making a decision.

Nice to have someone who knows what they are talking about comment.
Caveat Emptor.

[graciegirl]

If you have been given a HUGE amount estimate here in The Villages, seek out another dentist. This is the first place that I have lived that I have run into dentists that I think are trying to scam you. And from reading this forum there are quite a few around who will. There are also very good dentists here and dental work is not cheap, especially implants. Many, many thousand dollars.

Ask others before you trust a dentist here and do your due diligence.

Thank you so much for your professional opinion Doc Crocker. Wish you hadn't retired before moving here.

[Villages PL]

Any three dentists will come up with at least 10 possible treatments, some similar and some different. Learn what the pros and cons of each are before making a decision.

Sounds similar to my experience. Many years ago I went to a dentist who was near retirement and he said I didn't need any work done (good check up). Six months later he sold his practice and the new dentist said I had 8 cavities which would cost $800. The retiring dentist was coming in once a week so I went back to him and he said he still didn't see anything that needed to be done.

I went to a third dentist and he saw something totally different. He didn't see cavities but he saw teeth that he said needed to be capped. The cost: $1,200.

I then went to a 4th dentist, by recommendation from a friend. He was also near retirement, like the first dentist I mentioned. And, like the first dentist, he said I really didn't need any work done. Just one optional "spot" in front that he thought could use some work for cosmetic purposes. cost: $100

I think it was well worth going for a second, third and fourth opinion. Here I am 18 years later and none of those "spots" or "cavities" have become a problem. And the teeth that the third dentist said needed to be capped? They have never been capped and are doing just fine.

And there was another dentist who, many years ago, suggested that I have my lower front teeth pulled and put in a bridge. Ha! Sure glad I didn't have that done. That was about 10 years ago and my teeth are doing just fine.

When a dentist looks for something that may be a problem in the future and recommends doing something about it now, I believe that's known as practicing "agressive dentistry".