DENTAL TOURISM:MORE THAN three out of four Irish dentists have treated patients for problems arising from treatment they received abroad, according to a new survey.
The Irish Dental Association said it is concerned about the quality of dental care in other countries and urged people to get consultations at home first.
Of 440 dentists questioned, 76 per cent said that over the past 12 months they had seen patients who underwent cheaper procedures overseas.
The association’s president, Dr Donal Blackwell, said common problems included too much dental work being done over too short a time frame, unnecessary work being done and poor materials being used by dentists abroad.
“Dental tourism, like medical tourism generally, is a fact of life in every developed country, and some people travel to Ireland for specialist dental work,” he said.
“However, we need to encourage people who may be travelling abroad to focus on the quality of work they receive, and whether that work is really necessary, not just the price of that work.”
As many as 44 per cent of people travelling abroad for dental treatment do not know what they need to have done when they inquire about costs, according to work by Prof Brian O’Connell of Dublin Dental Hospital.
Dr Blackwell said patients needed to be more discerning when considering travelling abroad for treatment.