Which is the best place to choose for a dental vacation

Typo?! Tooth fairy?

Sorry if I’m not “getting it” right away, but are you getting dental work done away from home, on a trip, or having a procedure at home and then wanting to have recovery time in a more exotic location? Will you have to limit what you can chew on...need soft, Scottish porridge and avoid acidic or crunchy foods, for example?

I'm not sure exactly what the OP is asking, but it may be similar to "medical tourism", where people travel to another country for medical procedures that are too expensive in their own country. I've no idea where one would go for cheap, yet safe dental work outside their own country. If the OP can't afford a regular dentist, he might check out his nearest dental college ( providing he's willing to have the work done by a supervised student.).

I prefer having my dental work done at home, but Hungary has been a popular place for folks to go for dental work for quite some time. The town of Sopron, very near the Austrian border, was the original hot spot, I think, and it still has an unusual number of dental offices. The historic center is very attractive but fairly small. If I needed to hang around for an extended time because of a multi-step procedure, I would much prefer to be in Budapest, which has a great deal more to keep a person occupied. I don't know how costs would compare. You can compare lodging costs on booking.com for a start.

I see many Brits on TripAdvisor going to Turkey for dental work while on vacation. It's nothing I have tried.

I just go to the dentist down the road but then I'm English and we're all supposed to have bad teeth!

Most Brits go to Budapest. Never heard of anyone going to Turkey.

In the German- speaking world Hungary is the most popular destination. Mostly Sopron, Heviz (+ Balaton), Györ and Budapest... places that are either close to the border, or touristically interesting.

Nope, not a typo. I’d recommend looking at Hungary as others have already suggested.

One evening walking back to our hotel in Budapest we started chatting with a fellow from California. He was having extensive dental work done. He explained the dental clinic had arranged for the procedures and a nearby hotel....a package deal. Others toured the Parliament but we literally got a guided tour of his mouth, perhaps not high on many tourists’ itineraries.

I can only say that I’m very happy I stuck with my dentist across the street...way more adjustments and tweaking than I’d have ever expected, and thought many times I was glad I skipped the temptation to save $$ in a Hungarian clinic. Good luck.

Not what I would call a "vacation. :-)

It's a legitimate question although calling it a 'vacation' was probably not the best choice of words. Traveling for medical or dental procedures in other, less expensive, countries is quite popular now and I completely understand given the high cost of health care in the US. I do agree that there probably not too many members here who have done it and there are better places to ask the question. Just google 'medical and dental tourism' and you'll find lots of resources.

I did not go back and search, but within the past couple of years I recall a New York Times has a story about a writer and family that went to Thailand for extensive work. Said the dental work and vacation cost less than the dental work alone at home.

If you're looking for affordable dental costs for expensive procedures, then look to countries where the labor, lodging, and food costs are much less than the US:
- Costa Rica
- Mexico
- Hungary
- Poland
- Probably a slew of other Central/ Eastern European and Asian countries

Definitely outside Europe, Algodones, Mexico is quite popular among the RV/Van Dweller community, and there's lots of info online. Also medications and eye care.

https://www.cheaprvliving.com/budget/dental-medications-algodones-mexico/

Agnes beat me to it, a friend of mine researched this a few years ago and found Costa Rica to be the best option in her opinion. She went, saved a lot of money, had excellent care and was happy with her choice and the result.

Although I have not traveled for a "dental vacation" I have heard repeated recommendations (Budapest) from "Ambassador James E" @James, care to comment? Always good to know in case of a dental emergency as well.

My brother found a cheaper orthodontist in Dubai, since he flew through there regularly enough for the needed adjustments.

México (as mentioned above) is the destination I've heard of most often – good care, good prices, close (to California), etc. When my brother's mother-in-law decided to get extensive dental work done last year, she considered all the places mentioned earlier in this thread, including Budapest, México, good old USA, etc. but ended up going with Russia (she is Russian), partly I think b/c housing would be free for her, at a relative's house. She had to make several trips.

JC, your comment made me laugh.

I've been getting my dental work done in Budapest for a number of years. First class and substantially cheaper than the US

Just how much is dental insurance in the US? My wife and I elected to pay for private dental insurance and I pay about £23 per month which also includes 6 monthly check ups and hygienist appointments and covers all dental treatment (except cosmetic procedures). Are people travelling just for cosmetic purposes or actually for treatment?

JC, I have US dental insurance through the federal employees'/retirees' plan. It's a decent policy from Blue Cross/Blue Shield (generally considered to offer good coverage). I don't remember how much it costs and can't look it up since I'm out of the country; it might be as little as $30 month for a single person. It also might be quite a bit higher. I have to pay 100% of the cost myself. I don't know that plans available to the public are of equivalent value. The federal plan has a very high enrollment, and there are economies of scale.

The plan doesn't fully cover the cost of even preventive care, and if you need a crown, you'll still pay hundreds of dollars (rather than thousands). It helped a lot with the bone grafts I needed last year, but there was still a substantial out-of-pocket cost--I think over $1000, and only a small area of my mouth was affected. A big part of the savings comes from using a "participating" dentist so you are billed at a lower rate to begin with.

I'm not currently at risk of needing implants, so I don't remember how much coverage I'd have for those. I'm sure they would still be rather costly, and there may be a limit of how much work like that you can have done in any given year. I imagine a lot of the folks who go overseas for dental care are looking at a mouthful of expensive procedures, quite possibly implants.

JC, Individuals who pay for dental insurance pay quite a lot. Don’t know exactly as i do not. And it varies from state to state. If you are with a company, or better yet, government, it’s less, or free.
I’ve talked to 3 different desk people at different dentist offices i’ve been to over the years, and all 3 said it’s expensive and doesn’t cover a lot. With premiums, co-pays, and paying out-of-pocket for procedures not covered, it can be very high. For expensive procedures - not cosmetic - it is less expensive to go to another country and the bonus is, you get a vacation at the same time. Cost varies in each state here, and in different areas of a state. There are states that are less expensive than California, so going out of state can save money. But you save more going out of country.
I need repair on a crumbling tooth, my dentist charges $2000 for the procedure.

The same is true for health care in the US.

JC, there's no such thing as "true" dental insurance in the US in the sense of shielding a person from extremely high costs they can't afford. It's more like a discount program skewed to cover the least complicated and least expensive procedures by a network of preferred providers who participate in a given plan. A typical insurance policy covers preventative care (cleanings, x-rays, etc.) and restorations (fillings) with a minimal copay. However, crowns and implants cost multiple thousands of dollars. Insurance (of any kind, even the best) rarely covers more than $1,500 per year, so the rest is out of pocket. Retired people have what's called Medicare, which doesn't cover vision or dental at all. One would need to buy a supplemental policy. My Dad got his implants done back in our country of birth, Poland, with a well-trained dentist, state-of-the-art equipment, etc. for a fraction of the cost in the US. Simply put, labor is of equivalent value but much less expensive.

Sad to say, many poor people (in rural and urban areas) have their teeth pulled instead of fixing them with expensive procedures. So it makes sense for people on a fixed income (or more price sensitive) to shop for care outside the US. There are whole industries set up for medical tourism.

The clinic I go to in Budapest was set up to serve Swiss, Austrian and Germans. So, while dental coverage isn't good in the US, it can't be all rosy in parts of Europe either or the Budapest and Sopron clinics wouldn't exist.

No personal experience, but I have heard that Malta is a good place to go for dental work.

Be aware that in the US we have strict sterilization practices. I don't know about other countries.

I had a patient that went to Mexico for a cheap crown and he came back with the one color they offered and it didn't match the rest of his teeth. He had it remade and it ended up costing him more money than if he had it done here in the first place.

Unfortunately, as a patient, you do not know the quality of the procedure done here or abroad. You really need to trust who is working in your mouth. I know dental work is expensive, but poor work won't last long. You can get that anywhere, sadly.

Just how much is dental insurance in the US? My wife and I elected to pay for private dental insurance and I pay about £23 per month which also includes 6 monthly check ups and hygienist appointments and covers all dental treatment (except cosmetic procedures). Are people travelling just for cosmetic purposes or actually for treatment?

As others have said, insurance costs vary wildly in the US. The cost is often based on variable factors such as zip code (location) and type of insurance.

My dental insurance is through my other half's employer. We pay a fee every two weeks (his pay period) for our dental coverage. For this fee we can receive two, standard yearly cleanings. Standard x-rays are covered about every other year. (I can't be exact because the plan changes every year.)

Fillings cost extra. The insurance covers a percentage of the cost. (So there's no way to know the total cost before you go.) Same thing for a root canal which can cost hundreds of dollars after the insurance pays its part. (Again, no way to know the cost for sure. You'll receive an 'estimated' cost, but until the final bill arrives several weeks later it's all up in the air.)

For reference, this insurance is through a health care provider. Some companies offer way better insurance for far less. Some companies offer less insurance for more. There's no standard insurance cost or terms coverage in the US, except for some base minimums which are still guaranteed (as of today) through the ACA. In this country, it can always change at any moment.

Generally, two thousand dollars is about right.

Thanks for the feedback. I've only been paying for dental insurance for the last 6 years or so because I startrted suffering painful toothache at the time and as I hadn't changed to an NHS dentist when we moved 12 years previously I had the option of being on a waiting list for a local NHS dentist or pay for treatment privately. Once examined by the dentist he declared that I required extensive root canal treatment with a risk that it may not completely resolve the issue or remove the tooth completely. The root canal treatment would cost £800 (£62 on the NHS) whilst the extraction would be £80. I opted for the extraction. The private dental insurance would have covered the entire cost of the root canal treatment so I had no hesitation in taking out a policy after that.

If you are with a company, or better yet, government, it’s less, or free.

It’s been decades since American Govt employees, especially teachers, had medical or dental coverage that was as good as a corporation or private consulting firm. Also I doubt any US government worker anywhere (town level all the way to federal) has free dental insurance.

Adding to Acraven: federal dental (and vision) insurance policies have no taxpayer contribution: they are self-supporting group discount plans funded entirely by employee premiums. [FYI: Federal employee health insurance plans are subject to the Hyde Amendment, but it’s never discussed in the media.]

Final comment: one of the five great maxims of humanity is surely that paying top dollar for dental work is the smart move in the long term.

Tom, i didn’t mean with government it’s free. I meant working for a company it might be free.

My brother lives in San Diego. He had his dental work done in Tijuana for a fraction of what it would cost north of the border. The work seems to have been good work. He said the places looked exactly the same as a dental office in the U.S. He was paying himself because his medical didn't include the dental he needed.

How much is insurance in the U.S.?

An insurance policy in the U.S. is a contract. You pay based on how much risk the insurance company assumes. The more that's covered and the lower your deductible and co-payments, the more the premiums for insurance. Less things covered, higher deductible and co-payments cost less. There are a wide range of costs and options.

In the U.S. the vast majority of us are on plans sponsored by our employers (this system began with wage freezes during WWII). The employer negotiates for benefits, premiums, deductibles and co-payments with the insurer. Employers normally give employees choices of different plans so they can decide whether they want everything covered, basic coverage or something in between (or no coverage). You can also decide whether you want to insure an entire family, a couple or just a single adult.

You can buy individual coverage (not through an employer) in several different ways (including Obamacare) at different costs but all based on the same relationship between risk assumed by the insurer and cost of the policy.

According to this website https://www.nadp.org/dental_benefits_basics/dental_bb_1.aspx

2/3 of Americans have dental insurance. 1/3 of Americans have none, that’s a lot of people (109 million).