Celebrity Treatment Abroad Series #2: Celebrity Dentists in Beverly Hills

For the second blog in the celebrity treatment abroad series, we have focussed not so much on a particular celebrity, but on a celebrity location, Beverly Hills. When we think of Los Angeles, we think of celebrities walking around in the sunshine, with shiny whiter than white teeth –admittedly probably a myth perpetuated by Hollywood films – but where are their dentists located? And more importantly, surely people from outside LA can visit them too?

One Beverly Hills dentist, The Total Smile, founded by Dr Alex Farnoosh, has seen their international patients grow over 100% each year for the last 3 years. The Consumers’ Research Council of America (CRC) awarded Dr. Farnoosh with recognition as one of America’s top dentists in their annual report for 2009. 

Dr Farnoosh thinks this increase in medical tourism is largely due to his specialised dental treatments, for example, his customised “gummy smile” procedure as well as his gum bleaching techniques. Patients are traveling all the way to Los Angeles for procedures; often just quick visits for the weekend and then returning home. According to Dr Farnoosh, patients come to Beverly Hills when they are unable to find good solutions for this problem in their home countries.

One of Dr. Farnoosh’s patients travelled all the way from Dubai to receive treatment.  He was searching for an easy solution to his gummy smile when he found Dr Farnoosh’s clinic on the Internet. He took the 18 hour flight to LA for treatment, and left again 3 days later.

To help make it easier for people throughout the world to benefit from Dr. Farnoosh’s specialized treatments, the dentist created a “Fly-In Dentistry” program for patients.  If a patient is interested in flying to Los Angeles for treatment, they can call Dr. Farnoosh’s practice for complete information and assistance with travel arrangements and hotel accommodations. By emailing over photos, Dr. Farnoosh can perform a preliminary evaluation of patient’s dental needs before they even leave their home. As part of the program, patients also complete a medical history and other required paperwork prior to their visit, so they can focus on receiving treatment and beginning their recovery. According to Farnoosh, the location of his dentist is perfect for combining the dental treatment with a holiday, visiting all the main tourist attractions in the area.

The American Dental Association (ADA) is also very interested in medical tourism, especially when it comes to cosmetic dental procedures.  The ADA points out that linking dental visits with business travel, particularly for businessmen from countries where the quality of dental care may be below American standards, can also be advantageous.

So if you planning a holiday to Los Angeles, or a business trip, then it is probably worth considering if you want a new smile while you are there too!

Happy Christmas from AllClear Treatment Abroad

The AllClear Treatment Abroad team just wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

As 2010 approaches, it may be that some kind of medical treatment abroad forms part of your New Year Resolutions. So please check back with us in the New Year as we carry on discussing all the issues surrounding treatment abroad, and continue to provide you with as much useful information as possible, to allow you to make an informed decision. Please also look out for more guest blogs from experts in the industry in January

Pick of the Polls

Just a quick blog to say thanks to everyone who filled in the poll about your reasons for medical treatment abroad. The results were as follows:

The majority of people (43%) have not had treatment abroad, which is great from our point of view, as we would really like to share information with, and learn from a wide audience – and that includes people who have not had treatment abroad before.

Of the remainder, the most popular reason for travelling for medical treatment abroad was the cost of treatment (33%), followed by NHS waiting lists (14%). Standard of care was a far less popular reason (5%) and no one would choose to go abroad for their own personal privacy about their treatment. This fits with a lot of the experiences we have so far covered within The Travelling Patient – for example, people travelling for dental treatment which is too expensive on the NHS (link to appropriate blog).

This kind of information is really important to us, as we want the Travelling Patient to be a very useful source of knowledge about the issues and potential benefits of travelling abroad for medical treatment or surgery. We want this blog to be a collaborative effort, so the site can help anyone considering medical tourism. This information will help guide us in the information to include on the blog in the future.

Look out for another poll coming soon! And thanks again for your involvement!

Dental Treatment Abroad: Where & why?

Guest Blog: Daniel Shaw www.dentalholiday.co.uk

These days, my patients tell me that it’s common knowledge that having your dentistry done abroad is a cheaper option for receiving dental treatment without compromising on quality.

 Shortly after the fall of the communism in the 80’s, Germans, Austrians and Swiss began to travel over the border to Slovakia, The Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary to save money on expensive dental procedures. They knew that the quality of dentists being trained behind the “iron curtain” was something worth putting their trust in. And so, it wasn’t long until those in the UK, suffering from a failing NHS dental system and high prices, started to do the same. More recently, I’ve noticed that even countries such as Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia and even Turkey have begun offering “dental holidays” too.

In this blog, I will outline the benefits and advantages of having a “dental holiday” in a clinic such as ours, the reasons why people go abroad for dental treatment and basically, what dentistry abroad is all about.

“Dental Holidays” at a Glance

Travelling abroad for dental treatment is also regarded as Dental Tourism, Dental Travel or Cross-Border Dentistry. Over the past five years in the UK especially, websites, medical insurance and agents have been set up to attract even more dental patients to clinics abroad.

More people are opting to receive dental treatment abroad rather than in the UK because:

• Certain treatments (especially cosmetic) are not available under the NHS in the UK.
• Their health insurance does not cover the full cost of a procedure.
• Most people are not willing to compromise their health just because the treatment costs are too high in private dental clinics.

Why People Go Abroad for Treatment

The popularity of obtaining dental treatment overseas is influenced by several factors. People seek dental treatment abroad because:

• The UK has exceedingly expensive costs related to dental care.
• Flights within Europe nowadays are trouble-free and sometimes even cheaper than a trip into London!
• Central European standards of dental care and technological advancements are renowned all over the world.
• Improved and low cost communication (for example through websites, mail, skype and phone) make it easier to find and contact potential overseas dental clinics.

Of course, the most important factor for most of my patients is affordability of the dental procedure and its cost-effectiveness. The savings on typical UK private dentistry costs range between 30% and 80% of the price that my patients would normally pay at home. 

Because of these low prices, some people many worry that having dentistry abroad might be fraud or a scam. However, the main reason behind these low prices are lower wages, low insurance costs, lower clinic rental and operating costs as well as cheaper dental supplies. Although the dental treatments are “cheap” compared to UK standards, in most cases all dental procedures on overseas patients are performed by well trained dental experts who use the extra money gained from these foreign patients to invest in top notch technology and worldwide dental developments.

Many of the doctors that offer dental services to international patients are internationally recognized and members of leading dental institutions. Their dental clinics have also acquired accreditation from well known international organizations such as JCI, JCAHO and ISO to express their dedication to excellence. 

Immediate appointments

Another advantage of a “dental holiday” is the immediate access to a doctor at a time that suits you. I see it as a chance to be placed on the priority list. When dealing with some matters of dental health, waiting is not always an option.

Most dental procedures performed abroad can be scheduled quickly via the internet or by phone. People have the flexibility to book flights and schedule dental procedures from the comfort of their own home, eliminating the inconvenience of going to a local dentist for evaluations and assessments.

Even though dental tourism is about obtaining cheaper dental care, a side benefit of a “dental holiday” is having the opportunity to travel to other countries. For some of my patients, it’s an excuse to visit a part of the world that they’ve always wanted to see.

Conclusion

The concept of a “dental holiday” is appealing to anyone who is interested in high quality and affordable dentistry. Going abroad to countries like Slovakia is gaining popularity and the number of people going abroad for dental treatment at least in our dental clinic, increases rapidly every year. 

With so many benefits, advancements in technology and improvements in healthcare standards within central European countries, it is likely that the advantages of a “dental holiday” will continue to provide a striking economical solution to many of the problems facing NHS dentistry in the UK today.

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

This December is Childhood Cancer Awareness month. This got me thinking about families requiring to travel abroad for treatment for their children. What special preparations might need to be made. How would this work? It would be great to hear any individual experiences?

In the meantime, here are a few stories that provide some food for thought about taking children for treatment abroad.

I read an article about a doctor in India, Devi Shetty, who is planning to build a new hospital in the Cayman Islands that would primarily serve Americans in search of lower-cost medical care. Currently Dr. Shetty has a flagship heart hospital in India, as well as a 1,400-bed cancer hospital.

At his Cayman Islands hospital, he plans to build and run a 2,000-bed general hospital an hour’s plane ride from Miami. According to Dr Shetty, procedures, both elective and necessary, will be priced at least 50% lower than what they cost in the U.S, and he hopes to draw Americans who need surgery their plans don’t cover. However, some people have questioned whether Shetty’s high volume treatment policy could result in a loss of quality, but Jack Lewin, Chief Executive of the American College of Cardiology, says Dr. Shetty has done the opposite – used high volumes to improve quality. At Narayana the large number of patients allows individual doctors to focus on one or two specific types of cardiac surgeries, including pediactrics. For example, Narayana surgeon Colin John, for example, has performed nearly 4,000 complex pediatric procedures known as Tetralogy of Fallot in his 30-year career. The procedure repairs four different heart abnormalities at once. Many surgeons in other countries would never reach that number of any type of cardiac surgery in their lifetimes.

Travelling for medical treatment abroad

I did not find stats on how many children are travelling to the hospital in India for treatment. But the point is that hospitals like the one Dr Shetty is building in the Caymans, with a similar ethos to the current hospitals in India, may be a place where UK parents would consider travelling with their children in the future for treatment abroad.

But then that got me thinking again. Is that really the case in the UK? Do children travel abroad for treatment?  Or, is treatment for children covered on the NHS reducing the need for travel for treatment abroad? Well, not always, according to the following article.  

 The Deller family, who have a son with a rare form of cancer, recently travelled  to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre in New York for specialist cancer treatment for the son. 17-month-old Joshua received a special antibody treatment called immunotherapy. Joshua was diagnosed with an advanced form of the aggressive childhood cancer, neuroblastoma, on Christmas Eve last year. Since his diagnosis, community fundraisers and events raised £150,000 to help send Joshua to America.

His mother, Amy Deller said Joshua had received excellent care in England on the NHS and at Great Ormond Street Hospital prior to going to New York. But Amy had been told that after her son received his first course of intensive treatment on the NHS there would be no more. As a result, they decided to travel for treatment abroad in the USA to increase his chances of beating the disease. But this week a spokesperson for Surrey Primary Care Trust said there was a system whereby the family could apply for funding for Joshua’s treatment in America. However, there is no guarantee an application would be successful, and Joshua still required further treatment. For more info, take a look at the article. The family still have to raise a further £200,000 so Joshua can have more chemotherapy. You can donate at www.justgiving.com/joshua-appeal.

So as December approaches, and we think of Children’s Cancer Awareness Month, it is clear that treatment abroad can have a part to play for cancer and other child diseases. However, the situation is complicated, and relates to each individual situation – as the stories I have looked at show. There is always a requirement for extensive preparation, with advice taken from your relevant medical professional, depending on the method of travel, destination, ongoing treatment etc, as well as valid travel insurance to cover the trip (Take a look www.allcleartreatmentabroad.co.uk for more info).

How safe is dentistry abroad?

Guest Blog by Daniel Shaw, Patient Manager  http://www.dentalholiday.co.uk

Funny enough, the question I hear the most from potential patients after “How much will the dental treatment cost” is “Can I trust your clinic” or something along those lines.

Which country and clinic you choose, is a much more important factor on the “safety” of the whole treatment abroad than how much you end up paying. However there are a number of things that you can actually do beforehand to make sure that you are getting the best quality dental treatment while enjoying the affordable prices offered by dental clinics abroad. After dealing with 1000’s of patients seeking treatment abroad, here are my thoughts on the matter:

• Firstly, when checking out the various treatment providers on the internet, make sure that you are dealing directly with the dental clinic and not an agent or go-between. Then check if the person that you are actually communicating with has good knowledge of the treatment you requested and is ideally an actual member of the clinics’ staff. There are so many former patients or savvy entrepreneurs hoping to make a quick buck by setting up websites, advertisements and promotion for the clinic, but they are no substitute for a dental professional or on-site staff who understand exactly just what the clinic can and cannot do. You’ll also want to speak directly to these people once you are in the clinic in case any misunderstandings occur.
• There are countries and clinics that have been doing excellent dentistry for at least a decade, and not just jumping on the “medical tourism” trend to make some extra cash. These obviously include central European countries such as Slovakia, the Czech republic, Poland and Hungary. There are obviously talented, capable dentists worldwide, but personally I would choose a clinic well used to dealing with patients from abroad, in a country that’s close to the UK, in case I needed to make a quick return visit to make adjustments to the dental treatment, of course, under a solid guarantee that I would demand from any clinic that I had treatment in. It’s certainly not cheap and easy to jump on a quick flight to Timbuktu for a 30 minute bite adjustment to newly fitted crowns!
• Another benefit of choosing a clinic within the EU, is that you are covered free of charge by your European Health Insurance Card if you should need emergency treatment and also the laws covering general dentistry are roughly the same in all member states.
• Check the dentists’ and the clinics credentials. For my clinic in Piestany, Slovakia, for example, we have copies of all the legal documents concerning the clinic and dentist on our web page here: http://www.dentalholiday.co.uk/dental_clinic_abroad.html.  They should also be displayed within the clinics premises.
• The clinic should have some affiliation with an international or at least a British dental organisation. That’s one reason why I joined up with the BACD (the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry) and had our clinic accredited by a British independent medical authority. This ensures that the clinic and doctor is trusted outside of his country as a quality provider of dentistry.
• Not only should you think about the safety of having treatment abroad but also having a safe journey. A trustworthy clinic will certainly pick you up from the airport and take you directly to the clinic or your accommodation, to save you from getting lost and the stress of organising yourself in a foreign country where many people do not speak much English.
• Carrying large amounts of money around may not be the safest thing to do. If you are going to visit a clinic for dentistry abroad, make sure that you verify your mode of payment beforehand. Most clinics prefer cash, so check if you can pay it in stages across each visit. Check if a bank transfer is possible as well as credit card payments.
• Don’t make the mistake of rushing the treatment time. It’s not worth hindering the success of the dental treatment. Always allow an extra days’ holiday somewhere nearby the clinic, should adjustments need to be made and for peace of mind. If any pain occurs after treatment, it’s most likely to be in the 48hrs after treatment, and you’ll be happy to know that your dentist is still nearby on call during your recovery period.
• During your dental treatment abroad you don’t want to have communication barriers concerning the treatment and outcome you desire. Make sure that the dentists or the personnel are able to speak fluent English, or even better, employ British staff as we do in our clinic. A good way to check this out is to see how well the emails are written (without too many grammar mistakes) or even call the clinic to check on their language skills.
• Make sure that a solid guarantee is offered. It’ll give you peace of mind to know that in the unlikely case that the dental work may fail, you can still return to have the dental work adjusted or repaired free of charge.

 

Having dental treatment done in a foreign country might seem to be the “unsafe” option at first, but the results are well worth it due to the low costs, time saving treatments and high quality dentistry available abroad. However, putting your personal health and safety ahead of choosing an idyllic holiday resort with a questionable clinic is not worth the risk. Follow the ideas above, and you’ll be in safe hands during your dental holiday.

We need your help!

As you know, we are always interested in knowing and understanding what you think about travelling for treatment abroad outside the UK – whether you have actually experienced surgery or treatment abroad yourself, know friends or relatives who have, or are simply thinking about it. That is because we want this blog to be a collaborative effort, incorporating many views and opinions, so the site is as useful as it can be for anyone considering medical treatment abroad.

And that is why we have developed a survey all about medical tourism. It only takes a minute, and is totally anonymous, so please click on the link below and fill the survey in. It doesn’t matter if you have never had any medical treatment or surgery abroad – your thoughts are just as valuable to us.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HKSS6V5

 Please also feel free to pass this link onto anyone else who you think would be interested in the survey

 Thanks for your help!

A day in the life of running a dental clinic abroad

Guest Blog by Daniel Shaw, Founder and patient manager

http://www.dentalholiday.co.uk/

Hi, I’m Daniel Shaw, a new guest writer on this medical tourism blog. I have been running a dental clinic abroad for 5 years now, aimed at UK patients only, seeking to save time and money on dental procedures by travelling abroad to my dental clinic in Piestany spa, Slovakia.

I thought that it would be useful for you to have an “insight” into my daily duties, in the hope that it may calm your fears about having your dentistry done abroad.

As the founder of http://www.dentalholiday.co.uk/, it’s my job to make sure first and foremost that each patient from the UK goes home satisfied with the outcome, medically, financially and cosmetically. But there is much more to it than that…

We open our dental clinic at 8am everyday of the week apart from Sundays. I personally arrive at 9.30am as I travel in from Slovakia’s capital, Bratislava.

Firstly I reply to all the new email enquiries that have come through our website. These enquiries are usually for dental implants, dental crowns / bridges and veneers mixed in with other dental procedures such as root canals, white fillings, sinus lifts, dental hygiene, and teeth whitening. 

Although the answers to most of the patients questions (how long will it take? how much? how do I get there?) are similar, I believe in building a personal relationship with all our patients, and therefore take the time to answer each email individually.

Piestany Dental Clinic

Most days there are 3-6 patients from the UK in our dental clinic, so after the emails, I go to our waiting room to say “hi” and meet the patients personally. I feel that my UK patients appreciate actually meeting the person who they have been emailing with, and not just the excellent dentists who work in the clinic.

Then, with a cup of tea in hand, I check  that everything is running smoothly. I check on our drivers schedule (all our patients are personally picked up from the airport), I check that every patient is happy with their accommodation, and I check that there are no problems with any payments that patients are due to make. I also take time to make sure that our patients are comfortable, warm, have been offered a drink, and have access to the TV and internet.

I also check our website, that it is up-to-date and working, and also then visit other dental blogs such as this one to catch up on the latest news. If time allows, I write dental articles for other websites and magazines.

I have lunch with our head dentist, Dr. Marek Salka in a nearby restaurant, and this gives us time to discuss individual patient cases, and any complications that may have cropped up. This is a very valuable time for me, as it ensures that I can, in further communication with my patients, relate to each case individually, instead of offering a general response.

The afternoon is very similar to the morning: emails, meeting patients and having an overview of all matters concerning the process of dental treatment abroad. Occasionally, I like to interview patients once they have finished their treatment. On one hand, it’s tremendously encouraging for me to hear stories of how much their confidence has improved, how much money and time has been saved, and just how happy they are that they took the courage to have their dental treatment abroad with us. On the other hand however, during these interviews I receive valuable feedback on how I can improve of better our service for future patients.

At 3.30pm, I’m feeling a little droopy, and so I head off to the gym for a hour, before travelling back home to Bratislava for the evening.

You may think that that’s a easy, short day of work, but don’t forget, I’m on call 24hrs. A patient telephone enquiry, a flight delayed or a patient took a day trip and got lost, often makes sure that my evening is not a quiet one!

I hope you enjoyed this article, you’ll be hearing from me again soon and if you have any questions, please do get in touch.

The NHS and Treatment Abroad

We often talk on this blog about individual case studies of treatment abroad, but what about the bigger political picture? According to an article in the Health Services Journal, the Department of Health  is preparing itself to  challenge the European Court of Justice on the rights of UK citizens to be treated abroad at the NHS’s expense.

Draft guidance issued by the DH  warns that a draft European Union Directive means that NHS commissioners have “limited grounds” to refuse to reimburse UK citizens the cost of their care if they opt to have it elsewhere in the EU. The guidance says that in general, primary care trusts must reimburse the patient up to the NHS price of the treatment. It says that should include treatment carried out privately, but PCTs should not pay for care that would not have been provided by the NHS, such as certain cosmetic surgery or dental implants etc. So this sounds like some good news for anyone in the UK considering treatment abroad…

But not so fast –according to the Health Services Journal, the DH is gearing up for a battle with the European Court of Justice against reimbursing us for treatment abroad, as it will demand that patients wanting expensive or “hospital” treatment ask their PCT’s permission first. Draft regulations from the DH define this as: services requiring at least one night’s stay; surgery; services using “specialised and cost intensive medical equipment”; expensive and specialist services and any other services specified by the PCT or health secretary. This requirement has not been defined by the European Courts of Justice, although they have ruled pre-authorisation before treatment abroad can be justified.

So what does this mean for people considering treatment abroad? Well, at the moment, not much – we will have to wait to see for the final EU directive, and see how the DH choose to respond.  In the meantime, if you are considering treatment abroad it is best to prepare as much as you can, including talking to your local PCT, special information sites e.g. http://www.treatmentabroad.net/ and obtaining your specialist travel insurance, and finding out about funding or support options.

A Permanent Fixture

Guest Blog by Peter Frost, Dentaprime Dental Clinic     

When it comes to weighing up the pros and cons of dental implants versus traditional-style dentures or bridges, there really is no contest. The superior technology that goes into implants means that they are a genuine replacement for a lost tooth – on both a practical and aesthetic level.

As all of us will undoubtedly discover for ourselves one day, via an accident, or simply by virtue of longevity, the loss of our teeth is a regrettable, but unavoidable, fact of life. And such an occurrence is a life-changing event. From a purely cosmetic point of view, tooth loss causes the jawbone to shrink, having the unhappy side effect of changing the shape of your face and ageing you at the same time. And aside from the discomfort associated with them, dentures look artificial and impose unwelcome restrictions on your diet. Implants, on the other hand, are placed directly back into the jaw, making them a secure and ultra-convenient solution that often has the effect of making you appear younger.

Given the benefits, you’d think that the trend towards implants would be far more widespread. The reality is, however, that for the vast majority of people, this procedure is just too far out of their price range. In the UK, for example, even those who are lucky enough to locate an available NHS dentist in their area will quickly discover that this option is not part of the service. Instead, implants are offered as a private treatment with a suitably premium price tag – approximately £8,000 for a single t-bar containing four implants.

Yes, you did read that correctly. Little wonder then that increasing numbers of people from the UK are opting to take their business elsewhere. Bulgaria is just one of the countries that is welcoming this new wave of dental tourists, but it’s one of the most compelling options. Just a three-hour flight from the UK, and with a host of attractive coastal resorts and a well-established spa industry, the country is an excellent prospect for anyone who wishes to combine their dental treatment with a relaxing holiday.

For example, the aforementioned four-implant model, using quality technology from German manufacturer Bredent, can be acquired for just £ 3,400 from the Dentaprime Dental Clinic, a private practice located in the northern Black Sea city of Varna.

Critics of dental tourism often claim that less expensive treatment equates to lower standards of care and technology – but this is something that Dr Regina Schindlajova, clinical director at Dentaprime, insists is absolutely not the case. She claims Dentaprime boasts world-class facilities, as well as highly-qualified dentists, assistants and technicians – who are all schooled in the latest technology and treatment methods.

While the practicalities of aftercare may put some individuals off venturing overseas, it’s worth checking what type of aftercare support is available before you dismiss it out of hand. Dr Schindlajova explains that offering patients a collaborative healthcare solution is actually a key part of the Dentaprime service – with post-intervention care, check-ups and the evaluation of any post-treatment requirements able to be carried out by an established network of Dentaprime partners in a patient’s home country.