Beware of the pitfalls when opting for dental tourism

Private dental treatment in Britain isn't cheap. In fact, Ian Domville tells The Times, "most people drop out of the chair" at a typical quote for crowns, bridges or implants. That's when they "go home, get on the internet and find me". Domville, a former British dentist, runs Kreativ Dental, one of a growing number of firms offering cheap dental work overseas. In Britain a veneer costs around £500, compared to about £270 in Hungary, £215 in Poland and £150 in Thailand, says The Mail on Sunday's Helen Loveless.

At those prices, it's easy to see why people are tempted. What's more, says Jessica Brown in The Times, EU health commissioner Androula Vassiliou has confirmed that EU legislation, due in 2011, will let British dental patients opt to receive treatment in another member state and reclaim all, or part, of the cost for "essential work" including root canal treatment and implants, but not cosmetic work "up to the level of the same or similar treatment in the UK".

Given that the Citizens Advice Bureau reckons seven million of us can't find an NHS dentist, we could soon see what The Sun's Charles Rae calls "a rush to get troublesome gnashers fixed at foreign clinics". But is it really the best option?

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Finding a dentist abroad is easy type "dental tourism" into Google, or try medical tourism search engine Revahealth.com and a raft of firms appear. SmileSaversHungary.co.uk flies around 1,000 people a year to Hungary and offers savings of up to 70% on British prices. Linda Williamson tells The Times she spent £9,900 in Budapest on implants and crowns, which would have cost "up to £30,000" in Britain.

It sounds good, but there are potential drawbacks. For small jobs, say on a single tooth, the time taken to organise and go on the trip may outweigh any savings. On bigger jobs, pick a rogue dentist and any savings could be wiped out by the cost of corrective work in the UK. So take some precautions, says The Telegraph's Sandra Lawrence. Check the dentist's qualifications and experience, and whether the surgery belongs to a reputable dental authority. Check the practice is insured (ask to see a certificate) and find out if the fee covers the cost of check-ups once work has been done. And beware treatment should be no quicker abroad than if carried out in Britain if it is, the dentist may be cutting corners.

Finally, make sure you have exhausted the British options first. Some NHS dentists will take on members of the same family even if they don't all live in the same town. Then there are insurance plans: if your teeth are not too bad, Tesco's scheme, run by Axa PPP, costs £16.20 per month and covers 80% of the first £2,000 of any non-cosmetic dental work each year. A similar NHS plan is available for £8.95 per month.