Dental News - ADA highlights risks of dental tourism

Dental Tribune International

Thu. 13. July 2017

save

SYDNEY, Australia: With the cost of dental treatment presenting a significant barrier for many Australians, some may consider dental tourism—travelling to another country to undergo a dental procedure—to be an increasingly viable option. With this in mind, the Australian Dental Association (ADA) has been prompted to issue a warning about the risks that may accompany this decision.

Australian dental tourists tend to travel to a wide variety of places for cheaper procedures, from South-East Asian hotspots like Bali and Thailand to eastern European destinations. Though it is in no way illegal to have dental procedures performed away from Australia—and the initial cost of the treatment may be relatively cheap—there can often be unforeseen complications that are unable to be handled effectively in the time span of the period abroad, the ADA warned.

“The decision to become a dental tourist usually comes to down to one simple thing—saving money,” said Dr Michael Foley, Vice Chairman of the ADA’s Oral Health Committee.

“While it’s true you may save some money in the short term, the reality is that things can go wrong and all those expected savings can quickly disappear and end up costing more than the holiday itself.”

In addition to procedural complications, dental tourists may be subject to less-stringent quality standards and lower-grade materials in comparison with Australian dentistry. If a patient is dissatisfied with dental work performed overseas, the ADA cautioned, it can sometimes be extremely difficult to repair satisfactorily and may lead to the extraction of the affected teeth.

“Complex procedures—medical or dental–should not be done over the course of a holiday,” said Foley.

“If you have the need for a complex medical treatment or procedure, it is best done in Australia where you can be assured of the safety and quality standards in place, and of the certainty of follow up.”

Tags:

To post a reply please login or register

Risks of dental tourism highlighted by ADA

SYDNEY, Australia: With the cost of dental treatment presenting a significant barrier for many Australians, some may consider dental ...

The steady rise of dental tourism and the risks of cheap treatment abroad

LONDON, England: Driven by the NHS dental crisis, an increasing number of UK patients seeking cheaper dental work overseas are encountering unexpected ...

Study highlights potential and risks of AI tools in dental record-keeping

LONDON, England: One of the key promises of artificial intelligence-based (AI-based) tools in dentistry is the expediting of time-consuming tasks. The ...

ADA updates guidance on appropriate use of dental imaging

CHICAGO, US: The American Dental Association (ADA) has issued updated recommendations on dental imaging, reinforcing that radiographs and CBCT scans should ...

Dental tourism among UK patients is on the rise, BDA reports

LONDON, UK: According to a recent survey carried out by the British Dental Association (BDA), an increasing number of dental patients in the UK are seeking ...

Excessive bleeding: ADA highlights importance of medical history taking in dentistry

SYDNEY, Australia: Taking a thorough medical history is vital as it helps to identify conditions that may affect dental treatment and consequently reduces ...

Oral cancer awareness: Study highlights key role of dental teams

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia: Oral cancer constitutes a major front in the global fight against non-communicable diseases, and heightened public awareness of risk ...

British Dental Journal highlights mental health of dental professionals in new collection of articles

LONDON, England: The average person might think of the dentist as a fairly benign figure. Whatever fears and anxieties one faces as a patient, the dentist ...

Dental tourism and lasers to fuel growth of dental equipment market

ALBANY, USA: Market research company Transparency Market Research has reported that the global dental equipment market is expected to reach US$7.6 billion ...

Dental tourism: Insights from a UK media analysis

LIVERPOOL, England: Dental tourism has seen significant growth in recent years, particularly among younger demographics influenced by social media trends. A...

Education

Live webinar
Tue. 3 February 2026
7:00 pm EST (New York)