If you’re considering getting dental implants abroad, there’s a high chance that something may go wrong. This is why there is a developing area of insurance for dental treatment within medical tourism.
The General Dental Council (GDC) consistently advises against travelling abroad to have dental surgery. They warn that all surgical procedures carry risks, and that unlike the UK, dentists abroad don’t always need to be registered with a governing body. If there is a governing body, they can’t guarantee they set the same standards as the GDC.
You should consider medical travel insurance if you’re dead set on the idea of having your dental implants abroad. Here’s a bit more about what this type of insurance is and what it does and does not cover.
Medical travel insurance for dental implants abroad
Standard travel insurance definitely won’t cover you if something goes wrong with your dental implants abroad. Bad practice, poor equipment and materials are so common that no travel insurance policy would cover dental tourism on a standard policy.
In fact, many standard policies will not pay out for any reason at all (even loss of luggage or cancelled flights) if it transpires that you are travelling for dental treatment.
If dental tourism is the purpose of your trip, you’ll need to take out medical travel insurance, also known as medical complications insurance. The main company that provides this type of cover in the UK is called Medical Travel Shield.
Medical travel insurance will generally cover you for:
- Medical expenses incurred due to life-threatening surgery complications.
- Costs to stay in your destination longer than the usual recovery period due to medical reasons.
- An additional return trip (flights and accommodation) within 12 months if your dental implants abroad are unsuccessful and the return visit is deemed medically necessary.
What is not usually covered:
- The cost of any corrective treatment if the original treatment was unsuccessful.
It’s important to note that medical complications insurance does not protect you from medical negligence. It does not enable you to sue a dentist if your dental implants abroad go wrong. The only way you could do this would be by proving medical negligence, and that would have nothing to do with your insurance provider.
Dental implants abroad – Proving medical negligence
If you are unhappy with the results of your dental implants abroad and wish to sue the dental clinic, you’ll need to prove their medical negligence.
Not every claim is successful, as the medical tourism industry is almost entirely unregulated. That’s why, although it doesn’t cover everything that could go wrong, insurance for medical complications is still a good idea if you plan to have your dental implants abroad.
Dental implants abroad or in the UK?
The long and short of it is that if you’re unhappy with your dental implants abroad, you’ll probably end up having to meet the costs of any corrective treatment out of your own pocket.
Whilst dental work abroad is obviously more affordable, it’s vital that you consider all the potential risks before committing to a decision that you are likely to regret.
Like all dentists in the UK, EvoDental are held to the high standards of the General Dental Council. We must also comply with the strict standards set out by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). This means you can be certain that you’re in safe hands when you choose to get your full jaw dental implants with us.
Contact EvoDental today
EvoDental are dental implant specialists with three clinics in the UK, based in Liverpool, Solihull and Heathrow. When we say we’re dental implant specialists, we mean it. That’s literally all we do – dental implants, day in, day out. So you can be sure we know what we’re talking about when we say that there are no teeth so bad that we can’t find a solution.
Our team have the knowledge, experience and equipment needed to provide dental implants of unparalleled quality right here in the UK.
We appreciate that implants in the UK cost more than dental implants abroad, but this is one of those situations where you really do get what you pay for! We pride ourselves on offering a variety of finance options, making our expertise and skills accessible to all who need them.
To discover if our EvoSolution dental implants are right for you, give our knowledgeable team a call on 0800 470 3050 Click to Call. Alternatively, just fill in our suitability test form and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.