It is fair to say that initially anyway, dental implant treatment in the UK is not particularly cheap. At least, not when compared to many Central European countries. So when faced with the prospect of needing multiple implant restorations, over 35,000 Brits last year alone, ignored the risks of getting dental implants abroad and instead jumped on a plane bound for destinations like Hungary, Poland, and Bulgaria, Turkey for money-saving dental treatment. One such person was Steve Underwood. Here is his cautionary tale…
“I started losing teeth from an early age and as my remaining teeth started to drift, they became difficult to clean. Because I wasn’t able to clean them properly I started to suffer badly with tooth infections and over time, many of my remaining healthy teeth became compromised and basically, more tooth loss followed, and it snowballed from there.”
Over a period of time, Steve underwent a lot of dental treatment including bridges and dentures, but they never felt comfortable. Eventually, it got to the point where he had real trouble keeping them in place.
“It became increasingly difficult to function and it was becoming a pain to live with and really getting me down.” He said.
“It was then that I realised that I needed to get this sorted out once and for all, so I started looking into getting a full set of fixed teeth done abroad.”
Like many others, Steve believed that the cost of an equivalent treatment here in the UK was unaffordable.
“I felt that I was looking at over double the cost of equivalent treatment abroad,” he said.
“For me at least, travelling abroad for treatment seemed like a no-brainer. I’d heard about the risks of getting dental implants abroad but after reading good reviews online and looking into it, I felt that this was the way to go. Everyone seemed to be talking about it, so I made my decision based on that.”
Within a few days, Steve was making enquiries to a dental practice in Budapest, Hungary because in his own words
“After searching online, I found a place in Budapest that offered good prices. It wasn’t deemed the best, but it wasn’t deemed the worst, so I felt that it was a good place to start.”
During that initial call, however, he was put on to a patient co-ordinator…
“Primarily I was really only making enquiries but in reality, he was a salesman, you know. He told me that everything was going to be great and then proceeded to give me a load of treatment options.”
Previous to this, Steve had already carried out his research, so he knew exactly what treatment he wanted (a full set of fixed teeth) and that was what he was willing to pay for. He was told by the coordinator that this was a hundred per cent possible.
“After saying this, the guy tells me that he can arrange everything including flights and accommodation and seemed really keen to get me over,” said Steve. “Because I wanted it done sooner rather than later, all seemed good, so a date was set.”
A few weeks later, Steve set off for the flight to Budapest in good spirits believing that years of dental problems would soon be over. Little did he know that they were just beginning…
“Initially everything was great. The morning after I arrived, I got picked up from my hotel and taken to a consultation. I was greeted by a friendly reception team who made me feel welcome. They introduced me to the dental surgeon who was going to be doing the work, but it was at this point she told me that it might not be possible to have what I wanted done because of the lack of bone density in my jaw.”
Steve proceeded to tell her what the patient coordinator had previously said, only to be told that he should not have guaranteed that. After the situation was discussed some more, Steve tried to get confirmation as to whether he would be going home with a set of permanent fixed teeth.
He takes up the story again…
“After further consultation, I was told that I would be leaving with a full set of fixed teeth, so I agreed to go ahead and have my remaining teeth pulled. Following surgery, a day or so later, and to my dismay, I awoke to be greeted by a full set of plastic dentures that didn’t fit.
Feeling badly let down, Steve found himself en-route back to his hotel with an ill-fitting denture and bleeding quite badly. He was told not to take it out because his mouth needed to form a clot to stem the bleeding. He was also in a lot of discomfort and had an unimaginably disgusting taste in his mouth. So eventually he succumbed and took the appliance out to rinse.
“Finally, things started to calm down’” he said. “I was flying back to the UK the very next day so the notion of travelling in that much discomfort didn’t bear thinking about.”
He continues…
“I’ve now got false teeth rather than fixed teeth that don’t fit, and I know that if I leave it like this and fly home, I’ve got no chance of redress. So, I immediately contacted them and said that I wasn’t happy with the result.
According to Steve, it was then the whole mood changed…
“They switched from being warm and friendly to frosty and defensive.”
Despite this, in between the call and going back to visit the next morning, the clinic had hastily made Steve a new set of dentures. This time, however, they made them bigger in the hope that suction was going to work. Inevitably, it didn’t and instead, they had to add a silicone type material to plug the gaps.
At first, the material did the job and held the dentures in position and with that, Steve felt a hopeless acceptance that if they stayed in position, he would just have to live with it. Unfortunately, time was against him, so he caught his flight back to the UK, figuring that it was only a temporary measure until he was due to return to Budapest for his permanent set – some three and a half months later.
Steve takes up the story…
“After a couple of weeks of wear, it became apparent that my dentures were never going to hold because the silicone type material was wearing away fast. Eventually, it got to the point where I was using a tube and a half of fixative a week just to keep my dentures in place.”
This was the situation Steve found himself in when he came across the team here at Evo Dental and why he was willing to pay again to put the problem right.
“It’s no longer about the money,” he said. “It’s about the honesty, transparency, and peace of mind that you guys deliver. It’s about the clear definitions of guarantees and what I can expect in years to come. I have done the research and seen the footage of previous patients; you know. And it looks so natural. That is why I’m here speaking with you today.
For me, in hindsight, going abroad for dental implants was a costly mistake, and one that I won’t ever be repeating.”
Although this is just one story, there are plenty more people like Steve. People who thought that they had found the ideal and affordable solution to their dental problems by undergoing implant-based restorations overseas. Sadly, these are just some of the risks of getting dental implants abroad.
At the time of writing this, Steve had just had his smile in a day treatment and was ecstatic with the results! We will be documenting his whole Evo Journey so watch out for Part 2 where you will see Steve’s big reveal and hear about how he has been getting on since his life changing treatment.
If you have been told that dentures are the only solution, then consider being treated closer to home and talk to the team at Evo Dental today! We provide permanent and life-changing fixed teeth solutions.