Cost of Dental Implants Around the World

Learn why dental implants are not a good candidate for medical tourism.

In today’s global economy, it is increasingly common for individuals to escape rising healthcare costs in their own countries by traveling abroad for medical procedures. The phenomenon is called medical tourism. Is this a feasible plan for dental implants? Based on costs of the procedure alone you might think so. However, there are other factors that ultimately make it a much better idea to get your dental implants closer to home.

Cost of Dental Implants in Selected Countries

Here’s the average USD sticker price for a dental implant in select countries according to data from the Medical Tourism Association:

• Korea – $4,200
• Thailand – $3,636
• USA – $2,800
• Israel – $2,150
• Mexico – $1,800
• Colombia – $1,750
• Jordan – $1,000
• India – $1,000
• Costa Rica – $900
• Malaysia – $345

It’s important to note that these prices are based on 2013 data and do not include any travel expenses such as airfare and extended hotel stays.

Why You Shouldn’t Go Abroad for Dental Implants

There are many convincing reasons why it is better to get your dental implants closer to home rather than making the procedure an excuse for medical tourism.

#1: Length of the Process: Getting dental implants sometimes requires multiple surgeries, depending on the condition of your gums and jawbone, the type of implant you are getting, and other factors. In any case, there should be a delay between the placement of the implant post and the placement of the final implant crown in order to allow for proper healing. Clinical research suggests that allowing sufficient healing time is very important for the long term success of the implant. For most people, it simply is not feasible or cost-effective to spend such a long period abroad.

#2. Doctor Qualifications: Different countries have different standards for their dental and medical professionals—and for their medical facilities, medicines, and treatments too. It is much simpler to stay here in the US for your dental implant surgery, to ensure that you are provided with the level of care you expect by an oral surgeon with specific experience in dental implants.

#3. Possible Need for Followup Care: While your regular dentist can certainly provide care for implants placed by any other professional, a pre-existing relationship makes matters much easier for both dentist and patient. If you get your dental implants here at California Dental Group, you can breathe easy knowing we are right here to provide fast answers to any questions or concerns you may have about your new dental implants. We will already have access to all your patient records and you’ll already have a good relationship with your dentist with open lines of communication. You simply won’t enjoy this if your dental implant dentist is on the other side of the world.