DENTAL PRACTICE


Tales of the non-accidental tourist


Dental adviser Doug Hamilton offers a pragmatic view on patients seeking dental treatment abroad


holiday, but the expectation that the NHS will provide comprehensive and free healthcare dissuades most patients from seeking elective treatment out-with the UK – or at least this was true until recent years. Lengthening waiting times and


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developments in European legislation, together with the advent of almost universal access to the internet and cheap air travel, have made it no longer unusual for patients to undergo certain procedures in foreign hospitals. Te fact that dentists, particularly those in central Europe, have been one of the main beneficiaries of this new development does seem logical bearing in mind the shortage of NHS surgeries in certain parts of the UK and the increased costs of private treatment. Tese factors, combined with the reality


that dental treatment is oſten non-urgent and seldom impacts upon mobility, have galvanised patients to seek cheaper and more accessible treatment abroad. An estimated 20 to 35,000 dental patients do so each year and that number is rising.


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ANY of us will have sought medical attention for injuries or conditions arising while we are on


Advising patients In recognition of this new trend, the GDC have produced a document which offers general guidance and suggests that prospective dental tourists seek more detailed advice from their UK practitioner before travelling abroad. Responding to such enquiries requires a degree of tact and insight. Dentists are ethically obliged to respect their patient’s choice and must be careful not to offer excessively pessimistic or even misleading information. However, there are valid concerns which should be raised, both to assist the patient’s decision-making process and also protect the UK dentist from recrimination should anything go wrong. Obvious as it may seem, a useful starting


point for such a discussion would be to highlight the importance of communication. Admittedly, the language skills of Europeans would put many of us in the UK to shame, with some countries even teaching dentistry in English. Nonetheless, patients must make certain that the dentist whom they plan to visit can explain the technicalities of the proposed treatment in order to secure informed consent and provide ongoing reassurance.


Cost implications Another fundamental area that should be addressed is the tricky issue of finance. Encouraged by numerous websites, magazine and newspaper articles it’s not surprising that some patients decide that being treated abroad represents the most cost-efficient means of achieving the outcome they desire. However, as no two cases are the same, patients must at least consider the possibility that the guideline charges which are oſten quoted in the media may escalate once an examination


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