They say that nothing is for free; that quality has a price, and this saying is usually true. Countries that are present in dental tourism – Hungary, for instance – still offer cosmetic dentistry services for significantly more affordable prices than Western-European clinics. The question is: can relatively cheap treatment be good? Can one find good cosmetic dentistry abroad? In the case of Hungary, we can say without doubt that the answer is yes. Affordable prices here do not imply a lower quality service. In Hungary, patients can obtain the most popular dental replacements for lower prices. These premium quality services such as bridges, total dentures, removable dentures fixed on implants or other types of fixed tooth replacement solutions.
First, it is important to clarify what makes larger cosmetic dentistry interventions in Hungary significantly more affordable than in the “old” Western countries or in regions overseas. Why is it cheaper to get your cosmetic dentistry abroad? How is it possible that the overall costs of dental implants may be up to 60% cheaper in Hungary than in England? Do Hungarian dentists possibly use lower quality materials? Or are their tools and equipment inferior to those used by their British, German or Scandinavian colleagues? Fortunately, none of the above is true. Hungarian dentists work with the finest implants, manufactured by the Swiss, the Swedish, the Israeli, or the German. Their dentistry equipment is world-class. Also the training that Hungarian dentists get is completely equal to that of their colleagues living and working in the Western countries.
The secret lies in the differences in living costs. In Hungary, these costs are one quarter of the United Kingdom’s on average. So it makes sense that patients from abroad have to pay considerably less for the same quality of service in Hungary than in their home countries. People are aware of the somewhat inflated prices of dental care in the Western and North European countries. When they compare them to the prices in Hungary, they see that cosmetic dentistry in Hungary is perfectly affordable. Even including flight and accommodation costs, these patients save a lot of money on treatments of cosmetic dentistry abroad. Also they find that the long-term results of these treatments are excellent.
More on the most popular types of cosmetic dentistry abroad
Dental bridges
A dental bridge is one of the most frequently applied types of tooth replacement, used for bridging a tooth gap between two existing teeth. Bridges, as the name suggests, attach several artificial teeth, located side by side, into one single unit. Artificial teeth are attached to the “pillars” of the bridge. The bridge itself, as a whole, can be placed in the mouth using several methods. It may be attached to the healthy teeth existing in the mouth, to the polished surface of the teeth or to dental implants. The latter solution provides the patients with the opportunity to avoid using removable dental dentures. Bridges attached to implants function as natural teeth; without moving or “clattering” like some removable dentures. In some cases there is no natural support for the bridge. In these cases dentists usually recommend the insertion of implants in the oral cavity.
Tooth replacement attached to implants
Implants are an excellent solution for replacing a tooth. The dentist can place a crown on a superstructure bolted into the already healed implant. Implants are also suitable for fixing tooth replacements in the completely toothless oral cavity. Removable full dentures can be perfectly attached by the use of a few implants. These replace the entire upper or lower teeth, and are kept in place practically by the gum and the adhesive forces. The dentures “click” in; they stick in the connectors that are fixed on the implants, significantly enhancing stability while speaking and while chewing food. If the patient opts for the implantation of 6-8 dental implants in their lower and upper jawbones, the dentist can attach non-removable implants as bridges or round bridges. With the help of this technique, patients can get new teeth that are similar to their previous, natural ones. Also this means that they will be able to chew properly, and can be their true selves again.
Dentures
In case the bridges are not sufficient, dentures are necessary. We usually differentiate between dentures according to the method for their attachement. Dentures can be removable or not. We also distinguish partial and total dentures. Dentists recommend dentures when the tooth gap that needs replacement is so large that bridging is not possible, or its result would not be satisfactory.
The aim of partial dentures is to replace a certain missing part of the dental arch. Full dentures serve as replacement of the entire dental arch. Whether the patient needs partial or full dentures depends on the condition of their own teeth. The decisive aspect is whether the original teeth are strong and healthy enought to support the dentures. In the case of complete tooth loss the dentist also can assess the opportunity to use implants to which attach these types of partial dentures.
Some patients without any teeth in their oral cavities cannot have implantations due to health-related issues. For their tooth replacement the only solution is the use of removable total dentures. It means that the dentist places close-fitting artificial dentures on the gums. Adhesive forces present on the palate keep these dentures in their place. During the day, the patient can fix removable total dentures even more tightly using a special adhesive.
