Latest News > April 2008

Travelling Abroad ? Dental Tourism rising...

Some are travelling to avoid the troubled National Health Service, while others find private cosmetic treatment more affordable abroad than at home.

In an independent survey of British patients treated by VitalEurope, 93 per cent of respondents said they were there to save money. The same survey revealed that more than 25 per cent of the clinic’s British patients spend over £5,000 on treatment, with the average saving being calculated at around 50 per cent. In order to find out more about who exactly is opting for private treatment abroad, the survey found that 66 per cent of respondents were aged between 40 and 59, while 53 per cent were male. The most common treatment by far was dental implants, followed closely by crowns, then bridgework. The average stay for patients in Budapest was three days.

Research by Internet-based RevaHealth recently revealed that 45,000 people from the UK travelled abroad for dental treatment in 2007, compared to 30,000 in 2006.

Thomas Antalffy, managing partner at the VitalEurope clinic, said: “Over the past year or two, the dental tourism market in the UK has simply exploded. Ninety-five per cent of our patients are British, and we’re currently treating 200 of them a month, which is staggering. They’re choosing to travel to countries such as Hungary primarily for the cost savings, which can be considerable.”

Go Back