A few years ago I was looking at the $7,000.00 estimate from my dentist, and it occurred to me that I was not going to be able to do all the work anytime soon. But then I thought,”I’m going to Thailand next month, I wonder if I can do the work there”?
The answer was yes. Why not? I thought about the exchange rate and I did a little research. And it turned out I could do all of it. But there are a few things you should know to help you make your decision.
Do you have enough time?
The first time I went to Thailand I had planned to get three crowns done. I knew that crowns take more time than most other procedures so I booked my dentist appointment for my first day in Thailand. I’m glad I did. The dentist took down one tooth and found that it needed a root canal.
He did not do root canals so he referred me over to the Bangkok Hospital in Pattaya. He didn’t even charge me for the break down and the temporary crown.
The problem for me then was I was only going to have eight working days to get the root canal and crown done. This was just not enough time, but I wasn’t about to go home and have it done there.
The tooth ended up having three canals so that alone was two three hour appointments. At this point my dentist could only do a temporary crown. There wasn’t enough time to do the permanent crown, let alone the rest of the work I wanted done.
I decided to go back to Thailand in three months to finish what was started. The second visit was four more dentist appointments.
So, If you have several appointments for big procedures you will need to stay in the area of your dentist most of the time. If you are doing a filling or something that takes one appointment, you should be fine.
I recommend three to four weeks for crowns and bridges as it takes time to send out and receive the permanent crowns. Just keep in mind you don’t know what could happen. All your vacation plans could change.
How much does the dentist cost in Thailand?
This is the fun part. As I said in the last section, I was not about to go home and have the work done there. First, the money exchange rate in Thailand was around 34% at the time I was there. So $100 US was 3,400 Baht.
My first procedure was the Root canals and a temporary crown. It cost me $534.00 in Thailand. In the US it would have been at least $3,500.00. My second visit I had the three crowns done and two small cavities at a cost of $1351.00. At my home dentist it was going to cost me over $4,800.00.
It literally was cheaper to go to Thailand and do my dental work than it would have cost me to stay home and do it. Including the cost of the vacation.
After I had the root canals done at the Bangkok Hospital, I continue to this day using the same doctor. I only use my home dentist for cleanings. The locals in Thailand tell me it is more expensive than a smaller dental practice, but for me it is still so inexpensive.
In most cases dentists will be comparable to each other so I would just worry about the quality more than the cost. This is a partial list and just gives you an overall idea of what it might cost per procedure.
- X-ray $30 or 1000 THB
- Cleaning $50 or 1600 THB
- Filling $25-$100 or 800-3200 THB
- Bleaching Gel $25 or 800 THB
- Veneers $180-$250 or 6000-8000 THB
- Crowns $310-$775 or 10000-18000 THB
- Root Canal $240-$430 or 8000-14000 THB
- Full Denture per jaw $388 or 12000 THB
- Implant $1550-$2350 or 50000-75000 THB
- Tooth Extraction $60-$185 or 2000-6000 THB
- Night Guard $233 or 7500 THB
- Metal Braces $2480 or 80000 THB
How good is the quality and care from Thailand dentists?
When I tell someone how inexpensive my dental work is in Thailand, they always ask “but how good is the work and are the clinics dirty”? First of all anyone that knows me should know that I wouldn’t use a dentist that wasn’t as good, if not better than my home dentist.
Most dentists in the bigger cities of Thailand cater to tourists. Therefore the Thai government and health organizations work together to make sure everything is up to par.
Legitimate dentists in Thailand are members of the Dental Association of Thailand and are registered and regulated with the Thai Dental Council. A high amount of dentists in Thailand study overseas and are often associated with national and international dental organizations.
My dentist at home checked the work done by my Thai dentist and could not see any difference than his own work. Well, except for the price of course.
As for the clinics themselves? Quite often the clinics are immaculate with very modern equipment, interior designs and cutting edge technology. Some of the best clinics have Digital panoramic x-ray, CT scanning equipment, 3D CAD/CAM and in-house labs.
Some Thai dentists know they depend on tourism as a big chunk of their revenue, so they cater to tourists. They will try to be as helpful as possible because they know you are also there on vacation. Some clinics will even arrange for you to be picked up from the airport or your hotel for a small fee.
My dentist at the Bangkok Hospital in Pattaya always remembers everything about me and my past procedures, even if it has been over a year since the last appointment.
The assistants come and take your temperature and blood pressure before every appointment. When the doctor is ready, an assistant will come get you and walk with you to the room. Everyone is always so accommodating and helpful.
How do you choose a dentist in Thailand?
I think the best way is to use dental vacation websites. These websites will allow you to search dentists by location, cost, treatments and more. The clinics are usually certified by the website. They will show pictures and give a general description of the clinic and it’s doctors and staff, hours of operation and accepted payment methods.
The website I used was Dental Departures.com. You can call them toll free, chat with them on the website or book the clinic you choose right on the website. Each clinic has the cost per treatment and the duration for each procedure so you can book your vacation time accordingly.
I don’t think you can go wrong with this method. It’s basically everything at your fingertips. I think it’s actually easier than finding a dentist at home.
The other method is to call or book an appointment on the website of a hospital in the area you will be staying. Bangkok Hospital has around 40 facilities in most major cities. You can book an appointment on their website or call them directly.
Don’t worry, all the staff in most dental clinics speak English and some like Bangkok Hospital, have translators for many other languages.
Conclusion? Make the most of your dental vacation.
All in all I think doing dental work in The land of smiles makes sense. It just boils down to what you want to do on your vacation, how much time you have and how much dental work you need done.
If you have several appointments, I recommend staying near your Thai dentist. Take day or overnight trips in between appointments. It is very inexpensive to fly domestically in Thailand (around $35 round trip). So if your dentist is in Pattaya, fly to Phuket and explore for a day or two.
Like me, try to book your appointment on the same day you arrive. That way you will be able to get it out of the way and possibly find any potential problems right from the get go.
I also tell the dentist what procedures I think I need, so they can book the follow-up appointments ahead of time. This helps with managing your play time around your appointments. Let’s face it, you didn’t fly all the way to Thailand to sit in your room waiting for your next dental appointment.
If you plan well, you can still have a great time, (even with a numb lip).