Affordable Dental Implants in Thailand

Thailand is becoming one of the most happening places in the world when it comes to medical tourism.  Thousands of medical tourists flock to this Southeast Asian country every year to avail affordable and high-quality health care services; a lot of them are patients who require dental work.

Cost Savings of Dental Implants in Thailand

Procedures for dental implants in Thailand are some of the most affordable, if not the most affordable in the world.  In the United States, dental implants procedures can cost around US$5000, while the same procedure can cost a fraction of that in Bangkok.  Dental implants in Thailand can even go lower than US$1000, which means the patient may save up to 80% of the cost in the US.

Procedure Details

A dental implant procedure is ideal to treat tooth loss.  It is an artificial tooth root placed into the jaw by a dental surgeon in order to hold a crown, a replacement bridge, or dentures.  Ideal candidates for this procedure are people who have lost a tooth caused by injury, periodontal disease or other reasons.

• Mouth x-rays or ct-scans are done to identify bone structure, as well as various nerves and blood vessels surrounding the target area.
• Depending on a patient’s requirements, the dental surgeon will recommend a specific plan for the procedure.  Some patients can get immediate load implants, and some may require several visits with separate procedures done over a period of time.
• Patients will also need to discuss anaesthesia options with the surgeon, whether to use it locally or be sedated if necessary.

Remember to freely discuss with the dental expert the factors that may affect your choices from the options provided.  The things to consider may include:

• recovery time
• travel itinerary
• general and oral health
• lifestyle

Any medical practitioner will make better decisions when equipped with specific ideas on how a certain procedure will affect a patient’s life during and after the treatment process, so speak openly regarding your concerns.

Immediate Load Implants versus Traditional Implants

There is a significant difference in the process between immediate load and traditional implants.

Traditional Dental Implants

• Traditional implants take time, sometimes requiring several months to complete.
• In traditional implants, a titanium post is placed permanently into the jaw bone and requires osseointegration- the integration of the implant into the surrounding bone structures in the jaw.
• When osseointegration is done, the dental surgeon can expose a part of the implant where a post and the tooth- replacement structure can be attached.

Immediate Load Dental Implants

• Immediate load dental implants use differently-shaped implants that do not require osseointegration.
• The surgeon can immediately attach the replacement teeth in the same session.
• A patient undergoing immediate load implants can go out of a dental clinic an hour after with a complete new smile.

Alternatives to Dental Implants

Other options for people who do not want dental implants include:

• partial dentures
• full dentures
• bridges
• jackets or crowns

Dental Implants Pros and Cons

Pros:

• The permanence and stability of dental implants are its most advantageous qualities.
• Because an implant is directly attached to the jaw, it does not compromise the health of other teeth as a bridge would.
• It also prevents the loss of bone or the recession of gums that may happen in people with dentures.
• The most attractive part of having implants done is the fact that they look and feel like natural teeth.

Cons:

• Recovery Time – The disadvantages related to implants are mainly connected to the recovery time for the surgery involved, especially for traditional implants when a patient has to wait months before the permanent replacement teeth can be installed.
• However with the advent of same day or immediate load dental implants, these disadvantages have been greatly minimized.

Tourist Safety in Thailand

As Thailand has become one of the top tourist destinations in Asia, its government has extended its reach to ensure the experience is fun and safe for everyone.  In planning trips to Thailand, especially for medical or dental procedures, research is the key.

• Look up the credentials of the doctors and clinics you want to work with.
• Plan your trip so that the schedule supports both your medical visits and some tourist trips on the side.
• Go online to access various resources – Many sites such as the official Thailand Medical Tourism Portal are available for help on planning trips to Thailand.

Thailand is generally a very tourist-friendly country, especially its capital Bangkok.  For most medical tourists who can spare some time before or after their scheduled visits to Thailand’s medical professionals, visits to local beaches, temples, food stall-lined streets, and shopping districts are always in the itinerary.