Traveling always needs a lot of preparation, not to mention this is a dental vacation that you are planning for. Asides from numerous things you already have to plan ahead of your trip like where to go, what to do and what to play, you now have to work harder for your treatment aspect. In this article, we will help lessen the burden you’re facing by organizing the categories you must work through, and including the important things you should remember to bring along with you. Therefore, either you’re considering dental treatments overseas or planning your dental vacation, let’s dive in!

Checklist

Diagnostic results + Dental records

Dental records and diagnostic reports are always the two most important things you should remember before a dental vacation.

Dental records contain information about your previous treatments, health information, updated dental health, and past surgeries (if you have). Since not only is your issue the only factor for deciding treatment plan but also whether your dental health meets the requirement, details about your past procedures may help overseas dentists to determine the right treatment plan for your specific case.

When it comes to dental tourism, photo diagnosis (sending photos of your mouth to overseas dentists for consultation) is commonly preferred by many people for convenience and free consultation. However, what you should do is to have your examination done at the office of your local dentist. It’s not the case in which overseas dentists cannot detect your dental problem, it occurs more that there are two advantages from preparing your diagnosis beforehand: you can save a lot of time during the first appointment spent for tests and examinations, and it can help narrow down the extents of your dental situation and extra treatments you might need.

Treatment plan

Remember this is a dental vacation, not a normal trip abroad, so your whole trip will be around your dental treatment and appointments plan. The suggestion is that you request a detailed treatment plan before you travel and plan your other activities, print it out or note it on your phone so you are always reminded of the date and time you have to turn up at the clinic. This helps to avoid any overlap schedule between your dental treatment appointments and your day to enjoy. If you plan to make the most of your vacation by enjoying the destination’s tourist attractions or some other travel activities, you need to prioritize your treatment plan, and your travel plans should be made based on the treatment plan.

Budget

One of the most important things you need to prepare before your dental trip is your budget. Contact your clinic or your facilitator for the accurate and full cost of your treatment package. The clinic will provide you with a quote of breakdown costs that present your procedures, cost for each procedure and cost inclusion or exclusion such as medications, anesthesia cost. Your facilitator can help you calculate your cost of flights, accommodation, meals and extra holiday costs if you want to travel. Then make a list of things you have to pay for and sum them up.

Besides, in case of unpredictable accidents, you should prepare some extra amount of money. The total cost must be around your budget and if it goes beyond your expectations, you can get advice from your facilitator to minimize your costs.

Dental tourism insurance

If you want to cover for unpredictable arising accidents on or after your trip, dental tourism insurance is needed to prepare thoroughly. You should learn about the available dental tourism packages in your country and how it can cover your cost. In Australia, for example, GoInsurance has launched a dental tourism insurance policy to cover problems except for original dental treatment. The insurance covers the costs of emergency overseas medical treatment but excludes the treatment that is elective or cosmetic. If you have to stay longer overseas due to some problems with your dental treatment, the insurance also covers for additional accommodation, transport costs of you and your companion as well. Dental tourism insurance makes your trip safer so you can rest assured to complete your treatment.

Not every country offers dental tourism insurance, so you should do some research if you intend to have dental tourism insurance for your trip.

Travel plan

A travel plan is completely different from the treatment plan the dental clinic sends you. While your treatment plan will be scheduled by the clinics, depends on the suitable procedure for you, the dentist’s schedule, and the complications that might occur, it’s totally up to you to develop a travel plan fit with your dental plan. Aspects that you should consider when developing a travel plan are your accommodation, the spots you want to visit, restaurants with the dishes and beverages suggested by the doctor, and activities you want to participate in suited with the home care instructions.

This step may be overwhelming if it’s your first time planning for a dental trip; which aside from the number of steps with the chosen dental clinics to have online consultation and decision on a treatment plan, you still have to think about another number of things when it comes to other activities. This is where the dental tourism facilitators step in to help you. You can find some of the dental travel facilitators on Google easily, and they usually don’t charge you dental agency fee, because it’s already paid by the clinic, as a part of marketing cost. If you’re a careful person, you can double-check the price on the clinic’s website to ensure you got the right price.

Payment method

Most clinics accept cash payment, or via payment gateway and major credit cards, but unless you have a specialist card or debit card for overseas use, then payment method such as cash withdrawals, credit cards, bank fees, currency conversion may cause extra charge up to 5% as much as to your total cost. Your extra charge can be significant if your bill costs in the thousands. You should check with your clinic in advance which payment methods are accepted to prepare well for your payment.

Bank transfer is one of the most used payment methods when it comes to overseas payment because of its low fee. However, bank transfer is usually slow, can take 3-5 days to complete so you need to make sure that your money will be available in need. Each payment method has its pros and cons and depends on your financial condition. If you’re confused about it, don’t hesitate to ask for help from your facilitator or clinic.

Companion

Having a companion on your dental treatment trip can help you a lot. If you and your spouse, friend or anyone close to you are planning to travel, you can take this trip as your holiday as well. Dental destinations in Asia such as Vietnam, Thailand, which are not only prevalent for dental tourism but also for their amazing tourist attractions. Make your dental trip most relaxing with your company and you will be more confident about your treatment.

Planning for your dental overseas treatment takes a lot of time and effort so a facilitator can become your supporter along your journey who helps you solve your difficulties. There are still a lot of things uncovered above, so below are some common questions you may want to ask the clinic or dental travel facilitator to come up with a thorough dental vacation plan.

Possible questions for your hospital or dental travel facilitator:

Where will the procedure take place, at the hospital or the doctor’s clinic?

How many trips to your country will be required?

Am I covered by your insurance or warranty policy if anything was to go wrong?

Do you have the latest in medical equipment, particularly relevant to my procedure? What type of technology do you use for diagnosis and treatment?

Are there medications or procedures required which are not covered by the price quoted to me? I would like to know the cost breakdown

Can my companion stay onsite with me or will they be required to stay in a local hotel, if so will you arrange this for us?

What personal items should I bring with me?

What type of food should I expect?

Who will be responsible for my treatment? How much experience does he (she) have with doing a particular procedure?

Will my doctor and hospital staff speak fluent English?

Are there any activities I should avoid immediately after my procedure? Am I allowed to explore the local area?

Do you collect complaints? Can I see a few negative reviews?

Do you accept to pay with dental insurance?

How should I make my payment?

Who can I contact for advice after the treatment?

If you have any further questions regarding dental treatment overseas, feel free to contact Lotus Dental Travel - the number one dental tourism facilitator in Vietnam for consultancy. Before you take off on your trip, remember to have a consultation session in advance. Having a beautiful, white smile is always ideal for those vacation photos. Call us to have a free personal quote and consultation!