The number of people needing dental care in Australia is on the rise, but a majority put off treatment (until an emergency situation arises) thanks to prohibitive costs.  They manage the pain and discomfort through pain killers and antibiotics. This is especially true for dental implants.  Dental implant costs in Sydney can be anywhere around $5000-$6500. No wonder people prefer to jet off to Asian countries like Thailand, India, or Dubai where the entire treatment can be done for less than half the price.

But you’ll often find dentists in Australia trying to scare people away from seeking treatment overseas. The Australian Board, they say does not recognize that dentists from these countries are qualified enough to practice in Australia. There’s also this conceited claim about the Australian education standard being far superior when compared to standards in these countries.

Truth be told, better education doesn’t always mean that a person is good at a particular job. Individual skill and experience counts for far more than education standards. An experienced and skillful dentist with a high success rate, but from a mediocre education system can be trusted more than an inexperienced but well educated doctor.

Besides, traveling to these countries for dental treatment serves dual purpose; people can enjoy a holiday vacation whilst seeking treatment. A little research on the internet about the level of service, experience and skill of the dentist performing the procedure, hospital facilities, etc. should be helpful. When seeking a quote from the dentist for an implant, make sure that it includes expenses for the surgery, cost for the crown, anesthetist’s fee, etc.  Communication is another aspect that cannot be ignored- the surgeon responsible to carry out the procedure should be able to communicate in English. But this is rarely a problem in countries like Thailand and India where English is the often the most common means of communication among professionals.

A study by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reveals that;

• One in three people living in rural and regional Australia have untreated tooth decay.
• A mere 28% of people living in the lowest income group went for their yearly dental checkup last year
• Only 56% of people in the highest income bracket could manage to visit the dentist for their yearly checkup.

Increased consumption of sugar and processed food is a major reason for this problem. But the blame for untreated tooth decay certainly lies with the fact that dental costs in Australia are very expensive and almost beyond the reach of average households in the country.

Of course, there’s a tendency to justify high fees with better quality, but is this always the case? Also, does this imply that a dentist who chooses to charge less than his peers lacks skill and expertise?

Why are dental costs in Melbourne of Sydney so high? Dentists’ often scare people about dental problems and their consequences and use this fear to charge exorbitant fees. That could also perhaps explain the reason for the high dental implant costs in Sydney.

There’s also the problem of high background costs such as laboratory fees and material charges. These can vary from clinic to clinic and one shouldn’t be naïve enough to believe that an expensive crown or lab test necessarily implies better treatment.

It has become a common practice to visit a specialist directly without consulting the general dentist. In fact, many dentists use fancy terms to charge higher fees. No doubt specialists undergo in depth training in a niche area, but they’re required only when the problem is beyond the scope of a general dentist or if the treating practitioner decides that treatment through a specialist would give a better outcome. Since specialists are trained to treat complex cases, their fees would naturally be higher.

A little research about the different fees charged by the different dentists should help you find affordable dental treatment. You can also ask the practitioner about the labs where tests are done, the quality of the materials used, etc. and then make a better decision.