The General Dental Council and British Dental Health Foundation have issued new advice for residents in the UK travelling abroad to have dental treatment . Dental tourism is a form of health tourism, an emerging trends cause by the perceived high cost of private health treatment, and the waiting times of National Health Service operations.
The chief executive of the GDC, Duncan Rudkin, was reported in the health insurance news as commenting: "We think it's important for dental patients - wherever they receive their treatment - to know the questions to ask to ensure they receive the best possible treatment and care, and where they can go if something goes wrong."
Furthermore, the chief executive of the BDHF, Dr. Nigel Carter, reportedly commented: "The National Dental Survey 2008 found that 16 per cent of people would be willing to travel abroad for dental treatment and the figure was even higher among the 18 to 30 age group - suggesting the trend will continue. Styles and standards of dentistry can vary a great deal from one country to another and, if things do go wrong, patients could still be left facing some difficult and potentially expensive decisions. However, by researching their chosen practitioner and asking the right questions they can reduce the chances of encountering potentially avoidable problems further down the line."




