Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Many dentists have a negative view of so called “dental tourism”. This is usually based on their experience with just one side of the issue. The good news is there is more to it than most of us realize.
A lot of dentists have had the experience of examining patients after they have received some “discount dentistry” done in other countries. Some of this work is frankly just bad dentistry. However, most of it is adequate; but almost none of it would be considered excellent. On the other hand, the patients will invariably go on to smugly tell you what a great deal they got and what a smart move it was for them.
Dental tourism then is when people travel from a first world economy to the third world to get bargain dental care and then attempt to convince themselves the quality of the work is equivalent to what they could get back home.
The problem is that this is only half the picture.
The fact is that most of the world recognizes and wants the quality of dental care available in North America and if they have the means, people will just as often travel to the US and to obtain a level of quality workmanship that just isn’t available in their home country. At least half of dental and medical tourists are people seeking better quality or innovation, not a bargain.
You often see news reports of some foreign VIP coming to the US for medical treatment. But that is just what makes the news; a lot of regular folks are making that trip as well for both medicine and dentistry. The problem is it costs a lot to travel to the US and pay retail for medical care. Even though many people would love to get US quality medical / dental care, few can afford to do it.
What if you could export American quality of care and combine it with a developing world cost platform in a desirable resort destination? You could offer patients a fabulous vacation experience, the opportunity to receive high-quality dental care delivered by US trained professionals for less than the treatment would cost in most US cities. This is such a good idea it has already been launched as American World Clinics (AWC).
The first AWC facility includes both a dental clinic and an American style surgical hospital in Barbados. The 21.5 acres, AWC-Barbados campus is scheduled to open in late 2013. There are many reasons that Barbados is a good choice; the project is well under way and has the strong support of the Government of Barbados.
The development of some amazing high-tech digital systems helps make the AWC dental clinic possible. For example one of the services most sought after by dental tourists are implants. A high-tech diagnostic like Cone Beam CT allows dentists to examine and treatment plan implants precisely, then create a highly accurate surgical guide for implant placement. This ensures rapid placement with minimal complications and highly predictable results. Exactly what you need for a patient on the go with limited time.
Another high-tech dental system with obvious benefits is CAD/CAM. These systems, like CEREC and E4D, allow dentists to provide lab type onlay and crown restorations in a single visit with no temporary and no actual lab procedure.
For restorations that do not lend themselves to CAD/CAM digital impression systems will ensure an accurate quality impression that can be sent electronically, instantly to a lab either in Barbados or anywhere in the world. No pouring of models, no distortion from setting materials, no hidden bubbles and no transportation time or cost.
However, the technology that will support the AWC dental concept the most is not a diagnostic or therapeutic device it is the Internet.
Electronic medical / dental records that are stored on the cloud and available to treating dentists and physicians in Barbados, back home in the US or in any country patients may travel to and from will make the treatment of patients and follow-up care much easier and better than it could possibly be using paper records.
A final advantage to professionals working at AWC in Barbados is that they can bypass much of the bureaucracy and barriers to care found in the US. This includes interference from insurance carriers and government, especially on the medical side. There will also be an opportunity to utilize treatment options that are available in Europe and elsewhere but are not yet FDA approved in the US.
At this time the AWC founders are looking for physicians and dentists to staff the clinic. They do not expect successful high-quality professionals to simply abandon their US practices and move to the Caribbean. The plan is for participating professionals to agree to work for one month per year in Barbados while maintaining their US practice back home. For those who want to spend more time or go full time with AWC, those options are available as well.
Dr. Larry Emmott is the leading authority on dental high tech and one of the most entertaining speakers in dentistry. He is also a writer and consultant.