Open wide!
Let's be honest. Nobody really wants to visit the dentist. For some people it
is torture. However, we are living longer than our grandparents and great
grandparents did, and contemporary diets and lifestyles are hard on teeth. None
of us want to end up with dentures like grandma used to wear.One of the
biggest excuses people have NOT to have check-ups and cleaning as often as we
necessary is usually the cost. Unfortunately, we often put off
small problems until they become big ones. The cost of cosmetic dentistry makes
it a luxury.
If you have a private or public dental health care plan that covers some or
all of your needs, you are lucky. Often, however, there are strict limitations
on what is covered and you may have to wait for weeks or months for care.
Thailand offers world-class dental at costs that are far below other parts of the world. Even though
it is possible to find individual dentists in private practice in Thailand,
dental clinics in major hospitals are probably the best sources of dental care
for visiting foreigners. Why? First of all, multi-lingual dentists and support
staff mean fewer communications problems. Most important, however, is that
hospitals have the financial resources to make a big commitment to quality
dental care and to invest in the newest technology. They also know how to make
the most of a patient's time and how to fit a series of dental treatments into a
brief stay.
Appointments are easy to get here and you almost never have to sit in a
waiting room for more than a few minutes. Most clinics have low-cost, flat-fee
packages that include x-rays, cleaning and one or more simple fillings. Here are
a few of the many services you may consider including in your Thailand holiday:
Complete Examination Package. A thorough exam, whole-mouth x-rays and
a cleaning your teeth costs next to nothing and helps to identify small problems
that can be repaired before they become big ones.
Teeth Whitening. Time, diet, tobacco, tea and many other factors can
cause your teeth to darken or yellow over time. Normal cleaning and
over-the-counter products will not improve appearance significantly. Several
options are available to return teeth to their normal, original color, including
both chemical and laser whitening.
Veneers. Teeth that are discolored or damaged significantly can simply
be covered with a thin layer of attractive, durable material that is
custom-fitted for each tooth.
Implants replace missing teeth with an artificial teeth that are
anchored into the bone, just like a real tooth. The shape and color match the
rest of your teeth, of course. Old implant technology requiree numerous visits over a long span
of time, which made it impractical for most holiday visitors. However, the
newest single tooth implants available in Thailand can be installed in just one
day.
Orthodonture. Straightening crooked teeth no longer requires painful,
unsightly braces. New technology offers faster results than when you were an
adolescent, and some solutions are completely invisible.
Replacement of Metal Fillings. Amalgum (soft metal) fillings are
all but a thing of the past. A great many people believe that they are toxic over
a long period of time as they slowly deteriorate and metals are absorbed into
the body. They are also unsightly. It does not cost much time or money to remove the old amalgum
fillings and replace them with a porcelain-like material that looks like natural
tooth.
Other Procedures include extractions (including wisdom teeth), root
canals, crowns, replacement of
bridges and denture plates, reshaping and contouring of individual teeth,
closing of gaps between teeth, soft tissue grafting and bone augmentation.
