Lack Of Competition In The Dental Market Is Driving Irish Patients Abroad

Irish dental patients frustrated by high prices, a lack of choice, and a dearth of comparable information are increasingly turning to the internet to search for dental treatment abroad according to RevaHealth.com, the world’s leading Dental Tourism search engine. Around 100 Irish people a week are using the website to make direct enquiries with dental clinics in Hungary, Poland, Turkey, and even as far away as Thailand.

Dental Tourism is not a new phenomenon in Ireland, with many patients from the Republic travelling to Northern Ireland for treatment, but the advent of cheap air travel and widespread internet access has effectively widened the range of choice that the Irish patients have available to them.

By travelling to Hungary or Poland they can save as much as 75% on their treatment costs, often more than enough to cover the costs of travel to and accommodation in their chosen destination. On average, Irish dental tourists are spending €3,300 on treatment abroad, with costly cosmetic procedures like dental implants and veneers proving hugely popular. This compares with an average price of €8,900 for the equivalent dental treatment in Ireland.

Clinics in Hungary and Poland have decades of experience with Dental Tourists, treating over 500,000 patients from Germany and Austria a year. Now, some clinics in Hungary are receiving so many Irish patients that they have employed representatives in Ireland to do pre-screening and even follow up care, saving the patient the need to travel back for any minor work.

Philip Boyle, Marketing Director at RevaHealth.com commented:

“The recent report by the Irish Competition Authority into the dental industry in Ireland has only confirmed what our visitors have been telling us all along. Prices here are too high, there are long waiting lists, and it is impossible to find the enough information to make an informed choice about treatment options. We offer our visitors a free information pack which covers the most popular treatments and destinations, as well as a dental savings calculator, to show them just how much they can save by travelling.”

About RevaHealth.com

Irish-owned and managed, RevaHealth.com has very quickly established itself as the world’s leading medical tourism search engine, generating in excess of one million dollars of medical tourism business every week. RevaHealth.com has matched thousands of patients with top international hospitals and clinics and represents over 200 healthcare providers in 30 different countries.