I need to travel for dental implants because I live in a remote area. There are dentists here, but they’d send me to the city for an oral surgeon. That’s two hours away. So, I figured if I have to travel I might as well find the best implant dentist I can, even if it means longer travel. I know not to do dental tourism. That’s not what I’m talking about. I plan on staying in the United States. I just need to know what to do to give this type of thing its best shot.
Michelle
Dear Michelle,
It’s great that you’re planning ahead. That will be one of the keys to your successful outcome. I’m also glad to hear you’re not doing dental tourism. I could tell you about a recent case a colleague of mine saw. A woman flew to Mexico. She said flying there three times was cheaper than getting the work done locally. Unfortunately, when she came into our office, the whole right side of her face was swollen from a massive infection. On top of that the implant itself was loose and cracked. She’d gone back to the original dentist who said he did everything correctly and there’s nothing else which he could do for her and sent her on the way. He didn’t even give her an antibiotic.
Your situation is different. And, yes, if you’re going to have to travel anyway, you might as well try to get the best implant dentist possible.
Choose Your Implant Dentist Carefully
You’ll want a dentist who has extensive training post dental school. Here are some reputable places where they can get training:
- Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI)
- Midwest Implant Institute
- Pankey Institute
- Kois Center
- Dawson Academy
There are others, but these are among the best.
In addition to this training, you want the dentist to have the correct surgical training as well. There’s less chance of error or miscommunication if the surgeon and implant dentist is the same person.
Meet with the Implant Dentist for an Extensive Consultation Ahead of Time
The dentist needs to know that you will be traveling. One of the issues which needs to be discussed is the emergency protocol he’d prefer in your situation. If something is going on, will he do a skype call to evaluate you or will he want you to come to his office?
Budget Carefully for Your Dental Implant Appointments
There are quite a few appointments necessary when it comes to dental implants. You could expect around six appointments, such as the consultation, surgery, post-op checks, healing checks, impression appointments, and placement appointments. What you don’t want is to get partway through your appointments and run out of money for travel.
Consider You’re Having Surgery
You won’t be able to travel home immediately after your surgery. Ideally, it would be nice if you were able to find a qualified implant dentist in an area where you have a friend or relative you could stay with for a couple of days after the surgery. If that’s not possible, just have someone come with you for the actual surgery, who can stay with you until the next day and then help you get home.
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