Dental Vacations
Forget the black, sandy beaches and luscious, tropical foliage of Hawaii. Many people are taking their vacations to the least popular spot in the world: the dentist chair.
In what appears to be an emerging trend, more and more Americans are forgoing beautiful ocean waves and sun-kissed breezes to instead face the hydraulic wheeze of dental instruments. The ultimate mission is to secure cheap dental care.
“The story is always the same,” said Suzan Haskins, who recently published an essay detailing her trip to Mexico for dental work. “Great quality work at half the cost or less for the same work in the U.S.”
Haskins, who snapped a front tooth cleanly in half after an accidental collision between her face and a low crouching colonial doorway, said dentists in the United States may have charged her as much as $1,500 for what costs $300 in Mexico. And the work is not subpar, she claims. In fact, she would put it on par with any dentist in the world.
It is estimated that nearly 100 million Americans don’t have dental insurance. And although it’s unrealistic to think all these people will go overseas to get inexpensive dental care, it seems more and more people are partaking in this trend, or at least entertaining the idea. Because high-quality dental care can be so inexpensive in a different country, there is the opportunity to combine a dentist visit with a mini vacation.
Some American experts, however, warn people not to go overseas for dental work. They worry the quality of care won’t be up to American standards. Alternatively, a language barrier may cause problems. Still, for people like Haskins, the opportunity is just too great to pass up.