For a variety of reasons, medical and dental tourists visit other nations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) speculate that some patients may be immigrants who want to receive medical treatment in their native nations. Others visit because their home country does not offer a certain operation or treatment. Others choose particular treatments because they are much less expensive. The majority of patients, according to the CDC, fly abroad for dental work, heart surgery, and aesthetic or plastic surgery.
Mexico, Thailand, Hungary, Spain, Poland, Costa Rica, the Philippines, Malaysia, Turkey, and the Czech Republic are the top 10 destinations for dental tourism among U.S. patients, according to Patients Beyond Borders, a business that researches medical procedures in other countries to inform medical tourists. In Mexico, Costa Rica, and Thailand, American patients can anticipate to save 40%–65%, 45%–65%, and 50%–75% respectively. The table below shows the average expenses for numerous common treatments in the top 10 dental tourism locations. How much can patients really save?
Dental Tourism in Europe
People from other nations also travel for dental care, therefore dental tourism extends beyond North America. In Europe, the practice is equally widespread. For cheaper pricing, Britons frequently visit Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland. Irish people travel to Turkey, Malta, the United Arab Emirates, and India. Many European nations are advertising their need for patients from nations with greater cost of living, similar to Los Algodones. Both Poland and Croatia have invested millions in public relations efforts to market their respective medical tourism industries. The growth of 12% to 15% per year in medical tourism in Europe suggests that it is working.
The European markets are open to U.S. citizens as well. Patients can travel to any nation in the Schengen Area of Europe for up to 90 days without a visa with a current U.S. passport. Three of the top ten countries for dental tourism worldwide are part of the Schengen Area (Hungary, Spain and the Czech Republic). U.S. dental tourists are permitted to visit other Schengen Area nations while in Europe for dental care as part of a vacation there.
In order to promote the freedom of movement for healthcare professionals, a number of organizations within the European Union are aiming to standardize the quality of dental education and care throughout the member countries. Currently, the Federation of European Dental Competent Authorities and Regulators promotes uniformity within the clinical sector, while the Association for Dental Education in Europe supports similar purpose in the education sector. All patients benefit from these efforts as care becomes more consistent, but patients in the United States should still be prepared for regional and national variations in care.
Global Medical Tourism Market Insights 2026:
Global Medical Tourism Market Insights 2026: At a CAGR of 12.4% over the forecast year, the medical tourism market is expected to grow from $58.62 billion in 2018 to $149.34 billion in 2026. With a 37% market share in 2018, the Asia Pacific area is expected to develop at a CAGR of 12.2% during the projected period. With a CAGR of 12.7%, the North American medical tourism industry will grow from $15.82 billion in 2018 to $41.07 billion by 2026.
Traveling outside of the country to receive medical care is referred to as medical tourism. To put it another way, medical tourism is when a patient from one country travels to another country with good medical facilities for treatment solely because the treatment is unavailable or too expensive in the patient’s home country. The fundamental benefit of medical travel is that patients get both the therapy they need and the travel experience. Patients frequently cross international borders to receive dental care, cosmetic surgery, fertility therapy, and more significant medical services for conditions including cancer and heart problems.
Source: Research Dive Analysis – Feb 2020