Source: Radio New Zealand
Cedric Fauntleroy
A Waikato business owner who hosts dental tours to Vietnam says people are saving up to tens-of-thousands of dollars by getting their work done offshore.
It comes as calls grow louder for oral care to be integrated into New Zealand’s public healthcare system.
More than 1000 New Zealanders took part in a recent Talbot Mills Research survey, commissioned by advocacy group Dental For All.
Participants were asked whether they supported dental care being brought into the public healthcare system.
In findings released on Monday, 83 percent of participants said they supported the move. Twelve percent opposed the move and 5 percent were unsure.
Dental For All campaigner Hana Pilkinton-Ching said it would cost between $1-2b per year to integrate dental care into the public health system.
Earlier this month Damien Nikora from The Current Place took his first group of seven people to Da Nang for treatments including crowns, implants and extractions.
He started the tours after he paid $1700 for dental work in Vietnam, a procedure which was quoted for $22,000 in New Zealand.
Nikora told Checkpoint some dental procedures in New Zealand were too expensive.
“It’s a nightmare. It’s basically a mortgage, it’s absolutely ridiculous,” he said.
He said clients who had been quoted $90,000 for work in New Zealand, ended up paying $10,000 for the procedure in Vietnam.
“They’re absolutely stoked, there’s plenty of tears,” he said.
“They can’t believe they get to have a little holiday, get to deal with something that they’ve been traumatised or dealt since they were kids.
“It’s pretty awesome, it’s a really cool buzz.”
The cost of essential dental care in New Zealand was a barrier for people getting the work done, Nikora said.
He said none of his 250-plus clients had reported any post-procedure problems over the past two years since starting the tours.
The New Zealand Dental Association said complications were more likely to occur in patients who underwent complex treatment overseas, such as implants or crowns.
Chief Executive Dr Mo Amso said anyone travelling overseas for dental tourism needed to make sure the clinic they were attending was reputable.
Nikora said his tours usually ran for about 10 days and people were able to do online consultations before departing New Zealand.
“They get to talk with the dentists themselves. It’s pretty thorough,” he said.
“So the dentists know what to do with each client.”
ACC does not cover medical procedures or treatments performed outside of New Zealand.
Despite the lack of cover, Nikora felt it was worth the risk.
“The people we’ve dealt with haven’t had any problems,” he said.
“In the end what it comes down to is either never getting their teeth done here in New Zealand because they can never afford it.
“If they get the opportunity to be able to do it professionally and affordably, they’re more than willing to take that chance.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
