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A major new survey has found that over the past 12 months, 76% of Irish dentists in private practice [more than 3 out of 4] have had to treat patients for problems linked to the dental treatment they received abroad.
The survey was carried out by independent research company, Behaviour & Attitudes, on behalf of the Irish Dental Association. 440 Irish dentists responded to the survey which dealt with a wide variety of issues. There are approximately 1,700 dentists in private practice in Ireland at present.
Speaking today, the President of the IDA, Dr. Donal Blackwell, said the findings reinforced concerns about the quality of dental care being received abroad; We're seeing a lot people returning home with problems which are directly related to the quality of the care they received abroad. Common problems include too much dental work being done over too short a time frame, unnecessary work being done and poor materials being used by dentists abroad.
Dr. Blackwell said that the figures reinforced concerns expressed previously by Professor Brian O'Connell and Dr. Michael O'Sullivan of the Dublin Dental Hospital that there is a substantial risk to patients travelling abroad for treatment. In a study published in 2007, Professor O'Connell and Dr. O'Sullivan found in a survey of 27 patients who had received treatment abroad in the first quarter of 2007, that only 4 had received a satisfactory level of care.
Dr. Blackwell said that one of the problems was that when considering travelling abroad for dental treatment, patients tended to focus on short term, aesthetic results rather than the long term quality of the care they received and that the lure of 'bargain' prices meant that patients were less concerned about the need for different treatments than the cost of them; its been estimated that as many as 44% of people travelling abroad for dental treatment actually don't know what they need when they enquire about costs [Ref: Professor Brian O'Connell].
Dr. Blackwell said that patients need to be more discerning when considering travelling abroad for treatment; 'Dental tourism' like medical tourism generally "is a fact of life in every developed country and some people travel to Ireland for specialist dental work. However we need to encourage people who may be travelling abroad to focus on the quality of work they receive and whether that work is really necessary and not just the price of that work."
Dr. Blackwell advised anyone considering undergoing treatment abroad to consult with their local dentist to clarify what work was required and to get a valid price comparison.
Survey Technical Details:
This National Survey of Dentists was conducted on behalf of the Irish Dental Association by Behaviour & Attitudes. The research took the form of a postal 'census' survey with the questionnaire being mailed to dentists throughout Ireland at the beginning of April 2009. Postal returns continued into May 2009 and resulted in a total of 440 responses.
Behaviour & Attitudes is a member of the European Society of Opinion and Market Research (ESOMAR), Association of Irish Market Research Organisations (AIMRO), and the Market Research Society (UK) and abides by the strict technical and ethical standards set down by these bodies
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