Press releases and information

 Hungarian dentistry – inoculated against recession

Hungary is a country with excellent qualities
for tourism and it also has an advantamedical_press_eng.jpggeous geographical location. Thanks to this factor, it is ranked among the most prominent destinations of the world by the number of international visits and recent surveys proved its place 13 in the rank order of the most important countries in receiving foreign tourists. Health tourism plays a key role In Hungary’s economy as a study by Deloitte Centre for Health Solutions highlighted.

The importance of health awareness is growingly present in the most developed states; it has even become an outlook on life that is preferred by the societies more and more.
 
Changes in the outlook on life and a huge worldwide explosion of costs in health care took place at almost the same time. American figures show us that the growth in incomes, aging of the population and the spreading of suitable technologies to extend and improve life caused the expenses of the American health care to rise by an annual average of 3.5% beyond the rate of incomes for several decades. Some economists anticipate that the health care expenses corresponding currently with 16 per cent of the GDP will grow to a proportion of 30% by 2030 and some time later during the century they could approach 50%! The European trends are very similar although the Governments still act successfully to keep down meeting the increasing demands.
 
It is estimated that the annual number of North-American and Western-European citizens increases by 30-35% who seek - often more valuable but in any case cheaper - solutions for their health problems in another country. They represent the most important basis for the health tourism. There are huge masses involved - by estimate yearly one to one and a half million people set out for therapies in other countries and their number grows rapidly. Another significant figure reveals that Americans having their treatments done abroad will spend an amount of nearly 9 billion dollars for this purpose in 2010. The sum will have reached most probably 50 billion dollars at least by the last year of the prognosis period in 2017. From that follows that the sector of the health tourism will have become a business of several tens of billions of dollars by the next mid-decade and it takes its place among the most profitable legitimate trades of the world.
 
This particular migration can already be seen towards states where the patients are provided with the necessary services at a minimum price of 50% without long waiting times and quality compromises.
 
deloittehun.jpg
 
Deloitte Centre for Health Solutions refers to only one country in Europe naming Hungary as a popular destination of dentistry trips.
Not by accident. In Europe, Hungary is considered to be the centre of dentistry; for example there are 1,400 practising dentists along the borders to Austria. Twenty dentists should be more than enough for 50,000 residents in the western town Sopron, however, there are working 400 specialists currently. Beside this frontier-town, Budapest is also rated a centre for dentistry where primarily patients from Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France are treated. The materials used, equipment of dental surgeries, standards of dental prosthetics laboratories approach almost the same level as in Western-Europe and the Hungarian dentists are renowned for their professional knowledge all around the world. Dentists graduate after a 5 year training and the candidates receive their doctoral degree in Dentistry. Followed by a 2 year residency period and after its successful completion they are granted a certificate of specialty training. The permanent and compulsory continuing education for dentists is accomplished through a credit system.
Dental tourism grew independent on the ground of health tourism at spas and it keeps on spreading. The annual number of visitors increases nearly by ten per cent who come to our country with the single purpose to have their teeth treated. According to a recent survey commissioned by the EU Committee covering nine countries, England provides the most expensive, whereas Hungary by far the cheapest dental treatments in the European Union. Here a visitor has only to pay one fifth to one tenth of the Union’s average costs. Among the leading therapies, we can find procedures such as implant placements, multiple crown and bridge works as well as porcelain veneers and tooth bleaching. Often do visit patients with needs for simultaneous replacement of complete prosthetic works and amalgam fillings. Yearly, over 50,000 registered and beyond that who knows how many more guests come to the country for dental treatments. The phenomenon has resulted not only from the low prices but also the good international reputation of the Hungarian professionals. In addition, there has been established a new sector that combines dental treatments with the possibilities of the tourist industry by providing the patients high standard accommodations and offering numerous pastime activities between dental treatments from sight-seeing tours over cultural programmes to spas. Many Hungarian spa-hotels offer dental care among their services.
Prices are really attractive for the western clients. For example, if a ten-unit-bridge in porcelain is needed, the patient should calculate following costs: flight and transfer through a specialised tourist agency straight to the hotel entrance and back home for £200 (HUF 72,000) and 7 nights in a three-star-hotel for £280 (HUF 100,000). The 10-unit-bridge in porcelain with dentist and prosthetic work altogether comes in the mouth of the patient for £1,350 (HUF 485,000) thus the sum is £1,830 (HUF 656,000) in total. Even if we add in the pocket money for spending on sampling delicacies of the local cuisine, buying typical Hungarian sorts of wine, spices and souvenirs, the whole dental care trip combined with vacation still remains fairly below £2,000. In Great-Britain, however, the very same 10-unit-bridge with dental treatment alone costs a good £ 6,000.
The countries of the region with their almost 50,000 dentists cause the competition to grow stronger. Poland and Rumania also belong today to the three most popular destinations for British seeking implant placements abroad. However, a series of the most prominent dental unit manufacturers and material suppliers have chosen Budapest as their regional centre. Moreover, they regularly organise their hand-on courses and product presentations in Hungary for dentists and dental technicians from the neighbour-countries. Of course, the direction often is reverse when Hungarian dentists and technician are asked to give lectures in symposiums and workshops in Rumania, Slovakia, Croatia, Serbia or Russia.
The most prominent event of the Central- and Eastern-European region is Dental World International Continuing Education Conference and Fair that is regularly organised in Budapest every year. The most important actors of dentistry: dentists, technicians and dental hygienists as well as traders and distributors gather together on a site of 8,000 square metres to inform themselves of almost everything in dentistry that is worth knowing.
Last year, more than 180 exhibitors were present at Dental World with their latest products. The event is truly international since the visitors could see a wide range of the most modern products, equipment and instruments of manufacturers and traders from countries such as Italy, Switzerland and Germany, and even Slovakia, Russia and the Far-East.
 
It is perhaps also Dental World’s merit that the Hungarian dentistry meets the highest world standards and the Hungarian dentists and technicians possess comprehensive knowledge and skills how to use what both science and engineering offer.