EXCLUSIV  Holidays at… the dentist, in the capital of Romania

The good results of the specialists, the good quality materials, which are used in the dental clinics of Bucharest and in the rest of the country, the good preparation of the doctors and the prices up to 70% lower than in the countries of Western Europe make dentistry a very important asset that puts the capital of Romania on the medical tourism map.

Dental tourism is doing very well. Dent Estet, Dental City, 24/7 Dental and CityDent are the most important and most requested clinics in Romania, three of them working in the Capital. Most patients come from western Europe, because dental treatments are not generally settled by insurance companies, and the prices in Romania are 50-70% lower than in the countries where the purchasing power is much higher than in our country. Many foreigners choose Romania and, in particular, Bucharest, for complicated dental interventions, because the prices are very good for us, and the equipment is the latest generation. This 100% private domain has developed very well in Romania, because everyone has invested in their own business, and today, these businesses represent an attraction for the world medical tourism.

There is no risk of price increases

From the data of Romanian Medical Tourism Association it appears that this year 12,300 foreign patients came to Romania for dental treatment, after last year 10,800 were registered, most of them being registered in the clinics in Bucharest. Everything is organized, so that the foreign patients benefit of integrated tour packages and the period they stay in Bucharest is very well adapted to their needs. „When the treatment plan exceeds a certain amount, the clinic's partner tourism company deals with everything that involves transportation and accommodation. Due to the promotion, many patients contact the clinic directly, but we also have various beneficial partnerships for patients through the association. First a treatment plan is made and an estimated cost is established. Most patients also send a panoramic X-ray and, depending on the treatment plan, it is established how many days they have to stay in Bucharest”, explains Alexandru Constantin, president of the Romanian Medical Tourism Association, which includes 136 private clinics and hospitals in Romania.

Annual increases of 10 to 15 % in terms of medical tourism Photo: „Romanian Medical Tourism Guide”

The countries from which most tourists come for dental interventions are Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the Nordic countries. From the data recorded by the association, it appears that annually there is an increase of about 10-15%, constantly. „The medical tourism was launched in 2005, and we founded the association in 2011. So far, the increases have been constant and there is no risk that prices will explode in Romania too soon, because these clinics and hospitals live primarily from the revenues from the Romanian patients. The prices are set according to the purchasing power of the majority, so they cannot be similar to those in Germany or other countries where the purchasing power is much higher than in our country”, explains Alexandru Constantin.

Organization and promotion on the world market

Each clinic has collaborations, the accommodation and transport services are outsourced, and if the patient requests extraservice, they can be offered. Attractive, in Romania, is the price, but also the specialists, the equipment and the materials used. Most patients benefit, in most cases, from better conditions than in the country of origin. „It would be much cheaper to go to India or Bangladesh, but Romania has an advantage because it is a community country, the doctors are very good professionals and they are up to date with all the news”, says Alexandru Constantin.

650 euros, the price of a dental implant

Dental clinics and private hospitals are also very well internationally promoted in the last years. „We participate to international fairs and exhibitions, we organize infotrips with foreign companies that have medical tourism in their offerts, we have a guide in which all private clinics and hospitals of the association are included. The most important are the fairs and exhibitions from abroad. There are packages that are made for specific periods. For example, a dental implant that costs 650 euros can be included in such a promotional package, but these offers are difficult to make, because various other problems could be discovered, depending on each patient”, explains the president of the association.