Goa's dentists give Brits a toothache? LONDON, APRIL 9 (PTI) – Is it possible that so many Britons are opting for dental treatment in India, that British dentists are starting to get a toothache? The British Dental Health Foundation – which describes itself as an independent charity dedicated to improving the oral health of the British public by providing free and impartial dental advice – has urged people in Britain not to travel abroad for dental treatment. The foundation cited a report by a consumer advice group that says almost one in five medical tourists suffer problems after treatment. "Some standards abroad are unacceptable. I had to pick up the pieces after one patient had quite disastrous treatment to replace crowns in Goa," Anthony Halperin, a dental surgeon and chairman of the Patients' Association, told reporters. The foundation says it commissioned the survey after a number of callers to its free Dental Helpline service reported that they did not know how to resolve problems that followed dental treatment undertaken outside the UK. Dentistry is among the popular forms of treatment sought by Britons in India and other places offering low cost treatment, such as Hungary, Thailand and South Africa. It is estimated that nearly 40,000 Britons go abroad for dental treatment every year. The report said that more than a quarter of patients travelling abroad for medical treatment felt they did not receive the follow up care they needed, while 18 per cent reported complications. However, comparative figures for dental treatment taken in Britain were not revealed in the survey.
http://oheraldo.in/pagedetails.asp?nid=2310&cid=2 -- DEV BOREM KORUM. Gabe Menezes. London, England
