Navigating the rise of dental tourism - a charity's view

Access through your institution Buy or subscribe Dental tourism has surged in recent years, with people in the UK increasingly seeking treatment abroad in search of lower costs, shorter

waiting times, and the added appeal of combining procedures with travel. However, what is often overlooked by patients are the significant risks involved in seeking dental care outside of

the UK's regulated healthcare system. While precise figures remain elusive, available data suggests a growing trend. In 2016, reports estimated that approximately 150,000 UK residents

sought medical treatment overseas, with dental procedures being a major driver.1 This represents a three-fold increase compared to six years earlier.2 However, with this rise comes an

increasing number of patients returning to the UK with complications that require corrective treatment. This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS OPTIONS

Access through your institution ADDITIONAL ACCESS OPTIONS: * Log in * Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support REFERENCES * Donnelly L, Morley K.

News release: Soaring numbers flying abroad for medical care as NHS lists lengthen. 22 October, 2017. Available online at:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/10/22/soaring-numbers-flying-abroad-medical-care-nhs-lists-lengthen/ (accessed March 2025). * Hanefeld J, Horsfall D, Lunt N, Smith R. Medical tourism:

a cost or benefit to the NHS? PLoS One 2013; DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070406. * British Dental Association. Dental Tourism. Available at:

https://www.bda.org/what-we-do/campaigns-and-advocacy/priorities/improving-oral-health/dental-tourism/ (accessed February 2025). * NHS England. Avoidance of Doubt: Clinical Policy for

Self-Funded Dental Treatment Requiring NHS Intervention. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/ (accessed February 2025). * General Dental Council. Guidance on professional indemnity and

insurance. 2024. Available from: https://www.gdc-uk.org/docs/default-source/consultations-and-responses/guidance-on-professional-indemnity-and-insurance.pdf?sfvrsn=906330a6_7 (accessed

February 2025). Download references AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Oral Health Foundation, Rugby, United Kingdom Nigel Carter Authors * Nigel Carter View author publications

You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Nigel Carter. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS

ARTICLE Carter, N. Navigating the rise of dental tourism - A charity's view. _BDJ In Pract_ 38, 126–127 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41404-025-3087-5 Download citation * Published:

07 April 2025 * Issue Date: 07 April 2025 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41404-025-3087-5 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get

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