Albania is the most popular destination for dental tourism, followed by Croatia, Romania and Turkey, with around 50 thousand Italians each year. But in at least one in three cases after returning to Italy it is necessary to have a repeat intervention to correct dental errors or adverse reactions after 3-6 months.
The double-edged sword of growing dental tourism in Albania
The most popular destinations and the most frequent interventions
Fixed or removable prosthetic restorations, implants and complex treatments, within 10 days. Lured by advertisements on social networks and by the low cost, even three times lower than in Italy, but also by the exceptional speed of the interventions, every year around 200 thousand Italians pack their bags to go to Albania, Croatia, Romania, Turkey or other countries.According to data from the Compass Observatory report on dental tourism, 36% of Italians would be willing to make such a trip for implants and periodontal treatment, but unfortunately in 1 in 3 cases, problems arise after returning to Italy, which require intervention.
Albania is the preferred destination, experts warn
According to experts from the Italian Society of Periodontology and Implantology, Italy is in the top ten best in the world for periodontal treatments and gum diseases, according to the analysis of scientific publications from the last ten years. However, many Italians, in order to save money, are increasingly going abroad, with Albania as their preferred destination.'"Dental tourism is a phenomenon that unfortunately shows no signs of disappearing, on the contrary - notes Francesco Cairo, president of the Italian Society of Periodontology and Implantology and professor of periodontology at the University of Florence-. Not long ago, the Italian embassy in Tirana was also forced to issue a note to remind our compatriots to be careful when going to private Albanian clinics for dental care, because these almost always do not meet satisfactory quality standards."
Risks and costs explode upon return
Alarm also from English dentists
Not long ago, experts from the British Dental Association interviewed English dentists and found that 94% of them had treated patients who had gone abroad for dental treatment: “In 60% of cases the side effects were serious, for example infections or abscesses had occurred. It is estimated that in 20% of cases poor quality or incompatible materials are used, in 15% of cases prosthetic restorations fail or are placed hastily, or they may still function but the tissues become inflamed.All of this puts oral health at risk. Adopting the fastest and cheapest solution is not synonymous with safety, nor with real savings.
