 Phuket in Thailand is welcoming an influx of visitors from a new and
somewhat unusual source.
Clad
in a colourful Thai sarong, relaxing in a shaded deck chair on
Karon Beach
and looking forward to a midday massage, Linda Grace looks every inch the
contented tourist.
She is, but then on the other hand, she isn't.
Yes, she's enjoyed the sea canoe tours to the limestone cliffs of Phang
Na Bay, the elephant rides in the jungle, the luxurious spas and, of course,
the shopping.
But the main reason for her visit was a dental appointment.
Grace is just one of an increasing number of Australians who are heading
overseas for dental treatment. The reason of course is simple - cost.
"In
Melbourne I was quoted close to $10,000 for five crowns, whitening,
gum cleaning and periodontal work. Here it's cost me $4,000," she says.
Before deciding on
Phuket, Grace did her research. She'd heard about
dental treatment in the Philippines, but when she logged onto
www.dentalholidays.com.au she realised there was a choice.
"I've heard the dentists in
Manila are excellent but let's face it, if
you want to combine the treatment and have a holiday, where would you rather
be, Manila or Phuket?"
In recent years Thailand has become known as the plastic surgery capital
of the world with foreign patients generating over $US500 million a year in
revenue for Thai hospitals. The most famous is Bumrungrad in
Bangkok. But
Phuket International
Hospital's reputation is spreading and it will double in size in the next
seven years.
The already highly respected dental facilities are an integral part of
that expansion. The hospital is managed by Australian Peter Davison, a
former Tasmanian Ambulance Service Paramedic Coordinator, who was brought
over by the Thai Board of Investment to help develop and improve hospital
quality. He's been in Thailand for 10 years and at Phuket International for
three.
"I love it here," he says, strolling beside the lily clad ponds in the
hospital's grounds. "We have brilliant facilities which are just going to
get better and we can do most treatments for a third of the cost charged in
Australia,
Europe or
Singapore."
When it comes to dental treatment there's another major difference. If
you're undergoing plastic surgery, or even having major surgery such as a
hip replacement, you'll spend a lot of time in the hospital itself. With
dental treatment you can actually have a holiday as well.
"Most treatment can generally be done in about 12 days and that will
consist of approximately four to five visits. So there's plenty of time for
the patient to enjoy Phuket."
Robert Graham who owns Jetset Kenmore in Brisbane is the Australian
pioneer of dental holidays. He also owns the dental holidays site and it was
he who booked Grace into Phuket International and arranged her
accommodation.
"When we started Dental Holidays we were just offering Manila. But then I
heard about Phuket International and Peter and Phuket sort of took off. We
now have an average of 10 people a week going overseas for dental treatment
and most of them will be going to Phuket."
The concept is being backed by the Hilton in Phuket as part of its entire
Wellness campaign which includes the very latest in spa treatments.
"We have special day clinics with a trained nurse in a number of the
major hotels, including the Hilton and they've been very supportive and
encouraging," says Peter.
"Many of our clients could easily afford the treatment in Australia,"
admits Robert. "But they want to combine the two, dentist and holiday. It
may sound like a misnomer but it makes perfect sense."
Recent figures estimate that there are 650,000 people waiting for public
dental treatment in Australia and some of these are drawn to Phuket purely
because of the cost factor.
Mel Newton owns the Club Hotel in Kamala, one the areas that bore the
major brunt of last year's tsunami onslaught. He'd be the first to admit
that his hotel is no Hilton but it's clean, comfortable and the beach is
just three minutes away.
"We have 12 people coming for dental work who'll be staying here in the
next couple of months. We would have had more but it's the high season. Come
the low season we'll have a lot more and most of them are Australian."
But the last word should go to Grace who offers this advice:
"If possible send over your X-rays and photos ahead of time. This will
speed things up in the long run. But the dentist was fantastic, he spoke
perfect English and the nurses were wonderfully friendly and supportive. In
the end I had a three week holiday for myself, my daughter came over for two
weeks and I had my teeth done. All of that for less than I would have paid
for the treatment in Melbourne."
She smiles and yes, it's dazzling!
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