In the dailypaper De LIMBURGER on 10-06-2005, part 1, “To a Turkish dentist as half a holiday.” “Quickly to the dentist in Turkey and still have enough money left for a vacation on the coast near Antalya. This is possible through the Limburg-based agency ‘Tandreizen’ (founded in 2004).” To a dentist in Turkey? Trusting my teeth to a Turkish dentist seemed very risky to me.” However, postponing treatment was too painful. In the dentist’s chair in Antalya, the experience was much better than expected. The result exceeded expectations by 200 percent. In Maastricht, he proudly shows off his shiny porcelain crowns. More and more people in the Netherlands can’t afford expensive dental treatments. Meanwhile, in the town of Serik, the dentist is eager to put his expertise to use. His crowns and bridges cost a third of the price charged in the Netherlands.
“The insurance contributes to the costs in Turkey. The company has already helped twenty-five customers in Turkey. Nine people are boarding the plane, and another fifteen appointments are scheduled for the fall. The idea is that people first book their flight to Antalya and accommodation through an established travel agency. Gulperi Acar from Maastricht ensures that they are present on-site. They accompany the patients to the dentist, help them feel at ease, and act as interpreters. ‘The dentist also works in the evenings, on Saturdays and Sundays. If necessary, he works until one in the morning to finish on time.’ He calculates that a Turkish dental crown costs 150 euros, while in the Netherlands it costs around 500 euros. A complete dental treatment involving crowns and bridges can result in savings of thousands of euros. Furthermore, people can claim the dental costs incurred on their supplementary dental insurance in the Netherlands, as confirmed by spokesperson D. Westerwoudt.
The magazine for assistants in Dentistry
mijn.bsl.nl
More dental visits abroad?
By Rowan Teegelaar
On September 15, 2011, De Telegraaf published a report about the increasing number of dental visits abroad. Specialized travel agencies are said to be offering more and more complete vacation packages, including hotel, transfer, and dental treatments. Where did the newspaper get this information, and how many dental trips have been booked?
The article on the De Telegraaf website consists mainly of experiences from people who have previously taken a dental trip.
Organizations
A quick Google search shows that several organizations offer dental trips. For example, Dental Studio Antalya & Smilepartners.nl.
Gülperi Acar, the owner of Dental Studio Antalya & Smilepartners.nl, says that the increase in bookings at her company varies each quarter. Both the figures and Acar’s experiences indicate a rise in demand at Dentalstudioantalya.com & Smilepartners.nl. “People are showing increasing interest in my company,” says Acar. “Treatment prices within Europe are rising faster, which makes people increasingly look for alternatives abroad. The quality of treatment abroad is the same, but the prices are much lower.”
The article includes hard news, which was not Frank Kromer’s original intention. Moreover, Kromer didn’t think it was necessary to mention his sources in the piece, as he aimed to write a human-interest story. According to him, sources add no value in such a story.