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Dental Tourism Savings Calculator

Compare a dental quote at home with one abroad, after flights, hotel, time off work, extra trips and a buffer for problems. See what you'd really save and the break-even point.

Example shown: a $12,000 treatment plan, two trips. Enter your own quotes and costs.

Quotes

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$

Compare the same treatment: the same number of implants, crowns or veneers, and what each quote includes. Convert a foreign-currency quote at today's rate.

% of the abroad quote

Rates can move before you pay. The NHS suggests allowing for exchange-rate changes. Use 0 if the quote is in dollars.

Each trip

Implants may need two: the implant can take 2–6 months to bond with the bone before the tooth goes on (ANZAOMS).

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$
$
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Other costs: airport transfers, visas and travel health insurance. The CDC advises insurance that covers medical evacuation home.

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Use 0 if you'd use paid vacation.

If something goes wrong

% of the home quote

Money set aside for checkups or fixes back home, priced at home rates. In a CDC survey, 5% of US medical tourists reported complications. In a UK survey of dentists, about half said repairs cost patients over £1,000.

Net savings

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At home–
Abroad, all in–
Each trip–

Break-even

Cost breakdown of treatment abroad
Cost abroadAmount

Checks before you book

Tick them off as you go. They come from the CDC, the ADA, the NHS and other health bodies listed in the sources.

Is dental tourism worth it?

Sometimes, mostly for large treatment plans. Dental care is the most common reason US residents travel abroad for health care (CDC). Prices can be far lower: the Academy of General Dentistry has reported that prices in Los Algodones, a Mexican border town popular with US patients, average one-third of US prices. The example above uses that ratio. But the sticker price isn't the whole cost. Flights, hotels, unpaid time off, a second trip for implants, and fixing problems back home all come out of the gap.

In the example, a $12,000 plan quoted at $4,000 abroad looks like an $8,000 saving. After two trips, time off and a 10% buffer for problems, the real saving is about $3,180. For a single crown or implant, the same travel costs can wipe out the saving completely. Try it with your own numbers.

How this tool works

The calculator adds up everything going abroad costs, then subtracts it from your home quote.

CostHow it's counted
Treatment abroadYour quote, in US dollars
Exchange-rate cushionA percentage of the abroad quote, in case the rate moves before you pay
FlightsRound-trip fare × people traveling × trips
Lodging, meals and local travel(Price per night + daily costs) × nights × trips
Other trip costsTransfers, visas and travel health insurance, × trips
Time off workUnpaid workdays × lost pay per day × trips
Follow-up and complication bufferA percentage of your home quote, because checkups and fixes usually happen at home, at home prices

Net savings = home quote − total cost abroad.

Break-even shows three things:

  • The highest abroad quote that still saves money, once travel, time off and the buffer are counted.
  • How much a fix at home could cost before your savings are gone. This replaces the buffer with a real repair bill.
  • How many trips you could take and still come out ahead. Use this if the clinic says you may need an extra visit.

What it can't tell you:

  • It doesn't judge quality. A lower price for the same plan is only a saving if the work lasts as long.
  • The buffer is your own choice. There's no reliable figure for the average cost of fixing dental work done abroad.
  • It assumes the home and abroad quotes cover the same treatment. Check the number of implants, crowns or veneers, what's included, and whether temporary teeth, X-rays and follow-up visits are in the price.

What can go wrong

The CDC lists the main risks of medical travel. They include:

  • Infections, including drug-resistant ones. Infection control may not be as good as at home.
  • Different standards. Licensing, credentialing and accreditation requirements may be lower than in the US, and some countries use counterfeit medicines or lower-quality devices.
  • Language barriers that lead to misunderstandings about your care.
  • Blood clots from flying soon after surgery.

How often do things go wrong? Estimates vary with who you ask:

SourceFinding
CDC researchers, survey of US residents in 11 states and territories (Stoney 2022)55% of treatments abroad were dental. 5% of medical tourists reported complications, and two-thirds of those got care after coming home.
British Dental Association survey of UK dentists (2022)86% had treated patients who developed problems after treatment abroad. Crowns (87%) and implants (85%) were most likely to need follow-up work. About half said repairs cost patients more than £1,000.
Dentists in Hungary, a popular destination (Kovacs 2013)They put the complication rate at around 5%.

Dentists at home see the problems, not the successes, so their surveys lean negative. Destination dentists may lean the other way. Some problems also take years to show: the Australian Dental Association notes that bad outcomes may not appear for a number of years.

Implants abroad: plan for healing time and two trips

Implants often need two trips. After the implant goes into the bone, it can take 2–6 months to bond before the tooth is attached (ANZAOMS). The UK's Oral Health Foundation says healing usually takes around four months. Some people can have implants and replacement teeth placed in one visit (ADA). Ask the clinic for a written timeline.

The ADA also notes that many dental procedures need months of healing and follow-up visits to check that everything is working. If a problem shows up between trips, you'll need a dentist at home. The Australian Dental Association warns that it can be hard to find a dentist to continue or repair treatment started overseas, partly because of incompatible product systems. For implants, get the implant system's name in your records.

Flying after dental work

Ask your dentist when it's safe to fly. One paper on flying after dental treatment suggests waiting at least 72 hours after an implant or a surgical extraction, and about one week after most dental work. It suggests longer after a sinus lift (Felkai 2023). The CDC adds that flying after surgery can raise the risk of blood clots.

Insurance and who pays when something goes wrong

  • Travel insurance usually doesn't cover planned treatment abroad (NHS).
  • Health insurance might not cover follow-up care for complications, which can be expensive and prolonged (CDC).
  • Dental insurance: ADA MouthHealthy suggests confirming with your insurer that follow-up treatment is covered when you return.
  • Medical evacuation: the CDC advises international travel health insurance that covers evacuation home.

If you have insurance at home, see what it would pay toward the same treatment with the Dental Insurance Calculator. A plan at home may close much of the price gap. A dental savings plan or a payment plan may make staying local affordable. For a missing tooth, the Tooth Replacement Cost Comparison shows how implants, bridges and partial dentures compare over the years.

Frequently asked questions

Is dental tourism worth it?
It can be for large treatment plans, but the gap shrinks once you add travel. The Academy of General Dentistry has reported that prices in Los Algodones, a Mexican border town popular with US patients, average one-third of US prices. Flights, hotels, time off, a second trip for implants and fixing problems at home all come out of that gap. For a single crown or implant, the savings can disappear.
What are the risks of getting dental work abroad?
The CDC lists infections, including drug-resistant ones, differing standards for licensing and infection control, lower-quality devices in some countries, language barriers and blood clots from flying after surgery. In a UK survey, 86% of dentists had treated patients who developed problems after treatment abroad, most often with crowns and implants.
How many trips do dental implants abroad take?
Often two. After the implant is placed, it can take 2–6 months to bond with the bone before the tooth is attached (ANZAOMS). Some people can have implants and replacement teeth placed in one visit (ADA). Ask the clinic for a written timeline.
How soon can I fly after dental implant surgery?
Ask your dentist. One paper suggests waiting at least 72 hours after implant placement or a surgical extraction, about a week after most dental work, and longer after a sinus lift (Felkai 2023). The CDC notes that flying after surgery can raise the risk of blood clots.
Will insurance pay to fix problems from treatment abroad?
Often not. The NHS says most travel insurance policies don't cover planned treatment abroad, and the CDC warns that follow-up care for complications might not be covered by your health insurance. ADA MouthHealthy suggests confirming with your insurer that follow-up treatment will be covered when you return.
How do I check a dentist or clinic abroad?
Check the dentist's qualifications and the clinic's credentials (CDC), ask whether the work is guaranteed and who pays for flights, hotel and remedial work if something goes wrong (General Dental Council), and get a written treatment plan that covers all costs (NaTHNaC).

Sources

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Travelers' Health). Medical Tourism: Travel to Another Country for Medical Care. reviewed June 1, 2023. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC Yellow Book 2026). Medical Tourism. April 23, 2025. Dental care is the most common form of medical tourism among US residents. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  3. American Dental Association (MouthHealthy). Travel (Dentistry Abroad). Accessed October 26, 2026.
  4. American Dental Association (MouthHealthy). Implants. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  5. Australian and New Zealand Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Dental Implants. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  6. Oral Health Foundation. Understanding Dental Implants. updated June 19, 2026. Healing after implant placement usually takes around four months. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  7. General Dental Council (UK). Going abroad for dental treatment. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  8. NHS (UK). Going abroad for medical treatment. reviewed October 13, 2023. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  9. NHS (UK). Treatment abroad checklist. reviewed November 19, 2023. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  10. National Travel Health Network and Centre (TravelHealthPro, UK). Travelling for treatment (medical tourism). updated June 17, 2024. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  11. Dentistry.co.uk (reporting a British Dental Association survey). Dental tourism: nine in 10 dentists have treated patients who travelled abroad for treatment. July 14, 2022. 86% had treated patients with problems after treatment abroad; 87% named crowns and 85% implants as most likely to need follow-up; 51% said repairs cost more than £1,000. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  12. Australian Dental Association. Policy Statement 2.2.6 – Elective Overseas Dental Treatment. amended November 17, 2023. Bad outcomes may not show for years; it can be hard to find a dentist to continue or repair overseas treatment, partly because of incompatible product systems. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  13. Academy of General Dentistry. Worth the Trip? A Look at Dental Tourism. January 20, 2020. Prices in Los Algodones, Mexico, are on average one-third of their US equivalents. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  14. Stoney RJ, Kozarsky PE, Walker AT, Gaines JL. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology 43(7):870–875. Population-based surveillance of medical tourism among US residents from 11 states and territories: Findings from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. 2022. CDC authors. 55% of treatments abroad were dental; 5% of medical tourists reported complications. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  15. Felkai PP, Nakdimon I, Felkai T, Levin L, Zadik Y. British Dental Journal 234(2):115–117. Dental tourism and the risk of barotrauma and barodontalgia. 2023. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  16. Kovacs E, Szocska G. British Dental Journal 215(8):415–418. 'Vacation for your teeth' - dental tourists in Hungary from the perspective of Hungarian dentists. 2013. The view from a destination country: dentists put the complication rate at around 5%. Accessed October 26, 2026.

Last reviewed by the Dental Health Time editorial team, against the sources above. How we review.

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