In nine out of ten cases we give up treatment for one reason only – we cannot afford treatment. At a time when medicine offers the possibility of keeping one’s teeth for the rest of their lives, even straight and white ones – in Poland, instead of treating their teeth, people decide to have them removed.
- Almost 100 percent Poles have tooth decay. At the age of 35-44, we have an average of 25 teeth. At the age of 65-74 – six. While 40 percent. of people of this age have toothlessness, and half have a malfunctioning masticatory system
- Despite the terrible statistics, many of us give up and do not go to the dentist at all. Some of those who decide to undergo treatment, due to high costs, prefer to look for a specialist outside the country
- In search of healthy teeth, we are more and more often going to Ukraine or Belarus
Doctors smiling broadly on the websites of top dental offices. The signatures say: “We give patients something more than a new smile, we give a reason to smile at the very sight of it”. “You lose so much by embarrassing your own smile”. «Get to know the clinic that introduces the best global solutions to Poland. A clinic where we provide comprehensive dentistry and treat it only in the way we would like to be treated ourselves ”.
There is no need to convince anyone that specialists can actually perform miracles even with very neglected teeth – it is enough to see the metamorphosis of patients with oral cavity problems at least once in one of the numerous TV programs.
Teeth that were removed in the past, today are saved, filled in gaps, optically rejuvenated, restoring the correct bite and whiteness. Enthusiastic professionals in state-of-the-art clinics will take care of everything. In practice, however, this sophisticated treatment hardly anyone in Poland can afford – confirmed the survey of the portal Dentysta.eu.
We all have caries
Meanwhile, our needs in this area are enormous. Almost 100 percent Poles have tooth decay. At the age of 35-44, we have an average of 25 teeth. At the age of 65-74 – six. While 40 percent. of people of this age have toothlessness, and half have a malfunctioning masticatory system.
Therefore, in terms of oral health in adults, we are third in Europe (ahead of Belarus and Montenegro). However, the consequences are not limited to the oral cavity, as its poor condition directly affects the development of cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, diabetes, cancer and many other general diseases.
So what are we doing? We cannot really count on treatment under the National Health Fund. If a tooth requires endodontic treatment, only the front teeth – from canine to canine – are reimbursed. However, endodontic treatment of premolars and molars is not covered by the reimbursement. Effect? People give up expensive treatment and opt for free removal.
Anyway, even when treating at the National Health Fund, you still have to take into account the expenses – subsidies include, for example, for anesthesia or composite filling – better than that offered by the National Health Fund. Sometimes there is even no possibility of such “supplementary financing” and you have to choose – either free treatment in the NFZ standard, or the entire service is fully paid. And then we can pay more than in a surgery that does not have a contract with the National Health Fund. It is an open secret that the rates with the National Health Fund barely cover the costs, so doctors treat the contract as a lure for patients, hoping that they will be able to offer them more expensive, paid procedures.
Dentist? But why?
Paradoxically, the number of people opting for treatment in the public health service is smaller than before the systemic transformation. In 1978, it was used by 92 percent. Poles, 20 years later – 60 percent Currently – only 28 percent.
Those who cannot afford looking for alternative solutions. Loans are popular – mainly for implantological treatment (an expense of three to several dozen thousand zlotys) and orthodontic treatments (from 1,5 to 25 thousand – depending on the method and scope). The loan can be taken immediately, the repayment is divided into installments, just like in a household appliance store.
Those who are determined are also looking for a dentist in Ukraine or Belarus, where prices are even 10 times lower.
Lots of people ask on the Internet for verified addresses, and when satisfied, they eagerly describe their experiences and prices, eg in clinics in Lviv: “I know two dental clinics. The level of service and equipment of offices is similar to that of Warsaw dental clinics. Doctors mostly graduated from the US or the EU. Very positive impressions. Prices: hygiene (stone removal) with anesthesia – approx. PLN 100, root canal treatment of a molar tooth (3 visits) – PLN 195, implant – PLN 1200 ».
But just as the price lists in Ukraine seem attractive to us, the same prices in Polish clinics are tempting the English, Irish, Germans and Belgians. In their home countries, treatment costs a fortune – implant approx. 10. PLN, a more serious smile reconstruction – even 150-200 thousand. zloty. Despite competition from Polish, Czech and Hungarian governments, prices are stable there, they are not falling.
Are the prices in Poland excessive and should they drop? According to Kamil Kuczewski, an expert who deals with consulting for dental offices, subsidies from the European Union have allowed Polish dentists to equip their offices with the latest equipment and take care of their own education. That is why they present the highest quality today. In addition, they follow their colleagues from the USA, where there is a cult of beautiful, white teeth and they try to achieve such effects in patients. If we add to this the fact that they run their websites in several languages for the needs of their clients, including England, Germany and France, it is not surprising that they are focused on wealthy clients from other European countries and that they do not lack such. Comprehensive treatment has become the specialty of Polish clinics – the patient is looked after by a team of specialists and jointly solves his complex problems.
That is why Kuczewski sees no chance for the prices of services in Poland to drop. On the contrary, good economic conditions will favor the development of the services market and increase prices.
Therefore, the less wealthy patients from Poland will have a choice of the offer of clinics in Ukraine. As long as masses of medical tourists from Western Europe are not convinced by this market, the demand will be small, and thus – prices will remain low.