Dental Clinics

[jingjai9]

In the past 3 or 4 years I have seen a significant increase in the number of Dental Clinics throughout my city, Udon Thani in the northeast. Many of the clinics built are rather large, colorful and modern. I believe the surge of new clinics has been fueled by the huge financial returns they can bring to their investors. However, as I have visited these clinics for non-cosmetic dental work (root canal and crown), I have been stunned by the prices. I have been quoted a price of over 20,000 baht by two clinics for root canal, a post and a crown. I have had this work done before in my city at a non government clinic for much less. I believe there is a connection between the rise in prices and the proliferation of the dental clinics in my community.  I suspect the clinics are run by corporations and are not locally owned.  These places are packed on the weekends by patients (customers) receiving cosmetic dental work and the clinics often post  "menus" on the front of their buildings advertising what they sell. I do not want to be cynical. I want to get other viewpoints from people in other parts of the country. Is this now the norm? Is Thai dentistry following the US model of oral health care? 

I would like to ask, it 20,000 baht is really the going price everywhere around Thailand for root canal, a post and a crown on one tooth? I am American and I know what expensive dental care is like. In fact, it seems to me that the Thai dental clinics are using the America's  playbook in setting up these beautiful looking, spacious clinics with inflated prices. I am having a difficult time trying to find a dentist who is independent of the clinic system.

I can recall as recently as 4 or 5 years ago paying a fraction of the cost for dental work that I would have paid in my own country for any kind of non-cosmetic work from a private dentist.

 

Also, I wonder how many corporations own these clinics - 2 or 3? 4 or 5? Is this a monopoly?

[OneMoreFarang]

53 minutes ago, jingjai9 said:

I would like to ask, it 20,000 baht is really the going price everywhere around Thailand for root canal, a post and a crown on one tooth?

20k is definitely not unusual. I think I paid more in a good clinic in Bangkok.

As far as I know there are big differences in the quality of the crown and the work. But that is obviously difficult for most of us to judge.

 

My dentist also quoted me 60k for a transplant. She told me it is possible to get transplants for <30k, in low quality and by doctors who learned how to do that over a weekend.

Is it true? I don't know. But I see my dentist since over 10 years and never had any problems with her work. So at least I won't try a cheaper doctor and/or supplier.

 

It should be noticed that hospitals with dentists are a lot more expensive, with many doctors working part in hospitals and part in (maybe their own) clinics.