Root canal prices in Thailand (and comparisons)

[NorthernRyland]

I was just in a meeting with my boss in America, myself in Thailand and 3 Indians. I mentioned that I got a root canal here and it's going to be 40,000 baht. This includes the root canal, an artificial root and a crown (Maysa Dental Clinic in Mae Jo, Chiang Mai). The root canal portion is 20k while the crown is 20k, partially because I chose the most expensive material on offer.

 

Anyways, I asked the Indians what it costs there and one of them said it was 4000 rupees, which is 1500 baht. I find this very hard to believe but he insisted. I'm thinking this is a public hospital or subsidized somehow but I have no idea, could be the real price at a private clinic to the same standards as Thailand.

 

Then my boss in America tells me he pays $8/month for his dental insurance and would pay around $1500 deductible for a root canal in America (50,000 baht) and I'm sure this varies by location quite a bit.

 

So what is going on here? I thought 40k was a good price for cash but $8 USD/month is nothing and Indian prices totally blew me away. Did I get ripped off at my clinic? What prices have you seen for root canals in Thailand?

 

[flyingtlger]

Thailand used to be very economical to get dental work done. Unfortunately, the prices are close to most industrialized countries now.

A good Japanese friend just had a crown done in Japan. He told me it was cheaper to do it there than Thailand.

Thailand is losing a lot of medical tourism to Turkey and India.......

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sidjameson]

Just had a root canal and crown in the UK for £1500 about 66k bht

[youreavinalaff]

3 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

Thailand used to be very economical to get dental work done. Unfortunately, the prices are close to most industrialized countries now.

A good Japanese friend just had a crown done in Japan. He told me it was cheaper to do it there than Thailand.

Thailand is losing a lot of medical tourism to Turkey and India.......

 

 

 

 

 

 

I went to the dentist in Thailand last month.

 

A full check up, an x-ray and an extraction was 750 baht. The same treatment and procedure in UK would have been  over £300 (13000 baht).

[faraday]

4 minutes ago, youreavinalaff said:

I went to the dentist in Thailand last month.

 

A full check up, an x-ray and an extraction was 750 baht. The same treatment and procedure in UK would have been  over £300 (13000 baht).

 

Are there still NHS dentists in the UK, or is it all private?

 

 

[NorthernRyland]

3 hours ago, sidjameson said:

Just had a root canal and crown in the UK for £1500 about 66k bht

Was this subsidized somehow like the NHS? I'm guessing yes.

 

Even so the $8/month dental insurance my boss had seemed too cheap too. Usually the US is brutal with medical costs and labor costs in general so how they're getting near Thailand prices is wild.

[NorthernRyland]

1 hour ago, youreavinalaff said:

A full check up, an x-ray and an extraction was 750 baht. The same treatment and procedure in UK would have been  over £300 (13000 baht).

 

I was once asked what just a crown would cost in the US, no insurance and they told me $4000 so I obviously got that done in Thailand (can't recall the price but around 10k I think).

[youreavinalaff]

3 hours ago, faraday said:

 

Are there still NHS dentists in the UK, or is it all private?

 

 

Dentists have always been private. They've never been NHS employees.

 

Some are paid to treat NHS patients. Kids can often get NHS treatment but not adults. There are dental care schemes, patsble monthly, that can cut down costs.

[JimHuaHin]

The last RCT and crown (molar tooth) I had done about 3-4 years ago cost about Baht 10,000, for memory.

[sidjameson]

7 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

Was this subsidized somehow like the NHS? I'm guessing yes.

 

Even so the $8/month dental insurance my boss had seemed too cheap too. Usually the US is brutal with medical costs and labor costs in general so how they're getting near Thailand prices is wild.

Not at all. It was in Exeter, not the cheapest part of the country either. 

[impulse]

17 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

Then my boss in America tells me he pays $8/month for his dental insurance and would pay around $1500 deductible for a root canal in America (50,000 baht) and I'm sure this varies by location quite a bit.

 

So what is going on here? I thought 40k was a good price for cash but $8 USD/month is nothing

 

If he's paying $8 a month and a root canal copay is $1500, he's getting virtually nothing.  My dental is part of my Medicare Advantage Plan and I get up to 2 root canals and 2 crowns a year for no copay.

 

I had an emergency root canal at Bumrungrad about a year ago and it was around 30,000 baht all in, including the temporary filling on the second day.  I wasn't in country long enough to get the permanent crowns because they took at least 2 appointments a few days apart to wait for the molds, etc. 

 

I knew 30,000 baht was expensive, but they got me in on the same day while every other place I called had to call around for a qualified dentist to come in.  The best they could do was "after hours tomorrow night".  I'd have gladly paid 60,000 to alleviate that pain.

 

Post back if you find a dentist in Bangkok that does the new and zoomy same day crowns.  I hear that's a thing now...

 

[CharlieH]

Mine cost me 7k all in and apparently, this was a "specialised" treatment being in upper rear jaw.Usual dentist would only do lower jaw. 

 

No idea what or why, but that's my experience.

[NorthernRyland]

3 hours ago, CharlieH said:

Mine cost me 7k all in and apparently, this was a "specialised" treatment being in upper rear jaw.Usual dentist would only do lower jaw. 

 

 

Mine was an upper tooth but in the middle section. Still 7k is so much cheaper than what I paid. I'm really wondering now if that clinic is way overpriced but I always found dental work in Thailand to be transparent and they even have menus of pricing.

 

I did choose the most expensive crown material which was 20k right there and I could have gone as low or 9-10k if I recall.

[NorthernRyland]

4 hours ago, impulse said:

If he's paying $8 a month and a root canal copay is $1500, he's getting virtually nothing.  My dental is part of my Medicare Advantage Plan and I get up to 2 root canals and 2 crowns a year for no copay.

 

 

That would make sense because how is insurance paying the full price otherwise. Still $1500 sounds cheap in the US. As I said the last time I asked about a crown paid in cash they told me $4000 so I was guessing a root canal would be more like $8000+. Mine is going to take 5 visits I think so it's a big time commitment too and we all know how expensive labor is in the US.

[Lorry]

40000 B iis expensive in Thailand, esp. In CM, but not unheard of.

@impulseis about right about his price at Bumrungrad, and that's probably the most expensive you can get here.

Those  7k of @CharlieH - are those baht or dollars? 7000 B is hard to believe. I have never known a place cheap like that, and I do know some fairly cheap places. 

[bubblegum]

8000 for upper tooth, no crown done 5 month ago in Surin