How Does the Arab World's Dentists Compare? |
Posted: January 3, 2018 |
When the majority of people think of the Arab world, a whole abundance of things can spring to mind - some of them good things, and some of them not so good things. Whether it be food, fashion, religion, or geopolitics, typically the last thing most people associate with Arab nations would be dentistry. More recently, however, this is starting to change. As strange as it may sound at first, many Westerners in recent times have begun traveling to the Arab world for their dental care. As technology continues to rapidly improve, it also tends to become more affordable and efficient to obtain than ever before. Thanks to the boom of the Internet and numerous advances in shipping techniques, the economy has become more globalized over the past twenty years than at any other point in human history. This means that medical professionals who live in the Arab world now have easy access to Western technologies, antibiotics, and several other forms of treatment that they didn't have access to before. As a result of this, they can now offer similar services to patients who are willing to travel from the West. The main difference is that Arab dentists are able to offer the same services at a fraction of the cost of Western dentistry. Dental care accounts for about half of all worldwide travel for medical tourism, and while Costa Rica and Mexico remain the most popular destinations for Americans, Arab nations have been increasingly making their way to the top of the list alongside them. In 2014, Jordan received the Medical Destination of the Year award from the IMTJ Medical Travel Awards held in Croatia, and even more recently in 2017, the Clemenceau Medical Center in Lebanon received awards for best quality initiative and excellence in customer service. Another popular Middle Eastern destination for seeking dental care is Iran. It is advised that perspective medical tourists should research this notoriously theocratic nation’s laws on things such as the dress code, male guardianship, drinking alcohol, or the cultural practice of bargaining before they buy their plane tickets – but don’t let any of that scare you out of travelling to Iran for dentistry. They have some of the most competent doctors and hygienists in the entire Gulf region, all who offer the same low prices that are desired by foreigners. As long as you are willing to display basic respect for their laws and culture, Iranians as a whole are very welcoming and friendly to visitors. Perhaps the most popular destination for dental care in the Arab world would be Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Dubai has long been a popular tourist spot for Westerners because of its more progressive politics combined with a rich cultural heritage, and now dentistry is yet another reason to visit this ancient land loaded with thousands of years of human history. The city of Dubai has more than seven thousand dentists who speak more than sixty different languages (most of them obtained their degrees from European universities), and this makes the area an ideal hub for foreigners seeking quality care at approximately twenty-five percent of the price they would be paying back home, for say, a Calgary implant dentist in Canada. And considering Dubai is home to some of the best dentists in the entire world at such an incredible cost, it provides one with all the more incentive to enjoy a vacation and quality dental care at the same time. Another really common destination to go for dentistry in the Arab world is Turkey. On the world map, Turkey sits right in between where Eastern Europe ends and the Middle East begins, so it makes it a very convenient location for a wide variety of travelers. About forty percent of medical tourists who come to Turkey’s capital of Istanbul are there for dental work, and often leave spending less money than they thought they were going to. Like Dubai, Istanbul is a beautiful and historically ancient city with deep roots in the Byzantine Empire and plenty of sites to see, so it wouldn't be hard to combine dental care and leisure when going there. Qatar is also a great choice for quality dentistry, but it is much more expensive than its neighboring Gulf nations. Overall, the Arab world is catching up fast to the Western world in terms of dental care, but at better prices, so it will be interesting to see how Western dentists will adapt to this trend in the global market for the future. But as of right now, if you are seeking high quality dental care at a fraction of the cost, one of the Arab nations mentioned previously could be just what you were looking for.
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