Dubai: Steep dental care costs are pushing expats to delay treatments locally for cheaper procedures back home, a health expert said.
Specialist paediatric dentist Dr Tarun Walia said an overwhelming majority of foreigners are without dental insurance cover and struggle to afford treatment in the UAE.
"The costs are very difficult to manage because you can't compromise on the quality of treatment. But few private companies offer full cover to expats - that's only for top-class executives or managers," said Dr Walia, who is currently assistant professor at the Ajman University of Science and Technology's College of Dentistry.
Dr Walia added even covered patients normally have to pay "co-insurance" - up to 30 per cent of the medical bill in some cases. Also, insurers often limit the cover to Dh3,000 per year, he said.
However, it can cost up to Dh5,000 to fix a single tooth, Dr Walia said, in procedures involving implants or replacements. Insurance premiums, meanwhile, can cost patients anywhere between Dh5,000 and Dh10,000 per year, he added.
Even a routine tooth extraction can cost over Dh700 "at minimum on average."
"You can take out the whole jawline in India for Dh700 - a single extraction is only Dh20; 200 Indian rupees," said an Indian housewife in Sharjah, who did not want to be named.
But waiting for cheaper treatment overseas "should not be the way out", Dr Walia said. "Some patients return to the UAE with serious problems because they hadn't received proper treatment in their home country. They then have to follow it up with a dentist here.
"You shouldn't wait till it hurts. Preventive steps can save your health and medical bills as well," Dr Walia said.
Like many others, I am in a very difficult situation, created by this decision," he said.
