Questions to Ask the Dentist in Poland
The first and foremost concern you should have is finding out the accreditation and qualifications of the dentist and practice. As long as you are assured of these then you can be well guaranteed that the procedure will be carried out reliably. However, you should still ask many other questions in order to create the most complete picture of the individual and the establishment you are contemplating for treatment. You can directly ask these questions yourself if your contact in the clinic speaks English, ask them through an interpreter if they do not, or have the questions asked via the medical tourism provider. However once you have had the accreditation and qualifications proven, any other questions you ask are mainly for your own comfort and satisfaction, to ensure that here is the place you want the treatment done.
Questions to ask a dentist in Poland:
- Who has accredited this practice? Can I verify this? (if they cannot tell you where to verify this, you could do well to research whichever board they specify)
- Who will be undertaking my treatment? What are their qualifications? Where can I verify these? (in addition to anywhere they may specify, you could also verify them against the Polish Chamber of Physicians and Dentists, and additionally against either the British or Polish-American board)
- Will the team performing my treatment speak English, and if not, will an interpreter be available? (if not you may have to arrange one for yourself, or find one via the medical tourism provider)
- How many times have you carried out this procedure? What is the success rate, and what are the possibilities of infection or complications? (it may be wise to contrast these statistics with ones you can get from your UK dentist)
- What can I expect in the way of post-operative care? What are the rates of post-operative infection?
- How long should I stay for after the treatment? What happens in the event that I return home and experience complications? (you should work out a plan between the Polish dentist and your UK dentist)
- What check-ups will I need to arrange with my UK dentist once I do return home?
- What am I likely to experience after the treatment? How long will these effects last for?
- What are the side-effects? What are the risks?
- When will I need to come back for my second treatment? (if you are seeking dental implants and they specify a time less than 6 months, you must interrogate them about the success rate again, and take extensive notes that you can relate to your UK dentist)
- How much will the treatment cost?
- If I require additional treatment for any reason, what will the cost be and who will pay?
- How do I make sure communication is maintained between me and the practice and dentist?
- What insurance can you offer me?
- What systems do you have in place should I not be satisfied with my treatment?
- When will I be able to notice the results after treatment?
- Have you any experience of dentistry in the UK?
- Is your procedure similar to that provided in the UK?
- Are there any previous patients who I can get references or testimonials from (either in Poland or the UK)?
Once you have asked enough questions and received enough answers to your satisfaction, you can begin any comparisons you need to make with other Polish dentists and clinics or with any UK clinics. In some cases you may not be able to receive a satisfactory answer by the phone and instead must fall back on your research. Be wary if anything about the responses seems evasive or incoherent, because this could potentially, although not definitely, represent a dodgy practice. You may wish to discuss such problems with your UK dentist or medical tourism provider before reaching a decision, and may even wish to phone again and talk to a different contact.
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