Jalandhar emerges as centre for dental tourism

City getting NRI patients from the US, Canada, and Europe

After yoga and meditation, it is now designer smiles, fresh crowns and teeth implants which promise a refashioned "nirvana" for an increasing number of foreigners and non-resident Indians(NRIs) visiting Jalandhar.

As dentistry gets a new edge with the state-of-the-art equipment and sophisticated technology, a large number of NRIs, mostly hailing from the Doaba region of the state, better known as the NRI belt, are thronging the city for specialised dental treatments at affordable costs. The NRIs mostly club their travel with treatment plans.

"There is a great potential of dental tourism in India. Patients from West Asia, Europe, the US, Canada and Africa visit the city for various dental treatments, even though such procedures are available in the West, since the cost factor plays an important role in this regard," said Dharmesh Nanda, a dentist residing in the city.

The most sought-after treatments included root canal treatment, crown replacement and even fixing teeth for a better smile, said Munish Kaushal, a cosmetic dentistry expert.

"The dental treatment does not come under insurance coverage in the UK. For example, the root canal treatment in the US, Canada or the UK could cost a patient something around $4,000, while the same procedure would incur Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,5000 in India.

"In countries like the UK, where people have to wait for months to get cosmetic dentistry done under the National Health Scheme(NHS), dental tourism has emerged as a boon," said Nanda.

Undertaking a cost comparison, doctors say while it comes to around $ 300-400 for a dental filling in the US and Europe, compared with only $20-40 in the country, a denture, which would cost $ 2,000 overseas, would be available for $200 in the country.

The huge treatment cost in the US and Europe deters most of the NRIs from getting treatment abroad. In some countries, the dental treatment does not come under the NHS scheme and therefore becomes very costly.

The "personalised touch" in India also encourages NRIs to opt for treatment here.

"In spite of the vast potential of dental tourism here, there is, however, no visible promotion by the government or any other agency. Only individual efforts by doctors or hospitals are being made to promote the same," said another dentist.