Teething Problems?

Were you one of many who gasped in pain on your last visit to the dentist? Not because of the work being done or the sound of the drill, but rather the sight of your bill? I recently had a quote on some dental work and nearly fell off my chair! Hello…this was dentistry, not a car purchase!

Faced with that outlay, I began investigating offshore options and it wasn’t long before I discovered the Malaysian Health Tourism Council (MHTC). Ooh, it had been a while since my last trip to Kuala Lumpur, so the wheels were set in motion to visit again and get my dental work attended to.

The Malaysian Government have long recognised the role of medical tourism and a minister from the Prime Minister’s office recently pointed out that “Malaysia will continue to strengthen its medical standards and quality of health care.” Malaysia offers high quality care at an affordable cost with expertise in Lasik, cosmetic surgery, IVF, full body scans as well as dentistry. There is transparency in medical costs and, most importantly for offshore visitors, stringent quality control by the Malaysian Government. My visits to just a few of the clinics specialising in cosmetic, Lasik and dental surgery resulted in an impression of efficiency yet warmth, clean and clinical facilities, highly qualified practitioners, and a fantastic command of English.

On arrival in Kuala Lumpur, I was met at the airport by my driver and whisked to my room at the Prince Hotel & Residence for a night of relaxation post-flight. The next day, he drove me to DEMC where I had my Orthopantomogram done (OPG’s or x-rays) as well as my initial consultation with the dental surgeon, Dr Firdaus. Two further visits over the next two days and my dental work was all taken care of … and my final bill was about a tenth of what I’d been quoted in New Zealand.