Articles & Press

Savvy Practices Prepare as Dental Tourism Booms

Posted January 29, 2018 in Articles & Press

Dental tourism in Mexico is a booming industry and is only expected to continue growing. Worldwide, practices offering state-of-the-art treatment technologies are in a much better position to attract and retain new patients.

(Clearwater, FL) January 29, 2018 — As many as one in five Americans needs some kind of dental work, but only about 20% see a dentist on schedule twice a year.(1) Many factors influence dental consumers’ decisions to skip appointments—lack of dental insurance and high costs for procedures and examinations keep many out of the exam chair. As a result, dental tourism in countries such as Mexico has become a flourishing industry, with no signs of stopping anytime soon. Leading dental equipment manufacturer Boyd Industries says dental practices in Mexico and other countries need to have the proper equipment to care for the patients flocking to their doors.

In Mexico especially, the dental tourism industry has exploded. One small town near Yuma, Arizona, claims to be the dental capital of Mexico, with tens of thousands of dental tourists going there each year.(2) Tourists come for a wide range of services, from standard teeth cleaning to complicated root canals and crown placements. One of the key reasons for this is cost; for example, dental implants in Mexico cost only 50–70% of what they cost in the U.S.(3) And it’s not as if these services are provided on street corners—more and more clinics are utilizing state-of-the-art technology to provide high-quality, successful treatments.(3)

Adrian LaTrace, CEO of Boyd Industries, says, “As Mexico is already showing us, dental tourism is inevitable. So, for dentists in Mexico and other countries to keep up, they need to have the proper dental equipment. People aren’t going to come to clinics that are behind the times—they want access to the most current technologies so they feel comfortable receiving care.”

Mexico’s close proximity to the United States makes it an attractive option for those traveling for dental care. Towns up and down the U.S.-Mexico border offer access to dental clinics staffed by well-educated providers. In fact, many dentists practicing in Latin American countries were formally trained in the U.S. or the United Kingdom.(3) However, patients still need to practice due diligence before selecting a dental office for their treatment needs.

“Patients can certainly benefit from traveling to Mexico for care, especially if they don’t have dental insurance—but they need to be careful. It’s important for people to do their research to make sure the clinic they visit is well-staffed with professionally trained people, and that they use the most current technologies to help their patients. It isn’t worth a trip if your care is substandard,” says LaTrace.

Dental practices worldwide can help boost their attractiveness to patients by offering treatment with state-of-the-art technologies. More people than ever view technology as a tremendous asset to their care, especially younger people and millennials who utilize technology on a daily basis. In choosing their care providers, dental consumers want to be confident that their dentists employ the most modern techniques and not fall behind the times.

About Boyd Industries:

Boyd Industries is a market leader in the design and manufacture of award-winning dental operatory equipment. Its high-quality and reliable equipment has been the choice of specialists for over 60 years. Boyd’s products include a full line of dental exam, treatment and surgical chairs, dental delivery systems, LED exam and surgical lighting, custom sterilization and storage cabinetry, doctor or assistant seating, and video game consoles. The company is an ISO 13485:2016 certified manufacturer.

Boyd equipment is specifically designed to provide maximum practice productivity while incorporating ergonomic characteristics for the doctor, staff and patient. As an original equipment manufacturer, Boyd uses a vertically integrated manufacturing approach to ensure it meets high quality standards. This approach allows Boyd to control each step of component fabrication and product assembly. To learn more about Boyd products, please visit http://www.boydindustries.com/home.

About Adrian LaTrace:

Adrian E. LaTrace leads Boyd Industries with over 25 years of leadership experience in companies ranging from start-ups to large public corporations in the healthcare, renewable energy and aerospace industries. His experience in developing high-performance organizations is helping Boyd to provide leadership for the dental equipment needs of the future.

Sources:

  1. High quality care, a wealth of options, and great prices help make this healthcare necessity accessible. Patients Beyond Borders. https://patientsbeyondborders.com/procedure/dentistry.

  2. A Reason To Smile: Mexican Town Is A Destination For Dental Tourism. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/06/09/318212444/a-reason-to-smile-mexican-town-is-a-destination-for-dental-tourism

  3. Dental Tourism in Mexico: affordable high quality service. The Yucatan Times. http://www.theyucatantimes.com/2018/01/dental-tourism-in-mexico-affordable-high-quality-service/