Kerri M – Dr Sunil CS1

It was after speaking with my family dentist that I was made aware of the problems I would encounter should I continue to rely on my 3 denture plates.  I did not know that because of my missing teeth my facial features would alter greatly due to my gums collapsing as I had no teeth to keep the structure aligned.
I was referred to a Cosmetic dentist in Sydney who was extremely experienced with “Crowns and Implants”.
After my consultation I was given the option of four differing procedures. I decided to go with crowns and implants. The dentist rang me a few days later and told me the cost would be approximately $52000.00, and the price would be higher should I require reconstructive surgery on my jaw bones. I had no idea it would cost so much so I decided to look at alternative procedures.
Whilst speaking with a close friend who is a Jetstar Airline hostess she suggested I make further enquiries with a view to having the dental work performed in Bangkok, as she and most of her workmates have had many procedures performed there, and to her knowledge, none have had any problems.
Like most of you, I  have heard  numerous stories about people having medical procedures in foreign countries, many with unhappy results. With this in mind I performed countless hours of research over the internet and I was pleasantly surprised to find that many clinics in Bangkok have a client database and you are able to contact them and hear their opinions. Whilst at a friends  barbeque I spoke with a dental nurse with 18 years experience and asked what she thought. She replied that many of the customers that attend the surgery where she is employed have had procedures performed overseas and she was not aware of any complications.
Only after careful consideration I decided I would make the trip to Bangkok and test the water, so to speak.  After all, if I was not completely convinced and relaxed after consulting with my two chosen clinics, and I walked away, I would have lost nothing as I had always wanted to visit Bangkok on a vacation.
My daughter was not convinced on the idea and decided to accompany me, as she was of the opinion that the clinics in Bangkok would not be of the standard Australians are used and she would therefore talk me out of the procedure and then carry on with a leisurely vacation.
Our departure date was postponed for a week and we eventually arrived on a Wednesday just as order had been restored after the “red shirt protests” had subsided.
I was eager to attend the first clinic I had made an appointment with, the staff were very informative and made us feel very welcome, we were shown through their rooms and then consulted with their representative who showed me the options available and the pricing structure, at first it looks very expensive as the prices are given in “Baht” the currency of Thailand.  To give you an idea $1000 Australian dollars = $27879.00 baht.  I felt comfortable with the standard of this clinic but I wanted to attend the second clinic to whom I had been referred before making my decision.
The following day I rang  ”Dr.Sunil dental clinic” to confirm my attendance,  I was informed  I would be picked up 45 minutes prior to my appointment. Not wanting to feel obliged, I told them I was only coming for an estimate, and to view their clinic, that I had other clinics to inspect. I was assured I was under no obligation whatsoever….
After a 40 minute drive we arrived at “Dr Sunhil dental clinic and were greeted by very friendly staff. We had a tour of the complete clinic. To say I was very impressed would be an understatement. The clinic was more impressive than the one I had visited in Sydney, I was given an hour long presentation which covered everything from the available procedures with pricing, the qualifications of all the staff, most of which are trained in the USA. They perform every aspect of the procedures “in-house”, and are suppliers to a number of other clinics in Thailand. I then met with the dentist and we discussed the vast number of options available to me, when I spoke of my wish to have “crowns and implants” I was reassured when the dentist told me he could offer a procedure that would stabilise my gums and would cost far less than “crowns and implants”. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was not put under any pressure whatsoever.
After consulting with the dentist and going through the procedures and the pricing  we were returned to our hotel. That night I discussed it with my daughter to gauge her opinion and was pleasantly surprised when she told me she would not hesitate to go ahead with the procedure as she was extremely impressed with surgery and the staff, (amazing how a persons  perception can be changed once they have all the facts).
Dr Sunhil had quoted me on several differing procedures but I finally decided to have the titanium implants and individual crowns inserted, I was also informed I would require a bone graft to the lower jaw. This procedure would involve another two return trips as the procedure was quite complex and healing of the grafted lower jaw would take about six months.
Over the next 3 days I had all my teeth removed due to gum disease and had  6 titanium implants inserted in my upper jaw, 1 in my lower jaw along with the bone graft. (I decided to only have a local anaesthetic when the implants were inserted, a decision I quickly regretted and would strongly recommend any person thinking of undertaking a similar procedure to at least have it performed under twilight surgery, compared to this, child birth is a walk in the park).
After my surgery was completed I was picked up every day, sometimes twice a day, in order for the dentist and surgeon to monitor my progress. I suffered only minimal discomfort and whilst healing was able to enjoy Bangkok and its surroundings, (the shopping is terrific). After six days I was cleared to return home to Australia.
My procedure to date has cost me $18000 AUD, with a balance of $5000 AUD due on my next visit. All together with my air fares, accommodation and spending money  for this trip and the next two, I estimate I will have expended approximately $30,000AUD all up, not too bad when you consider it would have cost in excess of $55,000 in Sydney.
Oh, and by the way, my doubting daughter, you know, the person who thought I was an idiot for considering   this type of treatment  being performed in Bangkok. She had 5 crowns, 6 fillings and “:zoom” whitening performed at the same time at a total cost of $2600 AUD.
My experience thus far with the “Dr Sunhil Dentist” , their warm and affectionate staff, and the service they offer has been a wonderful experience, and I would have no hesitation in recommending their professional services to any person contemplating any major dentistry. The cost savings is approximately 50%, compared to Australian dentists, sometimes more depending on the procedure
I am due to return in November 2010 to have my upper crowns  and the lower implant inserted . I will keep you posted on my  progress.