Why Americans Travel for Dental
American Seniors Travel for Dental Care
With someone turning 50 every 7 seconds in America today, a vast number of people are reaching the age where they are technically considered senior citizens. It’s an awkward age, especially in this modern age, where a person can feel old, yet young again. The old “this age is the new that age” paradigm keeps shifting upward, so that pretty soon, we won’t be considered old until we are in our 80’s; but that is still a long way off. For now, the baby boomers starting down the backside of the hill are driving the need for many mid-life makeovers and repairs. This includes dental care.
People of all ages are getting caught up in the travel craze as well. Fueled by the foodie generation’s constant craving for something exotic from foreign lands, and the proliferation of travel shows on every cable network, people are beginning to rethink waiting until they are retired to see the world.
Combine Pleasure and Health Care
So, we are seeing the best of both worlds, where people are discovering that they can combine pleasure trips with health care. With news shows doing stories on the quality and prevalence of procedures being performed in places like Thailand, South Korea, and Mexico, people are opening up their wallets because of heightened trust in foreign care providers; especially when these professionals are advertising heavily and catering to the American clientele. That includes all North Americans, which means the United States and Canada. Mexico is a popular destination for people from Montreal to Memphis.
Canadians Attracted to Affordable Dental Care
Canadians are drawn by the warm weather. US Americans, not so much as they are attracted to the pricing. Canadians have public health insurance, which doesn’t pay a lot; but probably covers more people than in the United States where 42% of people do not have dental insurance. And for those who do, the payout doesn't even cover the cost of a root canal. Commercial dental insurance in the United States seems to be a bit of a scam anyway, with many patients questioning if the insurance is worth paying for when they see their final treatment bill.
As all things work toward equilibrium, so too will the balance of trade work out for the best in the cross-border battle for the best affordable dental care. As more and more people find that they can finance their vacations with the discounts in their dental bill, then perhaps the cost of treatment in North American will come down. In the meantime, you can count on an increase in the traffic of Americans finding exotic spots to for their crowns, bridges, implants, and veneers.
People naturally want the best product at the best price. An aging population obsessed with eternal youth and fitness is going to seek out cutting-edge technology for cosmetic dentistry in order to keep that 20-something smile well into their golden years. It’s going to be a battle between all natural dentition and plastic dentures. With the cost of the former being offered close to that of the latter in some countries, what’s to stop people from packing a beach towel and jumping on a plane?