The MDK (medical service of health insurance, Rheinland Pfalz, had to survey dental services undergone by german patients abroad regarding the aspects as follows: 

• Did the produced dental prostheses be sufficient, practicable and economical regarding the guidelines of the National Board for dentists and the health insurance?
• To what extent does the dental prostheses show lacks regarding the technical design. Missing treatment, occlusion, technical design and used materials etc.
• Does a cost reduction follow effectively

The goal should be good, individual recovery of the native chewing motion.

According to the agreement of the Ministry of the Bundesland Rhineland-Pfalz  for work, social issues, family and health 60 cases have been looked up in the database of the MDK  regarding dental treatment abroad.

There have been performed 3 cases within EU countries, 32 within Turkey, 25 within eastern  EU countries. In total the have been investigated 81 bridges, 76 crowns and further types of prostheses.

Results:

• 47 out of 81 were according to the guidelines for a sufficient and practicable treatment. A treatment without defect only could be recorded for 12 of these bridges.
• For 3 bridges there even was a question of necessity of these performances.
• For example one defect was the distant crown margin (leaky) a missing occlusion (relating the teeth), defects in the technical production, (matunital contacts) (lead from jaw joint pain to headache and to loss of teeth) caries on the edges of the crowns, as well as too long bridges can lead to loss of tooth.

Due to the detected defects the expert thought 53% of the total bridges to be restored (total 43 bridges). For 97% of the 76 single crowns there was a general question of necessity in restauration.

For none of the surveyed insurants a conformity to type regarding the used material existed.

Findings or information about therapy details did not exist.

For 60 reviewed cases a cost balance on the basis of economical criteria and conformity in guidelines were created:

If you compare the costs you paid abroad to the consolidated balance sheet (costs abroad + percentage share for national defect corrections it results summary from the patient’s perspective a static significant loss by demands of the dental and dental technical services abroad.

It shows that for demanding interferences abroad there is the greatest loss for patients.

Simple services could generate a higher saving.

Conclusion!!!!!

Finally the cost efficiency of a tooth care abroad should be challenged. The made works were mainly  low standard  and qualitative insufficient and afflicted with insubstantial defects..

Data source: Deutsche Zahnärztliche Zeitschrift 2004 (German Dental Magazine)