13 Best Places to Get Cheap Dental Work

While in the U.S., some complex dental procedures have prohibitive costs, there are some countries abroad that offer cheap dental work and good deals on crowns, implants, veneers, root canals, and so on. Quality low-cost dentistry abroad is not a myth. With the right research, you can find high-quality services and skilled professionals abroad for half the price, or even less. Read on to find the world’s best countries for dental tourism, what their prices are, and how they compare to prices in the U.S.

What Are the Best Countries to Get Good & Cheap Dental Work and Where Is the Cheapest Place to Get a Tooth Pulled?

As an American, Canadian, Australian, or British citizen, you might want to shop around for cheap dental care services. Upon close inspection, you will find places that are relatively close to home, and highly regarded as reliable dental care providers. Here is a list of 13 countries that offer cheap dental work.

1. Costa Rica – One of the Best Country for Dental Tourism

Costa Rica is one of the best country for dental tourism and the most affordable countries when it comes to dental work. Most of their dental practices are both state-of-the-art and safe, relying on impressive technology, procedures, and treatments. Dentistry in Costa Rica is definitely worthy of international standards. If you want to go there for dental work, you can also opt for a U.S.-trained practice. Most dentists are not only experienced, but also friendly.

The people who visit Costa Rica most often for dental procedures are Americans and Canadians.

Dental Procedure Costs in Costa Rica

  • In Costa Rica, the average price for a crown is $403. In the U.S., the average price is $1,093.
  • A dental implant costs about $800 in Costa Rica, as opposed to around $4,000 in the U.S.
  • The price for braces in Costa Rica starts at $598, while the price for braces in the U.S. starts at approximately $3,000.

Cheap Dental Work Costa Rica Locations

2. Mexico

Mexico is another popular dental tourism destination for Americans. The numbers are impressive: between 200,000 and 1 million come to Mexico every year for low-cost dentistry. And that’s for a good reason. High-end Mexico City dental practices charge half of what your average dentist might charge in the U.S. You can get incredibly good treatment for very good value. Plus, it’s only a few hours away by plane.

One of the Best Place for Dental Tourism

Moreover, despite the urban myths about the “Tijuana Doctors” and scary conditions, a handful of Mexican hospitals and clinics actually hold a rightful affiliation with major educational institutions. One of the best place for dental tourism, prices for dental work in Mexico are up to 70% lower than in the U.S.

Dental Procedure Costs in Mexico

  • The average cost for a crown in Mexico is $302, while in the U.S. you will pay $1,093.
  • A single dental implant will cost you around $874 in Mexico, as opposed to $4,000 in the U.S.
  • Root canal treatments start from $118 in Mexico, while dental bridges will cost you around $751 per tooth.

Cheap Dental Work Mexico Locations

  • Mexico City;
  • Cabo San Lucas;
  • Cancun;
  • Puerto Vallarta;
  • San Miguel Allende;
  • Tijuana;

3. Panama

Panama is our third popular destination for cheap dental services. In fact, Panama is a growing hub for dental tourism. People go to Panama for cheaper dental work, because there, they can find U.S.-trained professionals offering services at Latin America prices. U.S. or U.K. citizens have reported an average of 50% in savings, including travel and accommodation fees. The best part is that the official currency of Panama is the U.S. dollar. This means you won’t have to deal with messy exchanges. Let’s take a look at some prices and fees to get a better picture of dental work in Panama:

Dental Procedure Costs in Panama

  • Dental implant in the U.S. (New York): approximately $1,800. The same procedure in Panama: $1,550.
  • Porcelain crown in the U.S. (California): approximately $1,400. The same procedure in Panama: $475.
  • Routine cleaning in the U.S. (Washington DC): approximately $120. The same procedure in Panama: $25.

Panama is the undisputed king of dental services for locals, expats, and tourists. Punta Pacifica is the only medical institution in Central America affiliated with Johns Hopkins Medicine International. Furthermore, Panama has First World technical infrastructure.

Cheap Dental Work Panama Locations

  • Panama City;

4. Thailand

Next, on our quest for the best dental tourism destinations, we will discuss Thailand. At first glance, you might feel that the price of the plane ticket or accommodation doesn’t justify the effort of traveling to this country. However, Thailand offers one of the best dental services in the world, for some of the best prices in the world. In fact, clients have reported that they got discount dental work for around 1/3 of the prices they had to deal with at home.

Quickly understanding that they are a leader and a force on the dental work marketplace, Thailand caters specifically to international patients. You will often find agencies dedicated to those looking for high-end, cheap dental work. The majority of Thailand’s dental clientele is made of people coming from America, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

Dental Procedure Costs in Thailand

  • Dental implant costs in Thailand range from $812 to $1,876.
  • If you want to get braces in Thailand, the prices for metal braces go from $1,094 to $2,033.
  • A root canal treatment in Thailand ranges from $99 to $281.

Cheap Dental Work Thailand Locations

5. India

India is by far one of the cheapest places to get dental work in the world. Just like with Thailand, the price of the plane ticket might be high, but you can get procedures equivalent to those that you could get back home for 10% of the price. There’s just no way to beat Indian prices, and the rates greatly offset the costs of the stay and the flight, especially if you need extensive procedures.

In case you didn’t know, India’s economic growth projections for 2015 and 2016 were 30% based on foreigners seeking out dental services. India is mostly visited by Americans and Canadians, as well as other Europeans looking to mix healthcare with exquisite tourism opportunities. India built its reputation in the competitive world of dental tourism on three strengths you can hardly find elsewhere:

  • U.S.-trained medical professionals;
  • The unparalleled reputation of its private medical facilities;
  • Cheap prices for cutting-edge American procedures;

Dental Procedure Costs in India

  • You can get some of the most cost-effective dental implants in India, with prices starting from $1,039.
  • A root canal treatment in India will cost you around $89.
  • The braces prices start from $593 in India.

Cheap Dental Work India Locations

  • New Delhi;
  • Mumbai;
  • Hyderabad;
  • Jaipur;
  • Bangalore;
  • Goa;

6. Indonesia

Whenever foreigners go to Indonesia for dental work, one of the cheapest place to get a tooth pulled, they tend to go to its capital, Bali. Bali is well-known for providing quality dental care, at affordable prices. Bali has many dental facilities that are equipped with the latest dental technology, at an affordable price. In fact, the capital is often visited by Americans, Australians, New Zealanders, Canadians, as well as expats all around the region.

In 2015, Bali received the Top Destination Travellers Choice Award from TripAdvisor. People appreciate the fact that here, they can find world-class dental care at discounts as impressive as 40 to 70 percent of what you would pay in countries like the U.S.

Dental Procedure Costs in Indonesia

  • For a dental implant in Indonesia, you would pay approximately $1,277.
  • If you want to get your teeth cleaned, you have to pay about $90.
  • The cost of basic metal braces in Indonesia is of about $496.

Cheap Dental Work Indonesia Locations

7. Philippines

Many Americans, Canadians, Australians, and New Zealanders travel to the Philippines for high-end dental procedures and exquisite dental vacations every year. A top Asian destination when it comes to dental works prices and quality of services, the Philippines are among the top ten medical tourism destinations in the world, as rated by the Medical Tourism Association and the International Healthcare Research Center in 2015, ahead of countries like Japan or France.

The Philippines’ dental clinics are recognized for meeting world-class medical standards. Most of the doctors here are trained in the best universities in the country, the U.S., the U.K., and South-Eastern Europe.

Dental Procedure Costs in the Philippines

  • Dental implants minimum price in the Philippines is $1,267.
  • Porcelain fused to metal crowns start at $154.
  • A root canal treatment cost in the Philippines is around $149.

Cheap Dental Work Philippines Locations

  • Manila;
  • Cebu;
  • Dumaguete;

8. Turkey

Turkey is another popular destination for people who want high-quality dental work at low prices. Turkey is a true gem when it comes to dental work, since it sits at the crossroards of the Western and Eastern world. The country is filled with skilled professionals working in state-of-the-art facilities. Turkey sees thousands of foreign patients every year, looking for lower prices than what they can get at home.

Russians, Middle Easterners, as well as all sorts of Europeans combine dental work and tourism when going to Turkey, since the country is also extremely beautiful.

Dental Procedure Costs in Turkey

  • For a dental implant in Turkey, you would have to pay an average of $593.
  • A root canal costs as little as $65.
  • For a dental crown, expect to pay a price starting from $70.

Cheap Dental Work Turkey Locations

9. Romania

Romania is one of the cheapest dental tourism destinations in the western world. There are tens of thousands of foreigners visiting Romania for the cheap dental procedures performed by highly trained professionals, and with cutting-edge technology.

Romania seems to be the best-kept secret for dental tourism in Europe, having around 40 years of experience in serving foreigners. Many Europeans come to Romania, happy to save up to 30% of the private dental costs in comparison to their homeland. Romania’s reputation as the go-to place for affordable dental work is built on three key components:

  • High medical (and especially dental) professional training provided by top country universities and medical centers;
  • A powerful inclination towards cutting-edge technology, which is present in most of the country’s dental private clinics;
  • The medical professionals’ ability to speak English fluently, making them extremely desirable for foreigners in comparison to their neighbors;

Dental Procedure Costs in Romania

  • An Alpha biotec implant in Romania costs around $534.
  • The cost of a dental veneer is $415.
  • For a teeth whitening, you would pay about $272 in Romania.
  • Tip: you can get a better deal if you plan multiple dental treatments in the same clinic.

Cheap Dental Work Romania Locations

  • Bucharest;
  • Cluj-Napoca;
  • Timișoara;

10. Hungary

Hungary is a dental tourist’s paradise according to the Medical Tourism Association Index. Prices here are less than half of what you would pay in the United States, and a third of the costs in the UK. It is definitely one of the places to go if you want to save money on good, dependable dental work.

Hungary boasts more dentists per capita than any other country in the world. English, Irish, Germans, Austrians, Americans, Danish, and French make the largest part of foreigners coming to Hungary in the search for state-of-the-art facilities, and highly skilled dental surgeons at affordable prices.

Dental Procedure Costs in Hungary

  • A dental implant cost in Hungary starts from $523.
  • A dental crown will only cost you about $148 in Hungary.
  • The veneers costs start from $100.

Cheap Dental Work Hungary Locations

  • Budapest;

11. Spain

One would think that dental treatments cannot be more affordable in Spain than in Germany, France, or the U.K. However, being hit severely by the global economic crisis of 2008, the recovering Spanish economy boasts quite a few devalued services and prices. Spain has always had cheaper prices for dental care in comparison to its neighbors. Due to the current economic situation, Spain is a tempting dental care destination for the Germans, Irish, and British.

As medical tourism is concerned, the medical spending per capita of Spain is one of the lowest of the European Union, boasting A+ dental care performed by world-appraised specialists.

Dental Procedure Costs in Spain

  • In Spain, you will pay around $1,137 for a dental implant.
  • Dental crown costs in Spain run from $356 up to $593.

Cheap Dental Work Spain Locations

  • Barcelona;
  • Madrid;

12. Poland

Medical tourism and dental tourism above all has been on the rise in Poland in the past few years. Cosmetic surgery and cosmetic dentistry are the top low-cost dental services that foreigners seek here. Poland is holding its ground as one of the most affordable dental destinations in the world. Germans, Austrians,  English, Danish, Swedish, and Norwegians make the majority of foreigners coming to Poland in search of cutting-edge dental work at low prices.

Polish dental professionals are fluent in English, German, and Russian. Tourists wanting to come here will easily find travel packages including dentist treatment and a recovery stay in resort style accommodation. An important part of the European Union, Poland has benefited from international support and funding. This is why the medical infrastructure here can rival that of the U.K., Germany, and even the United States.

Dental Procedure Costs in Poland

  • Dental implant costs in Poland start at $551.
  • Teeth whitening costs in Poland start from as low as $47.
  • tooth filling in Poland will cost you $43 on average.

Cheap Dental Work Poland Locations

  • Warsaw;
  • Krakow;

13. Bulgaria

In comparison to the more developed countries of Europe, Bulgaria stands out of the crowd only in the tourism department, as it boasts world-class beach resorts. However, in the last years, Bulgaria established itself as a powerful competitor on the dental tourism market. This small European country provides foreign patients with skilled doctors, high-quality services, and incredibly low prices.

One drawback to Bulgaria is that the majority of the population speaks only Bulgarian and some Russian on the side, making communication quite difficult. The upside is that the top-notch dental professionals are schooled and trained abroad, so you can get competent care and proper communication in English.

Dental Procedure Costs in Bulgaria

  • The average dental implant costs in Bulgaria is $808.
  • The prices for dental care services are 50-70% lower in Bulgaria than in the U.K.

Cheap Dental Work Bulgaria Locations

  • Sofia;

Dental Work Price Comparison

For comparison purposes, we focused on the state of New York, and worked our way through the rest of the other dental tourism destinations mentioned in this article. Please note that the prices below are estimates, and may vary depending on various factors like materials, dentist rates, complexity of procedure, etc.

Destination Dental Crown Root Canal Implant / Tooth
New York State $2,500 $2,500 $4,000
Costa Rica $403 $305 $800
Mexico $302 $118 $874
Panama $475 $390 $1,550
Thailand $278 $281 $1,876
India $199 $89 $1,039
Indonesia $374 $214 $1,277
Philippines $154 $149 $1,267
Turkey $70 $65 $593
Romania $294 $53 $534
Hungary $148 $120 $523
Spain $356 $205 $1,137
Poland $238 $91 $551
Bulgaria $112 $140 $808

If you want to find more accurate dental cost listings and comparisons, use these dental work calculators and simulators:

  • Treatment Abroad for comparisons among different countries;
  • WhatClinic – a medical and dental tourism search engine, providing information and guides for customers in the U.K. looking for dental treatment abroad;
  • Dental Optimizer – a platform dedicated to U.S. citizens wanting to learn about different prices for dental procedures among the fifty states;

Dental Tourism Conclusion

The average savings resulted from dental tourism have been estimated at a staggering 70%. Thus, the average American or British citizen looking for exemplary and cheap dental work abroad will be happy to learn that these savings are so radical, they can throw in plane tickets, travel insurance, dental procedures, and accommodation costs, and still not pay as much as they do in their native countries for the same dental interventions.

But what makes these countries so desirable and affordable when it comes to oral health and complex procedures? There are some factors simultaneously contributing to the present state of facts:

  • Fixed costs are lower.
  • Labor costs are lower.
  • Education fees are lower.
  • Medical professionals are extremely well-trained.
  • Medial professionals have easy access to cutting-edge technology and, while expensive as an investment, the equipment makes dental procedures fast, risk-free, efficient, and thus, cheaper.

Have you ever traveled to any of these countries for dental care services? What was your experience? How much did you pay for a certain procedure? Leave your comments below!

40 Comments

    • Robert, thank you for the recommendation. I’m looking for a good cosmetic dentist. I live in California and was thinking about getting the dental work done in Tijuana (I’m thinking about getting veneers) -are you able to provide the clinic’s address or Doctor you visited?

      Thank you in advance for your time.

  • Go to mexico and stay in the hotel premises…lot of criminality. If you want to go to india you’ll have to take 6-7 vaccines if you don’t want to come back with exotic diseases. Thailand…i’ll go there for another ‘treatment’ not dental. There is also Turkey…but now with the bombings…no thank you. I am from spain and i went to bucharest romania with a dental travel agecy. Great quality and great prices ar a fraction of costs. Good luck and good health!

  • Egypt is the cheapest country in the planet
    i am an egyptian dentist and i am telling u that you can fly to Egypt,enjoy pyramids and red sea and fix all uour teeth and pay half of what you would pay if you do it in new york icluding fly tickets and hotel reservation.
    you can contact with me at my facebook page.

  • I have gone to 6 different dentists and 2 periodontis who say they can not figure out what the problem is with my teeth. The x-rays look good to them, etc. However it’s food getting under the thin layer above my teeth. No one has been able to help me. The pain is horribly UNBEARABLE, haven’t been able to be intimate or kiss any one for 2yrs due to the food that seeps out, I can barely manage 1 meal a day and am becoming malnourished. Some one PLEASE HELP ME!

    • Your dentist has been installing crowns, without sealing the margins. I’ve had the experience and he destroyed my teeth.

    • In an extreme situation like yours, it might demand an extreme solution. You can get a serious, whole body, infection. Consider going to a liquid diet. Rice and/or hemp protein drink, vitamin and mineral supplements, avocado or nut milks for fat, vegetable and fruit smoothies. There are also ready made liquid meals like Ensure and there are prescription elemental nutrient drinks. If you choose home made, be sure you are getting all your required nutrients in healthy amounts.

      You won’t be alone. There are several situations which make liquid diets the best option.

  • I brush 3 times daily, floss, and use mouthwash. The issue has gone from “gingivitis” to “periodontal” and I fear what may be going on is much worse than ANY of these dentists are trained for. I do not want this issue to progress to the point where the bacteria gets or leads to the brain causing horrible problems. I have tried telling ALL that pyria is genetic issue as well but it seems I am not being heard by any of these local dentist & periodonts. I NEED HELP ANY ONE PLEASE! Thank you Erica

    • I AM A DENTIST (ENDODONTIST) FROM INDIA AND MOST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD LIKE USA , AUSTRALIA , NEWZEALAND HAVE INDIAN DENTISTS WHO HAVE GONE THERE POST THEIR GRADUATION AND CLEARED THEIR LISCENSURE EXAM AND HAVE BEEN PRACTISING WHERE AS IN INDIA THE TREATMENT IS DONE BY SPECIALISTS AT A MUCH LOWER PRICE THAN THEM .. I BET NO OTHER COUNTRY CAN BEAT INDIAN QUALITY AND PRICE .

      • Do you have a FB page, and also I have heard of so many scary stories whereby the dentists has failed to seal the crowns; what precautions do you take especially if the customer is from another country? Also, do you have any genuine customer feedback that are also on fb?

  • The price estimates for Romania and Bulgaria are accurate, with the comment that 4-teeth bridges are actually cheaper. I got two implants for $1000 ($500 each – $350 for the initial procedure, when they implanted a metal piece and $150 for the fitting of the implant a few months later). My dad got bridges for $100/element. For several complex extractions, root canals, cavity treatments, teeth bridges, and consultations he payed $1,600 over the course of several weeks (he had serious problems with his teeth).

    • Is it possible to get the name and phone number of the dentist that performed your implants, etc. Also, do they speak english? Thanks.

  • I can relate that Bulgaria is one of the cheapest places to get dental work. Plus I have never been disappointed by the quality of work.
    From what I have heard, India cannot be trusted when it comes to dental problems so I am very suspicious about getting something done there. Can anyone confirm that it is a good place to get a dental work? I will be traveling there in the summer and I would really want to give it a go, provided that I have some serious backup information.

  • All this talk but no info or phone numbers or dental name s .people saying contact them on Facebook .we are all getting ripped off in the UK . Perhaps if we all pull our own teeth and never replaced them . Where would those caring dental people be .There’s a kick in the teeth to them . And well done to the forgien countrys no wonder the sun shines in you.

  • It’s such a shame that we have to go out of the country to get cheaper dental work done. If you’re fortunate enough to be able to get on Medicaid, find a dentist who will accept it and get the work done while you’re on the government insurance. Even if it doesn’t cover it all, just another way to save some money on dental work (if possible for you).

    • Hello, Mrs. Drewes,

      That is great advice that we’re sure the rest of our readers looking for cheap dental work will appreciate. Thank you for your input!

      Have a nice day!

    • It is only if you are over 65 and covers x ray, exam, extraction(surfery) pulling, cleaning and dentures. If you are looking for foot canal, bridges, implant, crown, any cosmetic work, and any other work it may cost you $24000 like my dentist said to me. I said are you planning to buy a car and smiled. So, this is why free dental is not free. It has limit and if you have tooth pain it is better to extract. Oh another thing I forgot to mention. I spend $3000 on root canal for 2 t each $1500 plus filling. Had pain come back to my dentist he send me to dentist who did root canal, he said it is your dentist who didn’t kill one last nerve and they said now I need to retreat it means they will change my root canal, but I will again pay $1500 I said okay, because the pain was killing me. So now I paid $3000 just for one stupid mistake that my dentist did. After a year I have again pain. I went back and now he said I should go and check with dentist who did my root canal wtf. You know what they said, they said that my dentist only put there temporary cover filling not the real one. Guess what now I should extract it. I cryed, how this is happening. These dentist that dentist I am done with American dentists. Where is my $3000?.. gone. Ah the other one I should pull out too, it hurts, because when they did root canal they didn’t clean it properly. So, it is $4500 in total I lost. I plan to go to abroad.

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