Emma came to us after suffering from an old, faltering tooth bridge for many years. Here is her story in her own words:
“Last September I was given a dental treatment estimate at two dental clinics here in Dublin, Ireland, of between €30,000 and €45,000 to have around 20 crowns replaced along with a couple of bridges and a couple of implants, so I went on to the internet. While it was cheaper to have this work carried out in England; it was still very expensive. I then checked out dental tourism.
There are lots of cosmetic dentists in countries like Hungary, Bulgaria, Poland, offering cosmetic dental work to people from Ireland and England. Then I chanced upon Dental Holiday in Slovakia. I compared their costs and discovered that Dental Holiday was around €100 cheaper per crown than in any other European country. Dental Implants here too were cheaper.
What appealed to me most about Dental Holiday was the uncluttered, jargon free presentation of information online and also through email. The cost of each dental procedure is clearly priced along with the cost of staying in either an apartment or a hotel. In other words, there were no hidden extras.
I emailed the clinic/patient manager, Daniel Shaw, outlining the extent of the dental work that I required. Daniel emailed me back with an enthusiastic “Yes! We can do all of that”. He explained that because of the amount of work, I would have to make a few visits; and he sent me information on flights from Dublin to Bratislava. I felt a sense of confidence, so I booked my flight and forwarded this information to Daniel.
A couple of weeks later, I was met at Bratislava airport by the clinics’ driver, who is actually from Manchester. He welcomed me to Slovakia and chatted to me on my way to the dental clinic. Phillip showed me around the apartment I was staying in and checked that I was comfortable and content. There was tea and coffee and milk and biscuits available in the apartment, which was beautifully cosy. He gave me a mobile phone and showed me the numbers I could phone if I was concerned or anxious about anything.
On my first morning the clinic secretary called at the apartment and escorted me to the clinic, which is only a five minute walk away. She introduced me to the dental nurses and Daniel, who is from England.
Then I met Dr Marek Salka. As I talked to him about all the work I needed done, he was so fully present to me, I felt like I was the only person in his world. He radiated an air of unassuming confidence that put me at ease. I felt safe. I knew that I had made a very wise choice in choosing Dental Holiday.
On my second visit to the dental clinic, Lukas met me at the airport and, like Phillip; he too is fluent in English. On my third visit with my daughter, Lukas met us at the airport. He told us about the Christmas market in Piestany and suggested we take a look around. The festive season had an enchanting air about it. Market stalls served warm punch and other goodies unique to Slovakia. The decorations were attractive and the only boisterous voice was the sound of the occasional bird chirping in the trees.
Piestany is a darling town. The houses are painted in beautiful bright, liquorice allsorts colours. And as I walked past clusters of people chatting in lovely soft voices they nodded and smiled to me. That festive evening when I walked around with my daughter admiring the Christmas decorations and soaking up the festive ambience, young people too nodded and smiled. There is an air of safety and serenity about Piestany.
Flights, accommodation and all the work carried out by Dr Marek’s expert hands and his charming team, including wonderful Daniel, cost between €13,000 and €14,000.
I left Piestany with words like, beautiful, pretty Piestany, floating around in my mind.
Emma – Dublin, Ireland”