Are you a Abu Dhabi resident postponing Dental Treatment due to lack of insurance cover and high cost of treatment .This is what you need to know .

This is going to be a long one. I am a Specialist dentist currently working with a prominant hospital in Abu Dahbi . I have now been in Abu Dhabi for about 18 months. Like most new comers to this city I have been hit pretty hard by the exceptionally high cost of living in this city and getting used to it is still a work in progress. The same can be said about the cost of health care in this city , especially the cost of Dental care . Basically if Your insurance does not cover dental treatment , you are for all practical purposes screwed . I have almost lost count of the number of patients who have refused treatment because of the perceived high cost involved . I have seen patients suffering from acute pulpitis ( excruciating tooth pain that becomes especially worse at night) postpone treatment for months together simply because they cannot afford it . while this is a very sytemic problem i would like to just enumerate a few tips to help you if you find yourself ina similar situation .

1. Before you leave your home country go for a through dental checkup . Focus on having decayed teeth filled , impacted teeth removed and infected or painfull teeth root canal treated . Find the appropriate specialist for each procedure and spend the extra buck to have your problems treated properly . Do not go in search of bargains . Like in any other field ,in dentistry too you get what you pay for , and contrary to popular belief you dont pay for the materials usedbut for the skill and time of the dentist .

2. Carry appropriate antibiotics and pain medication from your home contry . Again your dentist back home should be able to advise you with this .

3. When negotiating your contract with your employer insisit on an insurance that has dental cover . How good your insurance cover is is compleatly dependant upon you employer .

4. When you do develop some problem and are pushed in to a situation where you have to pay out of your pocket itsmore economical to go to a small clinic than a large hospital . first because clinics have a lower tariff as compared to hospitals and secondly because they will be more flexible about giving discounts on the said tariff. P.S. Please understand that the one sure shot way to screw youself is to try and be aggressive while negotiating a discount . Be honest about your situation . After all most doctors who are here are also expats who are trying to make a living .

5. Finally remembe this , Nothing lasts in dentistry , It may last for a very long time but it will not last forever. The only way not to end up with a overnight problem is to go for a dental chekup once every six months and to have your previous dental work servised at regular intervals . Getting dental treatment is like getting a car . You wont buy a car and drive it around indefenitely with out eventually the car breaking down with a major repair. The same is true for your dentition .

If any of you have any questions regarding this topic pls feel free to post here . i shall try to answer them to the beast of my ability .