My hygenist kind of freaked me out on Friday when she said there were no good dentists in Europe,no hygenist and she was worried about me being there.

That seems too strange.Are there any good dentists in Spain. I have gum problems so need a good cleaning every 3 months and my husband and child will need checkups and any of us might need dental work.

So whats the true scoop about dentists in Spain? ( we will pay by insurance or out of pocket as obviously we are not part of the health system).

Excellent question, wtnow. I too am due for my 6-month's cleaning/check-up and a little nervous about it here in Madrid. I'm going back to the USA for a visit soon and was thinking of simply having it done there - and paying cash. I know it's much much cheaper in Spain (than the USA) for cleanings but not confident, yet, about the quality/professionalism found here.

Although I've recently gotten my national health system card, dental care IS NOT COVERED under the system. All persons pay cash unless they have a kind of supplemental dental insurance - which few people have.

Saludos, MadridMan

(In Madrid) I recently saw Dr Eduardo Fernandez Blanco, who was awesome. Really personable, thorough, and spent a lot of time chatting with me. I went just for x-rays and a cleaning, which was 70 euro (not covered by my Sanitas). He speaks fluent English and Spanish.

Avda America 4, Bajo D
917252172
10.00-13.00 / 16.00-20.00

I have heard the dental care is also very poor in Europe in general but I think that refers more to dental "work" that has to be done... I have found the Dr's and Dentists and pharmacy and health care system in Spain to be wonderful except for having to wait months and months for a seguro social Dr appt.... I actually get my cleanings done in Spain - I want until I am there to do it! I guess I am the opposite of MM :-) I do one cleaning a year in Madrid and one in USA - get my xrays done in USA .. as I dont ever have to do any other kind of work it works our for me and saves me money :-)

Ridiculous, how could any sensible health care provider say that across the board, there are no good dentists in the whole of Europe? Could you really believe someone given over to such a generalization?

For teeth cleaning, etc., I go to a clinic here called ESPROHIDENT, nothing special but excellent and quick service at a fraction of the cost the last time I had a check-up in the States. I'm sure that there are many options such as this all over Spain. It's a much cheaper place to get your braces too....

I agree it was a wierd comment ,but yes she is very good at what she does.She also said that Europeans as a whole have much better holistic things available than we do here which she thinks is a far superiour way to go.I think she probably a more fearful type than I am and was a bit freaked out that I would be out of this country for years.

I must admit that it was also colored by a very bad tooth that I have in the back.She is concerned about what will happen if there is a problem while I am on the road & it bothers her that she can not keep an eye on it.She does not know any qualified person there to refer me to.

But it seems she is wrong that there are no hygenists in Eurupe as I have already found some.It sounds like it is a common thought to have fears of dentistry ( by Madridman and Cascadaduset confirmation) in Europe ,so I am trying to sort out what is accurate and what is not.

Does any one know if they have periodontal ( gum) specialists?

Holistic or biological dentists?

Hygenists that work in a natural way ( non surgical) with gum disease?

how much do just cleanings cost ? ( I have recent xrays I will bring with me).

Do they have Pediatic ( for children) dentists?

What if one needs some serious dental work like root canal or crowns or fillings etc? How does one find the best dentist? ( we are mobile ,so could travel to anywhere in Spain or Europe for good dental care).

I also have a tooth right in front that was recently almost knocked out by my daughter accidentally jumping on me while we were in bed.I have been seeing a root canal specialist,but so far its been hanging in on its own.One bad bump tho or perhaps just on a whim ,it could put me in serious pain and need serious care.I might go 30 years without a problem ,or I could be in the middle of no where when it acts up.The tooth in back that she is worried about has similar problems.

My husband and child might also need dental work as they have soft teeth and need regular care ( no gum problems ,but more prone to cavity than I am as hard teeth tend to have more gum problems.I had my first cavity at 36 so don't usually worry in that area).

So I will feel more confident if I know more about the dental situation in Spain and all of Europe ( since we will be on the road a lot) for emergency and for everyday check ups.I need cleanings every 3months ,so will be looking for that in Spain.

Thanks for the input!

Dentists in Spain have the doctor degree. What means that they have to study for 5 years before being dentists.

Other specialists (as surgeons) are doctors (they have to study and practice for 10 years at least). They are completely qualified to do their job. Saying than in Europe (or any other region in the World) there are no good dentists is showing an astonishing lack of knowledge about the dental care industry and state-of-the-art outside the US. I wonder how you feel confident with such a dentist...

A dental cleaning costs 50-100 €.

There are pediatic dentists (and other specialists).

I have had word done in root canals, crowns and fillings and no problems at all. My teeth are in a perfect shape.

This is a known referrence in Spain of dental clincs: www.corporaciondermoestetica.com

Fernando

I've been looking at private health care, not so much as I don't trust the system as I want access to English speaking doctors, private health care runs around 1600 a year which is very very cheap and dental coverage costs an extr 100 or so. In my opinion that is very good value for the money.

You may want to check out Ian Daniel's clinic British Dental Surgeon, don't have the website off hand but when I find it I'll post.

929 98 8687

I really do not want to offend anyone.Its kind of a scary thing to find a good dentist or doctor even in country and system and language that one knows well ( if you are cautious and particular like I am)because they can really mess you up badly if you do not pick well.

It was not my dentist who said it ,but my hygenist and it is really quite common for humans from every country to make generalizations that may or may not be true.But she is really good at what she does ( which has nothing to do with being informed on the dental state of Europe) and it really was coming from a place of concern for me and my well being.Apparently I need a really good expert should I run into trouble and she was concerned about it being monitored correctly since she had no one in Europe to send me to.

Ca is a long way away from Europe and it is sometimes amazing at how little we each are aware of the others systems.Things I take for granted here are often quite surprizing to my European friends who come here to visit.There is much more information within the countries of Europe about what another might use or do( somewhat based on closeness and sometimes similar or connected systems)like say UK and Spain,than between Europe and North America.

There seem to be more websites about anything & everything here so one can google almost anything.But there seem to be less in Europe ,so finding info about everything from piano teachers,violin teachers etc to dentist is much harder than in this country.I am sure they are there ,just harder to find from a distance.Ofcourse the language barrier adds to the problem as my Spanish is poor and even tho my dh and child are fluent,its no where even close to a native speaker since its a second language that they don't use much here.

Thanks a lot for that link. Perhaps I am a dummy tho because I can not find the dentists in there.It seems to be about cosmetic surgery like lyposuction.Do you mind linking the dental portion?

Wtnow, no offense taken You were smart enough to ask, weren't you?

You may find dental care information in the spanish version of the link. It seems they have a reduced set of services in UK.

Anyway, try this link too: www.vitaldent.com .

Probably most of the dentists (or a good amount) speak English or at least can understand it, so don't get very worried.

It is much easier and less frightening to get things work while on spanish soil. It is not as difficult as it may seem. You'll find people who speak english (specially in touristic areas), and spaniards are used to deal with foreigners and try to help them. In case of doubt, ask any local how he/she will deal with the problem.

As extrange as it may seem, we don't cure our dental diseases with rum and pincers You'll find our dentists to be pretty much like yours.

By the way, spanish doctors, nurses and other health care proffesionals are recognized among the best qualified ones in the world. UK is contracting them by hundreds for that reason due to a lack of proffesionals in that country (and an excess in Spain).

Fernando

Thanks Fernando! I am glad I did not offend. I did get a big kick out of your joke bout rum and pincers

I have heard the health care is very good in Spain ( thats why I was surprized by her statement,but then it was not specifically about Spain).I have read the health care is better in many parts of Europe in some ways than in the states and certainly much cheaper.

I am sure we will find someone good. ( Hopefully ,because I am a dental chicken who is a fraidy cat even in this country

I would bet that your hygeniest has never visited Europe and perhaps even a foreign country.

It is good that you are concerned about your health. You hygienest may be good but I don't believe the remark was well-informed or professional.

re:"I would bet that your hygeniest has never visited Europe and perhaps even a foreign country"

Actually she has spent sometime in Germany as a very good friend of hers lives there and is German.I found out THATS where she got the misconception.Her German friend lived near them for a while and their boys are still best friends so they keep in touch often.Her husbands actually Greek and has dual citizenship as well.

The German friend was the one who told her that as she was trying to talk her into moving there and working there.It was actually the German friend who told her the quality was so bad.Interesting ,huh?

I have several different dentists ( specialists) and I have been talking to all of them about dentists over there and I am amazed at how little is known between countries.Even my dentist who is married to a Brit ( and she has 3 cousins who were dentists in UK ,tho now retired)!

Well. I went and did it. I went to a Sanitas ("private" health care company in Spain) dentist although I'm not a Sanitas member for a check-up.

Frankly, I was surprised. They guy took all of 5 minutes simply looking in my mouth and then told me I had 2 cavities and needed them filled. He was pretty quick to disparage the dental work I'd had done in the USA and told me that my getting my teeth cleaned every 6-months not only pointless but also dangerous to the teeth, wearing away the enamel unnecessarily. No flossing. No cleaning. No xrays. Just simple visual examination. Boom. Boom. Boom. And out the door. The guy even took a phone call while I was "in the chair" - the receptionist entered the room and HANDED the cordless phone to the latex-glove-wearing-dentist and then, after the call, went back in my mouth. Mmmmmm.... I know a little something about cross-contamination and, well, I hope the RECEPTIONIST didn't have a cold because I might be getting it next.

I go back on December 26th for the two fillings. I'll be sure to give you a full report of my experience.

Saludos, MadridMan

Here's my MadridMan experience with dentists. The whole process took about 30 minutes at most. I got into the chair, the assistant came in with me to me me comfortable, the dentist came in next, checked the chart, looked in my mouth, and then gave me the painless, pain-numbing shot above each tooth and in 5 minutes they were starting. I was in some-but-little pain during the procedure, the worst part really being having my head tilted back and to the side with the water-and-junk going to the back of my throat. But in general, it was not a bad experience at all and I felt they did a professional job. If only they would've filled the correct teeth. (just kidding - although I'm not too sure because they never really told me WHICH 2 teeth had the cavities)

Saludos, MadridMan

Glad that it all went well with the dentist. A clean mouth is a happy mouth and one that's a pleasure to kiss.

Happy New Year,

Shawn

I have not gone to the dentist in like 10 years!!! ... and actually I am doing fine.

What I do is brush my teeth twice a day. In the mornings before going out, and at night before going to bed. I also drink pure milk directly from the "tetra-brik". It's been like that for many years and have no problems with my teeth. Well, I need to check one but nothing serious.

My friend goes to Ian, the British dentist, and is satisfied with his work.

Ok, here is my problem... I really need to find a dentist here in Madrid. I never had my wisdom teeth removed (as was suggested by my dentist in California)and one of them is infected and is hurting me like you couldn´t imagine.
So, I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for me as to whom I should see here given that I would be without insurance (not covered here in Spain)and I am living near Plaza de España.
Any suggestions/recommendations/referrals would be great.
Thanks-

I have been to the Vilaboa Clinic on Hermosillo in the Salmanca district twice after breaking a tooth (both molars). The first time they referred me for a root canal, and then I had a cap put on. The dentist that did the root canal was excellent, better than the US dentist who removed my wisdom teeth. The second time Vilaboa decided I did not need a cap and just rebuilt the tooth.