Dental Tourism In Malaysia: New Regulations Ensure Treatment Quality And Safety
Around 14 million people across the globe travel abroad for dental treatment every year, and Malaysia, in particular, is quickly becoming a renowned destination for dental tourism. Fortunately, the Ministry of Health has now implemented new regulations designed to improve treatment safety and quality for dental tourists. Although most patients traveling to Malaysia for dental care hail from Indonesia, the country also sees its fair share of tourists from the United States, Europe, Australia, India, Japan, Singapore, and the Middle East.
Registered dental professionals guaranteed
New regulations under the Dental Act 2018 (Act 804) now ensure dentists, dental therapists, and dental specialists must be registered with the Malaysian Dental Council (MDC) and the Malaysian Board of Dental Therapists. And, in order to register, fresh dental graduates must also pass the Professional Qualifying Examination (although this isn’t a requirement for existing dental professionals). Dentists can only perform dental services and treatments if they’re registered with the MDC — in both public and private healthcare settings. The Act has also been updated to incentivise continuing professional development (CPD) with a points scheme.
Cutting-edge dental treatments
Dentists across Malaysia offer a host of cutting-edge dental treatments to suit the individual needs of each patient and perfect smiles. Orthognathic jaw surgery, in particular, is a beneficial treatment designed to improve bite and jaw position, along with overall facial symmetry. This surgery is, in most cases, performed on patients with significant overbite, underbite, or crossbite. Keep in mind, jaw surgery is usually performed only when the jaw has finished growing (typically in the early twenties for men and early teens for women). Alternatively, veneers are a popular cosmetic treatment that mask unsightly cracks, chips, and discoloration to transform smiles. In Malaysia, veneers cost around $250-$350 USD, whereas in the United States, in comparison, this treatment costs anywhere between $900-$2,500 USD.
Traveling to Malaysia for dental care: key considerations
Tourists traveling to Malaysia for dental treatment should take care to consider their options before making a decision — a vacation is only temporary, while the aftermath of dental treatment lasts much longer, even potentially forever. For example, it’s important that tourists never feel pressured into booking treatments they’re not sure they really want (this can easily happen when travelers are on tight schedules). Additionally, it’s important to ask plenty of questions. A good dentist will be happy to let patients know about a variety of treatment options able to provide the results desired. And, asking for a second opinion is always a wise move — particularly if the information or answers provided by one dentist are unsatisfactory.
Offering plenty of affordable and cutting-edge treatments, Malaysia has long been a dental tourism hotspot, and now, new regulations mean patients can be even more confident in the quality and safety of treatments offered. As always, people traveling to Malaysia for dental care should take care to consider all their options in order to decide on the right treatment for their unique needs.
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