Dental Care Abroad: Dental Tourism and Ongoing Care for Retirees

For retirees, dental costs recur year after year, and Medicare does not cover routine dental care. Among Medicare beneficiaries who used dental services, average out-of-pocket dental spending was $874 in 2018, according to KFF. In Bangkok, clinics publish their prices: a professional cleaning costs THB 1,500-3,000 (about $40-$80) and a single implant with crown THB 60,000-105,000 (about $1,700-$2,900) at Bangkok International Dental Center and Thantakit Dental Center.

Top dental clinics in Bangkok use the same implant systems as leading US practices: both Bangkok International Dental Center (BIDC) and Thantakit list Nobel Biocare or Straumann implants in their price lists, and BIDC employs American Board certified specialists. The main difference is lower labor and overhead costs.

Prices checked September 2026. The table lists prices that clinics publish themselves. Bangkok International Dental Center (BIDC) and Thantakit Dental Center are separate Bangkok clinics; BIDC's price list is valid until 30 September 2026. Most large clinics in Malaysia and the Philippines publish no fee list, so that column is mostly empty. No current US fee survey is publicly available, so there is no US column. Dollar amounts are approximate conversions.

Procedure	BIDC, Bangkok	Thantakit, Bangkok	Malaysia and Philippines
Single implant with crown	THB 60,000-95,000 (about $1,700-$2,600) by implant brand, including a THB 25,000 crown stage; x-rays, extractions and bone grafts extra	THB 65,000-105,000 (about $1,800-$2,900) with zirconia crown, by implant brand	No published prices found
Crown	Porcelain-fused-to-metal THB 13,000 (about $360); e.max THB 19,500 (about $540); zirconia THB 21,000 (about $580)	Porcelain-fused-to-metal THB 18,000 (about $500); e.max or zirconia THB 25,000 (about $690)	Philippines: Dental World zirconia package of 8 crowns PHP 340,000 (PHP 42,500, about $730, per crown, VAT included)
Root canal, molar	THB 17,000 (about $470)	THB 17,000 (about $470)	No published prices found
Professional whitening (Zoom)	THB 9,500 (about $260)	THB 12,000 (about $330); THB 9,900 on promotion	Malaysia: Island Hospital Penang RM 1,500 (about $320) including scaling and polishing, plus 6% tax for non-Malaysians
Full denture	THB 30,000 (about $830), acrylic, per plate	THB 35,000-40,000 (about $970-$1,100) per arch	No published prices found
All-on-4, per arch	From THB 290,000 (about $8,100) with a fixed immediate hybrid bridge	THB 340,000-440,000 (about $9,400-$12,200) by implant brand	Philippines: Dental World PHP 600,000 (about $10,300) with a fixed acrylic bridge on a metal framework, VAT included
Cleaning and check-up	Scaling and polishing THB 1,500-2,800 (about $40-$80); check-up free, x-rays and sterilisation fee extra	Cleaning THB 1,500-3,000 (about $40-$80); check-up THB 1,000-2,000 (about $30-$60)	No published prices found

For a retiree needing four implants and six crowns, BIDC's published prices add up to THB 318,000-506,000 (about $8,800-$14,100), depending on implant brand and crown material, before x-rays and any bone grafting.

Thailand

• Bangkok International Dental Center (BIDC): Dental centre in Din Daeng, Bangkok, with more than 70 dentists including American Board and Thai Board certified specialists, ISO 9001:2015 certification and a fully digital on-site dental lab. Crowns take at least 24 hours because BIDC does not use CEREC; prices are published on its website.
• Chiangmai International Dental Clinic (CIDC): Clinic on Nimmanhaemin Road in Chiang Mai run by Dental Corporation PCL, the same group as BIDC, which publishes its implant and crown prices on its website.

Malaysia

• Dentalpro Dental Specialist Centre (Kuala Lumpur): Specialist centre in Damansara Heights established in 2003, with specialists in orthodontics, oral surgery, paediatric dentistry and periodontics and MSQH accreditation shown on its website. It actively serves dental tourists.
• ST Tiew Dental Group (chain): Dental chain founded in 1987 with about 50 branches, mostly in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor plus Penang, Johor and Negeri Sembilan. Covers general dentistry, braces and Invisalign, implants and children's dentistry.

Philippines

• Dental World Manila: Multi-specialty group with four clinics in Metro Manila (Makati, St. Luke's Medical Center Quezon City, SM Mall of Asia and SM City North EDSA) that serves balikbayans and dental tourists and publishes package rates for implant treatment on its website.
• Affinity Dental Clinics (Cebu): Branch of the Affinity Dental group at eBloc Tower 2 in Cebu IT Park, opened in 2010, which serves expats and tourists and offers 0% instalment plans.

Beyond one-time procedures, retirees benefit from dramatically lower costs for routine dental care:

• Cleanings every six months: Scaling and polishing costs THB 1,500-2,800 (about $40-$80) at BIDC and THB 1,500-3,000 at Thantakit. BIDC's check-up is free, while x-rays and a sterilisation fee are charged separately.
• X-rays: BIDC excludes x-rays from its implant and check-up prices, so ask for the x-ray fee when you book.
• Dental emergencies: Ask your clinic whether it offers same-day emergency appointments and what a walk-in visit costs.
• Night guards and dental products: Ask for a written price before treatment; clinics rarely publish these fees.

Two cleanings a year at these Bangkok clinics cost THB 3,000-6,000 (about $80-$170) before x-rays and any treatment. In the US, Medicare beneficiaries who used dental services paid $874 out of pocket on average in 2018 (KFF).