Why has the Basque Country become a destination for dental tourism?
Why has the Basque Country become a destination for dental tourism?
Dental tourism –that is, the search for dental care outside of the local health system– is an increasingly widespread practice in Europe. In the Basque Country, there is a clinic that specializes in offering quality dental treatments to patients from other regions of Spain and abroad: UrbanDental. This clinic has adapted its procedures and incorporated cutting-edge technology to offer fast digital dentistry services and invisible orthodontics, computer-guided surgery, and Digital Smile Design to those who come to enjoy their holidays in the Basque Country. In fact, at the clinic they can perform an implant or cosmetic dental treatment in hours or days.
Founded in 2007, UrbanDental is located in Barakaldo, just a few minutes from the Bilbao Airport. On staff are 21 professionals: eight dentists, seven hygienists, four auxiliary staff members, an X-ray technician, and a CAD designer. At their modern facilities designed by the Abitura architecture studio, they have two intraoral scanners, dental CT (CBCT) equipment, and a computerized anesthesia system, being pioneers in the use of digital technology applied to dentistry. All of their implant surgeries are computer guided and they design and manufacture the surgical splints using 3D printers in house in the clinic. They also perform Digital Smile Design, which enables them to show the patient the result of an aesthetic or orthodontic treatment before it is applied, thanks to dental design software that uses photographs or STL files. Once they receive the approval of the patient, they do a mockup that they place in the mouth as a model, so that the results can be seen before the procedure is started.
Likewise, the clinic has a milling unit to manufacture ceramic prosthetic crowns in just a few minutes, allowing the implants and the ceramic crown to be placed on the same day of surgery. They also undertake aesthetic treatments with ceramic veneers and crowns in a few hours.
Although they can tackle all dental specialties, the strength of UrbanDental is orthodontics, with three orthodontists on staff who are specialized in invisible orthodontics. In addition to being certified to do veneers by the American company Lumineers, the prestigious brand Invisalign has classified them as an Invisalign Diamond Provider, the highest category level awarded by the firm. Diamond doctors are the ones with the most experience and the highest number of cases treated in the last 12 months worldwide.
Apart from caring for patients, UrbanDental also organizes courses and clinical stays for dentists, hygienists, and auxiliary staff who want to continue training in different subject matters, especially in digital dentistry, invisible orthodontics, and computer-guided surgery.
The continuous training of the clinic’s team, innovation, clinical excellence, and a love for details and a job well done have set the path to success for UrbanDental, which has managed to position itself as a leader among the locals and dental tourists alike.
UrbanDental
Calle Fandería 5, Barakaldo.
Tel.: +34 946 567 687
