WITH a set of tooth implants overseas costing up to £40,000 less than in Britain, “tooth tourism” is booming – and soon the cost could fall more – thanks to new European Union legislation.

The EU plans to introduce rules that will allow dissatisfied British medical and dental patients to receive treatment in a member state of their choice – and reclaim all or part of the cost from the NHS.

Only necessary dental work will be covered under the legislation – the likes of implants and root canal treatment – so those going overseas for cosmetic dentistry will not benefit. However, the move could lead to a huge boom in demand for overseas dentistry, as availability and standards of NHS dental care fall.

A damning House of Commons health select committee report indicated in July that almost 1m fewer people have received treatment since the government shook up the system two years ago.

Negotiations over the proposals are expected to continue for the next 18 months to two years. Member states will then have another year to implement the new rules – meaning they are unlikely to become law before 2011.

Officials expect only one in 300 British patients to take advantage of the legislation, but recent figures from private medical insurer BCWA suggest more than half of NHS patients would travel overseas for healthcare if they could reclaim their bills.

EU health commissioner Androula Vass-iliou said: “Patients will be able to receive treatment in any member state, which will be reimbursed at home up to the level of the same or similar treatment in their health system.”

Dental treatment in other EU countries tends to be far cheaper than in Britain – so those successfully claiming under the planned EU legislation should have no trouble claiming back the full amount.

Patients requiring an overnight stay in a hospital as part of their treatment might need permission beforehand from the NHS before heading overseas, if the government gets its way. This would not be necessary for those travelling abroad to see a dentist, so long as the proposals are not changed.

Either way, Britons who receive treatment elsewhere in the EU will retain a right to NHS care, but will have to cover their own travel and accommodation costs.

Dental work is likely to be one of the most popular types of treatment sought due to the lack of NHS dentists in this country – and the high cost of going private.

A six-month check-up costs £44 with a private dentist, compared with £16.20 on the NHS, according to Tesco personal Finance. Having a crown fitted comes in at £370 if you go private or £198 on the NHS.

Dental insurance is also pricey. Tesco, for example, charges £203 a year for its premium cover. You can opt for a cheaper cash plan – Axa PPP charges £8.95 for its Cash Plan Plus, but this will only reimburse NHS dental care in most cases.

Simon Purchall, the founding director of Smile Savers Hungary, said: “Going private in this country is hugely expensive. Using Hungarian dentists means we can offer people top quality treatment at a much lower price.”

A full set of implants costs up to £40,000 less in Hungary – about £30,000 cheaper compared with £70,000 or more in Britain.

So, those who want or need dental work before the new EU rules come into force could still save thousands of pounds by going overseas – even after travel and accommodation costs.

Croatia and India are also popular destinations for “tooth tourism”.

Trip saved me £20,000

RETIRED health-food shop owner Linda Williamson, 54, saved more than £20,000 having dental work done in Budapest rather than her hometown of Ashington, near Newcastle upon Tyne.

She arranged the trip through Smile Savers Hungary, and paid £9,900 for the work, which included implants and crowns, and would have cost up to £30,000 in Britain.

‘Even once you take accommodation and travel costs into account I saved a lot, as an implant in this country costs about £2,000 and a crown is at least £300,’ she said. ‘My dentist here said he thought the materials and the workmanship were of a very high standard.’

She recommends ‘tooth tourism’ also for the experience: she stopped off for treatment while driving through Austria and Hungary. ‘It felt like a holiday,’ she said.