Budapest is the undoubted “dental capital of Europe”. So what is the secret of Hungary’s success in dental tourism? Has it been driven by the government? No. By the creation of a medical tourism cluster? No. It’s down to the excellence and entrepreneurial drive of Hungary’s dentists. IMTJ takes a look at one of these – Kreativ Dental Clinic in Budapest.
Hungary, and its capital, Budapest, have become the number one destination in Europe for medical tourists seeking affordable dental treatment. Estimates of the number of all health and medical tourists visiting Hungary vary significantly. Health tourism, in general, has an important role both in domestic and inbound tourism in Hungary. According to data from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (HCSO), 47.6% of domestic overnight stays at hotels were recorded in spa and wellness hotels in 2012. 23.5% of international overnight stays at hotels were recorded at spa and wellness hotels in 2012. But there is little data on what share of the overall health and medical tourism sector is driven by dental tourism. Estimates in the Hungarian business and dental media put the number of dental tourists at 60,000 to 70,000 per year, with a value of around €220 million in total and generating an average treatment spend of €3,500 per patient.
In the Treatment Abroad Medical Tourism Survey 2012, Hungary was the number one choice for British patients with 38% of UK dental tourists opting for Hungary. If we combine this survey data with data from the UK’s International Passenger Survey, we “guesstimate” that around 6,000 UK patients travel to Hungary for dental treatment each year.
Hungary was an early entrant to the dental tourism market, exploiting the deficiencies and underfunding of dental treatment in countries across Europe. The origins of the dental tourism business derive from cross border treatment of patients from Austria and Germany. The recruitment of Hungarian dentists into healthcare systems in other European countries boosted the reputation of Hungarian dental care. The drive to develop dental tourism was driven by entrepreneurial dentists (rather than by the government) who saw the opportunity to capitalise on the country’s reputation in dental care, the competitive pricing offered in Hungary and the high costs of restorative and cosmetic dental treatment in other countries.
The Kreativ route to success
Kreativ Dental in Budapest is a shining example of how to develop a sustainable dental tourism business based on targeted marketing and an infrastructure that is dedicated to serving the specific needs of the international patient.
Kreativ Dental was established in 1996 by Attila Knott. A new facility was opened in 2007 to specifically provide dental care for the international patient and has gone from strength to strength since then. The five-story purpose-built clinic provides ten dental treatment rooms, an on-site laboratory, a rooftop internet café and a training centre. The clinic employs eleven dental specialists, has 70 supporting staff and offers a comprehensive range of treatments, including restorative and aesthetic dentistry, oral surgery, implantology, periodontology and endodontology. International patients are supported by bi-lingual staff and interpreters, and are offered a range of partner hotels, free airport transfers, a free public transport pass, and a local representative and after care in their home country. All final laboratory work carries a long term guarantee.
A clear strategy
The clinic treats more than 500 international dental patients every month. Its marketing and promotional activity has a focus on the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Switzerland, Norway and Denmark.
Kreativ Dental has a clear strategy in terms of its target markets and employs dedicated local representatives to ensure it understands those markets and is tailored to patient needs. Kreativ Dental’s network of local offices and representatives handle local marketing, including web promotion, radio and press advertising as well as attendance at local exhibitions.
Encouraging repeat business
Kreativ Dental focuses on delivering high quality treatment and patient care to ensure patients have the best all round experience possible when they are in Budapest.
Many patients return home and recommend Kreativ Dental’s service to people they know. They actively encourage patient reviews and feedback, and are pro-active in using PR to promote their services. The main corridor of the clinic is adorned with a multitude of press clippings and patient comments about the services received at Kreativ Dental (see picture).
In the UK, Kreativ Dental runs a patient referral scheme by which existing or previous patients can recommend the clinic to prospective patients. They also maintain a database of previous patients who are willing to be contacted by prospective patients with any questions.
According to Tom Emmerson, Kreativ Dental’s Patient Care Manager, the secret of their success is “ensuring patients are happy, working closely with local representatives, and making no compromise on quality.”
Future plans
A successful dental tourism business can’t stand still. For the future, Kreativ Dental is considering the dental tourism opportunities offered by Italy and Sweden. A second facility is on the way – Kreativ Dental II, due to open in 2014. The new clinic, across the road from the existing facility, will offer an additional six dental rooms.
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