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Thailand, in general, and Hat Yai, in particular, is a great place to get dental work done.
When I first arrived in Thailand I went for a check-up but my teeth were so sensitive that every time the dentist touched a tooth I almost jumped out of the chair. That was despite paying quite a lot of money to have dental work done in the UK.
Since I have been in Thailand I have had a fair amount of work done and my teeth have never been in better shape. The work done here is so much better than the UK. One UK filling I had replaced in Thailand was so bad that the dentist felt obliged to take a photo.
I worked at a local dental hospital for some time so know a little about dentistry in Thailand. It wasn't always good; 40 years ago the system was terrible especially in the provinces.
The Thais recognised the problem and set up dental faculties in universities in each of the major provincial regions. The idea was to train local people to become dentists who, in turn, would serve the local community. The dental hospital at the Prince of Songkla university operate a mobile unit which makes frequent trips into the countryside to treat rural communities. This mobile unit also treats prisoners in Songkhla prison.
If you need work done in Hat Yai you have lots of choices. The dental hospital at the Prince of Songkla university is excellent and runs several clinics. You don't normally have to wait very long for an appointment and the dentists are excellent.
For some reason, most Thai dentists appear to be female. The dental undergraduate course is six years, compared to a normal term of four years. Unlike students studying Mickey Mouse subjects such as Media Studies or Travel and Tourism, the dental students work their socks off.
When they aren't studying theory, they are actively practising in clinics. It's as if they never sleep and - at times - they don't. After their Bachelor's degree they are qualified to practice professionally but some return to do a Master's Degree which involves another couple of years of hard work and sleepless nights.
Dentalland is a fairly new place and looks quite plush. It is located on Rajyindee Road close to the Samila Seasport Seafood restaurant (Map 4). I haven't been there but I am confident the service will be very good.
Alternatively, there are many small dental clinics around Hat Yai. I don't feel in a position to make any personal recommendations but above is a photo of a Thai sign for dentist. All Thai dentists study mainly in English and many have worked or studied overseas. Their English is generally good enough for there not to be any communication problems.
Not only is the service great, but the prices are so low. If you have enough dental work to get done, the money you can save if you plan to get it done in Thailand will pay for a free holiday. Things like titanium implants which cost a fortune in the West are a fraction of the price in Thailand.
The materials cost about the same because they come from overseas and the Thais have to pay full price but labour costs are a lot lower.
You can even get a pretty dental asistant to hold your hand. On one visit for a dentist the assistant was really cute. I made out I was very frightened and asked her to hold my hand. She did!
There is no treatment that Thai dentists can't undertake and surgeons at the Prince of Songkla hospital even perform surgeries to repair cleft palates and lips.
I have been thoroughly impressed with Thai dentists and can't speak highly enough of them.
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