Answers to the most frequently asked questions about Dentaturism.

Dentaturism is a dental tourism programme designed specifically for patients worldwide whereby we provide the highest quality dental services, in accordance with European standards, within an integrated system of consultancy and counselling services, revolving around the acute need for quality, humane and affordable dental care and assistance.

• First of all because caring for the patients, prioritising their real needs, is the motivation behind all our decisions. It is the attitude that has helped us build an excellent reputation, earning the appreciation of patients all over the world.
• The dental tourism programme Dentaturism has become the bridge between every patient's dream and the reality of a healthy smile, meeting people's need for quality, humane and affordable healthcare and assistance.
• Since its creation in 2009, the entire structure of this programme has been built around a simple philosophy: "Patient first". The evolution and development of the programme over all these years is a natural consequence of implementing this philosophy, always trying to put ourselves in the patients' shoes before choosing the right treatment solution for their needs.
• Last but not least, because you save time and money. Accessing the Dentaturism programme you can save up to 60-70% of the cost of similar treatments or procedures without compromising on quality. You pay less for a dental treatment that is qualitatively similar, maybe even better, and that is completed in a maximum of seven days.

Not at all. As mentioned above, the reason for the lower cost of dental treatments is low labour costs. However, this does not influence the quality of dental care services.

The high quality of treatments and prosthetic works is due to the professionalism of the entire team of dental care specialists, assistants and technicians, as well as to the high level of professional training obtained through participation in international training and specialisation courses, certified by titles and accreditations equivalent to those of their counterparts in the Western countries.

Last but not least, the highest quality of the materials used and the dental centre's state-of-the-art equipment, in accordance with European standards and norms, complement the expertise of our specialists, providing the comfort and safety that all patients seek.

Given that we live in a time when the medical culture is changing continuously, and it pays increasing attention to the exigencies of the business world, the Dentaturism programme has succeeded in facilitating patients’ access to quality health care based on the empathy and compassion characteristic of humane care, an increasingly rare model.

We believe that in the field of dental care, reputation is essential. It is the imprint we leave on our journey through life, which is why, more than once, we had to refuse approaching a case from the patient’s perspective because we could not accept acting against the philosophy of the Dentaturism programme.

For example, we had patients requesting multiple extractions, sometimes involving clinically healthy teeth, for aesthetic reasons. Because the patient's wishes clashed with the medical principles and our values, we had to refuse, even if the treatment would have brought us a net financial gain. This attitude has helped us over the years to build an excellent reputation, earning the appreciation and gratitude of patients all over the world.

Through the dental tourism programme Dentaturism, you can benefit from all types of modern dental treatment currently available.

Thanks to the "All In One" concept, which covers the three departments that are essential for the proper functioning of the dental centre, we have succeeded in developing a team of specialists in several fields such as general dentistry, implantology, orthodontics, dental aesthetics and surgery.

These specialists of which we are so proud are closely assisted by a team of dental technicians who can intervene at any time and decide on the right shape and colour for the new prosthetic work, while the patient waits comfortably in the dental chair.

The experience gained in over ten years has helped us to understand the important role that the quality of materials and products used plays for successful treatments and patient satisfaction.

For example, when we find ourselves in the situation of repairing bone defects and we approach a bone regeneration procedure, the solution chosen by our specialists is Geistlich Bio Oss, the most widely used natural bone substitute in the regenerative dentistry industry internationally, and for implant solutions we use MIS implants – Israel, the world's best-selling implants, Bredent – Germany and Biotech Kontact – France as a middle option, and Straumann or Nobel Biocare as premium options, all tailored to the needs of our patients.

For the time being, all procedures and treatments are performed under local anaesthesia only. For patients suffering from anxiety, however, we also have the option of applying the conscious sedation method, a procedure known as inhalation.

Inhalation is a revolutionary method of conscious sedation, which results in a state of relaxation for the dental treatment. With this technique, a patient in a dental chair receives a nasal mask and inhales a mixture of nitrous oxide in combination with oxygen, resulting in a gas that has both sedative and mild analgesic properties. This gas induces a relaxed, feel-good state, thus removing anxiety.

In line with the development objectives of the dental tourism programme Dentaturism, the human resources policy focuses both on the human potential capable of providing services at a high level of quality and professionalism, and on the concept of continuous professional training. We invest in our people, who are constantly attending local and international training courses and seminars for further training and specialisation.

We have an elite team of specialists, people who share the same principles and values and who, guided by the vision of the dental tourism programme Dentaturism, manage to combine professionalism, experience and dedication with the latest technical equipment and modern treatment.

Starting with Iosif Kerekes, the founder of the dental tourism programme Dentaturism, with over 20 years of professional expertise in communication and orientation towards meeting the patients’ needs, continuing with the specialist Tudor Ardelean, specialized in oral implantology, periodontology and prosthetics and owner of the Alb Studio clinic, doctor Carmen Ardelean, specialist in aesthetics, doctor Cristina Alb, our orthodontic specialist, surgeon Codruț Buțerchi, along with the other specialist members of the medical team and up to the team of medical assistants and dental technicians, they all have specialized studies and high competences in providing these dental care services.

Imagine your treatment session like a journey from your status as a patient with dental issues to a generous goodbye meal.

That’s right, at the end of the programme we invite you to dinner! But now let’s see the phases of your journey to the heart of Transylvania.

1. Arriving in Cluj-Napoca

Once you step out of the arrivals terminal gate at the airport, you will be welcomed by a Dentaturism representative who will transfer you to and from the airport. He/she will have a sign or a tablet with your name written on the screen. He/she will accompany you to your car and, time permitting, together you will go directly to the clinic for your first consultation, or to your hotel if it is too late in the day.

2. First consultation

On your first visit to our clinic you will need to fill in several documents and forms containing details of your general health, and you will undergo the necessary radiological investigations. You will then be invited to sit in a dental chair for an initial consultation to assess your dental condition, followed by a conversation with the specialist in order to understand your short- and long-term needs and preferences regarding possible treatment solutions, frequency of treatment, time available to see the dentist, pain tolerance and last but not least the financial possibilities.

3. Final treatment plan

At the end of these procedures, the dental specialists will draw up the final treatment plan, together with the corresponding estimate. If there are any differences between the initial and final estimates, you will be given full details and the reasons.

You will receive the necessary counselling, with detailed clarification of all the information related to the procedures required for the intervention and a step-by-step presentation of the proposed treatment plan, to make sure that you are ready to start the treatment from all points of view, but especially emotionally.

If you have chosen to stay at one of our partner hotels located in the vicinity of the dental centre, then for each scheduled procedure you will be transferred from the hotel to the clinic and back to the hotel. After this discussion, as soon as you have agreed and signed for the start of treatment, you will receive a detailed daily schedule of the planned interventions. If you have chosen to stay at one of our partner hotels located in the vicinity of the dental centre, then for each scheduled procedure you will be transferred from the hotel to the clinic and back to the hotel.

We try to meet the needs of our patients as best we can, but considering that up to ten patients may be scheduled in a day, it would be physically impossible for us to manage their transfer if each of them opted to stay in ten different hotels throughout the city. For this treason, the hotel-to-clinic transfer service is only available if you choose one of the partner hotels offered as accommodation option.

4. Treatment procedure

Once you have decided to undergo the treatment, please consider that before starting the medical procedures, we need you to pay a 50% deposit of the total cost of the procedures and treatments planned for the treatment session, with the remaining balance to be paid at the end of the treatment session/phase.

Please also bear in mind that there may be occasions when changes are made to the treatment plan during the course of the procedures, for various reasons beyond our control. For example, during a dental implant treatment, the specialist surgeon may find that in the area prepared for the titanium screw (implant) the bone does not meet the minimum necessary conditions expected initially, leading to the need of performing bone grafting and a special implant which, thanks to their properties, reduce the risks and maximise the success rate of the treatment.

These situations are rather rare, however they cannot be foreseen, therefore the treatment plan and its cost will be amended and you will receive detailed clarification about the situation. We will proceeded only with your consent related to these changes in the treatment plan.

5. End of treatment session and final payment

Once the treatment session is over, you will receive a detailed bill to check for possible errors and the final payments will be made, if applicable. Payments can be made in cash - in RON (Romanian currency), EUR or USD, or by card (Mastercard, Visa), as you prefer.

On this occasion you will receive recommendations and guidance on the period between sessions, if you undergo a multi-stage treatment, as well as on possible precautions and instructions for the maintenance of the new prosthetic works. We will schedule a final consultation for a final check to make sure everything is in order, after which you will return home.

But before you leave, you will be our guest to a goodbye meal between friends. You and your companion throughout the treatment session will be invited to dinner!

6. Returning home

Just like on your arrival in Cluj-Napoca, when you return home you will be transferred to the airport free of charge, thanks to the transfer service from the hotel to the airport provided by our representative who will pick you up at the hotel at the agreed time.

Please consider that before starting the treatment you need to pay a 50% deposit of the total cost of the procedures and treatments planned for the treatment session, with the remaining balance to be paid at the end of the treatment session/phase.

Payments can be made in cash - in RON (Romanian currency), EUR or USD, or by card (Mastercard, Visa), as you prefer. When using the card for payment, please note that the amount of the treatment estimate calculated in EUR will be converted into national currency (Romanian RON) at the exchange rate of the day given by the National Bank of Romania (NBR) and an amount in Romanian RON calculated according to the exchange rate will be withdrawn from your card.

According to European legislation, dental care services are included in the category of medical activities. As you know, there is no guarantee in medicine for the treatment carried out, because it is not a service similar to a car repair, for example.

It involves a large number of possible factors beyond any control which can activate both during and after the treatment. No one can predict accurately what the patient's post-operative outcome will be. For example, one patient knew herself to be perfectly healthy, but after an operation she discovered that she had a major blood clotting problem, resulting in persistent post-operative bleeding and an extremely pronounced facial haematoma.

But that doesn't mean there's no liability to the medical act. Given their professional work, our dental specialists must carry out their duties professionally and conscientiously, without rush and paying the same attention to all patients. The compassion and empathy they show towards the emotional needs of our patients is as important as their professional skills or knowledge. By adhering to the ethical parameters and medical standards and protocols that are generally valid throughout the medical world, we have been able to successfully prevent malpractice - professional error in the practice of medicine that causes an injury to the patient.

Therefore, the so-called guarantee on fillings, crowns or successful insertion of implants promised by some doctors or clinics is just a marketing strategy. However, if treatment protocols are followed rigorously in the first place, materials are used according to manufacturers' instructions, techniques are applied correctly, and the equipment is of good quality, there should be no problems.

In conclusion, from a legal point of view, the only guarantee possible in dentistry is the one given by the manufacturers of equipment, materials, prosthetic accessories and components such as the prosthetic bridge and screw or dental implants, that can vary from 10-15 years to a lifetime guarantee, depending on the manufacturer. Instead, thanks to the "Patient first" philosophy, the dental tourism programme Dentaturism has been able to offer patients the guarantee of quality, humane and affordable medical care. When it happens that a filling comes loose, the cementation of a prosthetic work deteriorates, or there is an exfoliation of the ceramic on the metal framework even 3 years after it is made, it is always rectified at no extra cost.

Request a free estimate for your treatment!

This step is extremely important and essential to determine whether the services offered by the dental tourism programme Dentaturism are in line with your needs and expectations. For this estimate, we need you to send us a copy of a panoramic X-ray, by email or by filling in the special form under "contact", and describe, in a few words, your needs.

After receiving this information, our dental specialists will analyse the data and, as soon as they agree on the diagnosis, they will draw up a treatment plan containing the solutions to the oral health issues identified.

Once the treatment plan is finalized, the consultant who took on your case will edit the treatment estimate, providing as explicit a description as possible of the proposed procedures and treatments, along with administrative information about travel and accommodation conditions during your stay in Cluj. The dental tourism programme protocol requires that you receive all this information within 48 hours. We usually manage to keep within these limits, but sometimes the volume of requests can cause small delays.

Please bear in mind that you will receive an estimate, i.e., an image which is not 100% accurate. However, we do our best to have an estimate as close to reality as possible. Its purpose is to give you a simulation of a "live" consultation, trying to include all the medical and organisational aspects of the dental treatment carried out by the dental tourism programme Dentaturism, so that you can assess the professionalism of our team and the quality of our services. Therefore, please consider that after the initial direct consultation the treatment plan may be subject to change in the light of new information.

Most patients choose to travel by plane, but there were also a few who travelled by car. Whichever is your option, your dental tourism programme consultant will give you the necessary advice so that you can choose the most convenient flights or the safest and fastest routes.

In the end, you will book your flight and let us know the details of your arrival in Cluj-Napoca. We will take care of the rest. Basically, this is what we usually do:

1. - we book your hotel room, according to your needs, at one of the locations indicated, depending on the availability of our partners' accommodation. Partner hotels and guesthouses offer a 10% discount on the accommodation price to patients who access the dental tourism programme Dentaturism;
2. - a representative of the dental tourism programme Dentaturism will meet you at the airport when you leave the "Arrivals" terminal and transfer you from the airport to the clinic or hotel;
3. - you will receive a brochure containing details and information about your treatment session and some suggestions on how to spend your free time.

We are highly concerned for our patients’ comfort throughout the treatment, and we carefully choose their accommodation. In addition to the excellent accommodation conditions, other essential criterion for the collaboration with our partners in the hotel industry was the distance from the hotel to the dental clinic.

The fast access to the treatment sessions is a priority for us and for our patients. For this reason, the accommodation options described in section “Travel details” meet all these conditions, and the hotels are very close to the dental centre, about 3-4 minutes' drive.

Moreover, based on our partnership with these hotels and guesthouses, all the patients participating in the dental tourism programme Dentaturism and accommodated in these facilities receive a 10% discount of the accommodation price. Last but not least, if you choose to stay in one of the partner hotels you will be offered the transfer from the hotel to the clinic and back to the hotel for every planned intervention.