AN ALTERNATIVE FOR THE DENTALLY DEPRIVED BRITISH?

Colin Lamont is all smiles after saving $45,000 -- a 75 per cent discount -- by having major dental work overseas. The former state MP, whose teeth were damaged by a terrorist's bomb 30 years ago, is so impressed he's now booking Australian patients into a Philippines dental clinic. Mr Lamont, 64, from the Gold Coast, was quoted $60,i?00 by his local dentist for extensive work that included several implants, 29 crowns, three bridges and seven root canals.

"The cost was astronomical. By going to the Philippines I could save $45,000 -- that's what I call a saving," he said. "I wanted a Western-trained English-speaking dentist, with a guaranteed standard of hygiene. Once I had a name, I booked."

He decided to explore the overseas option after reading a report in The Sunday Mail about cheaper dental surgery in Asia. Fish shop worker Harry Sharpe, from Currumbin on the Gold Coast, had been quoted $15,000 by a local dentist for two bridges, a crown and four fillings, only to pay $1200 for the same work at a private clinic in the Philippines.

In the report, the Australian Dental Association warned people to do their research, because while they might initially save money there could be the need for corrective surgery on their return. The report sparked numerous calls to The Sunday Mail from Queenslanders seeking the cheaper surgery but not sure who to book with. And it made Mr Lamont take extreme care in choosing an overseas dentist.

"They are dead right. That's why we have set up a service to offer reassuring testimonials for Australians who really want to go," he said. "Manila is a great place. It's clean, inexpensive, the dentists are English-speaking and Western trained. You can save 75 per cent of dental costs, have a holiday with the savings and still have money left over. My wife is delighted. She thinks she's married to a piano."

Mr Lamont, the Liberal MP for South Brisbane from 1974 to 1978 and the former Queensland chairman of the Australian Council for Education Standards, has set up a company dealing in dental tours. He said several people had booked and he had at least a dozen messages here from people waiting for bookings. "It's not for people who have one crown or a couple of root canals, but once the price gets over $5000 the savings are worthwhile."

Mr Lamont's extensive dental work was due to long-term problems caused from a terrorist attack in Hong Kong in 1976. The then young detective inspector of police was attempting to dismantle a home-made bomb when it exploded a metre away. "I had 11 teeth knocked out and both my ear drums were blasted," he said.

The above article appeared in the Brisbane "Sunday Mail" on May 21, 2006

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For greatest efficiency, lowest cost and maximum choice, ALL hospitals and health insurance schemes should be privately owned and run -- with government-paid vouchers for the very poor and minimal regulation. Both Australia and Sweden have large private sector health systems with government reimbursement for privately-provided services so can a purely private system with some level of government reimbursement or insurance for the poor be so hard to do?

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