It is a misconception that dental treatment, especially in India, is expensive. To be honest, there are many experienced doctors in India, their appointments are easy to get and the treatment is also very cheap compared to the rest of the world. This is why India is very famous for dental tourism in the world! In foreign countries, all these treatments are at least 10 times more expensive. For NRI brothers and sisters, the cost of round-trip tickets and treatment will be almost half of what it costs there!
But why should we compare with foreign countries? This is because even today, high-quality equipment, machines and materials used for treatment are not manufactured in India and are imported. Not only that, but instead of getting help from the government, heavy import duty is imposed on these equipment. It is enough to say that we do not have an approach to research and product development compared to foreign countries. Moreover, since the laws regarding quality in foreign countries are stricter than in India, doctors give them more preference. Now tell me, do you think it is right to compromise on the quality of treatment or the research behind it? And when we are being treated with the same advanced foreign equipment, why not make a comparison?
Along with this, our mindset also plays a big role. Usually, we feel status by living in a luxurious bungalow, driving a luxurious car, using an expensive smartphone or drinking expensive coffee from Starbucks. We will spend a lot in the pursuit of lifestyle but will prolong the physical problems. We will pay 100 for a 20 rupee water bottle in the Taj Hotel but it is our birthright to call a doctor a robber! We cannot count how much we spend wrongly in the pursuit of saving 500 rupees by seeing the tempting advertisements of free check-ups! Hey! The loss of money is okay but what about the damage done to our body? And what about the offer in the treatment of the disease?
To be honest, our careless attitude towards trouble makes it expensive. Our approach of finding everything cheap is so widespread that some foreign companies are dumping their rejected-low quality goods at cheap rates in India, Africa, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Don't we deserve the best? Corruption, poor economic conditions and our attitude of accepting low quality are responsible for nurturing such malpractices. The mere fact that a company is foreign is not a measure of its quality and there should be no mistake in considering Indians as "3rd world citizens" in the global market.
Despite being frontliners, doctors do not get the security and lifelong support from the government that a soldier or leader gets. Not only this, but they do not get any concession in buying a place for a clinic, paying taxes, electricity-water-gas bills or municipal taxes. In addition to this, expensive education, late start to a career (at 30 years), little savings compared to the cost of making a name for themselves and repaying loans, the high cost of foreign machines and hospitals, the risks associated with the profession, and how a doctor would meet the needs of his family, you have to think!
If dental clinics do not charge OT, medicine and nursing charges separately like other hospitals, then how can they be expensive? Perhaps the widespread malpractice among doctors is partly a result of society's false expectations, corporate culture and excessive financial burden! After all, they too, like all of us, work to fulfill their basic needs like bread, clothes and housing. If they have to survive on their own, then how can we expect them to provide only service?
Every doctor charges their own fees based on time, skill, experience, technology and materials used; expensive or cheap is not a matter of debate. Ultimately, the only thing to consider is how financially convenient and appropriate the treatment will be for you.
