Safe dental tourism: 7 checks to do before booking
Every year thousands of Italians choose to have their teeth treated abroad, and the numbers are growing. Most come back satisfied — but stories that end badly exist, and they almost always have the same beginning: book on trust, without checking.
The good news: 7 checks are enough, all of which can be done from home in an hour, to distinguish a serious clinic from one to avoid. They are the same ones we would do if we had to choose where to get treatment. And at the end we show you how we respond to each one.
The 7 checks to do before booking
1. Does the clinic really exist?
It seems trivial, but it's not. Check the address on Google Maps with Street View photos, view recent photos and videos of the environments, and above all ask for a video call from inside the clinic: a real facility has no reason to refuse.
2. Who is the doctor who will operate on you?
Names and surnames, not "our specialists". Check CV, years of experience, training and registration in the register of the country in which it operates. A serious surgeon puts his face - and his title - before the estimate.
3. What materials will be used?
The systems must be of certified and verifiable brands (Straumann®, Nobel Biocare®, BioHorizons®…), with certificate of authenticity delivered to the patient. Unbranded "German plants" is an insufficient answer. Always.
4. Is the estimate written and signed?
Before booking the flight you must have a document with: detailed items, materials, times and final price. If the price is "set on the spot", you are writing a blank check. Our advice: no signature, no suitcase.
5. What guarantee is there, in writing?
How long it lasts, what it covers, what causes it to decay: all in black and white. An oral guarantee is a guarantee that does not exist. Serious clinics give it without you having to ask for it.
6. Who follows you after returning to Italy?
It is the most overlooked and the most important point. Ask: How does follow-up work? Who do I talk to if I have a problem in three months? Serious responses include direct channels (WhatsApp, video visits) and — better — a network of dentists affiliated in Italy for physical check-ups.
7. Are there verifiable reviews from Italian patients?
Look for reviews on independent platforms, with names, cities and treatment details. Be wary of anonymous testimonies and those who do not have patients willing to tell their experience. 1,500 Italian patients treated since 2014 - as in our case - cannot be improvised.
How we work
Transparency means willingly accepting every check on this list. Here is how Dental Implants Tirana and the Sanitadental clinic respond, point by point:
- The clinic exists: Sanitadental has been operating in Tirana since 2014. We show you the office, rooms and laboratory via video call before you decide.
- Doctors have names and faces: the doctor Ledjo Kapaj, Dr. Carmine Giordano, Dr. Trendelina Dervishi and the entire team are presented with CVs on the About Us page.
- Certified materials: Straumann® and Nobel Biocare® implants, Ivoclar IPS e.max® ceramics, with certificate of authenticity delivered to the patient.
- Written and signed estimate before departure, with a fixed price: if something changes during the visit, you decide without penalties.
- 10 year written guarantee on the implants, with explicit conditions in the treatment plan.
- Follow-up in Italian: Direct WhatsApp with the coordinator, scheduled video visits and affiliated dentists in Italy for physical checks.
- Verifiable reviews: 1,500+ Italian patients since 2014, 98% satisfied — and many willingly share their experience.
Remember: a serious clinic doesn't fear questions — it encourages them. If any of these seven checks meet resistance, you already have your answer.
Get your first check up now
Book a free video call with our Italian team: we will show you the clinic, introduce you to the doctors and answer all your questions. Write to us on WhatsApp — we respond 7 days a week.
Written by
Tirana Dental Implants Team
The Italian team that has been accompanying patients since 2014 from the first consultation to the follow-up, in collaboration with the doctors of the Sanitadental clinic in Tirana.
